The iconic U.S. Military Humvee has been in service since 1984 and is nearing the end of a long journey, being retired in the very near future. Recently a $6.7 billion contract has been awarded to Wisconsin-based truck maker Oshkosh for about 17,000 new vehicles dubbed the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, or JLTVs. These vehicles are amazing and getting all of us at E3 excited about their debut. Two and four seat options will be available and each will feature more advanced armor than their predecessors.
The biggest feature being touted by Oshkosh is called the "Core1080 Crew Protection System" which will help protect the vehicle from mines, detect IEDs, and additional bolt-on armor. Along with a strong defense comes an even stronger offense as optional turret and missile launchers can also be added to the JTVs. When it comes to off-road action, the JTV's 20" wheels and 70% faster speed will make it a force to be reckoned with.
Previous to the Humvee the military used a specialized Jeep in the field. The Model MB was a distinct battlefield vehicle during World War II, built by Willys-Overland. These drove alongside the Model GPW that was built by Ford. Overall, there were only subtle differences between the vehicles. Roughly, 640,000 Jeeps were built for the war effort, accounting for approximately 18% of all wheeled military vehicles at the time. On average, 145 Jeeps were supplied to each and every Army infantry regiment. By 1965 several upgrades were made to the vehicle and the Vietnam War saw the 1.25-ton Jeep M715 being used in the field.
While the Humvee spawned the civilian Hummer, it is doubtful that we'll see toned-down versions of the JTV speeding down the highway next to us, unless Arnold Schwarzenegger has his way, and if we know "Arnie" he will definitely want to get his hands on one of these bad boys. For a full photo gallery of the JTV in action, click here.
