Oshkosh Introduces New Firefighting Vehicle For US Marine Corps

Oshkosh Defense is displaying the U.S. Marine Corps’ new firefighting vehicle, the Oshkosh P-19 Replacement Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF), this week at Marine South, April 9-10 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.

 Three Oshkosh P-19R prototype vehicles currently are undergoing testing with the Marine Corps. Once fielded, the P-19R will replace the Marine Corps’ P-19A fleet, which was first fielded in 1984 and is reaching the end of its service life.

 “Marines relying on the P-19A to carry out fire-emergency missions will immediately notice the P-19R’s improved off-road performance and firefighting capabilities,” said John Bryant, senior vice president of Defense Programs for Oshkosh Defense. “We’ve taken the best of both worlds from our military and ARFF vehicle expertise to give Marines a next-generation platform for firefighting missions, whether they’re at a military base or an expeditionary airfield.”

The Oshkosh P-19R uses the latest tactical wheeled vehicle technologies to conduct on- and off-runway firefighting missions. The Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system, already used on thousands of fielded Marine Corps vehicles such as the Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) and MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), gives the P-19R “gold standard” performance in off-road environments. The Oshkosh Command Zone™ integrated diagnostics and automation system provides increased situational awareness to crews carrying out firefighting missions.

The P-19R is equipped with the advanced Oshkosh Striker firefighting systems from Oshkosh Airport Products Group, the industry-leading ARFF vehicle producer, and meets the modern requirements of the NFPA 414 standard, which sets the design, performance and acceptance criteria for ARFF vehicles.