Modern Day Marine 2024: USMC receives first ULTV High Power variants

Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle High Power 1 kW variant was on display for the first time at the Modern Day Marine 2024 conference. (Janes/Meredith Roaten)

The US Marine Corps has received its first four units of Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle High Power (ULTV HP), a Polaris executive told Janes on 30 April.

Two ULTVs delivered in January 2024 are equipped with 1 kW of exportable power, while the other two are equipped with 5 kW of expeditionary power, John LaFata, Polaris programme manager, said in an interview with Janes on the sidelines of the Modern Day Marine 2024 conference in Washington, DC.

The 1 kW variant uses a direct current (DC)-to-DC converter and power distribution located on the c-pillar of the vehicle, he explained. It will be used to power smaller systems like radios while the 5 kW variant is intended for larger weapons such as the Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS), Common Aviation Command & Control System (CAC2S), and other ground-based air-defence capabilities.

The L-MADIS programme has received the ULTV HPs, and the vehicles are undergoing integration efforts, Colonel Andrew Konicki, programme manager for the Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) programme office, told Janes in an interview on 1 May. Fielding is expected as early as December 2024 pending Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) in September.

Current testing is focused on the functionality and durability of the MRZR variant, he said.

Both have smart idle, which enables the engine speed to match the applied demand on the load of the vehicle, LaFata explained. “It's better for acoustic signature, it's better for fuel economy,” he said.