Photo: Ricardo Defense
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), better known as the Humvee, entered military service in 1983. Despite that, the top brass of the armed forces plans to have it in the field well into the middle of this century. But the vehicles are already showing their age, and a host of updates are in order.
Born decades ago and meant to be used in areas where road safety is not necessarily a priority, Humvees lacked the protection of safety features such as Antilock Brake System (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
It wasn’t until 2018 that the U.S. Army demanded all new Humvees to be fitted with ABS and ESC, which still leaves many vehicles not using these systems. For now, that is, as a new contract should ensure Humvees protect their occupants from crashes just as much as incoming fire.
Ricardo Defense is the company tasked with fitting ABS, ESC, and several other systems over the next three years on thousands of military Humvees in exchange for $89 million. Work will be performed at the Army’s Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for tactical wheeled vehicles in Texarkana, Texas, and other regional sites, with 1,200 retrofit kits expected to be delivered by August 2021.
“The ABS/ESC retrofit contract award is a culmination of a lot of great work from all parties, and is an essential step in providing this critical safety solution to our fielded HMMWV fleet,” said an unnamed spokesperson for the U.S. Army according to Ricardo Defense.
“We are extremely proud of the Army’s collaboration with Ricardo Defense to provide an affordable and attainable solution that significantly reduces loss of control incidents, vehicle rollover incidents, and ultimately helps save lives.”
The Humvee is one of the most successful military vehicles ever made, having been produced in close to 300,000 units since its introduction.
It wasn’t until 2018 that the U.S. Army demanded all new Humvees to be fitted with ABS and ESC, which still leaves many vehicles not using these systems. For now, that is, as a new contract should ensure Humvees protect their occupants from crashes just as much as incoming fire.
Ricardo Defense is the company tasked with fitting ABS, ESC, and several other systems over the next three years on thousands of military Humvees in exchange for $89 million. Work will be performed at the Army’s Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for tactical wheeled vehicles in Texarkana, Texas, and other regional sites, with 1,200 retrofit kits expected to be delivered by August 2021.
“The ABS/ESC retrofit contract award is a culmination of a lot of great work from all parties, and is an essential step in providing this critical safety solution to our fielded HMMWV fleet,” said an unnamed spokesperson for the U.S. Army according to Ricardo Defense.
“We are extremely proud of the Army’s collaboration with Ricardo Defense to provide an affordable and attainable solution that significantly reduces loss of control incidents, vehicle rollover incidents, and ultimately helps save lives.”
The Humvee is one of the most successful military vehicles ever made, having been produced in close to 300,000 units since its introduction.
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