Army drafted final specifications for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which was to replace all the tactical vehicles in the 1/4-ton to 5/4-ton range, namely the M151 quarter-ton jeeps, M561 Gama Goats, and the CUCVs, as one uniform 'jack-of-all-trades' light tactical vehicle series, to better perform the roles of the impractically mixed fleet of outdated existing vehicles. In 1977, Lamborghini developed the Cheetah model in an attempt to meet the Army contract specifications. At least a dozen of these were built for testing under the High Mobility Combat Vehicle, or HMCV program, initially much more as an enhanced capability successor to the M151 jeep, than as a general-purpose vehicle. Army's desire for a versatile new light weapons carrier/reconnaissance vehicle, as early as 1969 FMC Corporation started development on their XR311 prototype and offered it for testing in 1970. What was wanted was a truly versatile light military truck, that could replace multiple outdated vehicles. Army had tried to modernize, through replacing the larger, purpose-built Dodge M37s by militarized, 'commercial off the shelf' (COTS) 4×4 trucks - initially the M715 Jeep trucks, succeeded in the later 1970s by several 'CUCV' adapted commercial pickup series, but these did not satisfy newer requirements either. For starters, from the mid-1960s, the U.S. military felt a need to reevaluate their aging light vehicle fleet. During and after the war, the very light, 1⁄ 4-ton jeeps were complemented by the 3⁄ 4-ton Dodge WC and Korean War Dodge M37 models.īy the mid-1960s, the U.S. The jeeps were shorter than a Volkswagen Beetle and weighed just over one metric ton, seating three to four, with an 800 lb (360 kg) payload. Army had let Ford redesign the jeep from the ground up during the 1950s, and the resulting M151 jeep incorporated significant innovations, it firmly adhered to the original concept: a very compact, light enough to manhandle, low profile vehicle, with a folding windshield, that a layman could barely distinguish from the preceding Willys jeeps. Since the World War II Willys MB reconnaissance truck was used for mass-deployment and became known as the 'jeep', the United States military had continued to rely heavily on jeeps as general utility vehicles and as a mass-transport for soldiers in small groups. JSTOR ( April 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification. In 2015 the Oshkosh L-ATV was selected for production. military sought to replace the vehicle in front-line service under the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. hastily up-armored select models and replaced front-line units with the MRAP. The vehicle's original unarmored design was later seen to be inadequate, and was found to be particularly vulnerable to improvised explosive devices in the Iraq War. The Humvee saw widespread use in the Gulf War of 1991, where it navigated the treacherous desert terrain this usage helped to inspire civilian Hummer versions. Primarily used by the United States military, it is also used by numerous other countries and organizations and even in civilian adaptations. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the original jeep, and others such as the Vietnam War-era M151 jeep, the M561 'Gama Goat', their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions, the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, and other light trucks. The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ( HMMWV colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. m) ģ-speed automatic or 4-speed automatic.

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