The first batch of six Oshkosh M-ATV armored scout vehicles and six 6×6 Mk23 heavy transports purchased from the U.S. began to be unloaded at the port of Montevideo (Uruguay) yesterday. The vehicles arrived on Uruguayan soil through the FMS (Foreign Military Sales) purchase procedure.
The purchase, which totals 36 M-ATVs along with 60 Mk23 trucks, comes at a time when the Uruguayan National Army has the immediate need to acquire new armored vehicles and replace its aging fleet. This is particularly important in terms of peacekeeping missions under the flag of the United Nations; The organization requires that the vehicles sent by the different participating countries be of recent construction.
The M-ATV is a 4×4 scout vehicle, with MRAP protection, ideal for use in patrol and border control missions. The version acquired by Uruguay is the M1240, with an armored turret prepared for a .50 machine gun or an Mk19 automatic grenade launcher as part of a kit called OGPK (Objective Gunner Protection Kit).