Miles Fiberglass offers a number of Humvee composite panel reinforcement kits that help keep these workhorses running longer. The company also makes kits for repairing cracked hoods, a problem that can lead to costly repairs.
Although the military continues to buy HMMWVs, it has also started purchasing a competing vehicle, the JLTV. The JLTV is designed to handle the threat of near-peer adversaries, including massive masses of hostile armored cars. Click Here to learn more.
In the 1970s, the military began to realize that its light vehicles were no longer keeping pace with the changing nature of warfare. They needed something new, fast and agile to handle a new type of battlefield. They issued a request for proposal to various companies seeking a replacement for the old M151 jeeps. AM General, Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental received contracts to produce prototypes of a new vehicle called the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, better known as the Humvee.
The HMMWV was conceived primarily as a cargo and personnel transport vehicle behind the front lines, not a front line fighting vehicle. It was not designed to offer protection against chemical, biological or nuclear threats, though it did have a robust chassis that allowed its crews to return to safety even after intense firefights such as the battle of Mogadishu.
Despite its shortcomings, the HMMWV was successful enough to be adapted for civilian use. Rebranded as the Hummer, it became a symbol of macho masculinity in America and found its way into movies and popular culture, even briefly being advertised with the slogan “reclaim your masculinity”.
Now the HMMWV is reaching a crossroads. The military is in the process of replacing it with a number of initiatives, including an interim replacement with commercial off-the-shelf vehicles like the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) and a long term replacement with a vehicle designed from the ground up.
HMMWV Design
The HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) is an all-terrain vehicle that can transport weapons and other equipment, including command-and-control systems. Its modular design allows it to be fitted for different purposes, including troop transport and ambulances.
The Humvee was designed primarily as a cargo hauler to transport equipment and supplies behind front lines. It was not meant to be a front line combat vehicle, but it was frequently forced into roles for which it was unprepared. This included urban engagements, where its aluminum body might as well have been tissue paper in the face of small arms fire and roadside improvised explosive devices.
Despite the vehicle’s limitations, the military continued to invest in improvements and modifications that would make the Humvee more suited for its new missions. In particular, they sought to reduce maintenance costs and improve the vehicle’s survivability against weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical, biological or radiological threats.
The result of these investments was the M1114 up-armored Humvee and its later counterpart, the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle. Both vehicles feature a powerful engine, advanced electrical and communication systems, and a suite of high-end armor protections. They can also be equipped with an optional central tire inflation system that enables the driver to adjust tire pressure on the fly from inside the vehicle to match terrain conditions.
HMMWV Performance
The HMMWV was a smash hit in its heyday. Its civilian spinoff, the Hummer H1, catapulted into fame during the Gulf War and became an icon of pop culture. The military has since largely de-glamorized the vehicle by sending it to civilian auction, a common way for the military to offload equipment that it no longer needs.
The basic HMMWV was designed to provide personnel and cargo transport behind the front lines. It did not have the armor and protection levels necessary to protect against intense small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades found in urban combat engagements, which caused significant damage and casualties in the Battle of Mogadishu. However, a new model with enhanced armor addressed this issue.
With a GVWR of 7,700lb and a curb weight of 5,200lb, the military HMMWV can carry up to 2,500lb of payload. Its unique configuration, which includes 1 + 1 or 2+ 2 seating, and geared hubs allow for high ground clearance and the ability to drive on steep slopes. The HMMWV also features an optional central tire inflation system that allows the operator to adjust tire pressure on the fly from inside the driver’s seat.
The HMMWV is equipped with a powerful engine that can reach speeds of up to 65 MPH. A tuner like Banks Power of Azusa, California, can boost its power output from 190 to 245, and increase torque by up to 465 lb-ft. With these enhancements, the HMMWV cuts over 15 seconds off its 0-60 time and completes a quarter mile run in under 36 seconds.
HMMWV Safety
The military’s fleet of Humvees have traveled across the globe. A search on DVIDS (the Department of Defense’s media archive) will find videos and images of them in the United States, Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Afghanistan, South Korea and Australia. They’ve been in the thick of the last two wars and many of the smaller ones as well. It’s possible that a new, lighter Joint Light Tactical Vehicle will be better than the Humvee at all of the things that it does, but the military is likely to hang on to the current fleet as an insurance policy for the next big fight.
Since the beginning of its production, the HMMWV has undergone several improvements to enhance safety and reliability. For example, a redesigned geared fan drive and shroud, re-engineered shock absorbers and A-arm bushings, re-engineered geared hub assembly and parking brakes were introduced in 2006. These modifications are known as “reliability extended.”
Despite their improved armor and other safety measures, the up-armored HMMWVs still can’t stand toe-to-toe with a near-peer adversary, according to Wood. This is why the military has begun to pursue several initiatives to replace the Humvee, both short and long term.
One of the short-term replacement efforts involves commercial off-the-shelf vehicles under the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program. But the longer-term solution is a completely new vehicle designed from the ground up.
The HMMWV
The HMMWV was designed as a vehicle for cargo and personnel transport behind the front lines. It has a higher undercarriage than most trucks and was designed to flex to accommodate off-road stress. It has a unique feature of loops around the frame that can be hooked up to cables in order to get it onto an aircraft and dropped from there by parachute. HMMWVs are also capable of being slung from helicopters, though they have to be equipped with special equipment for this purpose.
The name Humvee actually came from the military who nicknamed it as such after its initial production. The Army had named it the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, but this name wasn’t very catchy or easy to utter on the battlefield so they shortened it to the more pronounceable Humvee.
Unlike most civilian vehicles, the brakes on a military humvee are built into the axles directly instead of being mounted above them. This means the brakes are less likely to wear out and last much longer. Similarly, the engines of a HMMWV are water cooled in order to prevent overheating.
Despite their many advantages, HMMWVs do not offer protection from chemical, biological or nuclear threats and they are vulnerable to small arms fire. This is why the military is in the process of replacing them with more combat ready vehicles such as the MRAP and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Modifications
The Humvee, also known as the HMMWV or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, isn’t the only military vehicle to have been tweaked by its owners. The truck has become a consumer product in its own right, with accessories like tack spikes, shock door handles, runflat tires and even luxury features available to add to the rig.
In addition to the safety improvements, the modifications give the gunner more fire power and make it easier to engage close-range targets. The gunner no longer has to worry about the turret locking up while the vehicle is moving. Instead, the turret is designed to swing 30-degrees left and right without unlocking or moving, making it easier for the gunner to adjust fire.
Another modification aims to reduce damage caused by sand or gravel being thrown from the front of the vehicle onto the armored windshield. The solution is to remove the rear wiper and replace it with a clear piece of polycarbonate plastic that doesn’t obscure the driver’s vision.
A new report from POGO finds that the Department of Defense is using an obscure law to sell surplus Humvees to private buyers. The Exchange/Sale Authority allows the Pentagon to sell surplus equipment for the cost of similar items, but it’s often used to simply dispose of vehicles that are no longer needed.
