The military is slow to change anything. And even when they do, their designs are often overloaded with guns, turrets and armor.
Big, boxy and with a wheel at each corner, the Humvee has proven itself to be a stalwart of the US Army’s wheeled fleet. From the streets of Iraq to Afghanistan, it’s a go-to for hauling weapons and troops. Contact Street Legal Humvee For Sale now!
It may come as a surprise to some that the Humvee began life as a military vehicle. After all, it has a tank-like appearance that gives it a strong association with combat and military service. But the fact is that the vehicle grew out of the military’s need to replace the aging Jeep in front-line operations.
In 1979 AM General started preliminary design work on a new truck that would become the M998 Series High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, or Humvee. The prototype was so successful that AM General won a contract for 55,000 of the vehicles in 1983. The Humvee saw its first combat in 1989 during the US invasion of Panama, and it came into its own during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991.
The vehicle’s versatility made it a mainstay of military operations around the world, serving in countless conflicts from the Balkans to Afghanistan. It was especially valuable in the Gulf War, where it steamrolled Saddam Hussein’s defenses and earned the Humvee its iconic status.
One of the reasons that the Humvee became so versatile was that it was designed from the ground up to be easily modified for a variety of missions. Heavy armored versions served in front-line combat, while lighter variants were used as troop transports and ambulances. The trucks were also capable of towing artillery and other heavy equipment.
The unique design of the Humvee was also a big draw for civilians, who loved it for its off-road capabilities and the way it looked. In 1992 AM General started production on a civilian version of the Humvee, which they named the Hummer. It shared a lot of components with its military counterpart, including the frame, axles, and brakes. Both vehicles were built on the same assembly line in Indiana, and only separated for painting and finishing.
The Hummer was a hit from the beginning, and it continued to sell well until 2010 when AM General stopped production and sold the brand to General Motors. While the GM-branded Hummers haven’t performed as well in civilian markets, AM General continues to produce the military version of the vehicle under its Humvee brand name. A civilian version of the vehicle will soon be available, but it’s not yet clear how much demand there will be for a military-style SUV that can take on any terrain with ease.
The Humvee’s evolution
The military isn’t known for moving fast, so it should come as no surprise that it took more than four decades to replace its fleet of aging jeeps with what is now called the Humvee. In the late 1970s, the Army realised it needed better performing light tactical vehicles to take on new challenges and drafted specifications for a jack-of-all-trades that could perform the role of several different types of truck already in service.
The result was the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), which entered military service in 1985, and quickly became a favourite with all branches of the Armed Forces. In the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War, the trucks became a symbol of America’s military might and were nicknamed “Jeeps on steroids.” Various Humvee variants were developed over the years to become cargo or troop carriers, ambulances, tube-launched optically tracked wire-guided (TOW) missile carriers, and even artillery tow trucks.
Each variant has its own unique configuration, but they all share a common chassis, engine and transmission. This allows mechanics to work on all of them quickly and efficiently and each vehicle can easily switch roles as needed. Most of the hulls are made from aluminium, which makes them lightweight, sturdy and highly adaptable to various terrains. They can also clear a 16-inch obstacle at their lowest point, tackle 5-foot deep bodies of water and traverse side slopes that would topple traditional 4X4s.
But it’s the military’s ability to add equipment and turrets that has really made these vehicles a success. They’ve been overloaded with armor, guns and grenade launchers as well as smart pop-up gun turrets that can take on an enemy more effectively than traditional open jeeps.
Despite all of this, the Humvee’s limitations in front-line battles became apparent over recent decades and it was usurped in 2015 by a new generation of MRAP vehicles that are designed to withstand Improvised Explosive Device attacks and ambushes. But there’s still a need for light, versatile vehicles to carry out a variety of tasks in remote locations and that’s where the Humvee remains a perfect solution.
The Humvee’s modernization
The Humvee is now nearly forty years old, and while it’s no longer the vehicle of choice for front-line soldiers, it remains a fixture in many military roles. The Army is phasing out the Humvee in favor of the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which offers better armor, a more powerful engine and a V-shaped mine-resistant hull that deflects explosions away from the vehicle. The JLTV is also lighter than the Humvee and more maneuverable, which makes it a more versatile tool for warfighters.
The Army started seeking a replacement for the Humvee as early as 1979, when it first issued a request for proposals to manufacture prototypes for a high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle, or HMMWV. AM General, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental won contracts to build a handful of the vehicles. By the time the first Humvees were delivered, the world’s landscape had changed considerably.
Despite its imposing size, the Humvee could traverse rough terrain with ease and carry more troops than any other civilian vehicle of its time. Its ravenous consumption of fuel, however, proved to be the biggest obstacle to its widespread commercial success.
When the Humvee entered service in 1985, it was whisking troops across vast desert expanses and into the heart of dangerous urban neighborhoods. The aluminum body of the truck might as well have been tissue paper in the face of roadside improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades, but it’s still a formidable tool for getting the troops where they need to be when they need to be there.
As the threats to military personnel have changed from the expected fast-paced movement of the Cold War to the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Humvee has morphed into a hot-rodded Jeep when it needs an off-roader and an armored vehicle when it’s a troop transport. The funny-looking 4×4 has conquered sand, rocks, snow and ice. It has pulled trailers down the highway, dangled from the belly of CH-53 helicopters and traveled the seas with Marine Expeditionary Units.
Even as the Army phases out the Humvee in favor of the more agile JLTV, it’s likely to hang onto a fleet of them. After all, it’s hard to imagine a future in which the hulking military vehicle doesn’t play some role on every battlefield in the world.
The Humvee’s future
Despite the military’s efforts to modernize, it seems as though the Humvee is here to stay. The HMMWV, as it’s known, has been around for over thirty years and is still used by various services around the world. It is a staple of modern warfare, with rolling 24-hour news coverage showing soldiers driving around in the iconic vehicles. The Humvee’s narrow headlights, protruding grill and muscular – almost steroidal – proportions make it instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever seen one.
As the military continues to fight wars around the globe, the need for a light tactical vehicle that can maneuver quickly in difficult terrain remains essential. Creating a new light vehicle that meets these requirements has proven to be a daunting task. Considering the threat of roadside bombs and other ambushes, designing a vehicle that’s light enough to get around, yet strong and protective enough to survive an attack is something that “defies the laws of physics,” according to National Defense magazine.
Eventually, the military settled on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) to replace its aging fleet of Humvees. JLTVs are lighter than the Humvee, yet they’re equipped with armor; a V-shaped mine-resistant hull that makes them more maneuverable and capable of protecting against improvised explosive devices; locking differentials; suspension travel; and a 400-horsepower turbo diesel engine that leaves the best Humvee motor in the dust.
However, the JLTV has its own shortcomings. Some of the Army’s top leaders have criticized it for not being as mobile as the Humvee and having an excessively high profile, which can make it vulnerable to attacks by insurgents. The Army is working on an improved version of the vehicle that it hopes will solve these problems.
Whether the JLTV can truly replace the Humvee remains to be seen, but it’s clear that there will always be a need for a versatile light tactical vehicle. For this reason, the Humvee will likely continue to be a key part of the modern army’s arsenal.