The Humvee, made by AM General, is a military vehicle that hugs the road. The funny-looking 4×4 can be sling-loaded by helicopter and dropped into hostile territory without an aircraft landing.

It has 15 different configurations including cargo and troop carriers, weapons carriers, ambulances and shelter carriers – but all share a common engine, chassis and transmission with 44 interchangeable parts. Click the Website to learn more.

The military vehicle called the Humvee is a legend in its own right. It supplanted the legendary Jeep as the iconic light-duty military truck of all time, and it even spawned its own civilian version, the Hummer. But while the Humvee is a well-known vehicle, many people aren’t aware of its origins and how it came to be.

In the late 1970s, AM General began developing a new light-duty military vehicle that would ultimately become known as the Humvee. Its development was prompted by the need for a more versatile vehicle that could carry a wider range of equipment than the quarter-ton jeeps and other light military vehicles then in use. The HMMWV (High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, the full military designation) was designed to fill in the gap left by these older platforms.

AM General’s engineers developed prototypes and put them through a series of intense and rigorous tests. The Army was pleased with the results, and in 1984 AM General won the contract to produce 55,000 HMMWVs for all branches of the military. These vehicles first saw combat in Operation Just Cause, the United States invasion of Panama.

These early HMMWVs were powered by a 6.2-liter V8 engine with an impressive 2,500-pound payload capacity. They also featured portal axles, which raised the drivetrain off of the wheels and allowed for maximum ground clearance. This setup allowed soldiers to add things like machine gun turrets and low-altitude air defense systems.

Humvees became famous in the 1991 Gulf War, where they proved their versatility in a variety of hostile desert conditions. These vehicles became the face of America’s military might, appearing in news footage and war documentaries.

The popularity of the Humvee helped inspire the development of the civilian Hummer automotive brand. Since then, the HMMWV has grown to serve multiple roles in the military, and its civilian counterparts are now widely used by off-road enthusiasts, emergency services, and even celebrities.

Despite its widespread use, the HMMWV isn’t without its drawbacks. The unarmored design of the Humvee was deemed to be too vulnerable to mines and improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan and Iraq, and efforts have been made to improve its safety by adding armor. Nevertheless, the HMMWV is still the most versatile light military vehicle in the world, and it continues to be utilized in frontline military operations around the globe.

The Design

When it comes to military vehicles, the Humvee is a legend. The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), better known as a Humvee, is a four-wheel drive military tactical vehicle that replaced the Jeep and some light trucks. The funny-looking 4×4 has conquered mud, sand, rocks, snow and even desert. It has sling-loaded from CH-53 helicopters, jumped entire continents in C-130 transport aircraft and been taken to the seas on Marine Expeditionary Units. Its bonded aluminum body is strong, lightweight and rust-resistant. That’s why the vehicle can be dragged on a flatbed with a winch and float across rivers or seas.

It was designed as a jack-of-all-trades to replace the fleet of different Jeeps and light trucks the military used. It can go off-road with ease and has the ability to carry loads of up to 50,000 pounds. It can run on diesel fuel or liquid petroleum gas and can travel up to 70 miles per hour.

The Humvee has a number of other impressive specs, including: It has an independent suspension with front and rear double A-arms, coil springs and hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers. It can also traverse slopes of up to 60 percent. Its off-roading capabilities are further enhanced by its 37-inch tires, which allow for 16 inches of ground clearance.

Another interesting aspect of the Humvee is that it has a swiveling front-loading ramp, which allows the vehicle to haul heavy equipment and cargo. It also has a rear ramp and a trailer hitch for dragging other equipment. The Humvee can also be armed with mounted machine guns and wire command-guided anti-tank missile launchers.

In addition to being able to withstand extreme off-roading, the Humvee has a unique design that lets it maneuver through dense urban areas with relative ease. The military towed the vehicle into position behind enemy lines, which allowed soldiers to safely exit the vehicle.

While the Humvee may be getting some criticism for being over-armed, it isn’t a bad vehicle at all. It was created to be a replacement for Jeeps and other light trucks, and in that regard it has done an amazing job. The Army is currently working on a plan to keep the Humvee fleet alive until 2048 and the service planners are trying to find a balance between prioritizing new platforms and maintaining and enhancing the current ones.

The Engine

The Humvee is one of the most impressive vehicles ever to see combat, and for two decades, it seemed like nothing could stop it. The military embraced it, and the public adored it for its off-roading prowess and killer soundtrack. However, the big-brother off-roader found that its greatest challenge came not from extreme terrain but paved roads and urban areas.

The Army’s desire to increase the number of vehicles available and its reliance on paved highways put pressure on the Humvee, which was designed for unimproved terrain. As a result, the newer models have lighter armor and an automatic transmission. These changes are meant to make the vehicle more familiar and easier to operate for soldiers who may have never before driven a car with an automatic shift or been in a vehicle with that type of engine.

The newer trucks also have an improved engine. The current model uses a V-8 that produces around 300 horsepower. The newer models will use a diesel engine that is expected to produce more than 400 horsepower. This increase in power and fuel efficiency should allow the vehicles to travel on paved roads for longer distances than previously.

A Humvee is a unique truck, riding much higher than traditional pickup trucks. This is done to allow it to carry more cargo and troops, as well as protect its crew from the elements. The height also allows the vehicle to be towed by helicopters and dropped from aircraft with parachute.

There are many variations of the Humvee, including scout vehicles, armored personnel carriers, ambulances, communication vehicles and tube-launched TOW missile carriers. They can be modified in a variety of ways, and they have served in conflicts from the Gulf War to the Iraq War.

The Army is currently in the process of a major upgrade to its fleet of Humvees. The goal is to replace 60,000 of the older models with newer versions that are safer and more versatile. The winner of this competition will be awarded a lucrative contract to produce thousands of new vehicles.

The Body

The HMMWV (or Humvee as it’s more commonly known) is a family of light, four-wheel drive military trucks and utility vehicles. Developed by AM General, the Humvee has largely supplanted the roles previously served by the original jeep and other vehicles such as the Vietnam War-era M151 Jeep, its M561 “Gama Goat” ambulance versions, the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, and other light trucks.

What really sets the Humvee apart from other military vehicles is its unique body. Unlike the steel bodies on other trucks, the Humvee’s body is made from aluminum, which keeps weight down and reduces the risk of corrosion. Aluminum also allows the body to flex when off-road, which helps the truck overcome rough terrain that would stop most four-wheel drives in their tracks.

Another way the Humvee’s body helps it withstand tough conditions is its placement of brakes. Instead of being placed on the outside of the wheels, like most cars, the Humvee’s brakes are built into the axels themselves. This makes the brakes less exposed to the elements and gives them more ability to take a beating. The Humvee’s axel-mounted brakes also allow them to go deeper underwater than other vehicles, which is important when the troops need to cross rivers and other bodies of water.

The Humvee was designed to be a versatile workhorse that could do a variety of jobs, from troop transport to cargo hauling to ambulance service. Its versatility is one of the reasons why the Humvee has been so successful. It has seen service in every corner of the globe, as evidenced by a search of the military’s DVIDS media archive. It can even be outfitted with a deep-water fording kit to cross rivers that other vehicles can’t.

The Humvee is finally starting to get replaced, however, and the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Drum, NY has just begun to receive its first batch of JLTVs. The new trucks are more capable in a variety of situations, but the military is going to hang on to some of its Humvees as an insurance policy for when the next big fight comes around.