PopularMechanics082017

Underneath the floor, a convex hull

deflects blasts and helps shield the

cabin from IEDs.

The JLTV is essentially a light tank

with 43-inch Michelin tyres. That’s

clear when you try to open the driver’s

door, whose weight, like many things

at Oshkosh, is classified. With centi-

metres-thick steel and a small ballistic-

glass window, it feels close to 150

kilograms. Once I strong-arm it open

and climb into the driver’s seat, I feel

like I’ve entered a vault. An unexpect-

edly comfortable one.

Where the Humvee’s seats are flat

to the floor, the JLTVs are raised to

give your knees some room to bend.

There’s more cushioning and the seat

backs feature cutouts to accommodate

troops’ hydration packs. Big centre

and passenger-side dash displays look

like they belong in an F/A-18 cockpit,

offering critical vehicle data, tactical

information and an all-important

reversing camera. A standard HVAC

control panel offers blessed air condi-

tioning; there are even USB ports.

Start it up, and you hear the JLTVs

big alternator producing massive

amounts of electricity. It changes

audibly with the revs, even over the

roar of the Banks 866T turbo-diesel

engine (based on GM’s Duramax 6,6-

litre V8 diesel). With half a metre of

suspension travel, the JLTV floats

over the terrain like a Baja trophy

truck. It inspires more confidence

than the Humvee, which I drove on

the same course for comparison. At

only half the speed of the JLTV, I

could feel instability and steering

kickback over the ruts through the

Humvee’s thin-rimmed steering

wheel. Over large moguls, I bottomed

the suspension, momentarily losing

steering control.

Improved speed, manoeuverability

and off-road capability end up being

just as beneficial to the JLTV as its

armour. Because if you can be unpre-

dictable – if you can manoeuvre away

from roads and mines at 100 km/h or

more – the hope is that the armour

won’t be necessary at all.

VEHICLE NUMBER BUILT MAXIMUM SPEED KURB WEIGHT

(FOUR-DOOR)

PAYLOAD

(FOUR-DOOR)

Humvee 230 000 112 k m / h 3 280 kg 2 210 kg

JLT V Approx. 225^

(So far)

112+ k m / h

(It’s classified)

Less than 6 350 kg 1 590 kg

Humvee vs. JLTV

The JLTV will slowly phase out AM
General’s iconic Humvee in US Army and
Marine Corps vehicle fleets. When it
debuted in 1985, the unarmoured Humvee
was designed for personnel and cargo
transport behind the lines. That made it
vulnerable in Iraq and Afghanistan, where

hastily added armour provided a flawed

and temporary solution. The JLTV, however,

is built for driving among the IEDs, rocket-

propelled grenades and small-arms fire

of the modern battlefield. Oshkosh’s

CORE1080 crew-protection system wraps

the cabin in an armoured shell.

AUGUST 2017 _ http://www.popularmechanics.co.za 11