New Assault Weapon System package under development. Packs an MK19, 50 cal and two Tows.

Full article at link below.

Shaun

http://www.tradoc.army.mil/pao/TNSarchives/September04/093204.htm

wow, a bit overkill eh :-) being on the receiving end of that one must be a bummer.

Uh.... Spectre Gunship on Wheels!!!!!!

Yeah, & with all that crap+ammo+armor slagged onto an unmodified HMMWV chassis & drivetrain, it'll be a sitting duck for an untrained militiaman w/ a 20.00 Rpg& 3 2.00 rounds. Not to mention the fact that most of our field expedient mods have shortened the maintenance cycle on our 'new' Hummers by 73%.
Nifty idea, just not suited to current tactics or conditions.
That being said, I'd LOVE to get my paws on one!

I'd both hate and envy the gunner: "Hmm, with what should I engage this target with? A .50 cal, an automatic grenade launcher, or a friggin anti-tank missile? Tis a tough choice!"

Jeff

I agree with LogansDad!

That's an awfull lot of fire power for an unarmored vehicle. Zero protection for the gunner and the thing is probably top heavy too.

I hope they do something to boost the power to the engine. Plain ole' unmodified HMWWV's have some serious get up and go issues or more appropriately, lack of get up and go. Some dont, but the majority that I served on, were gutless wonders. I foresee lots of "uh-oh's" with this set up. Top heavy, blind spots, lack of armor protection...yada, yada, yada.. "Q"

Yup. I don't know WHERE in the world the Army plans to find those niffy hull-down positions so that only the weapons stick up on top, especially for non-armored or light armored vehicles. Seems that the most recent battles have been charging in with guns blazing. Since when did the U.S. Army adopt a defensive posture recently? Certainly not 1991 Gulf War, Somalia, Kosovo, Haiti, OEF, and OIF.

TRADOC would serve better if they found a light armored chassis to use...like the AGS one or a Wiesel one.

It looks impressive but I find it hard to imagine that it is a practical modification. In a combat environment, hitting the right switch for the right weapon may be a trick.

Also, there should be some sort of armor protection for the weapon mount. The weapons/aiming system has no protection from direct fire/shrapnel damage.

Just my .02 cents!

I'd love to take that down the freeway at rush hour. This is one vehicle Nobody gives the finger!

Although all that firepower is cool, the poor HMMWV is grossly overloaded. The lack of protection of the crew makes the guns/missles a waste.

The gun truck conversions going on in Iraq shows that the grunts on the ground are trying to fix the weaknesses of the vehicle. The additional armor, and guns make people survivability improve although vehicle life is greatly reduced.

Sometimes more in not necessarily better.

I wonder if Anti-tank rifles will make a big return(unlikely, I know) I mean, they would be perfect against this targets.

Barrett Firearms is currently fielding a 25mm version of their 50 caliber sniper rifle. I would say that borders on being an anti-tank rifle given the performance of the Bushmaster 25mm chain gun. In both Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom, Bradleys knocked out IFV's and T-55's, T-62's and some T-72's with their 25mm guns.

Yeah, a respectable about of velocity and thus "punch" is due to the barrel length of the Bradley. The question would also hinge on what cartridge would be used for the rifle. Also, one would need a mule to carry it. The .50cal version is already a heavy mother, how much would a 25mm (i.e. heavier barrel, heavier components) version weigh? It would definetely have to be vehicle mounted. Or it'd have to be vehicle transported and the soldier dismounts and sets up nearby with the vehicle hiding close.

Jeff

Oh, yeah, I also noticed the EXPOSED soldier in the bed trying to reload the darn mount, which of course means that the Humvee has to stop to reload and the crew has to get out to do so. So typical....guns and no autoloader except the human grunt. So...uh...what's so special about this thing then? Just more guns?

Would be nicer if TRADOC mounted an Avenger turret and gave that Avenger turret the guns and TOWs on the side instead of the Stinger pods. BTW, the Avenger turret already HAS a light-50. But I guess that would make too much sense :-).

Now that would be a humvee lovers dream scap build, I would love to see if I can do that humvee one day.

Thanks for the pic,

Happy Modeling

I seriously doubt this is intended for anything other than a publicity shot, or to show the press all the various weapon systems that can be fitted to a HUMVEE. Brings back memories of the old "Rat Patrol" though.