 "Armour plates for US army vehicles never passed quality control tests, Russian firm falsified data: Report")
The US Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), the second-generation successor to the renowned Humvee, has been used by the American military and several allied countries since the last Iraq war to safeguard troops against bullets, mines, and improvised explosive devices.
However, an internal report by Evraz North America Inc., a Russian-owned steel plant operator in the US, has revealed serious concerns regarding the vehicle’s production.
According to a Bloomberg report, citing senior officials at the company, employees at Evraz allegedly falsified quality control test results for some armored plating used in the JLTV.
These revelations raise questions about the integrity of the manufacturing process for a vehicle that is critical to troop safety.
The incidents took place at an Evraz facility in Oregon between 2017 and 2019, as revealed by Evraz’s investigation and company officials.
Employees at the Portland plant reportedly bypassed mandatory hardness tests and entered false results for approximately 12,800 armor plates of various types. These plates were marked as tested and approved, yet some later exhibited signs of cracking, reported Bloomberg.
Oshkosh Defense LLC, a major customer for the armor plates, manufactures a range of military vehicles, including the JLTV, marketed as a “go-anywhere, do-anything light tactical vehicle.”
Primarily used by the US military, the JLTV has also been supplied to allies such as Ukraine, Israel, Brazil, and Lithuania, with over 22,000 units produced to date, each expected to last around two decades.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAccording to the Bloomberg report, it remains unclear how many of the untested plates were used on JLTVs or other vehicles. Following the internal report, the FBI has visited multiple Evraz facilities over the past year, with authorities issuing a subpoena for Evraz to preserve information related to the production line events, added the report.
The company, in a written response to Bloomberg questions, said the internal report “examines quality control protocols and underscores EVRAZ North America’s commitment to continual process enhancements to produce high-quality, reliable plate,” adding that the company follows “strict compliance with all industry standards.”
Evraz said that its plates passed “independent testing by a government-approved facility” and reported no client complaints. The military tests armored plating samples to ensure they protect against projectiles. However, Evraz initiated an internal investigation in late 2019 after allegations of non-compliance with quality control procedures.
A December 10, 2019 report revealed that starting in November 2017, production staff failed to consistently use a hardness testing machine, often entering false results manually, reported Bloomberg.
Regular testing is crucial to ensure the armor can withstand ballistic impacts while being shaped into vehicle panels.
Evraz’s internal report states that requirement clearly: “Armor plate does require 100% hardness testing.”
In a supplement to their main report, Evraz’s inspectors detailed interviews with four employees who said they falsified hardness ratings, with some stating that there wasn’t sufficient time to complete the required test for every plate because of pressure to keep the production line moving.
Instead of testing every plate, employees would input hardness ratings for some plates based on the results of others that had passed through the production line around the same time.
The practice of manually recording false data was “widespread,” according to the Bloomberg report, citing Evraz report marked “confidential.”
“That’s how I was trained,” Bloomberg quoted one employee as saying.
Nearly all production line supervisors denied knowledge of faked tests. Nevertheless, the report concluded it was “highly likely” that all the relevant managers “were aware of the practice.”
One manager, who said he knew about false data sometimes being entered, responded to company investigators by saying that “when you’re thrown in the fire, you gotta do what you gotta do to keep the line rolling”, reported Bloomberg.
Although the December 10 report does not specifically mention the JLTV, one Evraz official identified the untested plates as part of the JLTV programme and the Medium Tactical Vehicles made by Oshkosh.
After management was informed of potential issues on the production line, Evraz suspended deliveries of armored plating for the JLTV programme.
According to the Bloomberg report, two Evraz officials expressed concern that military vehicles may have been fitted with potentially compromised armored plating. The report has not confirmed whether any of these questionable plates were installed on vehicles or deployed.
Oshkosh Defence did not respond to inquiries regarding its awareness of Evraz’s internal investigation, the installation of suspect plating, or any recalls or retrofits, added the report.
The Army, which oversees the JLTV programme, referred questions to the FBI, which does not comment on ongoing investigations.
These developments follow Oshkosh’s $6.75 billion contract in 2015 to build 17,000 vehicles, part of a larger $30 billion programme. The falsified tests are now under investigation by US authorities, with Evraz stating it is fully cooperating.
The Defence Contract Management Agency confirmed that the armored plating case is “under litigation.”
Evraz North America, a subsidiary of Russian-owned Evraz Plc, operates steel plants in Oregon and Colorado. The largest shareholder of Evraz Plc is Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, a close associate of President Vladimir Putin.
Evraz’s internal investigation revealed widespread data falsification, and correspondence indicates Oshkosh had previously identified issues with the plating.
On December 20, 2019, Evraz informed Oshkosh of “sporadic cracking” in some plates and agreed to replace any unformed armor, assuring Oshkosh it would not need to expend further resources. Evraz claimed that plates already in use were “suitable for service” and warned staff to adhere to testing protocols to avoid dismissal.
Despite these issues, the JLTV programme has faced budget cuts and, in 2023, the Army awarded a new contract to AM General for 20,000 JLTVs, valued at up to $7.3 billion.
Evraz North America continues operations despite sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with plans to sell its North American operations still pending. There is no evidence linking Evraz’s Russian ownership to any intent to compromise US national security; the issues appear to stem from poor compliance with factory procedures.
With inputs from agencies
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