Hummer Deathtraps Suck

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

[SevenMinusOne]

Even the APC variants aren't up to the standard of the RG-31's.

[91B]

The point is that it is intended to go into direct combat and frankly who cares what it was intended for? We are on a nondoctrinal battlefield and will probably find ourselves on others for the forseeable future. We shouldn't buy any military vehicles without at least some basic armoring.

[91B]

I would have felt a hell of a lot better in one of the South African vehicles. The Hummer may be an improvement over a jeep, but that was 20 years ago, better alternatives exist-let's invest in them.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Bean counters and loggy toads hate diversity in vehicle fleets, but we don't have a vehicle that does it all and I doubt such a vehicle exists.

[91B]

Those of us who have ridden the roads know the shortcomings that the hummer has. I don't know why we are even arguing this thread. In August we had three troops killed by a pressure activated IED that went off under their hummer. The gunner was thrown free and is alive today. The flat bottom of the hummer didn't allow any of the force of the explosion to be "vented" away from the crew. Maybe they still would have died, but the South African vehicle would have improved their survivability.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

I have regretfully come to the conclusion that the US is trying to run this war on the cheap and our service personnel pay the price in blood.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

French VBL

[keithtoo]

The US military cannot make every vehicle a 60-ton, 8 gallons to the mile vehicle. Reality does not care how much you care.

[Echo Talon]

Even the APC variants aren't up to the standard of the RG-31's.

thats what i was refering to when i said varient. pick whatever one you want and start sending those and move the Humvees to the rear. :)

[keithtoo]

The VBL is actually a ARV - Agile Retreat Vehicle.

[91B]

Yeah, buy something different and God forbid that maintenance has to order different parts for it. I'd be satisfied if we just bought big SUVs off the production line from one of the big three and modified them post production for our needs (better than trying to make the hummer be the jack of all trades).

[91B]

We can't even make sure that every vehicle can stop small arms rounds? I'm glad guys like you had my back while I was in the desert < /sarcasm>

[centurion316]

See Post #22, certainly matches the reports that I have seen from soldiers and commanders and discussions I have had with same. I think he is spot on, except for the comment on the ASV, and his unit didn't have any of those. ASV armor is insufficient, wasn't designed for the IED fight.

Also, be careful with pictures of burning HMMWV's, many of them burn after the crew has walked away unharmed. Ask BG Karl Horst.

We are sending Buffalos, RG31s, and Cougars into Iraq and Afghanistan as fast as they roll off the assembly line. Don't know if we can increase production by going to other manufacturers.

[Thunder 6]

"Exactly, could you imagine doing recon in an Abrams? LOL"

Yes, that is what Armored Cav does...

and well too I might add (but I hold a bit of bias here).

regards,

[Cannoneer No. 4]

I saw them in Bagram. They're like an amphibious armored jeep. Same firepower as an M1114, much narrower, fits down alleys.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Turkish Cobra

[tcrlaf]

But.. But...
Princess DI and the Hollywood Left told us they STOPPED the use of landmines!!

How could this BEeeeee!

[neverdem]

Baloney, the scout platoon in the Mech Infantry battalion I was in several years ago used the Hummers for recon and screening.

Good point. The antitank platoons of the Army's light infantry battalions also use Hummers for mounting TOW missiles.

[Cannoneer No. 4]

Italian Puma

[SevenMinusOne]

My experience along with others I trust say the RG-31 is the route to go at the present time - Of course coming up with a modified U.S. version would be preferable down the road.