Staffordshire-based JCB said it has won one of the biggest orders in the company’s 71-year history –a $142 million deal to supply the United States Army with a large fleet of machines.

JCB said the US Army will take delivery of more than 1,600 JCB light-capability rough terrain forklifts for deployment on tasks around the world including loading and unloading aircraft and shipping containers.

The rough terrain forklifts will be produced at JCB’s North American headquarters in Savannah, Georgia and will be powered by the 84hp (63kW) JCB DieselMax engine produced at JCB Power Systems in Derbyshire.

JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “This order is fantastic news for JCB and a great way to start the New Year.

“It is the second highest value order in the company’s history, and I congratulate everyone who has worked to secure this valuable contract in the same year that we mark 40 years of telescopic handler production.”

At 80 inches wide and 78 inches high, the military spec 527-58M forklift is optimized to work in confined spaces.

With a travel speed of 20 mph, the machine has a maximum lift capacity of more than 5,000 lbs and a lift height of 19 ft.

Arjun Mirdha, CEO of JCB North America, said: “We are proud that the US Army has once again chosen JCB and its Savannah-based manufacturing facility to produce an extraordinary piece of specialised equipment.

“Over the past three decades, JCB has supplied more than 4,000 machines to armed forces in 57 countries, and we have acquired a deep understanding of how the Army uses equipment and the unique features needed.”