Last month, the United States Army issued a $126.5 million contract modification to AM General for the continued production of the M1165A1B3 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), the platform more commonly known as the “Humvee.” The number of new vehicles that the Army will receive wasn’t disclosed, but it will increase the prime contractor’s deals with the Pentagon to $3 billion.
The U.S. Army currently operates approximately 120,000 Humvees.
Work on the next batch of vehicles, which have been in service for 40 years, will be carried out at AM General’s facility in South Bend, Indiana. It will coordinate with the Army Contracting Command at the Detroit Arsenal, with work to be completed by August 2027.
40 Years And Counting, But Time is Running Out
The U.S. military adopted the Humvee in 1985, with it replacing the famed Jeep that entered service more than 40 years earlier. The 4×4 Humvee has proven to be adaptable, and perhaps even more so than the Jeep, with several variants produced. It can carry a range of weapons, including a 40mm grenade launcher, M2 .50 caliber heavy machine gun, 7.62mm infantry support gun, 5.56mm close-range weapon, and even anti-tank rocket launchers.
Moreover, it has creature comforts including a manual transmission and air conditioning, while still being compatible with the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) mobility and deployment requirements. It is both air transportable and airdroppable, while it can be sling-loaded by helicopter, “allowing rapid forward deployment in expeditionary operations,” the Defense-Blog.com explained.
However, even with this new contract, the U.S. Army is looking beyond the Humvee. That has included the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which offers improved mobility, payload, and survivability. The JLTV can be outfitted with enhanced armor, but also incorporates advanced technology that provides better performance and situational awareness.
Enter The Infantry Squad Vehicle
In addition to the JLTV, the Army will also increase its use of the Infantry Squad Vehicle. In May, the service issued a full materiel release, meaning the vehicle has been certified as “safe, suitable and supportable.” The nine-person vehicle, which is based on a Chevrolet Colorado Z42 chassis made by GM Defense, is a step in a different direction from the up-armored Humvee or the U.S. Army’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, which was introduced due to the threat from IEDs (improves explosive devices) employed by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
For one, the ISV doesn’t have heavy armor. It doesn’t even have doors or a roof. It is one of several videos that fill a specific role instead of being “an everything” vehicle like the Humvee.
“The Humvee is the quintessential G.I. Joe vehicle,” Alex Miller, the chief technical adviser to Army leadership for transforming its equipment, recently explained to USA Today. “It is the quintessential Army vehicle we’ve had in the inventory since 1985. So, 40 years of Humvee. It was good for what it was built for, which was high mobility at the time. It is not good for the fight we think we’re going to be in.”
Since it was introduced in 2022, the Army has acquired 978 of ISVs, which, in addition to being able to carry more soldiers than the Humvee, are also faster. It is meant to equip light infantry units, getting the soldiers where they need to go as quickly as possible.
Off-the-Shelf
Unlike the JLTVs, MRAPs, and Humvees, the ISVs aren’t custom-built for the U.S. military. Instead, these are stripped-down chassis from what consumers are driving on roads today. Just 20% of the components, notably the communication and other electronic gear, are unique to the U.S. Army.
That also means that the ISV won’t require civilian contractors dispatched to forward operating bases to maintain the vehicles.
“You can repair it anywhere on earth as long as you have access to commercial parts rather than a special military vehicle with special military parts,” added Miller, who serves as the U.S. Army’s top technical adviser.
The U.S. Army will retain the “right to repair” and will 3D print parts for the vehicles.
The Open Road and Off-Road
The ISV, which could operate with drones to patrol for hostiles, is primarily built with speed in mind, getting soldiers near the front line, not through it. It also isn’t something that would likely be deployed in an urban setting, and if the U.S. finds itself in a situation where IEDs are a threat, then another vehicle such as the MRAP could be employed.
In the field, the ISV’s GM Duramax 2.8L turbo diesel I4 engine could also serve as a backup generator in a pinch.
The U.S. Army is ready to roll with the ISV, unlike the M10 Booker that was given the axe earlier this year.
