US Army HMMWVs in Iraq Book Review

By Michael Benolkin

Review

Concord Publications is well-known for publishing a wide array of military monographs covering a variety of subjects. This release is definitely no exception.

The infamous "Humvee", M998 Highly Mobile Military Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV - pronounced Humvee) entered service in the mid-1980s as the replacement utility vehicle for the M151 Mutt, M274 Mule, M561 Gamma Goat, and even M880 pick-up trucks. By mid-2004, over 175,000 Humvees have been produced in the AM General plant at Mishawaka, Indiana.

As with any capable military platform, the Humvee has been adapted to a variety of capabilities and missions by mounting different sensors, weapons, or engineering equipment to the basic chassis. One version dubbed the "HUMRAAM" will mount a launcher with a set of ground-launched AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles on the Humvee. What will they think of next...

This title takes a full-color look at the Humvee versions deployed to Iraq and many of the field modifications employed to improve crew protection. This title also takes a closer look at the M1113 Up-Armored HMMWV, complete with a fold-out five-view diagram of the vehicle in 1/35 scale.

The authors have compiled an interesting array of photos that illustrate the wide variety of configurations of this vehicle, from the LRAS remote controlled gun-equipped vehicle to the Stinger-armed Avenger system; from the basic utility vehicle to the special forces combat vehicle. If it is in-country, you'll probably see an example of it in this excellent reference.

If you're looking contemporary combat operations as a historian or modeler, this title is definitely what you're looking for. If you have the updated versions of the Tamiya HMMWV kit, then here is an inexpensive reference to get your Humvee looking right. Highly recommended!