Humvee from AM General became the ubiquitous HMMWV and the mainstay of the US military from the mid-1980s as its forte has been ‘one platform, multiple missions’. Now with emphasis on crew protection, the US Army has gone in for a RFP to upgrade the Humvees.

In the mid 1980s when American soldiers first began using the Humvee, they often referred to it as a “Jeep on steroids”. The vehicle was designed for the world’s toughest environment—bloody war. The Humvee has been deployed in different war theatres, including Iraq and Afghanistan, to great effect.

Humvee from AM General became the ubiquitous high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV) and the mainstay of the United States military from the mid- 1980s as its forte has been ‘one platform, multiple missions’. Now with emphasis on crew protection, the United States Army has gone in for a request for proposal (RFP) to upgrade the Humvees (see box).

The United States military has a wide array of armoured vehicles at its disposal, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. These vehicles can be deployed in any number of confrontations, depending on the terrain, conditions and nature of the fighting.

Most armoured ground vehicles fit into one of the six primary categories—tanks; family of medium tactical vehicles (FMTV); high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV); indirect fire systems; heavy equipment transporters (HET) and M113.

HMMWV is the classification given to light, tactical vehicles. These vehicles can be customised to serve specific purposes, including troop transport, TOW missile transportation, scouting enemy positions and even transporting the injured as an ambulance. And AM General’s Humvee has been synonymous with HMMWV. Over 65 combat and combat support systems have been fielded on HMMWVs. AM General has produced more than two lakh HMMWVs for the US and over 50 friendly international forces.

Revolutionary Design

Though in production for over 25 years, its design is still as revolutionary today as it was when engineers began initial concepts way back in 1979. The final design met military requirements to replace numerous types of aged vehicles and to keep up with swift moving tanks. The Army wanted durability, mobility and reliability. The unique geometry of the truck provides these qualities. No other light tactical vehicle in the world approaches the HMMWV’s capabilities or cost effectiveness. No wonder, AM General proudly announce, “We built the toughest trucks on the planet.”

That doesn’t mean today’s HMMWVs are the same as those first produced. The HMMWV is a dynamic vehicle with changes and improvements continually added. For instance, thorough corrosion resistance has been added and most components have been upgraded and now have a larger 6.5-litre diesel engine. Initially introduced with a 1 ? tonne payload capacity, it now can carry payloads up to 5,100 lbs and gross vehicle weight rating (GVW) up to 12,100 lbs. The workhorse now carries new sophisticated communications and weapons systems.

The HMMWV is a lightweight, highly mobile, diesel-powered, fourwheel drive tactical vehicle that uses a common chassis to carry a wide variety of military hardware ranging from machine guns to tube-launched, optically tracked, wire command-guided anti-tank missile launchers. It has shown excellent performance in a wide variety of terrain, from deserts to jungles, for long durations with minimal maintenance.

Its 15 configurations (cargo/troop carriers, weapons carriers, ambulances and shelter carriers) share a common engine, chassis and transmission, with 44 interchangeable parts that are used in more than one position. That means fewer training hours are necessary for the mechanics. Its simplified supply, maintenance and logistics system—essentially one set of common parts for 15 configurations— means lower life-cycle costs, which saves tax dollars. The Humvee has a 16-inch ground clearance and it is an engineering feat considering that the vehicle stands only 72 inches high.

Wide Range of Humvees

The HMMWV models include A2 Series vehicles – M1097A2 (base platform); M1097A2 (cargo/troop carrier/prime mover); M1123 (cargo/troop carrier); M1097A2 (shelter carrier); M1025A2 (armament/TOW missile carrier basic armour); M1043A2/1045A2 (armament/TOW missile carrier supplemental armour – 44 grain); M997A2 (maxi-ambulance basic armour); and M1035A2 (soft top ambulance).

Expanded Capacity Vehicles

The expanded capacity vehicles (ECVs) are designed to carry heavier payloads without sacrificing the vehicle’s mobility, dependability and performance. The M1113 ECV is used for special operations vehicles and communications shelter carriers; the M1114, with improved ballistic protection levels, is used for scout, military police and explosive ordinance disposal missions. The US Air Force uses a modified version of this vehicle, the M1116, featuring an expanded cargo area, armoured housing for the turret gunner. In 2005, AM General began production of the M1151, M1152 and M1165 variants, incorporating the highest levels of protection including frag kits, all field installable/removable. M1151s are armament carriers and M1152s are two-man vehicles that can be used as troop carriers/shelter carriers. The M1165 is a command and control vehicle with four-person seating capacity.