FORT HOOD — The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, is out with the old Army Humvees and is trading them in for the new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV.
The brigade is the last of the division’s armored brigades to receive the new vehicle, which are replacing the aging Humvees in the Army’s vehicle arsenal. The 2nd and 3rd Brigades began receiving the JLTV in 2021, while 1st Brigade was deployed to Europe for Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The new vehicle has stronger armor, are designed for soldier protection against explosive devices, can be designed for specific mission skill sets and are faster and more maneuverable than the Humvees, said Capt. Tyler Stankye, the modernization planning officer for 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team “Ironhorse.”
“These add a whole ton of capabilities to the brigade,” he said. “They are fully integrated with a communications suite, they have 360 degree view so inside the JLTV you can see everywhere outside the JLTV.”
Stankye said it was exciting to see the additional capabilities the vehicle would add in support of heavy armor, such as the Abrams tanks or Bradley Fighting Vehicles.
“We are improving our ability to do what America needs us to do, abroad and at home,” he said. “We can move a lot faster in these JLTVs and we can accomplish a lot more safely than we can in the Humvees. It’s a total package — they’re pre-built to accept upgrades as they come.”
The vehicle also comes with an air shock suspension system, the captain said, allowing the vehicle to raise up to approximately 40 inches off the ground to account for different types of terrain more effectively.
“It’s less prone to breaking down when you’re out in more complicated terrain because of that air shock system,” Stankye said. “Everything on it is an upgrade, from the wheels to the hinges on the doors. It’s a phenomenal vehicle, one of the best the Army has ever put out.”
The vehicles will make the brigade more capable at projecting combat power, he said.
“It really fills out the full complement of modernization we’re doing,” Stankye said. “We are building our readiness and lethality through the most modern systems that exist in the world.”
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