A Humvee is what in military quarters known as the High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). It is a lightweight, diesel-engine, four-wheel-drive very mobile combat vehicle that is a must have in any military. It is very efficient in rough and irregular terrain and has the capability to go for long distances with little maintenance.
It performs exceptionally well in the jungle or desert and doubles up as both a cargo vehicle and provides shelter against bullets, bombs and exploding mines. This makes the Humvee very reliable, maintainable and endurable.
The Humvee is among the wheeled combat vehicle that the Kenya Defence Forces in its land fleet that helps in maneuvering of treacherous terrain in war.
It’s structured in such a way that it is the perfect off-road vehicle. The Humvee is 6 feet tall, 7 feet wide and a5 feet long making it a very stable four wheeled vehicle and its measurements make it very hard to roll over. This attribute makes it very efficient as it is able to maintain a high speed in very unfriendly terrain compared to other wheeled off-road combat vehicles.
The Humvee has an aluminum body that serves two purposes; it reduces the overall weight of the vehicle and also protects it from corrosion as a way of making it perseverant to off-road stresses exerted on the vehicle. It can also maneuver through water levels of up to 2.5 feet high.
The Humvee can reach speeds of up to 70 miles per hour making quite high speed. It is fitted with V8 turbo diesel engine with a 95liter fuel capacity. It is fitted with independent suspension fitted with hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers making it highly mobile.
The Kenya Defence Forces have incorporated the Humvee in their fleet and provides reliable support in hostile-terrain warzones. Most recently it was witnessed in action in the Somalia war as the soldiers used it to negotiate the unknown terrain and was used as patrol after the capture of major towns from the Harakat al Shabaab al Mujahideen in Somalia.
It is capability to protect the occupants from bombs, bullets and mines has protected the dedicated Kenyan troops in hostile war fronts. The Humvee as the name suggests is multi-purpose and therefore can be fitted with adjustments to fire rocket missiles, conduct reconnaissance, act as an ambulance as well as transport supplies to the soldiers on the field.
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