HMMWV Replacement on the Horizon

Jonny Lieberman
by Jonny Lieberman

The HMMWV (a.k.a. HumVee or Hummer H1) entered production in 1985. Since then, 190k of these rolling beasts of burden have been produced. The military is now calling for a new design, dubbed the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV). Motor Trend reports that JLTCs must be capable of "performing multiple mission roles to provide protected, sustained, networked mobility for personnel and payloads across the full Range of Military Operations (ROMO)." Considering tjhe carnage caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), it's no co-winky-dink that the first adjective is "protected." With that sad fact in mind, BAE Systems has developed the vehicle pictured here. Bigger and longer than an up-armored HumVee, yet still under the 16,800 lbs. air-transportation weight limit, the BAE's features a boat-like hull to deflect explosions. Same goes for the angled doors, whose widest point is at chest height. The BAE's passenger floor is flat; passengers can exit from either side of the vehicle. Moreover, all the components are totally modular. Even if insurgents/militias/Al Queda terroristss blow-up the cooling system, the vehicle is still operable. No word on a delivery date, but hopefully in time for John McCain to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Jonny Lieberman
Jonny Lieberman

Cleanup driver for Team Black Metal V8olvo.

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  • Threeer Threeer on Mar 25, 2008

    All political sniping aside, the Hummer has been long due for replacement. Keep in mind when they were developed back in the 80s, the idea of IEDs wasn't really on the radar and they were not intended as heavily armored vehicle. MRAPs now cover that role, and from what it looks like, the proposed multi-use vehicle will take on a mini-MRAP appearance. Say what you will about the current administration and it's policies, but the men and women outside the wire deserve better equipment.

  • Bill h. Bill h. on Mar 25, 2008

    The MRAPs are definitely better protection for the troops than the old Humvees, even with armor protection the latter were never designed to have. But now the problem with the MRAP is that it is so heavy that it can't go over many of the bridges and roads in countries that the US wants to "liberate". In any case, in the old armor vs. weapon race, it's usually the weapon that can be more easily upgraded to overmatch the armor. Hence bigger bombs that can still kill the V-hulls, and IEDs with explosively formed penetrators that can cut through any armor. The JLTVs are envisioned to be a family of vehicles of varying designs and sizes for different purposes. It's possible some may be equipped with active protection systems. But they are not combat vehicles, and putting them into such situations is as undesirable as was putting Humvees into those same scenarios.

  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Mar 25, 2008

    I am thinking the J will get dropped by the troops, so we will end up with just LTV. I haven't spoken camouflage regularly since the first Gulf War, so I may not be the best authority. :)

  • Gracilism Gracilism on Mar 25, 2008

    Ray H. We can only hope.

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