Posted on 02/03/2010 1:25:35 AM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Humvee, which replaced the Jeep, will no longer be bought by the Army.
While Arnold Schwarzengger certainly helped boost the Hunvee’s public profile, it has never achieved the legendary status of the Jeep and its vulnerability to land mines (aka IEDs) made it something of a anachronism until much heavier armored versions were deployed.
While the service won’t buy any more Humvees, the Army is not getting rid of them.
“The Army is not buying more Humvees but other people buy Humvees so the line is not terminated. We envision the Humvee to be an enduring part of the Army fleet for a long time,” Army Lt. Gen. Edgar Stanton, the military deputy in the Army comptroller’s office, told reporters during a Q and A session after the Army budget briefing today.
While announcing that the Army’s “needs for this vehicle have been met” for new Humvees, the Pentagon also made clear that the need for MRAPs of various stripes have certainly not been met.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that Central Command has a requirement for 10,600 more MRAPs. He broke the buy down, saying that the Pentagon plans to buy 6,600 more M-ATVs, the more agile off-road MRAPs made by Oshkosh, and another 4,000 regular MRAPs. Most of those will go to Afghanistan. There is $1.1 billion requested in the 2011 budget for MRAPs, according to the OSD budget overview.
(Excerpt) Read more at dodbuzz.com ...
I can’t wait till surplus Humvees are available to civilians. I am so getting one. with a turret cupola.
Good. Or maybe it’s because the namesake is owned now by the Chicoms.
The MRAPS are nastier looking than that confined, rolling death-mobile that cost the lives of American soldiers when simply armoring the bottom, for starters, to protect them from IED’s, would have sufficed.
How did I ever survive 20+ years in the army without all that armor protection....................
"...The MRAPS are nastier looking than that confined, rolling death-mobile that cost the lives of American soldiers when simply armoring the bottom, for starters, to protect them from IED’s, would have sufficed..."
Humvee shortcomings likely weren't due to a demonic plan by the manufacturer.
Our terrorist enemies changed their tactics and the MRAP is our vastly-improved battlefield tool.
Soviet TM landmines are stackable. One will penetrate a tank hull and kill the crew inside.
~~~
These will kill most tanks,,,not all,,,
A close friend drove a HETT in the 1083rd.Trans (2003),,,
Most of what he hauled were Bradley/Hummers that were toast.
As you know if 1-2 won’t work use 5-6 to get the job done...
The Humvee, which replaced the Jeep ...
... it has never achieved the legendary status of the Jeep and its vulnerability to land mines ...
Originally the Humvee was supposed to be a replacement for the jeep. That changed when people started complaining that it was vulnerable to mines and rockets (like the jeeps wasn’t?). The Humvee had to become a replacement for the APC, complete with heavy armor. Troops were still occasionally injured, we need more, heavier armor!
And the enemy will make heavier, more powerful mines.
I look at pictures of the Cougar MRAP, at 33,000 pounds I wonder how agile it is off road. My Jeeps could go anywhere - well, it couldn’t push down trees and wasn’t amphibious, but was a good go anywhere transporter. I also wonder how long it takes the passengers inside the MRAPs to get out.
There’s also the matter of cost, at over half a million for the base vehicle before adding assessors some versions will approach a million. I know, cost is no object when it comes to our military - but it is a factor. What equipment will we lose to pay for these? Many want to discontinue the MBT because of cost, and look what happened to the F-22 and F-35.
More importnantly, why is our military used as police officers in a hostile environment such that these vehicles are needed? Why are they not instead engaged in a war whereby they are to kill people and break things instead of trying to play “peace keeper”?
Soviet TM landmines are stackable. One will penetrate a tank hull and kill the crew inside.
You’re not kidding.
No armor can protect against a concussion kill.
The bosnian war gave us a glimps of that as they use to stack 8-10 AT mines along the ditches on the side of the road and then make it obvious that they mined the center of the road. Tanks (in the beginning) would simply drive around the obvious mines and then mysteriously disappear in a cloud of smoke...
I’m sure the MRAPs do a better job than the 1/8th inch hummvee skin.
Exactly. Life is full of trade offs. I would want all the armor I could get, if my life and limbs were on the line.
But as you say, more armor means fewer places you can go. Do you walk to those places you can't drive, or just leave the to the enemy? More armor means not just fewer places you can go, but fewer bridges/causeways/crossings that you can use to get to the places you can go. Which channels you into easily identifiable routes, and lets the enemy know just where to mine/mortar/ambush.
I don't know where to draw the line, but more armor isn't always better.
I guess because we’re supposed to be a “Peace Loving Nation”. I always thought we were one of the most warlike nations on earth.
Restricting ourselves to using roads does make it easy for the bad guys.
Necessity is always the mother of invention, military advances are never in a static procession, one side makes armor, the other side makes anti-armor ammunition.
They make a seeking torpedo, we make an anti-torpedo.
Land mines can be defeated, though its not probably feasible to use in most cases hovercrafts can skim over landmines, or until a hovercraft landmine is built.
Sometime in the near future we will develop the technology for sustained literal off road capability or in tech speak a lifting device that could theoretically be gravity nullifying or dampening.
Keep dreaming. Law/contract says civvies won’t get any.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1992-AM-GENERAL-TAN-MILITARY-USMC-HUMVEE-SLANT-BACK_W0QQitemZ230432486406QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMilitary_Vehicles?hash=item35a6d8b406
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