The “Humvee” – High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)

The “Humvee” – High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). . , The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV – “Humvee”) has been the Army’s light tactical vehicle workhorse for over forty years. Serving in a multitude of roles, it has been a mainstay in almost every U.S. Army formation since that time., After years of trial, AM General was awarded the contract in March 1983. This model, the M1025 was first introduced in 1985 and bears the NATO 3-color woodland camouflage scheme. The body has the basic armor package, consisting of Kevlar-line fiberglass door with polycarbonate windows, and a 2-inch thick polycarbonate windshield. Most MMMWV variants were outfitted with the armor package from its introduction through the early stages of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)., During GWOT, the gunner’s station in the M1025/M1025A1 Armaments Carrier was equipped with one of four weapons platforms: the M2HB .50cal heavy machine gun, the M240B 7.62mm medium machine gun, the Mk. 19-3 40mm automatic grenade launcher, or the 5.56 M249 squad automatic weapon., Like most vehicles operating in an active combat zone, this truck bears some post-production modifications and salvaged parts not initially supplied on the M1025 version. These include the gunner’s shield, the front crossmember that accepts a winch, the tubular brush guard, and the LED directional light set., As operation in Iraq and Afghanistan continued, the lightly armored HMMWV proved unable to protect Soldiers effectively. Add-on armor kits were jury-rigged or supplied, and newer up-armored and expanded capacity models were introduced, which provided more protection to the occupants. For over forty years, the HMMWV has been a pillar of capability for the U.S. Army.