Family of Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (C

The Family of Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program is a procurement initiative under the Army's Other Procurement, Army appropriation, specifically within the Tactical and Support Vehicles budget activity. The primary goal of this program is to acquire tracked vehicles capable of operating in extreme Arctic and cold-weather environments. These vehicles support a range of missions including transportation of personnel and cargo, emergency medical evacuation, command and control, and homeland defense operations. The CATV is designed to operate on otherwise impassable terrain, such as frozen ice and deep snow, ensuring year-round operational capability for Army units in these challenging conditions.

The CATV program is managed by the U.S. Army and executed through contracts with BAE Systems in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with procurement oversight by TACOM. The program's objectives are to replace aging cold-weather vehicles and to enhance the Army's ability to conduct Homeland Defense, Homeland Security, and Defense Support of Civil Authorities missions in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. The CATV is also intended to support domestic emergency response and military assistance to civil authorities, as mandated by Section 1815 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.

The CATV platform consists of two main variants: the General Purpose carrier and the Cargo carrier. The General Purpose variant is designed to transport up to 10 soldiers (including the driver) and their equipment for up to three days of combat operations. This variant is configurable for multiple roles, including a Casualty Evacuation configuration capable of carrying medical equipment, caregivers, and patients, as well as a Command and Control configuration with space and power for communications and situational awareness systems. The Cargo variant is optimized for transporting outsized equipment and cargo, featuring side access for forklift loading and a cab for two soldiers plus the driver and vehicle commander.

The budget request for FY 2026 supports the procurement of additional CATV units. This funding covers not only the vehicles themselves but also contractor logistics support and provisioning to ensure effective fielding and sustainment. The Army Acquisition Objective for the CATV program is several hundred vehicles, indicating a long-term commitment to building a robust cold-weather mobility fleet. The procurement strategy uses a requirements contract with range pricing, allowing flexibility in annual quantities based on operational needs and available funding.

Production and delivery schedules are carefully managed, with BAE Systems responsible for manufacturing and delivery timelines coordinated to align with Army fielding plans. The program includes recurring costs for manufacturing, systems engineering, management, data, and fielding support, as well as non-recurring costs for test asset refurbishment. The cost per unit reflects the specialized nature of the vehicle and its advanced capabilities.

In addition to supporting active Army units, the CATV program also provides vehicles to the Army National Guard, ensuring that both active and reserve components have the necessary mobility assets for cold-weather operations. The program's justification emphasizes its critical role in maintaining operational readiness in Arctic environments and its contribution to national defense and civil support missions. By modernizing the Army's cold-weather vehicle fleet, the CATV program addresses both current capability gaps and future operational requirements in a changing global security environment.