Humvee HMMWV

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The HMMWV program had its origins in the Combat Support Vehicle (CSV) program. Congress ended the program in 1977 due to the relatively small requirement of 3,800 vehicles. Adjusting to Congress's expectations, the Army increased the scale of the program, then called the XM966 High Mobility Weapons Carrier (CSVP), to replace multiple other trucks. In 1979, the U.S. Army released draft specifications for the HMMWV, which was to replace all U.S. Army tactical vehicles in the 1/4-ton to 5/4-ton range, as well as select vehicles in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force. Out of 61 companies that showed interest, five submitted proposals. In July 1981, the Army awarded contracts to three companies—AM General, Chrysler Corporation, and Teledyne Continental—to build eleven HMMWV prototypes each. The vehicles underwent testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland and Yuma, Arizona, subjected to over 600,000 miles in trials. On March 22, 1983, AM General was awarded the contract. Production kicked off in April 1984 at AM General's plant in Mishawaka, Indiana and the first Humvees entered service by 1985. 72,000 vehicles had been delivered to the U.S. and foreign customers by the Persian Gulf War of 1991, and 100,000 had been delivered by the Humvee's 10th anniversary in 1995.

In Their Own Story

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 frontline fighting vehicle. Like the previous jeep, the basic first-generation HMMWV has no armor (though armament carriers and hard-shell ambulances did have modest ballistic protection) 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 in 1993 because of the nature of urban engagement. With the rise of asymmetric warfare and low-intensity conflicts, the HMMWV was pressed into service in urban combat roles for which it was not originally intended. After Operation Restore Hope in Somalia, the military recognized a need for a more protected HMMWV. AM General developed the M1114, an armored HMMWV to withstand small arms fire. The M1114 has been in production since 1996, seeing limited use in the Balkans before deployment to the Middle East. With the increase in direct attacks and asymmetric warfare in Iraq, M1114 production surged from 30 vehicles per month in May 2003 to 400 per month by December 2004, and 650 per month by September 2005. Humvees were sent into Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks, where they proved invaluable during initial operations. 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 armor kits to the vehicles. Although this somewhat improved survivability, bolting on armor made the Humvee an "ungainly beast", increasing weight and putting a strain on the chassis, which led to unreliability.

Reader's Guide

The HMMWV is a family of light, four-wheel drive military trucks and utility vehicles. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the original jeep, the M151 Jeep, the M561 "Gama Goat", their ambulance versions, the Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, and other light trucks. The specifications called for a diesel engine, 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 16 in (410 mm) 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 and ford 5 ft (1.5 m) of water. The radiator was to be mounted high, sloping over the engine on a forward-hinged hood. The vehicle's durability and light weight were factors that led to its selection. The basic first-generation HMMWV has no armor (though armament carriers and hard-shell ambulances did have modest ballistic protection). The M1114 armored HMMWV has a fully armored passenger area protected by hardened steel and bullet-resistant glass.

Did You Know?

• The HMMWV has a 16 in (410 mm) ground clearance, double that of most sport-utility vehicles.
• The first HMMWV prototype (a weapons carrier variant) was completed in August 1980 and sent to the Nevada Automotive Test Center for testing.
• AM General nicknamed the prototypes it delivered for the Army competition 'Hummer,' which AM General had the foresight to trademark.
• In June 1983, a Pentagon report noted the vehicle's 'very low' reliability, averaging 370 miles between failures.
• M1114 production surged from 30 vehicles per month in May 2003 to 400 per month by December 2004, and 650 per month by September 2005.