Article

2016-07-23 Science & Technology

75 years after it was first deployed, will US Army bring back the 'jeep'?

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Posted by Besoeker 2016-07-23 09:55|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 In situations without IEDs risk it makes sense.

Posted by Tarzan Slailet2796 2016-07-23 11:30|| 2016-07-23 11:30|| Front Page Top

#2 I hope so - we need a fleet of M-ATVs and jeeps. The Chevy Blazer was a poor substitute except in the winter (had a decent heater), the HMMWV was terrible in the woods, cramped for its size, loud, thirsty, terrible to back up, underpowered, okay on the desert until IEDs appeared. The MRAP ATV has a lot of power for its size, decent protection and a is a fair battle taxi in an IED environ. The jeep was great in the woods, unstable on the highway, but did I mention great in the woods.

Posted by Tennessee 2016-07-23 12:49|| 2016-07-23 12:49|| Front Page Top

#3 Well, as a Battalion Motor Officer at Baumholder. Germany in 1982, I always knew these beasts as M151A2 vehicles, with primary pedigree to Willys Overland something or other.

Thanks to Jimmy Carter FORMERLY the worst POTUS, my crew spent countless hours welding angle iron onto Jeep frames, to keep them from disintegrating - and we also had a makeshift battery rebuild program going, to replenish vehicle batteries that were effectively non-existent, coming out of "the Carter years".

The one criticism I had of the M151A2 design was that it was designed so that if it was about to tip over - because it was on a sideways slope that was too severe to transit - it was designed so that the wheels on the low-end side would simply "fold" - and cause the Jeep to do a sideways 360 degree roll. This "saved" the frame and wheelbase - at the expense of killing or maiming everyone who was a passenger in the vehicle.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2016-07-23 13:14|| 2016-07-23 13:14|| Front Page Top

#4 The 1/4 with trailer was an awesome tool, and at 1/5 the cost of the Hummer. I do recall riding with my 1SG and both of us in our sleeping bags and feeling the snow on my uncovered face and hating no heater when it was single digit weather.
Great logistic vehicle at the company level.

Posted by NoMoreBS 2016-07-23 15:21|| 2016-07-23 15:21|| Front Page Top

#5 Think of it as a dingy for you MRAP.

Posted by KBK 2016-07-23 16:25|| 2016-07-23 16:25|| Front Page Top

#6 Isn't Jeep owned by Mercedes or something?

Posted by rjschwarz 2016-07-23 23:43|| 2016-07-23 23:43|| Front Page Top

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