scameron@blake.acs.washington.edu (Scott Cameron) (04/14/90)
From: scameron@blake.acs.washington.edu (Scott Cameron) The HMMWV (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle) -- aka Hummer or Humvee is manufactured by AM General. It consists of a basic body config onto which a variety of special systems can be mounted, allowing for a large number of different variants. The "basic configuration" -- the drive train and basic chassis has four doors (actually openings where doors could be hung), windshield, a cargo area, and what AMG says is a roll bar. Close off the back two door openings (appropriately shaped inserts are avail. for this purpose) thus expanding the cargo area; fold down the back two seats, install wooden troop seats along both sides, and put a ragtop and canvas doors on the front two seats and you have the troop or cargo carrying model. This model is used by our Engineer line platoons as the plt. sgt's vehicle and prime mover for our electric tool trailer. Motorized Infantry units mount .50 cals or the 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher on the roll bar and use it as their primary personnel carrier. A canvas top for the rear of the vehicle is also available to protect (or at least conceal) the troops in the back. You can also put a four-place ragtop and four doors on the hummer, leaving a smaller cargo area. This configuration is commonly used as a command vehicle. There are two ambulance configurations. The smaller, a 2-litter version, is a 2-door troop carrier with a (different than the troop version) cover over the cargo area. The larger (4-litter?) model is made by putting a prefabbed insert into the hummer's cargo bed after removing the tailgate. This ambulance box is self-contained, includes a bullnose that extends over the cab, and is (i think) also effective as an NBC shelter. The TOW vehicle is a hardtop with a hatch between the 2 front seats. A second large cargo hatch covers the rear of the vehicle. Overall, the vehicle resembles a boxy turtle. Crew of 3: driver, gunner, loader. The TOW is mounted on the roof. The rear hatch is 2-way -- pull one handle and it opens like a car's hatchback, allowing replenishment of the onboard TOW missile racks. pull the other handle and it opens like the rumble seat of an antique car -- allowing the loader to stand up, load the missile, drop down again and reclose the hatch, clearing the backblast area. The gunner uses the roof hatch, and the TOW launcher is mounted on a ring swivel, allowin lateral movement, though I'm not sure how much. There is also a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) version, which has a rear canvas extension similar in function to the TOC extension on the M577 command APC -- a tent to give the staff more room to work. There are a few other variant kits available -- a winch, a deepwater fording kit, arctic kit, etc. There may also be other variant vehicles, but these are the ones I've read about or seen. The vehicle's performance in its intended role is excellent -- it will take some pretty difficult terrain in stride. A lot of thought went into the design. In particular, it has full time 4X4, an automatic trans, axle mounted brakes which both improve ground clearance and, since they are mounted on either side of the engine, do not get wet in shallow fords and are quickly dried by engine heat in deep fording; a heater, run-flat tires, and a V-8 diesel powerplant. There are a few annoying omissions -- the mirrors are frankly atrocious, making the vehicle very difficult to operate on the road without a co-driver. Its width -- an asset offroad -- creates large blind spots and is a real pain in traffic. It doesn't have a 3-point seatbelt, and the doors don't seal well. These may be annoying problems -- but they're inconveniences, not mission compromisers. I think its one of the best buys the Army's made. Regarding VT artillery ammo. If memory serves, VT is a type of FUSE for an artillery shell -- stands for "Variable Time". Which means it can be set to airburst, causing personnel casualties, or to imbed in the ground and detonate later -- to reduce dug-in fortifications or cause casualties in cleanup personnel like (gulp) engineers or runway maintenance crews. -- S.D. Cameron | "...the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear | AOPA | 50 yrs Univ. of Wash. | arms shall not be infringed." -- U.S. Const. | -+- Seattle WA | "I know I promised, but ... " -- Geo. Bush | _____(*)_____ scameron@toby.acs.washington.edu | My opinions, not theirs | WingNut