HMMWV "Humvee"
Report : Chems
The
High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle
(HMMWV) nick named the Humvee is a replacement
for the M151 series of jeeps. The Humvee
is widely used as a work horse and fighting
vehicle of the US army. The M1109, M1114
and M1043 HMMWVs are the ones depicted in
GR. These versions are armoured against small
arms fire and mines by having armour on both
sides and underneath. A weapon mount is located
on the top of this version of Humvee and
can mount a range of weapons including, M60,
7.62mm machine gun; M2 .50 calibre machine
gun; or the MK 19 Grenade Launcher. This "turret" style
design is controlled by peddles and can turn
a full 360 degrees.
This
type of Humvee can climb a 60% slope and
traverse a side slope of 40% with a full
load. It cans cross-fords upto 30 inches
deep and with a fording kit can go to 60
inches deep. The high front means the Humvee
can climb obstacles that may impede a normal
vehicles path. The more armoured versions
of the Humvee are used as reconnaissance
vehicles. They can provide the commander
with up to date information, scout routes,
zones and areas, prevent surprise attacks
by the enemy and maintain the free movement
of the rest of the group. These are made
possible by the speed stealth and mobility
of the Humvee. The Humvee has a small profile
compared to a M3 Bradley this means it can
go closer to do a more detailed recon of
an area. The Humvee is also used to protect
lines of attack by giving early warning;
they are also used to set up observation
points.
The
Humvee is not used only as a recon vehicle.
It can also be used in the role of Anti Tank,
when equipped with a TOW missile launcher
it can get into urban environments and stalk
tanks picking them off and moving on. It
can also do it in open country as well but
at a great risk due to the lack of protection
against high calibre fire. The speed is its
advantage in the open ground and low profile.
The
Humvee series M1109 and M1114 HMMWVs were
designed on the basis of the fierce fighting
in Mogadishu in 1993. The Humvee's there
were the standard un-armoured versions; a
lot of soldiers were killed whilst in the
Humvee's from small arms fire. The US government
seeing that this could be the future warfare
they may be engaging in decided to upgrade
with Kevlar armour capable of stopping 7.62mm
round and armour on the underside to stop
mines containing up to 12 pounds of explosive.
A large amount of these M1114 were sent out
to Iraq and have been used well in the Urban
Environments of Baghdad but the armour on
them can't protect them from RPG's which
is the weapon of choice been used by terrorist
in Iraq. The armoured or armoured up Humvee
as it is called is still a reliable measure
and already has saved lives in Iraq and the
US government has been pulling hundreds of
M1114s from Depots and units around the country
so they can ship them to Iraq were a lot
of National Guard Military Police units are
still with out them.
The
M114 is still favoured the most by Recon
troops and this is one of its major roles.
The Humvee comes in over a dozen different
configurations. The M998, M998A1, M1038 and
M1038A1 HMMWVs are troop carrying Humvee's.
The cargo carrier configuration is capable
of transporting a payload (including crew)
of 2,500 pounds and the troop carrier is
capable of transporting a two-man crew and
eight passengers. The M1097is as another
transport version with a soft top extended
rear cargo area and improved gear ratio to
help pull the increased load it can carry
of 4,575 pounds. This version is still equipped
with basic armour. The M1043 and M1025 are
both the standard type Humvee’s and the M1043
has the latest upgrades. The M1037 is a sheltered
carrier configuration of the Humvee with
a large solid container area on the back
that can house more cargo. The M996, M996A1,
M997, M997A1, M1035 and M1035A1 HMMWVs are
all configured for Ambulance work and can
transport patients from the front line to
hospitals. The M996/M996A1 are designated
as Mini-Ambulances and can transport up to
2 litter patients, 6 ambulatory patients
or a combination of litter and ambulatory
patients. The M997/M997A1 are designated
as Maxi-Ambulances and can transport up to
4 litter patients, 8 ambulatory patients,
or a combination of litter and ambulatory
patients. The M1035/M1035A1 are soft-top
Ambulances and can transport up to 2 litter
patients. The M996A1, M997A1 and M1035A1
also have the latest modifications. All these
Humvee’s are equipped with a self recovery
winch.
The
Humvee is the world standard in jeeps and
has proven to be invaluable to forces and
has show it can be highly adapted to many
roles in an army. Its service life has many
years left and some cannot see an end for
the HMMWV affectionately called the Humvee.
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