The Humvee became the icon of half a dozen US military interventions. It moved soldiers reliably over long distances and was instantly recognisable to the public, thanks to Hollywood action movie superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger who had one in his garage with “Terminator” emblazoned on its flanks.
It could also climb a 60 percent slope or ford five feet of water. But it was easy prey for improvised explosive devices. Click the Military Humvee For Sale to learn more.
The History
The military Humvee may be best known to civilians as the lumbering, gas guzzling status symbol that is the Hummer, but it began life a much more practical vehicle. Originally conceived as a versatile modernisation of jeep trucks, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or HMMWV (Humvee is a colloquialism) was launched in the early 1980s and quickly became the jack-of-all-trades workhorse the US Army needed.
At the time, the Army had a fleet of obsolete M151 jeeps that were struggling to cope with newer challenges in combat zones in Vietnam and later Afghanistan. The military even tried militarising civilian trucks but these proved to be ill-fitting.
In 1979 the Army drafted specifications for what it wanted in its next light service vehicle. These called for a tough, multipurpose workhorse capable of transporting a large payload and going anywhere on hostile terrain.
The HMMWV would have to be able to cross a 16-inch obstacle at its lowest point, wade through 5-foot deep water (with the proper fording kit) and traverse side slopes that might otherwise cause conventional 4X4 vehicles to topple over.
To counter the growing threat from roadside bombs, the military began by bolting armour plates to existing Humvees. These increased the protection offered to the crews who patrolled cities such as Ramadi and Fallujah, but added weight that slowed the vehicles down and exacerbated mechanical problems.
AM General realised that the key was a basic, robust design without reliance on electronic engine controls and other technologies that could be compromised by malware or jammed by directed microwaves or fry by an electromagnetic pulse from an atomic bomb. Its initial model used a 6.2L Detroit diesel engine that some criticised as being sluggish, but it was a simple, straightforward design that proved ideal for the task at hand.
The Design
Humvees are a little wider than your average Honda Civic, which gives them better stability when driving off-road. This is important, because the Humvee is often asked to go places that a Honda Civic would never dream of going. This includes sand dunes, open meadows and more. The Humvee’s engine is also completely waterproof, so it can drive under water when necessary.
The military used the revolutionary new vehicle in several wars, including Operation Just Cause in Panama and the Gulf War. It also served as the main ground transport vehicle in the Battle of Mogadishu during Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993. The vehicle was so successful that it eventually inspired a civilian version of the truck called the Hummer, which was popularized by actor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
AM General developed the HMMWV after the Army drafted specifications for a light utility vehicle. It was designed to replace the army’s fleet of M151 jeeps, M561 Gama Goats, Ford GPW command reconnaissance vehicles and other light trucks. The HMMWV was much larger than the old jeeps, capable of clearing 16 inches of dirt or sand under its lowest carriage point. It was also able to carry a payload of up to 2,500 pounds.
By the time of the invasion of Iraq, the HMMWV had established itself as the go-to workhorse for front-line soldiers. But as the threat of unconventional warfare took hold, it became clear that the aluminum body of a Humvee might as well be tissue paper in the face of small arms fire and roadside improvised explosive devices.
The HMMWV has evolved over the years to address these issues, but it remains a vital part of the military’s arsenal. The military is currently working on short-term and long-term replacements for the Humvee, including commercial off-the-shelf vehicles that are built to withstand IED attacks.
The Engine
The Military Humvee is a flat-top beast that has plowed through deserts, evaded detection by stealth bombers and jumped whole continents in transport aircraft. But its greatest challenge was on paved roads. This was the only time that a military vehicle was out of its element, and it resulted in the creation of a controversial road-legal SUV with a killer soundtrack and one of the most iconic names in car history.
The Humvee, which stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, has largely replaced old jeeps and other light utility vehicles in the military. It’s also been adapted for civilian use as the Hummer, and it has helped inspire other off-roading juggernauts like the Ford F-150 Raptor.
For years, a six-cylinder engine has powered the Humvee. The original 6.2L and subsequent upgrades have never been particularly powerful. One turbo 6.5L equipped Humvee that was tested on a Banks chassis dyno produced only 113 horsepower and 219 lb-ft of torque – not enough to make you a speed demon or even to get the tank off the ground in a hurry.
But despite its limitations, the Humvee remains an invaluable workhorse. It’s not just cheaper to build than the latest high-tech Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), but it’s also more reliable. And it can carry more cargo and weapons than its modern-day counterparts. It’s financially and logistically impractical for the Army to mount its entire force in 70-ton M1 Abrams tanks, so the Humvee will remain a part of the arsenal for years to come.
The Transmission
The military’s H-Vee — also known as the HMMWV or M998A3 — is famous for its off-road capabilities, which have helped it supplant older light utility vehicles like the jeep. The HMMWV’s ruggedness inspired the creation of the civilian Hummer automotive marque, which became so popular that it even has an enthusiastic fan in Hollywood’s ultimate tough guy, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
While the HMMWV may be getting old by military standards, it’s still a potent off-road machine. It can easily clear 16” of dirt under its lowest point with a payload of 2,500 pounds and a useful automatic transmission. The vehicle can also traverse rocky hills, 60” of water, desert heat and arctic snow with ease, making it the perfect military truck for the most brutal terrain.
Another key feature of the HMMWV is its reliability. Unlike most modern vehicles, which can glitch or go dead when subjected to electromagnetic pulses (EMP), the Humvee is able to keep functioning in these situations. In fact, a former combat veteran doing a test drive with me was impressed that the Humvee would keep driving if we set off an EMP over South Bend.
In order to give the aging HMMWV some extra kick in the back, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team got an upfit of its vehicles by online heavy equipment auction site IronPlanet. The upfit included a new 700R4/4L-series transmission, along with a high-performance suspension system from race car builder Gale Banks. Banks has built his own off-road racers, including a Ford F-250 with a 700R4 and a GM 4L80E that competed in the Baja 1000. With this nimble upgrade, the Humvee looks more like a modern Jeep Wrangler Unlimited than an abused war machine.
The Armor
A Humvee is a familiar sight to anyone who has watched a military action in the modern era. It was the quintessential battlefield taxi that carried troops around during the Gulf wars and the war in Afghanistan. While the HMMWV is extremely versatile and durable, it had one ongoing weakness that proved to be fatal for many soldiers – it could not withstand roadside bombs.
The original HMMWV was never designed to perform as an armored combat vehicle. Its specifications focused on providing good cross country and road mobility, while keeping its empty weight low. This precluded armor, as it would have increased the vehicle’s empty weight, lowering its overall mobility standard.
However, the soft-skinned HMMWVs began to take heavy casualties from both enemy fire and roadside bombs in the Middle East. Soldiers in the 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne units were especially vulnerable, as their vehicles often did not offer sufficient protection against 7.62 rounds from an AK-47 and RPGs. They had to rely on sandbags, plywood and cannibalized armour for protection in their soft-skinned trucks.
To solve this problem, the Army began to look at the possibility of up-armoring their HMMWVs. Aberdeen based AM General developed an armor kit called the Armor Survivability Kit (ASK) that included bulletproof windows and doors, adding about 1,000 pounds to an HMMWV. This significantly improved its ability to withstand small arms fire and roadside bombs, though it still could not withstand the much heavier and more powerful mines used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the end, the military replaced many of its Humvees with newer, more heavily-armored versions that were able to withstand mines and improvised explosive devices. This new type of frontline tactical vehicle is now known as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV. While these newer vehicles are more advanced, AM General argues that it may not be worth it to move away from the tried-and-true workhorse that the Humvee is.