The new breed of light workhorse.

The 4 x 4 light utility vehicle is the most widely used military platform across the full spectrum of missions in times of war and peace. However, the need to add protection due to asymmetric operations is increasing the cost and weight of these vehicles.

The US Army has about 20,000 AM General High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV), known to the troops as the Humvee or Hummer, deployed on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq alongside thousands serving with the other US services. The Humvee, like the Jeep that preceded it and other light utility vehicles, such as the British Land Rover and the German Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, was designed for combat support and combat service support missions. Small numbers of these have always been used on combat missions by special forces, airborne troops, amphibious units and other light forces which give priority to strategic and tactical mobility over protection.

While their basic roles (carrying personnel, cargo and specialist weapons and equipment) have not changed over the years, their operational environment since the end of the Cold War has--and radically Military forces from East and West have been deployed daily on 'asymmetric' operations either in Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Somalia, Afghanistan or Iraq, where the most lethal threat is from mines and improvised explosive devices. Logistics convoys and other combat service support units are the insurgent's targets of choice in Iraq.

Add-on armour kits have been developed for some of these vehicles but they usually do not provide the same level of protection as purpose-built armoured vehicles. Moreover, armour weight can reduce the car's payload by up to half and significantly reduce its service life. One solution is to acquire commercial off-the-shelf versions of sport utility vehicles (SUV) for non-operational use and purpose-built military platforms for otherwise. In 2002 the Canadian Forces ordered 861 General Motors militarised Silverado commercial vehicles for use at home and 1159 Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicles and armour kits for operations overseas. A more comprehensive, albeit more expensive, solution is characterised by the Iveco Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV).

Following the early example of the Jeep and the Land Rover many vehicle manufacturers produce civilian variants of such 4 x 4s for the booming SUV market. The latest example is Iveco, which unveiled the civilian prototype of the LMV--the Oltre Fiat--at the Bologna Motor Show in December 2005. Sales of Land Rovers far outstrip military sales and the Jeep brand thrives as an SUV long after the Jeep was withdrawn from US military service. This synergy between the civilian and the military markets works to the advantage of military customers who benefit from the continuous civilian development.

The US Army's nascent Light Tactical Vehicle project is intended to replace the Hummer, while the US Marine Corps has launched the Combat Tactical Vehicle project for the same purpose. Congress is pressuring the two services to work together and a joint project could be launched in 2007. The Army's ambition is that all vehicles that are not fitted with armour in production will have the ability to accept armour kits fitted by users in the field with a minimum of time and tools.

The Ultra Armored Patrol Concept Vehicle developed for the US Office of Naval Research by Georgia Institute of Technology with assistance from industry and government illustrates some features that could eventually be incorporated in the successor to the Hummer, but ONR officials stress the vehicle is merely a concept. The vehicle features a central armoured 'blast bucket' which seats four passengers in a novel outward-facing 360-degree seating configuration.

High Utility Workhorse

With new vehicles being produced at rate of more than 500 per month the Hummer will remain the primary American light 4 x 4 well beyond 2020. The AM General prototype was selected by the Army in 1983 from among three competing designs to replace the Jeep and five other light vehicles in a wide variety of roles. Since then more than 145,000 Hummers have been built for the US services and over 25,000 have been sold to more than 40 foreign governments.

The US Army began fielding the initial M998 production series in 1985 and no fewer than 14 variants, such as two- and four-door cargo/troop carriers, shelter carriers and weapon carriers, were built. The improved M998A1 series was produced from 1993 to 1995 in twelve variants and was followed by the further improved M998A2 series in 1996. The most recent production contract was awarded in 2000 and contains single-year options through 2007. If all options are exercised the Department of Defense will purchase 31,474 vehicles. The M1097A2 base platform is representative of the recent production standard.With a cab configured for a driver and one passenger the vehicle has a weight of 2676 kg and can carry a maximum load of 1996 kg and tow 1905 kg. It is powered by a General Engine Products (an AM General subsidiary) Optimizer 6500 6.5-litre turbo diesel engine with a maximum speed of 113 km/h and a range of 443 km on a 94.6-litre tank.

First fielded in 1995, the M1114 Up-Armoured Hummer (UAH), based on the Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV) chassis, was intended to equip only army scout platoons and military police units. Fewer than 1000 were built by early 2004. That year US defence leaders directed that only armoured Hummers would be used for operational missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and M1114 production was increased. A monthly production rate of more than 500 was reached in early 2005, compared to a low of 15 M1114s in 2003. More than 8000 have been delivered.

ECV Hummers are built at the AM General factory in Indiana and then delivered to the Ohio factory of Centigon (as Armor Holdings' O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt is now known) which installs the armour package on the M1114. Centigon also produces the HArD-Kit that is installed on unarmoured M998A2s to provide perimeter, roof and underbody protection. Additional armour elements, such as gun shields, can be fitted depending upon the vehicle's role.

In mid-2005 the Army began fielding the latest models; the two-seat M1151 Armament Carrier and the four-seat M1152 Troop/Cargo/Shelter Carrier, both based on the ECV chassis. These have been designed to allow add-on B-Kit armour to be easily fitted in the field to supplement the baseline A-Kit armour fitted in areas that are difficult to reach. According to the Army B-Kit armour provides a level of protection equivalent if not better than the UAH. AM General delivered about 1000 M1151s and 1500 M1152s by the end of 2005.

The Army's oldest Hummers have been in service for 20 years and the additional weight of add-on amour has accelerated 'wear and tear'. The service plans to 'recapitalize' all of its A0 and A1 model vehicles to enhance their performance and extend their service lives. Improvements include a more powerful diesel engine, an upgraded suspension and other driveline components better able to carry the weight of armour without degrading performance.

Not Your Father's Jeep

The descendant of the Jeep is returning to US military service in the shape of the Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV)/Light Strike Vehicle built by American Growler in Florida as part of the General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Expeditionary Fire Support System, developed for the US Marine Corps. The vehicle was developed to be transported inside the MV-22 Osprey which is too narrow to accommodate a Hummer. The Prime Mover variant will tow an RT 120 mm rifled mortar or an ammunition trailer. The ITV is based on the company's commercial UV 100 Dune Buggy and features a 132 bhp turbo diesel engine coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. American Growler is expected to deliver about 140. The Corps and the Special Operations Command plan to order more than 300 and the compact vehicle is expected to be bought for other roles.

High Class G-Class

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is better known by the nickname G-Wagen, short for Gelandewagen (Cross-Country Vehicle). It was developed in the 1970s in partnership with Steyr-Daimler-Puch. More than 65,000 have been built for military customers in more than 25 countries. These included 12,500 kits that Peugeot assembled for France under the local designation P4 and 11,000 kits that Hellenic Vehicle Industry assembled for Greece.

The 1159 vehicles produced for the Canadian Army between 2003 and 2005 are representative of the latest standard being powered by 270 CDI 2.685-litre, five-cylinder diesel engines that generate 156 hp. The contract included 177 modular Armour Protection System kits that can be fitted or removed in eight hours by two personnel adding nearly a tonne of weight to the already-3.9-tonne vehicles. The 270 CDI is available in 2.85- and 3.428-metre wheelbase versions and can carry a payload of up to two tonnes depending on the body fitted. Production is underway on up to 1000 units for the Danish Army to add to more that 1300 already in service. Mercedes-Benz also produces the G-Wagen Improved Light Armoured Vehicle, based on the short wheelbase G270 CDI, for government and civilian customers who require integrated armoured protection.

In mid-2005 the French Army selected the G270 CDI to meet a need for 40 mine-protected vehicles for special forces operations in Afghanistan. Panhard modifies the base vehicle and anticipates that a further 30 will be ordered. Rheinmetall used a long wheelbase G-Class chassis to develop the Serval to win the German Army's special operations requirement.

Lightweights from France

France's armed forces operate more than 5000 A3 4 x 4s built since 1988 by Auverland. The company strengthened its portfolio in January 2005 when it acquired Panhard, manufacturer of the popular VBL, and since 1 January 2006 the reorganised company is known as Panhard General Defense.

The A3 is available with 2.25-, 2.65-and 3-metre wheelbases and in a wide range of configurations. The vehicle is powered by a Peugeot XUD9 TF 1.905-litre four-cylinder water-cooled turbocharged diesel that gives a maximum speed of 140 kph. The two-door A3L baseline model has a combat weight of 2250 kg while the four-door model has a weight of 2500 kg. Between 1999 and 2000 France's 11th Airborne Division received 254 A3F fast attack variants. Two A3F vehicles were supplied to the Swedish Army in late 2003 for a competitive evaluation but a decision is not anticipated until 2007. Panhard has exported 42 vehicles to the Indonesian Marine Corps while Saudi Arabia has bought 50. Bangladesh, which is seeking 82 weapon carriers, and Venezuela, which needs several hundred, are both evaluating the A3.

Panhard used the A3 as the basis for the French Army's Petit Vehicule Protege project and in September 2004 the DGA procurement agency awarded a 40 million [euro] contract for 314 vehicles. The service wants up to 933 vehicles worth 108 million [euro]. Deliveries will begin in September 2006. Rheinmetall has acquired the rights to market a PVP derivative, known as the Gavial, in Germany and Norway. The German Army has a requirement for about 2000 vehicles in this class. At Eurosatory 2004 Auverland unveiled a softskin version designated the A4 Fast that is intended to meet the need for a 4 x 4 that provides increased payload, better performance and has been designed to accept modular armour.

The Toyota Land Cruiser has also benefited from the success of its civilian counterpart. Military production accounts for a small fraction of the more than 3.7 million Land Cruisers that have been sold since the name was adopted in 1953. Most recent military vehicles are based on the 70 Series, introduced in 1984, which is available with a standard 2.28-metre (GVW--2295 kg), mid-length 2.42-metre (2445 kg) or long 2.95-metre wheelbase (3035 kg) with a choice of diesel or petrol engine. Land Cruisers have been sold to numerous military customers in Africa, the Middle East and South America. A tropical specification Toyota 1979 chassis was used by Jankel Armouring in Britain and Jordan's King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau as the basis for the Al-Thalab (Fox) long-range patrol vehicle first unveiled at the September 2005 DSEi exhibition. Selection of the Toyota chassis is intended to ease availability of spares in remote areas.

In June 2004 the Spanish Ministry of Defence selected the Santana PS-10 Anibal to replace the Model 88 and Model 89 Militar vehicles, the last of a line of Land Rovers built under license by Santana. In the mid-1990s the company began development of a vehicle for both the military and civilian markets. A PS-10 prototype was delivered for evaluation in late 2003. The Anibal is powered by an Iveco 8140.43 four-cylinder turbocharged diesel that is available in 106 hp Euro II or 125 hp Euro III configurations. At 3050 kg the Anibal can accommodate a driver and up to nine passengers depending on the configuration.

Few companies have been more influential in shaping the military and civilian market for 4 x 4 utility vehicles than Land Rover, who has been a subsidiary of Ford since 2001. An estimated 70 per cent of the more than two million Land Rovers produced since the vehicle was introduced in 1948 are still in service and users include more than 100 military or paramilitary forces. To compliment home production, Land Rovers have been assembled or built under license in 14 countries. Although production is dominated by civilian models Land Rover offers an extensive range optimised for military service. Recent major orders include about 1600 Defender 90s and 110s for the Pakistani Army and some 3000 vehicles for the Turkish Army and Gendarmerie.

The company's core military vehicles are the Defender 90 with a 2.36-metre wheelbase, the Defender 110 (2.79 metres) and the Defender 130 (3.22 metres). Each of these models is available in various hard- and soft-top configurations with a choice of diesel or petrol engines. The last major order from the British Ministry of Defence was for 7925 Defender XD (eXtra Duty) Wolf vehicles in 1996. The XD series was produced in the three standard Defender series wheelbases but with strengthened chassis to accommodate a 20% increase in payload. Under the aptly named Project Shoehorn Abro is conducting a project to increase the maximum weight capacity from 3350 kg to 3500 kg of more than 3700 Defender XD ll0s to enable them to carry the new Bowman tactical radio system.

Land Rover and Ricardo Specialist Vehicles developed the Weapons Mount Installation Kit for the Defender XD 110 to accommodate machine guns, grenade launchers or anti-armour missiles, about 200 of which are currently in service with the British Army's 16 Air Assault Brigade. The two companies also market the Land Rover Rapid Deployment Vehicle, the latest in a series of attack vehicles based on the Land Rover.

Only a small portion of the British Army's Land Rover fleet dedicated for operations in Northern Ireland received armoured protection--200 of these 'Snatch' vehicles are operating in Iraq. Under an Urgent Operational Requirement the Ministry of Defence is seeking a small quantity of Protected Patrol Vehicles.

The future of the Land Rover in British service has been the subject of much speculation in recent years in the national press. In October 2003 the Ministry formed the Specialist and Utility Vehicles Integrated Project Team responsible for the acquisition, support and disposal of all vehicles with a payload of less than six tonnes. Its most important project is the 600 million [pounds sterling] Operational Utility Vehicle System intended to replace more than 12,000 Land Rovers as well as 1000 Pinzgauers and 850 Reynolds-Boughton light trucks. And even though a decision is not expected until 2007 officials have indicated a preference for a single supplier to provide the full spectrum of vehicles.

Light Multirole Vehicle

Late in 2004 the Italian Army received the first two of 60 M65E 19WMs ordered from Iveco. These will be followed over a five-year period by a further 1150 vehicles ordered in December 2004. The service has stated that it wants up to 2500 in utility, reconnaissance, weapon carrier and special forces variants.

It is available as either a fully armoured or soft skinned vehicle although every one features full mine protection for the crew. The armour system uses an innovative solution of applique panels, supplied by IBD of Germany, that are placed between the vehicle's inner and outer skins when required. This enables through-life technology insertion to take advantage of new armour materials as they become available. Protection systems from Stanag 4569 level 1 (5.56 mm and 7.62 mm ball ammunition) to level 4 (14.5 mm AP ammunition) are available. Two versions are being offered, one with a 3.2-metre wheelbase that carries a 2.3-tonne payload and a 3.5-metre, 2.5-tonne version.

Following the selection of the LMV in 2003 to meet the British Army's requirement for a Future Command and Liaison Vehicle, BAE Systems is working on a contract for 40l vehicles with an option on 400 more. All of the British Panthers, as they have been named, will be fitted with armour and 326 will be armed with a 7.62 mm overhead weapon station. The first production vehicles will be delivered in September 2006.

In August 2005 Iveco received a contract from Belgium for 440 LMVs with 120 armour kits with options to supply two further batches each of 90 vehicles and 30 armour kits. Rheinmetall Landsysteme is marketing the LMV under the name Caracal to the German Army and will integrate mission-specific kits and weapon stations.

Israel's Plasan Sasa, which develops and manufactures ballistic armour kits for a range of military vehicles including the Hummer, launched its Caracal (no relation with the German one) armoured patrol vehicle at the 2005 Ausa exhibition. Two versions based on a shortened Ford 350 commercial chassis cab are being developed: the four-seat Caracal 4990-kg and the five-seat 5897-kg (gross vehicle weight). Plasan believes that using the 350 hp engine and chassis of a vehicle designed for heavy loads has the advantage of easily carrying an armoured vehicle body, crew and mission equipment, and still leaving growth potential. The IDF is evaluating the Caracal which was originally developed as a possible replacement for its M-240 Storms.

The Hellenic Army has bought 'hundreds' of Plasan's Multi-Purpose Armoured Vehicle (M-Pay) 1 Hummers and in 2005 the company launched its M-Pav 2, which provides an even higher level of protection. The M-Pav 1 has a payload of 1300 kg while the M-Pay 2 can carry a 900-kg payload. The M-Pav 2 is 20 cm higher than the M-Pay 1 and can be configured with a third row of seats enabling the vehicle to seat six.

RELATED ARTICLE: Jeeps in the sand.

For almost 30 years Jeeps have been manufactured under license from Chrysler by Egypt's Arab American Vehicles (AAV) Company. In 2003 AAV began production of the TJ-L model for the Egyptian Army based on the civilian Jeep 2002 Wrangler TJ. The initial Egyptian vehicles were powered by the DaimlerChrysler Power Tech I-6 MPI 3.958-litre six-cylinder water-cooled petrol engine, but since 2004 production has switched to a 2.5-litre turbocharged diesel. The service is reported to have a requirement for more than 6000 to join more than 17,000 earlier model Jeeps. Over 2000 have been delivered. AAV has exported Jeeps to the armed forces of Kuwait, Oman and Iraq. Vehicles are being evaluated in Greece, Angola, Austria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Future versions are also planned by AAV.

Eagles.

Yet another Hummer variant the Eagle III series developed by Mowag. However, the Eagle, and many others that could be seen as having been overlooked in this article, are dedicated reconnaissance and scout vehicles that will be covered in the next issue of Armada International.