The funny-looking military vehicle has been the emblem of half a dozen US interventions, from the overthrow of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega to the bloody insurgencies in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army called for a heavier-duty workhorse to carry new weapons systems and communications gear that stretched the limits of classic jeeps. Click Here to learn more.
The military’s light utility workhorse, known in the US as the Humvee (and in military-speak as HMMWV), has survived a decade of intense fighting, but it might not be around for much longer. The army is shifting to a new, improved version called the JLTV – which has several advantages over the Humvee and is already being deployed in Afghanistan.
In the late 1970s, the army set out draft specifications for a vehicle that could replace the jeep, the 2-ton M274 Mule and the 6-ton M561 Gama Goat – all of which were getting past their prime. It invited three prominent manufacturers of military vehicles to submit prototypes. AMC’s AM General Division, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental Motors each came up with a design. TACOM eventually awarded AM General a contract to build 11 prototypes, including six weapon carriers and five utility vehicles.
These vehicles had to be able to transport people and equipment over a variety of terrains, withstand extreme temperatures and survive the sort of roadside bombs that were becoming increasingly common in Iraq. They also had to be able to carry enough cargo for the mission and fit into the back of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
Those requirements were met with the first batch of HMMWVs, which began rolling off the production line in 1983. Since then, the funny-looking 4x4s have conquered mud, sand, rocks and snow, evaded detection in the desert and traversed entire continents with Marine Expeditionary Units.
The Humvee has become an icon and a symbol of American power. But, it is also a testament to its designers’ ingenuity and determination to meet the challenge of war in an age when the nature of warfare has been transformed from anticipated high-speed movements to insurgencies with guerrilla tactics.
Design
In the 1980s, the US Army was looking for a replacement for its fleet of jeeps. They needed a new vehicle to carry gear and troops over rough terrain in a wide range of conditions. The military also wanted a vehicle that could be easily reconfigured to serve in a number of different roles.
In 1979, the Army’s Tank-Automotive Command (TACOM) issued a request for proposals to manufacturers of military equipment. Three companies – AMC’s AM General division, the former Chrysler Defense division and Teledyne Continental Motors – submitted prototypes for what would become known as the Humvee.
The Humvee won the initial contract in March of 1983 and entered service four years later. Its first generation featured GM’s 6.2L diesel engines and Turbo-HydraMatic 400 transmissions. The vehicles offered 16 inches of ground clearance and could climb steep incline grades, as well as handle rough terrain and high-speed highway driving.
Humvees also featured a modular chassis that allowed for 15 different configurations, including cargo/troop carriers, weapons carriers and field ambulances. Each chassis had common parts that simplified supply, maintenance and logistics. This reduced the amount of training time required for maintenance personnel and led to lower life-cycle costs.
By the mid-1990s, the Humvee was in its third generation. By this point, the threat of IED attacks had made it necessary to add armour to the vehicles. The additional protection lowered the vehicle’s top speed but made it much more difficult for insurgents to penetrate the protective barriers.
Today, the Humvee’s off-road capabilities have become legendary. Its ability to navigate rough terrain and carry heavy loads over long distances has proven invaluable in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The military’s newest vehicle – the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) – is designed to combine the Humvee’s off-road performance with the MRAP’s unrivalled protection against IEDs.
Engines
The Humvee has a unique drivetrain and engine. It rides higher than most other vehicles, and is capable of driving on the road and moving off-road at any point. Its unique engine is also fully watertight and can even run underwater. This means that a Humvee can be driven in the rain and can survive if you fall into a lake or river.
The Humvee’s engines are powerful, but are often overworked. A lot of them need to be replaced after only a few thousand miles of use. This puts a burden on the soldiers who have to swap out the old engine and put in the new one. This is not an easy task, and it can take eight hours to do.
Fortunately, the military has begun looking into ways to lessen this load. One way is by making the engine of a Humvee more efficient. This will allow the vehicle to go farther on a single tank of gas. Another way is by converting the Humvee to an automatic transmission. This will save on fuel costs and make the vehicle more familiar for today’s young soldiers, who have learned to drive in automatic cars.
The Army is planning on releasing a new model of the Humvee that will replace the current models. The new version will be equipped with an automatic transmission and a diesel engine. It will also be built to be more durable than the current models. The new models are expected to be ready for action by 2025. The Army is pursuing several initiatives to replace the Humvee, including short-term replacement efforts and long-term research. These are expected to result in the development of a wide variety of different prototype vehicles.
Transmissions
The Humvee, or HMMWV as the military likes to pronounce it (hmm-vuh), is one of the most versatile vehicles in the world. It is an open-topped scout vehicle, an armored personnel carrier, an ambulance, a TOW missile launcher and so much more. It can take on terrain that would make a desert racer wince and keep going at speeds that shouldn’t be possible.
That sort of durability requires a lot from the engine and transmission. And that’s what Banks Power has recently delivered to the Humvee: a power-enhancing turbo system that offers increased power and better stopping ability. The result: a truck that can take on the same kind of brutal terrain with even greater ease.
When the Humvee first came into use, it was quickly hailed as a game-changer. Its capabilities made it a valuable tool in war zones and peace-keeping missions around the globe. But as the years went by, the Army realized that the trucks needed to be re-engineered to increase reliability and improve protection.
In late 2014, the Army experienced a shortage of a key component called a torque converter. The torque converter multiplies or transmits the twisting force that an engine produces to rotate a driveshaft, which in turn spins the axle that connects the wheels.
GM, the manufacturer of the original torque converters used in the Humvee, could not meet demand. Its tooling was worn out, depots were supplying remanufactured “cores” for the new part at a slower rate than needed and production on the new parts was limited by capacity.
The solution was an innovative approach by DLA Land and Maritime and the Ohio Army National Guard. The team worked with the manufacturer to redesign a commercial hybrid torque converter that would be suitable for use in both commercial and military vehicles. The new design cut production time from 120 days to 30 and saved the Army millions of dollars.
Safety
The military’s Humvees aren’t designed for the safety standards of everyday road vehicles, which means they often don’t have the proper seat belts and airbags. Upgrading these features allows passengers to enjoy a safer ride and protects them in case of an accident.
Adding these upgrades will also improve the vehicle’s comfort and strength. Many soldiers spend long periods of time in the vehicle, so it’s important that it is comfortable and safe for them to ride in. Upgrading seats to include three-point seat belts, strong and comfortable materials, and airbags will make the ride more enjoyable for passengers.
The Humvee is still in use today, but the Army has moved on to heavier, better-protected JLTVs. In addition to being more powerful, these vehicles can carry more cargo and are easier to maneuver on rough terrain. However, it’s not practical to replace all the Humvees with these new vehicles.
One of the main reasons for this is that a Humvee’s high center of gravity makes it more susceptible to rollover accidents. Over the years, many soldiers have been killed and injured in these crashes. In a report published in Military Medicine, researchers concluded that there are several possible causes of these accidents, including distracted driving and reduced vigilance. They suggest training soldiers in combat-like situations through simulation or live-training exercises to prevent these incidents.
Despite these problems, the Humvee continues to be an effective workhorse in military service. Its low-tech design prevents hackers from taking advantage of its electronic engine controls and braking systems, and it has no circuitry that would be vulnerable to directed microwave or electromagnetic pulse attacks. Moreover, manufacturers like AM General have continued to improve the vehicle’s safety by offering features such as 360-degree kinetic energy threat protection and blast-resistant seats.