|
|
M998-HMMWV or Hum-Vee
In June 1981, the Army awarded AM General
a contract for development of several more
prototype vehicles to be delivered to the
U.S. government for another series of tests,
and the company was later awarded the initial
production contract for 55,000 HMMWVs to be
delivered in 1985. HMMWVs first saw combat
in the First Gulf War.
They
have become the backbone of U.S. forces
around the world. Over 10,000 were used
during Operation Iraqi Freedom by U.S. forces
as well as some other countries in during
2003 invasion of Iraq.
A destroyed Humvee following
an RPG attack
Humvee with bolt-on armor kitThe HMMWV has
proven very vulnerable to light infantry weapons
as far back as the Somalia intervention; in
its defense, it was never designed to offer
such protection. With the rise of asymmetric
warfare and low-intensity conflicts, the HMMWV
has found itself thrust into urban combat
roles it was not originally intended for.
Although the large variety of HMMWV types
is a testament to the vehicle’s adaptability
to changing mission conditions, it was never
designed to be an armored personnel carrier
(APC).
|
|
|
