Humvee The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ( HMMWV ) , commonly known as the Humvee , is a four - wheel drive military automobile produced by AM General . It has largely supplanted the roles originally performed by the original jeep , and older Military light utility vehicle s such as the Vietnam - era M151 MUTT , the M561 " Gama Goat " , their M718A1 and M792 ambulance versions , the CUCV , and other light trucks . Primarily used by the United States military , it is also used by numerous other countries and organizations and even in civilian adaptations . The Humvee ' s widespread use in the Persian Gulf War , where it negotiated the treacherous desert sand with ease , helped inspire the civilian Hummer automotive marque . History . Since the WWII era Willys MB , the United States Army had relied on Jeeps to transport small groups of soldiers . The jeep was built around a requirement for a compact vehicle with a folding windshield that was actually shorter than the Volkswagen Beetle . It had seats for a 3 man crew with a payload and weighed just over one ton . By the 1970s , the U . S . Army had tried larger militarized civilian trucks , but even these no longer satisfied newer requirements . In 1977 , Lamborghini developed the Cheetah model in an attempt to meet the Army contract specifications . In 1979 , the U . S . Army drafted final specifications for a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle , or HMMWV , which was to replace all the tactical vehicles in the 1 / 4 to 1 1 / 4 - ton range , namely the M151 MUTT and M561 Gamma Goat , as one " jack - of - all - trades " light tactical vehicle to perform the role of several existing trucks . The specification called for excellent on and off - road performance , the ability to carry a large payload , and improved survivability against indirect fire . Compared to the Jeep , it was larger and had a much wider track , with a ground clearance , double that of most sport - utility vehicles . The new truck was to climb a 60 percent incline and traverse a 40 percent slope . The air intake was to be mounted flush on top of the right fender ( or to be raised on a stovepipe to roof level to ford of water ) and electronics waterproofed to drive through of water were specified . The radiator was to be mounted high , sloping over the engine on a forward - hinged hood . Out of 61 companies that showed interest , only three submitted prototypes . In July 1979 , AM General ( a subsidiary of American Motors Corporation ) began preliminary design work . Less than a year later , the first prototype was in testing ; Chrysler Defense and Teledyne Continental also produced competing designs . In June 1981 , the Army awarded AM General a contract for development of several more prototype vehicles to be delivered to the government for another series of tests . The original M998 A0 series had a curb weight of . with a payload of , with a V - 8 diesel engine and a three - speed automatic transmission . The three companies were chosen to design and build eleven HMMWV prototypes , which covered over 600 , 000 miles in trials which included off - road courses in desert and arctic conditions . AM General was awarded an initial contract in 1983 for 2 , 334 vehicles , the first batch of a five - year contract that would see 55 , 000 vehicles delivered to the U . S . military , including 39 , 000 for the Army ; 72 , 000 vehicles had been delivered to U . S . and foreign customers by the 1991 Gulf War , and 100 , 000 were delivered by the Humvee ' s 10th anniversary in 1995 . Ft . Lewis Washington and the 9th Infantry Division was the testing unit to employ HMMWV in the new concept of a motorized division . Yakima Training Center ; Yakima , Washington was the main testing grounds for HMMWVs from 1985 through December 1991 , when the motorized concept was abandoned and the division inactivated . Usage in combat . HMMWVs first saw combat in Operation Just Cause , the U . S . invasion of Panama in 1989 . The HMMWV was designed primarily for personnel and light cargo transport behind front lines , not as a front line fighting vehicle . Like the previous Jeep , the basic HMMWV has no armor or protection against chemical , biological , radiological or nuclear threats . Nevertheless , losses were relatively low in conventional operations , such as the Gulf War . Vehicles and crews suffered considerable damage and losses during the Battle of Mogadishu due to the nature of the urban engagement ; however , the chassis survivability allowed the majority of those crews to return to safety , though the HMMWV was never designed to offer protection against intense small arms fire , much less machine gun s and rocket - propelled grenade s . However , with the rise of asymmetric warfare and low intensity conflict s , the HMMWV was pressed into service in urban combat roles for which it was not originally intended . After Somalia , the military recognized a need for a more protected HMMWV and AM General developed the M1114 , an armored HMMWV to withstand small arms fire . The M1114 has been in limited production since 1996 , seeing limited use in the Balkans before deployment to the Middle East . This design is superior to the M998 with a larger , more powerful turbocharged engine , air conditioning , and a strengthened suspension system . More importantly , it boasts a fully armored passenger area protected by hardened steel and bullet - resistant glass . With the increase in direct attacks and guerrilla warfare in Iraq , AM General diverted the majority of its manufacturing power to producing these vehicles . Humvees were sent into Afghanistan following the 9 / 11 terrorist attacks , where they proved invaluable during initial operations . In the early years before IEDs became prevalent , the vehicle was liked by troops for its ability to access rough , mountainous terrain . Some soldiers would remove features from Humvees , including what little armor it had and sometimes even entire doors , to make them lighter and more maneuverable for off - road conditions and to increase visibility . With the onset of the Iraq War , Humvees proved very vulnerable to IEDs ; in the first four months of 2006 , 67 U . S . troops died in Humvees . To increase protection , the U . S . military hastily added - on armor kits to the vehicles . Although this somewhat improved survivability , bolting on armor made the Humvee an " ungainly beast , " increasing weight and putting strain on the chassis , which lead to unreliability . Armored doors that weighed hundreds of pounds were difficult for troops to open and the newly armored turret made Humvees top heavy and increased the danger of rollovers . The U . S . Marine Corps decided to start replacing Humvees in combat with MRAP s in 2007 , and the U . S . Army stated that the vehicle was " no longer feasible for combat " in 2012 . The HMMWV has become the vehicular backbone of U . S . forces around the world . Over 10 , 000 HMMWVs were employed by coalition forces during the Iraq War . The Humvee has been described as " the right capability for its era " to provide payload mobility in protected areas , but that conflicts exposing it to full - spectrum threat environments that it was never designed to operate or be survivable in led to adding protection at the cost of mobility and payload . Modifications . In December 2004 , Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld came under criticism from U . S . troops and their families for not providing better - equipped HMMWVs . Rumsfeld pointed out that , prior to the war , armor kits were produced only in small numbers per year . As the role of American forces in Iraq changed from fighting the Iraqi Army to suppressing the guerrilla insurgency , more armor kits were being manufactured , though perhaps not as fast as production facilities were capable of bringing them online . Even more advanced kits were also being developed . However , while these kits are much more effective against all types of attacks , they weigh between and have some of the same drawbacks as the improvised armor . Unlike similar - size civilian cargo and tow trucks , which typically have dual rear wheels to reduce sway , the HMMWV has single rear wheels due to its independent rear suspension coupled with the body design . Most up - armored HMMWVs hold up well against lateral attacks , when the blast is distributed in all different directions , but offers little protection from a mine blast below the truck , such as buried improvised explosive device s ( IEDs ) and land mine s . Explosively formed penetrator s ( EFPs ) can also defeat the armor kits , causing casualties . The armor kits fielded include the Armor Survivability Kit ( ASK ) , the FRAG 5 , FRAG 6 , as well as upgrade kits to the M1151 . The ASK was the first fielded , in October 2003 , adding about to the weight of the vehicle . Armor Holdings fielded an even lighter kit , adding only to the vehicle ' s weight . The Marine Armor Kit ( MAK ) , fielded in January 2005 , offers more protection than the M1114 , but also increases weight . The FRAG 5 offered even more protection but was still inadequate to stop EFP attacks . The FRAG 6 kit is designed to do just that , however its increased protection adds over the vehicle over the FRAG 5 kit , and the width is increased by . In addition , the doors may require a mechanical assist device to open and close . Another drawback of the up - armored HMMWVs occurs during an accident or attack , when the heavily armored doors tend to jam shut , trapping the troops inside . As a result , HMMWVs were fitted with hooks on their doors , so that another vehicle can rip the door off , freeing the troops inside . In addition , Vehicle Emergency Escape ( VEE ) windows , developed by BAE Systems , were fielded for use on the M1114 uparmored HMMWV , with 1 , 000 kits ordered . The soldier manning the exposed crew - served weapon on top of the vehicle is extremely vulnerable . In response , many HMMWVs have been fitted with basic gun shields or turrets , as was the case with M113 APCs after they were first deployed in Vietnam . The U . S . military is currently evaluating a new form of protection , developed by BAE Systems as well as systems designed by the Army , which are already in theater . The new gunner ' s seat is protected by high steel plates with bullet - proof glass windows . Additionally , some HMMWVs have been fitted with a remotely operated CROWS weapon station , which slaves the machine gun to controls in the back seat so it can be fired without exposing the crew . The Boomerang anti - sniper system was also fielded by some HMMWVs in Iraq to immediately give troops the location of insurgents firing on them . Another weakness for the HMMWV has proven to be its size , which limited its deployment in Afghanistan because it is too wide for the smallest roads and too large for many forms of air transport compared to Jeep or Land Rover - sized vehicles ( which are nearly two feet narrower ) . This size also limits the ability for the vehicle to be manhandled out of situations . Alternatives . The Army purchased a purpose - built armored car , the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle , in limited numbers for use by the United States Army Military Police Corps . In 2007 , the Marine Corps announced an intention to replace all HMMWVs in Iraq with MRAP s due to high loss rates , and issued contracts for the purchase of several thousand of these vehicles , which include the International MaxxPro , the BAE OMC RG - 31 , the BAE RG - 33 and Caiman , and the Force Protection Cougar , which were deployed primarily for mine clearing duties . Heavier models of infantry mobility vehicle s ( IMV ) can also be used for patrol vehicles . The MaxxPro Line has been shown to have the highest rate of vehicle rollover accidents to its very high center of gravity and immense weight . The massive weight of these vehicles combined with their high center of gravity also greatly reduces their utility in off - road situations versus the HMMWV , which was the primary cause for the push for the Oshkosh M - ATV to be developed quickly . Future and replacement . The Humvee replacement process , now being undertaken by the U . S . military , is focused on interim replacement with MRAP s and long - term replacement with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle ( JLTV ) . The HMMWV has evolved several times since its introduction , and is now used in tactical roles for which it was never originally intended . The military is pursuing several initiatives to replace it , both in the short and long terms . The short term replacement efforts utilize commercial off - the - shelf vehicles as part of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) program . These vehicles are procured to replace Humvees in combat theaters . The long term replacement for the Humvee is the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle which is designed from the ground up . The Future Tactical Truck Systems ( FTTS ) program was initiated to make an analysis of potential requirements for a Humvee replacement . Various prototype vehicles such as the MillenWorks Light Utility Vehicle , and the ULTRA AP have been constructed as part of these efforts . The U . S . Marine Corps issued a request for proposal s ( RFP ) in 2013 for its Humvee sustainment modification initiative to upgrade 6 , 700 expanded capacity vehicles ( ECVs ) . The Marines plan to field the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle , but do not have enough funding to completely replace all Humvees , so they decided to continue sustaining their fleet . Key areas of improvement include the suspension , engine , and transmission . Upgrades to the suspension would reduce the amount of force transferred to the chassis , lowering operation and maintenance costs . Additionally , upgrades to the engine and transmission would help to make the vehicles more fuel efficient , and enhancements to the cooling system will better prevent overheating . The Marine Corps is also looking at incorporating a central tire inflation system to allow for reduced tire pressures during off - road use to improve mobility and ride quality . They are also seeking to increase the underbody survivability . Testing of upgraded Humvees will occur in 2014 , with production and installation occurring from 2015 through 2018 . Older A2 series Humvees make up half the current fleet , and 4 , 000 are to be disposed of through foreign military sales and transfers . By 2017 , the Marines ' light tactical vehicle fleet is to consist of 3 , 500 A2 series Humvees , 9 , 500 ECV Humvees , and 5 , 500 JLTVs , with 18 , 500 vehicles in total . Humvees in service with the Marine Corps will be upgraded through 2030 . The U . S . Army and Marine Corps have vowed commitment to buying nearly 55 , 000 JLTVs even in the face of sequestration cuts . This level of support is given while major acquisition programs like the Ground Combat Vehicle were in danger of cuts ( and eventually cancelled ) , which potentially meant the Army favored replacing Humvees more than the M2 Bradley . How many light vehicles that will need to be reduced are still being determined , but they are hoped to direct the effects to the existing Humvee fleet . Several companies are offering modifications to maintain the remaining U . S . military Humvee fleets . Oshkosh Corporation is offering Humvee upgrades to the Marine Corps in addition to its JLTV offering , which are modular and scalable solutions providing varying levels of capabilities at a range of price points that can be provided individually or as complete solutions . Their approach is centered around the TAK - 4 independent suspension system , which delivers greater off - road profile capability , improved ride quality , an increase in maximum speed , greater whole - vehicle durability , and restored payload capacity and ground clearance . They also can deliver a modern engine option that ’ s more powerful than the Humvee ’ s stock engine and provides increased fuel efficiency . In October 2014 , Northrop Grumman unveiled a new chassis and power train for the Humvee that would combine the mobility and payload capabilities of original vehicle variants while maintaining the protection levels of up - armored versions . The new chassis increases fuel efficiency to 18 miles per gallon and allows the vehicle to accelerate to in 22 seconds ; the upgrade also includes a new dashboard , suspension , hydraulics , and central tire inflation systems . The company has installed the new chassis on four Humvees through a cooperative agreement with the Army , two of which have been delivered for trials . The cost to upgrade one Humvee with Northrop Grumman ' s features is $ 145 , 000 . Textron has offered another Humvee upgrade option called the Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle ( SCTV ) that not only restores mobility but improves survivability over armored Humvee levels . It was developed as a blast protected cab solution with a stronger frame and suspension with underbody armor and the ability to mount additional B - kit armor . It has a larger engine and transmission to power an increased gross vehicle weight of , greater ground clearance , larger brakes , wheels , and tires , and additional headroom from an improved internal layout . The battery pack was moved , as was the fuel tank , which is also enlarged and better armored . It is available in four - door , two - door , ambulance , nine - seat troop carrier , and other variants . Although the SCTV costs more at $ 200 , 000 per vehicle , the company claims it can restore the Humvee for operational use , combining Humvee - level mobility and transportability with MRAP - level underbody protection , as a transitionary solution until the JLTV is introduced in significant numbers ; both the Army and Marines have acquired about half a dozen vehicles each for testing . One suggested future role for the Humvee is as an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle ( UGV ) . If converted to a UGV , the vehicle could serve as a mobile scout vehicle with armor features removed to enhance mobility and terrain accessibility , since there would be no occupants needed to protect . Because there will still be tens of thousands of Humvees in the U . S . inventory after the JLTV enters service , it could be a low - cost way to build an unmanned combat vehicle fleet . Autonomy features would allow the Humvees to drive themselves and one soldier to control a " swarm " of several vehicles . Design features . The Humvee seats 4 with an available fully enclosed metal cabin with a vertical windshield . The body is constructed from lightweight and rust - resistant aluminum , instead of conventional steel . It has all - wheel drive with an independent suspension s and helical gear - reduction hubs similar to portal axle s which attach towards the top rather than center of each wheel to allowed the drivetrain shafts to be raised for a full of ground clearance . The body is mounted on a narrow steel frame with boxed rails and five cross members for rigidity . The rails act as sliders to protect the drivetrain which is nestled between and above the rails . Raising the drivetrain into the cabin area and lowering the seats into the frame creates a massive chest - high transmission hump which separates passengers on each side and lowers the overall center of gravity compared to most trucks where the body and passengers are above the frame . The vehicle also has disc brake s on all 4 wheels , and 4 - wheel double - wishbone suspension . The brake discs are not mounted at the wheels as on conventional automobiles , but are inboard , attached to the outside of each differential . The front and rear differentials are Torsen type , and the center differential is a regular , lockable type . Torque - biasing differentials allows forward movement as long as at least one wheel has traction . It runs on specialized 37 x 12 . 5 radial tires with low - profile runflat devices . Some HMMWVs are equipped with an optional central tire inflation system ( CTIS ) , which enables pressure to be lowered for soft ground or raised for hard pavement . While it is optimized for off - road mobility , it can drive at highway speeds of at maximum weight with a top speed of . HMMWVs are well suited for air mobile operations as they are transportable by C - 130 or larger combat transports , droppable by parachute , and can be sling - loaded from helicopters , though there are smaller vehicles such as the Growler which were designed to fit into smaller craft such as the V - 22 . In combat conditions , the HMMWV can be delivered by the Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System which pulls the vehicle out of the open rear ramp just above the ground without the aircraft having to land . There are at least 17 variants of the HMMWV in service with the United States Armed Forces . HMMWVs serve as cargo / troop carriers , automatic weapons platforms , ambulances ( four litter patients or eight ambulatory patients ) , M220 TOW missile carriers , M119 howitzer prime movers , M1097 Avenger Pedestal Mounted Stinger platforms , MRQ - 12 direct air support vehicles , S250 shelter carriers , and other roles . The HMMWV is capable of fording 2 . 5 ft ( 76 cm ) normally , or 5 ft ( 1 . 5 m ) with the deep - water fording kits installed . Optional equipment includes a winch ( maximum load capacity and supplemental armor . The M1025 / M1026 and M1043 / M1044 armament carriers provide mounting and firing capabilities for the M134 Minigun , the Mk 19 grenade launcher , the M2 heavy machine gun , the M240G / B machine gun and M249 LMG . The M1114 " up - armored " HMMWV , introduced in 2004 , also features a similar weapons mount . In addition , some M1114 and M1116 up - armored and M1117 Armored Security Vehicle models feature a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station ( CROWS ) , which allows the gunner to operate from inside the vehicle , and / or the Boomerang anti - sniper detection system . Recent improvements have also led to the development of the M1151 model , which is quickly rendering the previous models obsolete . By replacing the M1114 , M1116 , and earlier armored HMMWV types with a single model , the U . S . Army hopes to lower maintenance costs . The latest iteration of the Humvee series can be seen in the M1151A1 and later up - armored A1 - versions . It has a stronger suspension and larger 6 . 5 liter turbo - diesel engine to accommodate the weight of up to of additional armor . The armor protection can be installed or taken off depending on the operating environment , so the vehicles can move more efficiently without armor when there is no threat of attack . There is some underbody armor that moderately protects against mines and roadside bombs . Other improvements include Vehicle Emergency Escape ( VEE ) windows that can be quickly removed so troops inside can escape in the event of a rollover , jammed door , or the vehicle catching fire , and a blast chimney that vents the force of a bomb blast upwards and away from the occupants . The M1151A1 has a crew of four , can carry of payload , and can tow a load . On roads , it has a top speed of and a range of . Versions . Expanded capacity . The M1113 has been selected by the U . S . Army as its A2 chassis for HMMWV purchases . Currently , the ECV is used for special operations vehicles and communications shelter carriers . During 1995 , production of the M1114 based on the improved ECV chassis began . The M1114 meets Army requirements for a scout , military police , and explosive ordnance disposal vehicle with improved ballistic protection levels . The M1114 provides protection against 7 . 62 mm armor - piercing projectiles , 155 mm artillery air bursts and anti - tank mine blasts . The U . S . Air Force has a number of these vehicles under the designation M1116 , specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Air Force . The M1116 features an expanded cargo area , armored housing for the turret gunner , and increased interior heating and air conditioning system . The M1114 and M1116 receive armor at O ' Gara - Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Company of Fairfield , Ohio . The M1145 offers the protection of the M1114 and M1116 for Air Force Air Support Operations Squadrons ( ASOS ) . Modifications include perimeter ballistic protection , overhead burst protection , IED protection , mine blast protection , and ' white glass ' transparent armor . These extended capacity HMMWVs can drive over an vertical wall and carry a payload . Replicas . Kits have been produced for the general market to turn a sedan into a Humvee lookalike . An alternative is to buy a preconstructed ( or " turnkey " ) wombat . Various kits exist , but one of the most famous names is the Volkswagen Beetle - based " Wombat " ( previously called a " HummBug " , until the threat of a lawsuit from General Motors forced them to change both the name and the design of the grill to make it look less like the real thing ) . It can be purchased / built for about US $ 18 , 000 ; this puts it considerably cheaper than the actual HMMWV ( $ 56 , 000 ) , or Hummer . In Australia , a Gold Coast - based company called Rhino Buggies produces replicas of the Hummer H1 based on the Nissan Patrol 4WD vehicle for around A $ 30 , 000 .