Goodyear Seals US Military Tyre Supply Status

Goodyear has been supplying US military vehicles’ rubber for a century, and that trend looks as though it will march on, as the company announced that it has won the approval of BAE Tactical Vehicle Systems as the standard tyre supplier for a widely used military transport vehicle.

BAE, based in Sealy, Texas, has selected the Goodyear 395/85R20 MV/T tyre as the exclusive fitment for the company’s FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles), the US Army’s vehicle of choice in the 2.5- to 10-tonne capacity. The contract calls for supply of approximately 100,000 tyres to be delivered through 2010. Goodyear manufactures the tyres at its Danville, Virginia factory.

“Goodyear is extremely pleased with BAE Systems’ decision to source Goodyear tyres exclusively on this platform and, more importantly, this fitment signifies an important step forward in Goodyear’s working relationship with one of the world’s premier providers of military vehicles,” said Kris Fettig, Goodyear military OE account executive.

The FMTV is based on a common cab, chassis and internal components. The 16 production models vary by payload and mission requirements, and perform line haul, local haul, unit resupply, and other missions in combat, combat support, and combat service support units. More than 53,000 FMTVs and trailers have been produced since 1991. Goodyear is the largest producer of military tyres in the United States.