The Humvee has been a vital part of American military operations since 1984, but after decades of service, the US military has been in need of a replacement. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program was created to provide a more modern and efficient vehicle to be used across the American military branches.
On April 24, the 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron, a specialized unit within the USAF's 90th Missile Wing (Twentieth Air Force), used a JLTV during a mission for the Air Force Global Strike Command. The JLTV was tasked with launch facility maintenance, a job that was previously carried out by the Humvee fleet.
At over 11 tons, the JLTV is a beast of a vehicle, measuring 20 feet (6 meters) long and 8 feet (2.5 meters) high, and powered by a 6.6-liter diesel engine tied to a six-speed automatic transmission. It can move over various terrains at speeds of up to 70 mph (110 km/h). Currently, there are four main variants of the JLTV available, depending on how they are supposed to be used by armed forces: General Purpose, Heavy Guns Carrier, Utility, and Close Combat Weapons Carrier.
The Air Force has already trained a large number of operators to use the JLTV, with each airman undergoing 40 hours of theoretical and practical training before operating the vehicle. While waiting for the JLTV to be released for general use, the Air Force will continue to train its personnel, and deployment of the truck shouldn't take more than a few weeks.
As of now, the U.S. military is operating approximately 16,000 JLTVs, while other countries like Belgium, Brazil, and Romania have their own in use.
Source: Autoevolution
