Vehicles

Since 1984, the M998 HMMWV Gun Truck has been used in place of Jeeps and other similar light utility trucks. Although the average curb weight of this vehicle is almost three tons, its 8-cylinder diesel engine packed enough punch to reach speeds in excess of 70 mph in all types of terrain. Its power and reliability made it ideal for carrying troops into battle, and a variety of other tasks.

The HMMWV was the “go-to” vehicle for the US military during such operations as the Battle of Mogadishu, Operations in the Balkans, the Gulf War, Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and hundreds of humanitarian operations in the US and around the globe. Over 17 variants of this vehicle are still being used in US military operations all over the world today.

When tensions began heightening around the world in the late 1930s, the Willys Jeep was developed and made famous as a general purpose, four-wheel drive, ¼-ton personnel and cargo carrier. The original engine had 60 horsepower and 105 foot-pounds of torque, not only exceeding the Army’s requirements, but dwarfing its competition for the military contract.

From 1941 to 1945 Willys produced the MB model (nicknamed “Jeep”), the original go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle. Willys produced over 300,000 MB vehicles during World War II, nearly 30% of which were shipped to the Allied Forces of Britain and Russia. Jeeps were heavily used by every division of the American military, with 144 Jeeps provided to every infantry regiment in the U.S. Army. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the “CJ” (civilian Jeep) that we see on our roads today.

The M35 started out in 1949 as a 2-1/2 ton truck with a 10-tire configuration that was later nicknamed the “deuce and a half”. There were four different versions of the M35: Standard, A1, A2, and A3, with A2 being the most common. Equipped with a front mount winch, it measured 13,530 pounds and just over 23 feet long. The M35A2 was available with either a canvas soft top, or a metal hard top version that was also equipped with additional cab insulation and engine coolant and cab heaters.

One of the features that made the M35A2 so popular was its available multifuel engine, which could run off either diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, or heating oil (gasoline could be used only in emergencies because it did not properly lubricate the injector pump, unless mixed with motor oil). The M35 was used by the National Guard and Reserve units in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Many variants have been sold as surplus to military vehicle collectors and to persons looking for an inexpensive truck capable of off-road operation. They can still be found on the road today.

The M923 is a version of the M939 designed in the late 1980s primarily for tactical off-road use. It has been in service with the US Army and Marine Corps since as a basic cargo truck used for the transportation of supplies. The basic truck is a five-ton capacity, six-wheel drive cargo truck equipped with a 250-hp Cummins diesel engine, which tops out at 65 mph. Its engine and drive train combination made the M923 ideal for towing trailers, artillery guns and vans.

A variant of the The M35, the 2 1/2 ton truck was used primarily to house specialized communication equipment and personnel. The M35A2 was available with either a canvas soft top, or a metal hard top version that was also equipped with additional cab insulation and engine coolant and cab heaters.