HMMWV Modernization
Written by Dave Ahearn
GCT 2011 Volume: 2 Issue: 6 (November/December)
With the Army issuing a request for proposals to eventually recapitalize 60,000 or more high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs), major defense contractors are poised with innovative visions of what future HMMWVs can provide to warfighters.
The $1 billion program has attracted an all-star group of competing contractors, teams led by AM General, BAE Systems, Ceradyne, Oshkosh and Textron, that are expected to vie for the work on Army vehicles and some 3,000 Marine Corps HMMWVs.
But a cloud hangs over the HMMWV recapitalization program: A congressional Super Committee failed to find $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. So an automatic provision in law may slash defense spending by up to $1 trillion over 10 years.
Lawmakers seeking programs to cut have placed the HMMWV recap program, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) program and the planned Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) project in their sights. At this point, the Senate Appropriations Committee has pressed to kill the JLTV program, though it is not certain that the full Senate and House will enact such a measure.
What often is lost in the debate is the fact that American military personnel in harm’s way need safer, better transportation in a theater rife with terrorists planting IEDs and wielding other weapons. And those who wear the cloth need that increased safety fast.
On the one hand, rebuilding a HMMWV has the virtue of being quicker and potentially cheaper than developing a new vehicle, because a substantial portion of the existing HMMWV is used in building the new recap asset. Some 160,000 or more HMMWVs have been built over the years, though some may be older models rather than the expanded-capacity HMMWVs eligible for recapping. On the other hand, some industry observers assert it is better to invest in completely new-design vehicles built to survive in a theater filled with IEDs and RPGs. But military leaders say warfighters have a critical need for both HMMWV recaps and new-design vehicles.
Meanwhile, the HMMWV recapitalization program— called the Modernized Expanded Capacity Vehicle (MECV)—has spurred industry competitors to create some innovative solutions for warfighters’ mobility requirements that offer improved survivability.
Each of the teams has formulated its MECV proposal partly in response to a request for information that TACOM released earlier, before the request for proposals.
AM General
AM General is offering two MECV HMMWV modernization vehicles, and each would provide greater protection for warfighters against IED blasts, Chris Vanslager, AM General executive director of program management, said. Why offer two vehicles as possible solutions? “We decided to be prepared with multiple solutions to meet a wide range of vehicle requirements for modernization competition,” Vanslager said. “And we decided to ‘push the envelope’ to know how far we could advance HMMWV protection.”
AM General has built the gigantic fleet of HMMWVs, the workhorse of the U.S. military.
“We also wanted to be sure that advancements in other HMMWV subsystems—such as engine, transmission and suspension—are ready to complement the alternative protection solutions,” he emphasized.
“We have funded, developed, tested, refined and re-tested systems that can dramatically improve crew protection, boost performance, raise fuel efficiency, and maximize commonality with existing HMMWV parts and components,” he said.
One AM General MECV solution was produced in a collaboration between AM General and Plasan, a company with a world-class track record in armor technology, he said. It is the AM General-Plasan Survivability Solution.
It uses a “kitted” crew capsule protection approach. The capsule is mounted on a HMMWV chassis with HMMWV components, he explained.
The reason that newer HMMWVs will be eligible for the recapitalization program is that they include multiple improvements over old vehicles, Vanslager continued. Newer HMMWVs have beefed up frames, suspensions, better engine cooling and transmission oil cooling. “All of these are components that have been re-engineered and improved in the last 10 or 15 years. The more of that you have, the less you have to [rebuild in the recapitalization program], and the less the cost” to the military. The other vehicle on display is the AM General Hardwire, he said.
Whichever one you consider, the occupants would have a high level of safety against flames erupting after the vehicle takes a hit from an enemy weapon, he said. And that is but one facet of an overall much safer environment for vehicle passengers. “These solutions can deliver protection never achieved in a light tactical vehicle,” he emphasized. “It has to do with the shape and design of the vehicles. It has to do with the use of materials. It has to do with components such as blast mitigating seats, crush zone floors, fire suppression systems.”
With either vehicle, the occupants would have a much higher level of safety against the blast effects of IEDs and other enemy weapons, now and in future contingencies.
BAE Systems
BAE is offering its Smart V system for the HMMWV recap solution, a vehicle that has been through design, development and extensive testing at the Nevada Automotive Test Center near Carson City, said Adnan Hiros, director of business development for light tactical vehicles at BAE Systems.
The vehicle looks similar to a standard HMMWV, but it actually features a monocoque design. When struck by the blast of an IED, the vehicle is designed to fly apart in three sections, a selfsacrificing feature that helps to absorb the energy of an explosion, Hiros said.
It also has a V-shaped hull to help deflect the impact of an IED blast, and inside are blast-mitigating seats with advanced restraints. The seats absorb impact energy both at the time of the blast that tosses the vehicle in the air, and at the time of the slam-down hitting the ground. Additionally, the Smart V offers increased power and a better suspension, he said.
There also is a special lighting system that after emergencies— such as an enemy round detonating or IED explosion—can guide warrior passengers safely out of the vehicle, showing them where the door is even if smoke fills the cabin, or, if the door won’t open, where a hatch window is located.
Batteries have been moved under the hood, safely away from passengers in the cabin, and the fuel tank for the same reason has been shifted to the rear of the vehicle, instead of under seats. There are no chassis and no frame rails in the BAE Systems HMMWV recap. Rather, the vehicle features a unitized monocoque construction, which is light while affording protection to occupants. That means reduced weight, which translates into increased vehicle performance.
To save money, perhaps 40 percent of the existing HMMWV is used in building the recap version of the vehicle. Further, that means that many parts already in the logistics supply chain still can be used with the revamped vehicle. And there are improvements to the engine, suspension and brakes, Hiros noted.
Ceradyne
Ceradyne’s offering for the HMMWV recap program is informed by NASCAR racing, said Andrew C. Taylor with Gravikor, a spokesman for Ceradyne.
The Ceradyne vehicle uses a space frame, a tubular structure that is stiff and strong, similar to the tubular frames in race cars that permit drivers to hit walls while hurtling at 200 mph and walk away from the wreck unhurt, Taylor explained. “You have a very stiff, strong structure,” which is mounted on top of the existing HMMWV chassis, he said.
The tubular frame in the recapped HMMWV creates an adaptable asset that can tailor its armoring to the threat environment, Taylor said. Lightweight body parts can be used on recapped HMMWVs being driven in the United States, while tough armor can be applied to the tubular frame if the vehicle is to be driven in theater.
Although it can be expensive to create such a tubular frame, Taylor explained that the cost is reduced by high-tech welding techniques that weld the frame in less than half a second, which is very cost-effective.
The underbelly of the vehicle features a blast mitigation structure that is designed to crumple, to absorb the energy of a detonating IED, he continued. That means the IED blast doesn’t toss the vehicle as high in the air, and it therefore has a gentler slamdown. Safety for warfighters is further improved by adding a fire extinguishing system.
Thanks to the Ceradyne design, “we’ve dramatically reduced the weight of the vehicle … by over 1,500 pounds,” he said, “which is a big deal.”
That lighter weight means better fuel economy, increased vehicle performance, less wear on the vehicle and its suspension, and a lessened cost to deploy the vehicle over its life cycle, Taylor said.
Oshkosh Defense
Precisely what will be included in the Oshkosh Defense proposal for the HMMWV recap is keyed to the final detailed requirements the military set for the future vehicle, said Dave Diersen, Oshkosh program manager for U.S. Marine Corps Programs. It is clear that the Oshkosh offering will be a superior vehicle with improvements in several key areas.
For example, the suspension will be improved greatly, so that passengers aren’t pounded on long off-road rides toward objectives, Diesen said. “That’s one of the things that we’re known for, is our suspension systems,” he explained. “We’ve got the TAK-4 suspension system” designed for military vehicles, and the TAK-4 L, or Lite. With a suspension offering longer wheel travel, occupants receive a better ride, he stressed. “That’s one of our hallmarks,” he noted. In providing 14 inches, even 20 inches, of wheel travel, Oshkosh can provide vehicles with suspensions that “soak up rough terrain,” Diersen observed.
TAK-4 suspensions already have proved themselves in theater, mounted on MTVRs, the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, he said.
Oshkosh vehicles have been subjected to thousands of miles of testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., and at the Nevada Automotive Test Center, he continued.
To provide safety against IEDs, there will be advanced armament and other features for increased survivability, he added. And to guard against deadly fires that can erupt when a HMMWV is hit by an IED or other enemy fire, the recapitalized vehicle would include an automatic fire extinguishing system, Diersen said. He noted that such systems already are included in other military vehicles.
Textron
Textron Marine & Land Systems and Granite Tactical Vehicles Inc. have created the Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle (SCTV) system for the HMMWV recap solution.
SCTV is a complete vehicle system designed for seamless integration with the HMMWV chassis to handle the asymmetric battlefield with advanced technologies and features that provide increased mobility, survivability and performance for all HMMWV variants. The Textron/Granite team has incorporated rugged, durable, tested components, including a blast-protected crew compartment, or capsule, with total system integration.
“The SCTV is more than a modernization of the HMMWV, it is revolutionizing the HMMWV,” said Granite Tactical Vehicles President Chris Berman. “The protection upgrades hung on the HMMWV through the years have seriously compromised the performance of the vehicle. It was never intended to handle the weight it is being required to carry or provide protection levels required on today’s battlefield. Our SCTV gives soldiers and Marines the performance and protection they need in the near term.”
The SCTV has undergone independent and U.S. Marine Corps blast and mobility testing. The independent blast testing confirms the vehicle is capable of protection levels equal to mine resistant ambush protection level 1 specifications. While providing unparalleled protection, the SCTV’s mobility and performance exceed currently fielded HMMWVs by reducing overall weight and integrating upgraded suspension and engine technology.
“Today’s operational tempo and combat challenges demand greater tactical mobility and survivability of the HMMWV,” said Tom Walmsley, Textron Marine & Land Systems senior vice president and general manager. “With the cost and operational effectiveness of our SCTV, combined with our track record of on-time deliveries and low-risk performance, the Textron/Granite team is ready to bring the HMMWV fleet into the future.” ♦