- The Marine Corps' Program Executive Officer Land Systems started fielding the Utility Task Vehicle to Marines in 2017.
- The UTV was bought as an off-the-shelf solution, and after two years of Marines beating them up, the vehicles are getting some upgrades so they can run better and more safely.
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Virginia - The Marine Corps' Utility Task Vehicles are undergoing several upgrades designed to improve the safety and performance of the vehicle.
Using critical feedback from Marines and taking inspiration spanning the automotive industry to desert racing, engineers and logisticians from the Light Tactical Vehicle program office at Program Executive Officer Land Systems have been working diligently to research, test, procure and implement changes to the UTV.
These changes include high clearance control arms, new run-flat tires, floorboard protection, a road march kit, a clutch improvement kit and an environmental protection cover.
"We bought the vehicle as a [commercial-off-the-shelf] solution, so it's not going to have everything we want right from the factory," said Jason Engstrom, lead systems engineer for the UTV at PEO Land Systems.
Since PEO Land Systems started fielding the UTV in 2017, Marines have consistently pushed the limits of their vehicles, said Engstrom, in many ways beyond what is expected or imagined with a typical off-the-shelf solution.
"Even though we're in the operations, maintenance and sustainment phases with the vehicle, it's such a new vehicle and we're seeing Marines constantly push the limits of the truck," said Engstrom. "Every day we're seeing Marines come up with new ideas on how to use the truck."