The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle — the HMMWV, or Humvee — is a stalwart of the battleground. If you asked someone to draw a military truck, they’d almost certainly draw this classic machine, which is almost older than a millennial (1984!) and gained such a pop culture following at one point that civilians started buying them. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in particular, is famous for his undying love of the “Hummer.”
But seriously, they’re old. The US military has been keen on retiring Humvees for some time, and it has finally awarded the $6.7 billion contract to replace them to Wisconsin-based truck maker Oshkosh, which expects to make about 17,000 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) over the course of the deal. The JLTVs, which will come in multiple two- and four-seat configurations, aren’t just better armored and generally more capable trucks than the ones they’re replacing — they also look extraordinarily mean. (I’ve seen them in person, and I can attest that the meanness is real.)
The big selling point for the JLTV is what Oshkosh calls the “Core1080 Crew Protection System,” which includes mine resistance, IED detection, and a lot of bolt-on armor. It’s not just about defense, though: optional turret and missile launch units put bite behind the bark. A suspension that can be raised and lowered electronically makes it easier to transport JLTVs to wherever they’re needed, but out in the field, it’s got 20 inches of wheel travel for insane off-road capability. Oh, and Oshkosh claims it’s 70 percent faster than the best tactical wheeled vehicle (TWV) in the market currently.
The Humvee was tame enough to make it to dealerships, but this thing? I’m skeptical we’ll ever see a red JLTV cruising down the highway, unless Arnold wants to prove me wrong.
