Show of force: 7 military off-road vehicle monsters
By 81.cn-Globaltimes.cn , Published: 2015-07-20 13:46:45
Hawkei, Australia
Australia has joined the US in the fight against terrorism. Years of battle have resulted in many casualties, which the army attributes to their armored Range Rovers, explaining they are easily damaged by land mines and improvised explosive devices. The Australian defense department purchased 1,300 light armored vehicles to replace Range Rovers as outlined in their project "Land 121 Phase 4." Photo: www. 81.cn
Editor's Note:
Military off-road vehicles have always been known for their tough builds, which in some countries are called
"military pickup trucks." Military off-road vehicles are an important tool to transport soldiers and weapons.
Hawkei is a multi-function, fully-protected vehicle with high explosive and ballistic resistance. Designed for mobility and air transport, Hawkei is suitable for rapid deployment. The vehicle is named Hawkei after a poisonous snake native to Australian. Weighing 7 tons, the Hawkei can carry up to six people and can be fitted with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, 40 mm grenade launcher and even a small radar system. Hawkei is also dubbed the "Full Spectrum Warrior." Its producer, Thales Australia, claims the Hawkei will be the new standard for light protected vehicles. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Hawkei is mainly designed for use by soldiers with technical and maintenance skills. Though suitable for Western countries, the Hawkei may still be a luxury for lesser-developed military forces. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Sherpa, France
The Sherpa Light series, produced by French company Renault Trucks Defense, are well-known in the realm of light armored military vehicles. The Sherpa originally refers to an ethnic group living on both sides of the Himalayas. The Renault named the vehicle after Sherpa to highlight its powerful performance and fierce nature. Photo: www. 81.cn 
The Sherpa, officially named High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, has been called the "French Humvee" for its resemblance to the US army juggernaut. Renault claims the latest Sherpa outperforms others in its class, and prefers the name "French Tough Guy." The Sherpa is capable of carrying 10 soldiers and can be equipped with weapons. Meanwhile, the Sherpa can serves as assault carrier for paratroopers and special forces. Photo: www. 81.cn 
The Indonesian army purchased a batch of Sherpas for their high mobility and good off-road performance, making it the most suitable for the country’s varied terrain. According to reports, the French army ordered specially-designed Sherpas for use in Africa at 300,000 euro ($3.32 million) each. Photo: www. 81.cn
Iveco LMV, Italy
The Iveco LMV (Light Multirole Vehicle), is famous for its multifunction. It can serve as a command vehicle, scout vehicle, light weapons platform, ambulance, artillery tractor and even as a military transport vehicle. Tests show the LMV can maintain high speeds on rough terrain. Photo: www. 81.cn 
The LMV also performs well against land mine blasts. LMVs are subjected to strenuous bulletproof tests before leaving the factory, including sniper fire, on all sections of the vehicle. The LMV only gets a pass at zero penetration. LMV has gained fame in the international market. Both Italy and the UK have LMVs in operation. The British army has named it "Black Panther." LMV has also reportedly performed well on missions in Afghanistan and Lebanon. Photo: www. 81.cn 
GAZ Tiger, Russia
The 5.5-ton infantry mobility vehicle resembles the Humvee both inside and out. The vehicle, with a 1.5-ton payload, is highly mobile and can effectively resist attacks from light arms, explosive devices and anti-personnel mines. Photo: www. 81.cn 
The GAZ Tiger was first produced in 2005 and appeared in the Moscow Victory Parade in 2008. China introduced a batch of GAZ Tigers during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games for security services. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Mowag Eagle, Switzerland
The Eagle, produced by Swiss Mowag corporation, is now in its fifth generation. It only took 10 months from developing the Eagle I to the Eagle IV. Photo: www. 81.cn 
The latest Eagle V has two versions, 4×4 and 6×6, both with strong armor and high mobility. The 7-ton vehicle can transport 20 soldiers in patrol, surveillance and rescue missions. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Its 5.9-liter diesel engine can maintain running speeds even in harsh terrain. Designed to produce low exhaust and noise, the engine also helps to maintain stealth. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Land Rover
The Land Rover was originally designed and produced in 1947. After the British army's first order in 1949, the vehicle became popular for its cost-effectiveness. The vehicle still features the power, drive system, suspension and chassis used in the original version 60 years ago. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Photo: www. 81.cn 
Photo: www. 81.cn
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or “Humvee”) is an all-wheel drive vehicle produced by AM General. Since Humvees first performed transportation, anti-tank, communications and artillery traction during Gulf War in 1991, the vehicle gained a reputation for its outstanding motility, reliability, durability and adaptive capacity to all kinds of weapons. Some military enthusiasts crown the Humvee“king of off-road vehicles.” However, the Humvee's shortcomings have also become increasingly apparent in bomb attacks in Afghanistan and Iraq. Photo: www. 81.cn 
Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Humvee (M997) serves as an ambulance vehicle. Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Humvee equipped with machine gun Photo: www. 81.cn
A Humvee with treads drives through snow. Photo: www. 81.cn 
A US soldier stands in a converted Humvee. Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Humvee equipped with Hellfire missiles Photo: www. 81.cn 
Humvees equipped with gun towers Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Humvee equipped with surface-to-air missiles Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Spanish URO VAMTAC Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Japanese high mobility wheeled vehicle Photo: www. 81.cn 
A Greek army “Humvee” Photo: www. 81.cn