WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton along with Congressmen Rick Crawford, French Hill, Steve Womack and Bruce Westerman congratulated Lockheed Martin on its new Department of Defense (DoD) contract to build the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), a replacement for the military’s Humvee. Lockheed will produce the JLTV in East Camden. 

“This is a great opportunity for tremendous economic development in south Arkansas. The JLTV production will create hundreds of highly skilled, quality jobs that will strengthen our national defense and protect our nation’s troops. Arkansans can all be proud of this contract that will showcase the commitment of our state to improve the safety of our service members,” Boozman said. 

“The JLTV will save lives and gives us the edge we need on the battlefield. Camden is a first-rate facility and the people who work there are some of the best in the world, I know they will put their hearts and souls into this project. I’m proud that soldiers around the world will have access to such an important vehicle, made with the special-brand of patriotism and dedication one can only find right here in the Natural State,” Cotton said. 

“Access to the most recent technology is crucial for our troops’ success and survival, and the hundreds of Arkansans who will help build the JLTVs can take great satisfaction in knowing that their jobs and the products they create will help keep our troops protected and safe on the battlefield,” Crawford said. 

“The JLTV is a major advancement in military technology and an important step toward resourcefully strengthening our national defense. After visiting Lockheed’s JLTV production line last week in Camden, I know that our local facility is best-suited to carry out this contract, and I am glad to see that the Army agrees. The announcement is also vital for growing Arkansas’s economy as the production secures many quality, well-paying jobs in our state,” Hill said. 

“The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle provides our war fighters with the capability, blast protection, and endurance they need while defending our homeland abroad.  I am proud that such a prominent Arkansas defense facility has earned the opportunity to provide this critical capability, providing jobs and production infrastructure for years to come,” Womack said. 

“The Department of Defense’s decision to award the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract to Lockheed Martin is a win for Camden, a win for the Fourth District, and a win for Arkansas. Lockheed Martin has had a long history in the Fourth, producing the vehicles our men and women in the armed forces use for protection and mobility. With this new contract, the long history will continue and Arkansas will be the better for it. This contract will not only support our military, but also good-paying careers across the region. I congratulate Lockheed Martin on the award as well as the citizens of Camden, East Camden, and Ouachita County,” Westerman said. 

This contract is expected to create 600 jobs to help with the creation of more than 54,000 JLTVs. In May, Governor Asa Hutchinson signed a bill authorizing an $87 million bond to finance Lockheed Martin’s East Camden production facility. Lockheed Martin was one of three companies competing for the contract.