Cracked Armor Plates in Oshkosh JLTVs Linked to U.S. Unit of Russian Steel Firm

An internal investigation found that falsified quality control reports at Evraz North America, a U.S. subsidiary of a Russian steel company, led to cracked armor plates in Oshkosh Defense’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs).

Between 2017 and 2019, workers at Evraz’s Portland, Oregon, facility skipped mandatory hardness tests and manually entered false data to speed up inspections, according to an internal report cited by Bloomberg. Approximately 12,800 armor plates were affected, some later showing signs of cracking.

Internal documents show that in late 2019, the company began investigating claims of quality control violations. A December 10, 2019, report titled Quality Inspection of Portland Armor Plates states that since November 2017, factory workers ignored specialized equipment for measuring armor plate hardness, manually entering falsified results to save time. A company representative identified the untested plates as components for Oshkosh Defense’s JLTV and Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV). After learning of possible production issues, Evraz temporarily suspended supplies, while Oshkosh Defense was not fully informed during the investigation’s initial stages.

Oshkosh Defense, which produces JLTVs for the U.S. military and allied nations, including Israel, Romania, and Lithuania, has manufactured more than 22,000 vehicles. It remains unclear how many were fitted with the compromised armor.

Following the report’s release, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) inspected multiple Evraz facilities in the U.S. and issued a subpoena to preserve production records. Evraz maintains that its products passed independent government tests and that it has not received customer complaints. However, internal documents indicate the company was aware of potential violations since late 2019, leading to a temporary supply suspension.

Despite sanctions on its Russian parent company due to the Ukraine conflict, Evraz North America continues operations in Portland and Pueblo.