"China's New Humvee Isn't Quite Built for Combat." Perhaps. But they're going to build very, very many at a cost far less per unit than the Humvee..
One big problem with the Warrior—as comfortable as it is—it's not really built for post-9/11 modern warfare. Reliable, sure, but it has none of the features that modern tactical vehicles now come equipped with, such as bullet-resistant windows, bullet-proof walls, and an undercarriage that can withstand the directional blast of improvised explosive devices. It is also visibly smaller than the Humvee, and will be more difficult to upgrade with armored kits as the Humvee was. That's fine if the vehicle is confined to base driving and the occasional exercise, but will be a severe drawback in actual combat. The PLA expects the base chassis to be upgraded to provide "all kinds" of special vehicles. Possible variants could include a headquarters vehicle, ambulance, electronic warfare vehicle, anti-tank missile carrier, and air-defense missile carrier. But all the PLA has really got so far is pretty much a cushy SUV.
Yes, well, I seem to recall a quote from Clausewitz: "In military affairs quantity has a quality all its own."
14 comments:
When your country has several dozen millions of 'excess males' of military age, "expendable" takes on a much broader meaning.
kinda reminds me of the Sherman tanks of WWII, armor and gun wise inferior to the Panzers but hey out numbered the Panzers 10 to 1
If the Congressional, Military, Industrial Complex was NOT so greedy for power, increased military budgets, & war profiteering, they would just purchase one of the many outstanding trucks that WE make, such as the F150/250/350, or a Dodge or Chevy of similar sizes utilizing Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) purchasing. I am sure that the auto makers would install special request at the factory. This would save us enormous tax payer $$$, allow for cannibalization from down vehicles (what Henry Ford had in mind originally), & support American businesses...
The vehicle's design seems focused on being a "company car" for China's military class, as opposed to being something to give tactical advantage. Perhaps China's military's going soft like many others.
Like the Ronson/Sherman tank of WW2.Behind enemy lines Ct.
Or perhaps they are of the opinion that transportation is for personnel and equipment, and have no stomach to do "nation building" during prolonged "hearts and minds" campaigns.
Frame it like that and it kind of makes a while lot of sense.
Yep...the crappy T-34 beat the Panzerkorps through attrition.
And we want to shelve the A-10 to free up budget for the F-35.
No one learns.
T'aint a bad looking machine. Seems a lot more like the Jeep my father-in-law rode out to the B-24 in than those fancy Hummers do. Won't do everything but looks like it could do what it DOES do just fine. Sure it ain't a hummer but even the hummer ain't good enough these days. Kinda reminds me of a certain medium tank - Sherman? - that was totally out classed by the German Tiger tanks it faced. But the U.S. turned out THOUSANDS of the things to throw at the Tigers. IIRC when they wanted something with a big enough gun to take out the Tigers quickly they just slapped a bigger gun on the Sherman. Called 'em the Sherman Firefly IMS.
I surely do oe we don't have to face the ChiComs in battle. Seems I recall the last time had to it didn't exactly go all that well. Something about the projectiles from our guys' M-1 carbines BOUNCING OFF their cold weather gear. Wonder if a .223 would do the same thing?
Any overall design resemblance to a Gelaendewagen is probably purely intentional:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_G-Class
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interim_Fast_Attack_Vehicle
http://www.trucktrend.com/cool-trucks/1005dp-us-marine-corps-g-wagen/
It shows that the PLA is mechnaising apace with locally produced equipment.
Those factors in and of themselves are of importance.
Ma Duce
Looks like a late 1990's Mitsubishi Montero. Wow epic fail PLA.
When you get right down to it, Humvees were not built for combat, either. They were built as trucks to carry peoeple and equipment in rear areas. The fact that we tried to turn it into an armored car has always amused and saddened me.
If the US armed forces needed armored cars, the Cadilac Gage Commando series would have done the job just fine...
Cadillac Gage Commando?
Like this?
http://www.imcdb.org/i051170.jpg
Harry has it right: HMMWV was intended to replace the M151, M38, and GPW light utility vehicles.
It got pressed into combat roles, with far heavier gross weights than originally intended (by the time armor, extra ammo, etc were added), and the fact that it could mostly handle those demands are a testament to the design of the vehicle and the people building it.
Of course, the thoroughly false comparison to the M-4 Sherman tanks of WW2 never fail to amuse. Entirely too many people have watched far too much History Channel, which only based its "research" on one biased book.
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