Military Hardware

Here are a few photos of some of the military hardware that is rattling around down the road near where I work.

First is the standard HMMWV (Humm-Vee). They are heavily armored (called "Up-Armored") and are VERY different from their original design. The doors are VERY heavy and the gunner on top has his own armor. HMMWV stands for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. It's an All Wheel Drive vehicle made by American Motors Company. There are more than 17 variants of the HMMWV in use by the military today. The Hummer replaced the Jeep around 1985 and has seen action around the globe. Learn more here. Here is a close-up of the sign on the back of most wheeled and tracked vehicles in Iraq. The signs used to say "Stay back or you will be shot" but I think they have changed the tone a bit. The HMMWV is being replaced in the short term by the Mine Resistant Ambushed Protected (MRAP) vehicle but they are looking to replace the HMMWV with Future Tactical Truck Sytem which is still in the design process. One vehicle that is trying to fit the bill is the ULTRA AP concept vehicle. It's built on the frame of a Ford F-350 and was developed by researchers at Georgia Tech.

Next is the STRYKER vehicle. It's an AWD Armored Combat Vehicle. These things look pretty menacing rolling down the road. This thing can go 60MPH. It's Pretty fast and lethal and carries a crew of 11 soldiers.

Hope you've enjoyed your fill of Army training for today.