High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is a bit of a mouthful, which is why the timeless design from AM General is better known as the Humvee both in civilian and military talk. In service since the beginning of the 1980s, more than 280,000 examples of the breed have been produced.
The Humvee, however, is slowly turning into a thing of the past. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle from the Oshkosh Corporation will gradually replace the AM General workhorse, and Military TV is much obliged to explain why.
When and where did the Pentagon decide that a replacement is duly needed? Iraq and 2004, thank you! The Humvee isn’t good against improvised explosive devices, which is why the U.S. Army switched to the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle that easily withstands roadside bombs. The MRAP, however, is slow and somewhat limited off the beaten path.
What about the JLTV, though?
Military TV reports that the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is as big a leap forward as the Humvee was to the Ford M151 quarter-ton military jeep. One look at the ground clearance and tire choice is enough to understand how good the JLTV handles off-road situations, and this gets us to the newcomer’s engine compartment.
Based on the 6.6-liter Duramax turbo diesel from General Motors, the Gale Banks Engineering 866T is more than adequate for this application because it’s supremely torquey and reliable. Compared to an armored Humvee, the Oshkosh JLTV also happens to be fast in situations where speed is the name of the game.
The suspension is another highlight. TAK-4i is how the manufacturer calls it, a heavy-duty independent setup that also flaunts height control and the Suspension Aided Egress System. The SAES is designed to level side to side and front to rear on grades or slopes, helping the JLTV tackle pretty much any terrain.
20 inches of suspension travel, an Allison six-speed automatic transmission that handles tons of torque, and a gross vehicle weight of 10,266 kilograms (22,633 pounds) are three other highlights. Similarly impressive, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is transportable “on all ocean-going transport ships with minimal disassembly.”
On an ending note, when will the Humvee be retired?
Both the Army and Marines will use it until at least 2050, and until then, you can bet that the HMMWV will see plenty of action in the shadow of the JLTV.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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