Despite the military’s emphasis on its newer Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), Humvees are expected to remain in service for decades.
US Army planners wanted an easily maneuverable, multipurpose wheeled vehicle to replace a variety of smaller jeeps and other trucks. AM General won the design contract after submitting a far lighter prototype than its competitors, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental’s designs. Click the Humvee For Sale to learn more.
The Humvee is one of the most iconic military vehicles in the history of the United States. It has been used in several different roles and missions, including transport, reconnaissance, command and control, and more. The vehicle has also been used by a number of other countries around the world and has undergone many upgrades and modifications over the years. Today, the Humvee continues to be a key component of the US military and has become an iconic symbol of American power and strength.
In 1979, AM General began preliminary design work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, pronounced Humvee). The company was awarded a contract in 1981 to develop the prototype. The Army was satisfied with the vehicle and gave AM General a five-year production contract worth more than $1 billion. The first 55,000 HMMWVs were split between the four branches of the military, and were deployed during Operation Just Cause in Panama and the Gulf War.
During the Gulf War, the Humvee became famous for its ability to traverse harsh desert terrain and carried soldiers and equipment through hostile territory. The vehicle gained even more popularity with the public, which led to the creation of a civilian Hummer version. After the Gulf War, the HMMWV was upgraded with additional armor and replaced in front-line military service with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.
In addition to its incredible off-road capabilities, the Humvee is also highly versatile and can be equipped with a variety of different weapon systems and modules. These modules include armored turrets, night vision systems, and roof-mounted drones. The Humvee can also be modified to carry a wide variety of different payloads, from cargo to medical supplies.
Because of their versatility and durability, the Humvee has been deployed in numerous international conflicts over the years. It has been involved in the Iraq War, the War on Terror in Afghanistan and in the ongoing conflict in Syria. The military has been slow to approve new vehicles, which is why Humvees are still being used so many years after the original purchase.
Design
The HMMWV—or Humvee as it’s popularly known—is one of the most recognizable vehicles in military history. It’s been used for decades and is still in use, though the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is beginning to take on some of its roles. The Army is trying to strike a balance between prioritizing the next generation of vehicles and maintaining and improving existing ones, such as the Humvee.
The sturdily built trucks have conquered sand, rocks and snow, evaded detection in desert terrain, pulled trailers down highways, been slung from helicopters, jumped entire continents in transport aircraft and ridden the rails with Marine Expeditionary Units. Its ruggedness and reliability have made it the go-to vehicle for many military operations, although not all of them have been successful. The unarmored model, for example, proved vulnerable to improvised explosive devices in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army quickly up-armored them and replaced the original front-line Humvees with the MRAP.
With its short profile and wide stance, the Humvee is stable on the road and a difficult target to roll over. It also has a relatively low center of gravity and high ground clearance, which makes it difficult to get stuck in soft or deep sand. Its wheelbase is about 15 feet and it’s seven feet wide, which provides ample passenger and cargo space. The Humvee is powered by a gasoline or diesel engine, and some variants run on electricity.
AM General designed the vehicle to meet the military’s specific requirements. These included the ability to climb a 60 percent slope, traverse a 40 percent slope, and ford 2.5 feet of water without a snorkel or 5 feet with one. The vehicle has a full-time four-wheel drive and independent suspension. It has a top speed of 70 miles per hour and can carry up to 1,000 pounds.
In addition to its ruggedness and sturdiness, the Humvee is easy to maintain and a great value. It can be driven off-road or on paved roads, and it can usually travel for up to 500,000 miles with regular maintenance and a few repairs. It consumes a fair amount of fuel and requires regular inspections, but it can be driven in a variety of climates and conditions.
Modifications
The military vehicles known as Humvees have been modified over the years to perform a variety of tasks. From ambulances to cargo/troop transports and tube-launched, wire-guided missile carriers, the Humvee family of trucks has played a major role in various military operations in recent decades. The HMMWV, or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, is currently being replaced by the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which will offer increased protection for soldiers than the older Humvees.
The HMMWV is designed with a low profile and wide stance, which helps it hug the road. It also has loops that can be hooked up to the vehicle’s frame, allowing it to be transported and dropped from aircraft. It is possible to carry three HMMWVs in a C-130 Hercules and 15 in a C-5A Galaxy without the plane having to land.
Humvees in Iraq are frequently armored, adding much-needed extra protection from bullets and bomb blasts for the occupants. The vehicles can also jam signals from cell phones, garage door openers, and other remote controls used by insurgents to detonate explosive devices.
Sergeant Scott Gardner, who was stationed in Iraq with the Army’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, modified his Humvee by putting in a rubber inner tube between the fan assembly and sheet metal to help the assembly absorb vibrations and shocks. He also shortened the copper tubes that connect the fan and the condenser to make them less prone to snapping when the vehicle shakes.
Another modification makes the gunner’s turret easier to aim. He and co-worker Mike Segrest shortened the steel leg that fits in the mount to lower its profile, which lets the gunner keep his weapon on target while keeping his head concealed. A lower profile also allows a second gunner to operate in the turret, if needed, and gives the first gunner more time to react when a threat is detected.
Other Humvee modifications include air shocks that let the vehicle travel over rough terrain more easily and an exhaust system that lets the vehicle drive underwater, if necessary. While the military is replacing a portion of its Humvee fleet with the JLTV, these cool vehicles will continue to be used in critical operations around the world.
Production
As the military evolves, so too must its equipment. In 1979, the Army issued a request for proposal to create a new tactical vehicle to replace its old warhorse, the Jeep. Three contenders — AM General, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental — were awarded contracts to design prototypes for the high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle known to most people as the Humvee.
The Humvee has served the military well in its many roles, from troop and cargo carriers to ambulances to mobile tank killers. The vehicle has become an icon, recognizable in films and even video games. The Humvee may be getting some competition from the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, however.
The JLTV is a more powerful vehicle designed to handle a lot of the front line combat the Humvee isn’t built for. But service planners are struggling to find a balance between prioritizing the vehicles of tomorrow while also upgrading and maintaining the critical Humvee fleet that is already in place.
As a result, many new modifications have been made to the Humvee to improve its capabilities. One of the biggest upgrades has been to the engine. The original Humvees were powered by a 6.2L Detroit diesel engine, which is notorious for being slow and unreliable. This led to a series of upgrades to the engine, including improved cooling, a new cool pack and shroud and a redesigned geared fan drive. These improvements are a big reason why the Humvee is still in use in today’s conflicts.
In the future, the Humvee will be upgraded again to make it more environmentally friendly and capable of carrying heavier loads. One company is designing a hybrid-electric version of the Humvee that will combine a conventional internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery. This will give the Humvee enhanced fuel economy, range capability, acceleration and operational stealth.
For now, the Humvees continue to be produced in South Bend, Indiana by AM General, an American-owned company. They are also repaired and maintained at the RRAD in Hooks, Texas. Each time a Humvee rolls off the production line it has zero miles and zero hours on it, meaning that when it is put into service, it will have been completely refurbished.