Military light utility vehicle

Military light utility vehicle,or simplylight utility vehicle(LUV), is a term used for the lightest weight classmilitary vehiclecategory.A Jeep-like four-wheel drive vehicle for military useby definition lighter than other military trucks and vehicles, inherently compact and usually with light or no armour, with short body overhangs for nimble all-terrain mobility, and frequently around 4-passenger capacity.

TheHumveehas been theU.S. military's main light vehicle platform since the 1980s

SinceWorld War II,jeeps like thisU.S. ArmyWillys MBbecame a staple of 20th century armies around the world, and anarchetypeof light military vehicles

Worldwide, and since the earliest large scale mechanisation of the military, hundreds of different light vehicles have been used for military utility service, ranging from readily available commercial products, just repainted in military colors, to purpose-designed tactical vehicles, that were specially developed for military applications and operation in forward areas. Light utility vehicles are typically general or multi-purpose, used to carry troops, staff, (mounted) weapons, supplies, evacuate wounded soldiers, and many other diverse roles.

Military light utility vehicles originated in the first half of the twentieth century, when modernisation of armies meant replacing horses and otherdraft animalsthrough mechanisation, as well as increasing mobility of the infantry, to gain an essential tactical advantage. In 21st century missions, small arms fire andimprovised explosive devices(IEDs) continuously pose highly dangerous threats to mobile infantry, and the military's lightest utility vehicles have frequently become heavier and larger, as a result of addition of armour, for the purpose of crew protection.Designs for modern light military vehicle platforms have to balance manoeuvrability, speed, weapons capability, survivability and transportability – all of high importance to ground troops in operations.

Civilian adaptations of theWillys MBandLand Roverwere the firstsport utility vehicles,and some SUVs such as theChevrolet Blazerhave been used as military light utility vehicles.

The importance of this kind of military vehicle was summed up by GeneralEisenhower,who wrote that most senior officers regarded thejeepas one of the six most vital U.S. vehicles inWorld War II.Moreover, generalGeorge Marshallcalled the jeep “America’s greatest contribution to modern warfare.”Similar vehicles are among the most common military vehicles in armies of most nations.

World War II

TheDodge WC serieswas built in some 50 variants. Shown here is a command / radio car with an ambulance behind it.

TheSchwimmwagen,an amphibious vehicle used by theWehrmacht

In 1939, the U.S. Army began standardizing its general-purpose trucks by limiting procurement to five chassis payload classes, from1⁄2-ton to7+1⁄2-ton, but the army was "to use commercial trucks with only a few modifications such as brush guards and towing pintles.."However, in 1940 the categories were revised. A new, lightest chassis, "quarter-ton" class was introduced, at the bottom of the range, and the1⁄2-ton category was supplanted by a3⁄4-ton chassis – both were classified as "light" trucks;1+1⁄2-tonners were considered "medium".

TheWillys MBJeep ofWorld War IIused by the U.S. Army is probably the most widely known vehicle of this class. Over 640,000 Jeeps were built forWorld War II,and they inspired many vehicles similar in layout, or function. Besides the jeep, the U.S. also produced some 330,000 half- and three quarter-tonDodge WC seriestrucks, in a wide range of variants. Together, the Willys and Ford jeeps, and Dodge's WC-series trucks made up nearly all of the WW II U.S. light vehicle output of almost a million (~988,000) units.

In World War II, Germany used theVolkswagen Kübelwagenfor a similar role. It only had rear-wheel drive, but could take advantage of light weight, a very flat, smooth underbody,rear axle portal geared hubs, and a rear-mounted engine for mobility. Early American dune buggies were also based on the Volkswagen, and the Desert Storm-eraDesert Patrol Vehicleevolved from the dune buggy configuration for combat use.

TheVolkswagen Schwimmwagenfeatured a bathtub-like unitary boat-body and propulsion screw. The Jeep was similarly adapted as theFord GPA"Seep", but was never as successful as the Schwimmwagen, which became the most mass-produced amphibious car in history. Unlike theKübelwagen,theSchwimmwagenwas equipped with four-wheel drive, and with its super-smooth underbody and portal geared hubs front and rear, arguably the most capable light German off-roader in World War II.

TheSoviet Unionproduced theGAZ-64based largely on the US jeep design, succeeded by theGAZ-67and GAZ-67B, until ca. 1953.

Post-war

UAZ-469,a Soviet LUV

M1009CUCV,a militarizedChevrolet K5 Blazer

The U.S. revised its jeep into the Willys M38 and M38A1, which was used in the Korean War. It was followed in 1960 by theM151 jeep,which was designed with Ford. By the mid-1980s, this role would be taken over by the larger and heavierHumvee,which would be used as a combat vehicle in Iraq. The United States also purchasedCommercial Utility Cargo Vehiclesbased on commercially available light trucks. U.S. forces are currently defining theJoint Light Tactical Vehiclewhich would be designed to be armored from the outset, with the smallest 4-person payload capacity class corresponding to the traditional jeep role.

In 1948, the BritishLand Roverwas developed. Originally intended to be a civilian and agricultural successor to the Willys Jeep (the prototype Land Rover was built on the chassis of a Willys and used Willys transmission parts but production vehicles used no Jeep components) the Land Rover was brought into military service in 1949, eventually becoming the standard Light Utility Vehicle for theBritish Armyand many armed forces of theCommonwealthand displacing the purpose built and more expensiveAustin Champ.The original Land Rover design evolved into the modern-dayLand Rover Defenderwhich is still in military service throughout the world.

About 1953 Russia replaced its GAZ-67B by theGAZ-69,until that series was replaced by theUAZ-469commander jeep which was introduced in 1971.

In the 1960s, China's Beijing Automobile Works produced its own "jeep", theBeijing BJ212which was largely a Chinese copy of the Soviet UAZ-469B. Often called the “Beijing Jeep”, the BJ121 was widely used in both military and civilian service in China, with over 200,000 produced by end of production in 1983. In May 1983, American Motors Corporation (AMC) agreed to allow the updated BJ2020S to use the 85 hp engine of theXJ Jeep Cherokee.The latest Chinese light utility will be the BJ2022JC 'Brave Warrior', built by Beijing Benz-Daimler Chrysler Automobile Co. Adapted from existing Mercedes Benz designs, the BJ2022JC will carry 0.7 ton,with a wheelbase of 110 inches, and has an independent suspension system with a 101.5 kW 3.2 L turbo-charged inter-cooling diesel engine.

In 2014,BoeingandMSI Designdesigned thePhantom Badger,in response to the aging Humvee fleet, which was too large for newer aircraft to feasibly carry.

Humvee-like vehicles

GAZ-2975"Tigr" during a rehearsal of the2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade

Mahindra Armored Light Specialist Vehicleof theIndian Army

TheHumveeplatform represented a paradigm change in the U.S. military – abolishing the dichotomy between the small quarter-ton rigs, and the various other, larger"light"trucks, after more than four decades. Intended to replace all of the Army's1⁄4-ton to1+1⁄4-ton vehicles with one single chassis, the resulting 3-ton Humvee became much larger and heavier than the jeeps, and inspired a new generation of vehicles, used in similar military roles.

• Otokar Cobra(shared subystems with Humvee)
• Thales AustraliaHawkei
• GAZ-2975 "Tigr"
• ToyotaMega Cruiser
• Iveco LMV
• Humvee clones in China
• UroVAMTAC
• Mahindra Armored Light Specialist Vehicle
• Kalyani M4
• Agrale Marruá
• VLEGA Gaucho
• Dozor-B
• MOWAG Eagle
• Marine Multi-Purpose Vehicle
• Pindad Maung
• Indonesian Light Strike Vehicle
• Weststar GK-M1
• Cendana Auto Rover
• RenaultSherpa Light

See also

• Combat vehicle
• Infantry mobility vehicle

See also

• List of U.S. military jeeps