Hummer Deathtraps Suck

Winds of Change ^ | March 24, 2006 | Joe Katzman

[Cannoneer No. 4]

HMMWV, IEDed

Bushmaster

RG-31, IEDed

Cougar H

[Gordongekko909]

I don't want to say too much, because I know precisely jack about this sort of thing, but this seems to be an instance of the "ready, fire, aim" method of procurement.

[Echo Talon]

I'd rather be in a hummer than this.

[SubGeniusX]

Thank you ... very informative article ...

[Echo Talon]

Also, that humvee looks like it was hit with a larger IED than what the other vehicle was hit with.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

It's a sore subject with me.

[keithtoo]

That's precisely the point. The Hummer is NOT a light, armored vehicle. It is basic - as in first level - military transportatin.

The other vehicles it is being compared to are meant to go in harms way by their basic desgin. The Hummer is not. It is meant to take folks from point A to point B and not to go into active combat.

[Decepticon]

The HMMWV replaced the M151 1/4 ton Jeep, M274 1/2 ton Mechanical Mule, M561 1 1/4 ton Gamma Goat, M718A1 Ambulance, M792 Ambulance, and some M880 1 1/4 ton trucks.

As far as I know the Hummer was never conceived to be an anti-IED vehicle....nor a tank, but it makes a great story for the MSM.

[Echo Talon]

If an IED and disable an 63TON M1A1 Abrams Tank...
Armor on a light vehicle is really a moot point.

[Echo Talon]

The other vehicles it is being compared to are meant to go in harms way by their basic desgin. The Hummer is not. It is meant to take folks from point A to point B and not to go into active combat.

Well, it surely wasn't designed to have explosives detonated under it. Although, in a small arms fight against infantry it should fare ok with the mounted machinegun, still NOT an assualt type vehicle. look at the picture of the M1A1 in the picture above this post.

[keithtoo]

You're right. It is a totally different animal when you're talking about driving over an IED that can contain several 500 pound bombs, as opposed to a conventional land mine. It is almost unbelievable that anything can do that to an M1A1.

Hell, you pile enough explosives together and you can blow away half a mountain.

[Echo Talon]

exactly, with an IED you have NO idea how big the explosion is going to be hence the name... IED(Improvised Explosive Device), could be 2000lb's of explosives or just 50lbs.. you never know.

[ryan71]

Send more Cougars!

[operation clinton cleanup]

If you raise the vehicle high enough off the ground... maybe it will be safe...

[COEXERJ145]

And the M-1 crew probably walked away unhurt despite the tank being pretty well destroyed.

[Echo Talon]

The Abrams crew is probably ok. our military would be pretty damn slow though if that was our only means of transportation on the battlefield. No that Abrams are slow, but the transport and logistics of them is another story.

[Echo Talon]

LOL

[taxcontrol]

You want at tank, get a tank. You want an armored personnel carrier, get a Bradley or a Stryker.

The Hummer was NEVER intended to be a tank or APC. It is a replacement for the NO ARMOR, 60 hp jeep that had not changed much since WWII.

It is silly to build every vehicle to withstand every possible attack. To do so, you sacrifice mobility and rapid deployment. Often it is more important to get there first than to get there absolutely safely.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

ping

[PLMerite]

How much of that damage was done by the IED and how much by the crew/friendlies to keep it out of enemy hands?