Since 1989, the HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), better known as the Humvee, has conquered foreign battlefields and suburban soccer fields alike. But with the military’s new trucks outrunning them, the mighty workhorses could be on their last legs.
The military first looked at the HMMWVs in 1983, when top brass was ready to replace a fleet of jeeps. Check out Humvee For Sale in your area.
The Desert Storm Years
Many citizens associate the Humvee with a war against terrorism that began in 2003. But the vehicle was forged during OPERATION DESERT STORM for the war to end the invasion of a country, more than 25 years ago.
The HMMWV nicknamed the “jeep on steroids,” made its military debut in 1985 and proved to be a versatile troop carrier, command center, and ambulance. The civilian version, branded the Hummer, was even more popular. Its gleaming chrome grille and 14-m.p.g. (17 L/100 km) fuel consumption exemplified extravagance in the late 1980s.
But despite their utility, the soft-skinned vehicles weren’t enough to protect service members from roadside bombs and small arms fire. Adding armor to the vehicles increased their weight, making them clumsy and prone to rollovers. It also puts too much strain on the engine, transmission, and drivetrain, accelerating wear and increasing mechanical failures.
By the time DESERT STORM began, in January 1991, a general had assembled a force to overwhelm the enemy on land and air. He planned to have forces tied down near the border, while the tank-heavy VII Corps pushed into the heart of the country from the front and flank.
For the first time, he also teamed up with a regional ally to co-command the campaign. It was a collaboration that proved to be crucial to the success of Desert Storm.
As a result of the campaign, the company redesigned the vehicle to meet new combat requirements. The company also reworked its business model to capitalize on the growing popularity of the civilian Humvee. In the future, it would offer the military and civilian markets a single vehicle that could serve both purposes. This new design ushered in the age of the cross-platform Humvee.
The War On Terror
The country declared war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks. The President defined it as a “war against terrorists who kill innocent people in the name of their beliefs and against those regimes that harbor them, fund them or facilitate their attacks.”
From the start, the coalition of countries built around this concept has been larger than any previous military alliance, with almost 90 nations pledging to fight the extremists, dry up their financial resources, stop the flow of arms, disrupt their communication networks, and deport terrorist suspects to third countries where they will be subject to justice.
A key element of this global partnership has been a new kind of warfare that is not confined to the front lines but reaches back into safe areas where troops are a constant target of improvised explosive devices and ambushes. These challenges have put the Humvee under intense pressure. Early on, it was a workhorse that earned headlines for its superiority over conventional armies, but the asymmetrical battles in Iraq and Afghanistan turned out to be too much for the flat-faced trucks. Adding extra armor rendered the Humvee heavy, unmanoeuvrable, and unwieldy, making it an easy target for insurgents.
To deal with the new threat, soldiers would strip out any unnecessary armor to make their Humvees lighter, more maneuverable, and easier to drive in the cramped streets. But by 2006, as the insurgency reached its zenith and the number of Humvees killed by roadside bombs rose, a more permanent solution was needed.
It may seem counterintuitive that the most sophisticated vehicle in the world should be pressed into roles it wasn’t designed for, but this is the case with the HMMWV or Humvee, as it’s also known. It was not designed as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle or Armored Personnel Carrier but was meant to replace the light jeep – a troop transporter, utility vehicle, and fast scout car. It did those jobs well, but the asymmetrical conflict in countries showed that even safe zones can become kill zones in short order.
The Global Influence
The Humvee has been used all over the world. It’s become iconic because of its versatility and ability to perform the tasks that military personnel need it to do. Whether it’s transporting soldiers or providing medical care, the Humvee can do it all. Its distinctive looks make it instantly recognizable to anyone who sees it. The narrow headlights and oversized grill give it a muscular, almost steroid-like appearance that is unmistakable.
The HMMWV, or Humvee as it became known in popular culture, was a revolutionary vehicle for the Armed Forces. It was able to negotiate some of the most difficult terrain in the world, including sand and rocky hills. The Humvee also has a variety of armor protection, which helps it survive attacks from both land mines and direct heavy fire.
After the success of the HMMWV in the desert, the company began developing civilian versions of the military vehicle for use by police forces and first responders as well as private citizens. Arnold saw the vehicles in action during his time filming in the Persian Gulf and immediately wanted to have one. He ended up purchasing two of the first civilian Hummers, which were based on the original Military version of the truck.
When the civilian Hummers hit the streets, people were blown away by their size and capabilities. They were the ultimate symbol of the country’s power and strength. The huge trucks could easily carry a dozen men and all of their equipment. They were so popular that the public couldn’t get enough of them, and the company that created them grew into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.
The Humvee was designed to be easy to modify, and many different types of armaments have been attached to it. Heavily armored variants have been used as combat vehicles, while lighter ones have served as troop transports and ambulances. Some have even been modified to serve as weapon platforms for weapons like anti-tank missiles and machine guns. The Humvee’s global influence has made it the most recognizable light military vehicle in history.
The Future
The Humvee’s popularity as a civilian vehicle has given the military light utility truck an unexpected new life. The vehicles’ ruggedness and capability in the desert helped make them popular with off-road enthusiasts and even spawned a brand of vehicles known as the Hummer automotive marque, which offers a variety of specialized trucks that can carry everything from a litter to a howitzer. The trucks are also sold around the world and used by many militaries.
The story of the Humvee began in 1979 when the Army issued a request for a new do-anything workhorse. The military vehicle was originally called the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) but soldiers quickly started calling it the Humvee because of its distinctive sound.
During the Gulf War, the Humvee was a symbol of the country’s military might and became a pop culture icon. In subsequent conflicts, the Humvee proved itself as a vehicle that could perform nearly any task in the field. Besides being cargo and troop carriers, the vehicles served as ambulances and could even tow artillery like the M119 howitzer.
But the Humvee’s glory days in countries with war proved short-lived as roadside bombs shredded the minimally armored vehicles and small arms fire killed crew members. To stay safe, soldiers made their Humvees lighter and lighter by removing doors and other unnecessary armor. But in doing so, they sacrificed some of the vehicle’s maneuverability and a safety margin that was already razor-thin.
In 2021, the Army began replacing the Humvee with a more heavily armored vehicle dubbed the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV. The JLTV has more armor and can take on more serious mines and IEDs than the HMMWV, but it also weighs about twice as much and is prone to rolling over in certain situations.
Despite the JLTV’s advantages, some military experts have suggested returning to the Humvee model. It has simple electronic engine controls, no circuitry that a sophisticated enemy can hack with malware or scramble with directed microwaves and it’s easy to repair. One such expert is a former soldier. He argues that with several programs advancing unmanned ground vehicle technology, converted Humvees could see a 21st-century re-birth as low-cost autonomous scout vehicles at the front of a force.
