Mad Max 4 in Iraq?

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http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/1/5/20/124610520kSrjVF_ph.jpg?
Hummer guntruck with 50cal MG. the vehicle has a ring mount taken from a 5-ton truck that has been installed in the bed.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/6/86/124610686KaYcxX_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/22/13/124602213LVLLBo_ph.jpg?
Hummer Guntruck Locally made armor armed with 50cal MG missing gas cap

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/0/79/124610079XrgOmm_ph.jpg?
5-Ton guntrucks with roof

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/0/23/66/124602366PEHNxJ_ph.jpg?
Two styles one is set with MK-19 40mm GL and for forward facing, front of convoy. Second vehicle is set for rear of convoy. Locally made armor

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/85/71/124608571dNXlvX_ph.jpg?
this vehicle has armor made of steel that is over 1/2 inch thick, must be heavy

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/35/43/124603543wVokxA_ph.jpg?
5-ton steel line bed and steel added to doors. The gunner has a kevlar cloth (black) around the ring mount.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/1/8/29/124610829TFUgvI_ph.jpg?
5-Ton guntruck armed with MK-19 GL

[Seoulstriker]

no dice, remov. :(

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http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/36/41/124603641sVgGJF_ph.jpg?
Not a guntruck but a good photo of armor added to 2.5Ton truck.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/81/69/124608169EjzjdY_ph.jpg?
Far away shot. 2.5 Ton truck armed with two 50cal MG and a MK-19 GL

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/10/69/124611069yhnzLC_ph.jpg?
2.5 Ton guntruck with many modifications

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/37/83/124603783YvYYzO_ph.jpg?
The most common Hummer armor kit. Note: rear door, weapons mount and steel doors. Floor also has steel in the back.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/1/19/86/124611986lOovcc_ph.jpg?
Hummer guntruck for front of convoy. Note: racks and steel doors

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/70/36/124607036pAgPuo_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/39/76/124603976jlipRc_ph.jpg?
5-Ton guntruck on mission in a village. Armed with M-249 SAW

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/0/68/90/124606890QIBJfe_ph.jpg?
Another Hummer guntruck armed with 50cal. Note the steel has been painted black and the gunner has armor behind him.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/1/21/48/124612148ewcUta_ph.jpg?

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http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/40/83/124604083feYOrs_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/67/26/124606726FgKhaN_ph.jpg?
Hummer guntruck, early versio. The side armor is made from deck plates taken of Iraqi APCs. Floor and wheel wells are covered with steel armor.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/0/42/45/124604245oJpnpH_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/1/23/99/124612399Dvmbfk_ph.jpg?
Hummer guntruck armed with M-240B MG

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/45/53/124604553PIZQKr_ph.jpg?
Hummer with alot of armor. Someone was busy with the welder. The vehicle is armed with a 50cal MG

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/65/23/124606523latmaN_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/26/12/124612612BUfylt_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/0/47/87/124604787cIUOfq_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/62/71/124606271zQFEMH_ph.jpg?
Weapon mount in rear of Hummer guntruck. Weapon pedestal is locally made.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/29/22/124612922DqDmDs_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/49/77/124604977gqglbh_ph.jpg?

[Seoulstriker]

REMOV: YOUR LINKS DO NOT WORK. ;)

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http://community.webshots.com/s/image11/2/37/18/125123718xtwdED_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/52/26/124605226pVhHDc_ph.jpg?
Another Hummer guntruck armed with 50cal MG. Note: there is another truck parked behind it with steel side.

http://community.webshots.com/s/image11/2/46/6/125124606tZJqlA_ph.jpg?
Scout vehicle armed with 50cal and thermal sight. Note bolt on armor on sides and doors

http://community.webshots.com/s/image10/2/49/42/125124942xatQrK_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image11/2/57/97/125125797uEVrNy_ph.jpg?
Here is one that just arrived, has locally medal pedestal and sids made or wood. The inside of the wood enclosures is filled with sandbags or water bottles.

[REMOV]

REMOV: YOUR LINKS DO NOT WORKAn access limit?

http://community.webshots.com/album/124599660fVnKRb/0

[Seoulstriker]

they probably aren't directly linkable by the host.

[HELEX]

Interesting, all for protection against cheering flower throwing Iraqis?

Sorry, I couldnt resist.... :roll:

[gilgoul]

Funny, that reminds me of the truck used to break the siege of jerusalem in 1948 by the Hagannah.
I didn`t know that the US army dosen`t use the same armoured hummers as we do in Israel.

[Uncle Chô]

Interesting, all for protection against cheering flower throwing Iraqis?
Do you have a problem with Flower Power and cheering flower throwing people ?? :fork:

Uncle Chô, a French coward Commie pacifist (according to some US sources ;))

[Uncle Chô]

http://community.webshots.com/album/124599660fVnKRb/0
FANTASTIC link REMOV ! woot woot

Guntrucks is one of my favourit subject :hug: It is amazing how things did not changed since Vietnam (36 years ago). The M-151 Mutt have been replaced by Humvees, "Deuce and a half" are bigger but operational considerations led to the same "field improvisation" by Transportation Companies... :roll:

[Old300]

Interesting, all for protection against cheering flower throwing Iraqis?

Sorry, I couldnt resist.... :roll:

The vast majority of Iraqis think they're better off since the war (this according to the BBC, hardly a source of American propaganda):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3514504.stm

Survey finds hope in occupied Iraq


Iraqis appear to be adjusting to life with an occupying force
An opinion poll suggests most Iraqis feel their lives have improved since the war in Iraq began about a year ago.
The survey, carried out for the BBC and other broadcasters, also suggests many are optimistic about the next 12 months and opposed to violence.

But of the 2,500 people questioned, 85% said the restoration of public security must be a major priority.

Opinion was split about who should be responsible, with an Iraqi government scoring highest.

Creating job opportunities was rated more likely to improve security effectively than hiring more police.


Iraqi opinion poll:
Key results of the survey

More details

However on various issues, there were stark differences of opinion according to region or ethnic group.

About 6,000 interviews were carried out in total, half in Autumn last year and half this Spring, in a project run by Oxford Research International.

Seventy per cent of people said that things were going well or quite well in their lives, while only 29% felt things were bad.

And 56% said that things were better now than they were before the war.

Th poll company's director Dr Christoph Sahm, said Iraqis trained as interviewers travelled around the country to speak to randomly selected people in their homes.

The survey reflected Iraq's distribution of population, balance between men and women, and religious and ethnic mix.


Hope on streets of Baghdad
Dr Sahm said: "I would call it very extensive; It is a national survey and it is also representative... the key finding is that Iraqis don't want to break up the country."

Meanwhile, an ICM poll of British attitudes about the Iraq war for BBC Newsnight's special programme, One Year On - Iraq, reveals that 48% of those questioned thought taking military action was the right thing to do; 43% thought it was not.

There is an almost even split on whether the war was legal, while 34% of interviewees believe the war has contributed to the security of the UK against 55% who believe it has not.

US 'will take heart'

In the poll of Iraqis, nearly 80% favoured a unified state with a central government in Baghdad; only 14% opted for a system of regional governments combined with a federal authority.

[csqnsas]

LOVE IT.

Got to think about 1 second ...... where did they think of all these great ideas..................

RHODESIA 30 years ago. The super power of today has to replicate one of the poorest -yet somehow superbly superior (of it enemies of the day) military forces of 30 years ago.

Do you think they know about filling their tyres with water yet ?

Or driving through an ambush and then flanking attacks ?

Or fixing claymores onto the sides of their vehicles for an immediate HEADS down for the enemy?

OR?

OR?

OR?

Probably not as that only costs a few bucks.....
Well not yet might take a few more deaths. So sad but true.


Sad so Sad but true. If we forget the past we are doomed to repeate it.

[usa320]

Hummers should have been armored this heavy before they even left the states. They knew they would have RPG's and IED's to deal with, they should have done this long ago.

[Marmot1]

Coolest one!!!
http://www.imageshack.us/img2/8238/x.jpg

[ibstolidude]

LOVE IT.

Got to think about 1 second ...... where did they think of all these great ideas..................

RHODESIA 30 years ago. The super power of today has to replicate one of the poorest -yet somehow superbly superior (of it enemies of the day) military forces of 30 years ago.

Do you think they know about filling their tyres with water yet ?

Or driving through an ambush and then flanking attacks ?

Or fixing claymores onto the sides of their vehicles for an immediate HEADS down for the enemy?

OR?

OR?

OR?

Probably not as that only costs a few bucks.....
Well not yet might take a few more deaths. So sad but true.


Sad so Sad but true. If we forget the past we are doomed to repeate it.

Sad but true that you are an idiot & that when lacking any insight into the current situation continue to talk.

As much as this will come as a great shock

Predominately the vehicles you see modified in the like manner are from the support or the Cav soldiers. Soldiers that left tanks, bradleys and 113 to use an unfamiliar vehicle the HMMWV - something that they have fewer of on their MTOE. (hence the name TWOTs). Under the time constraint - HMMWV were snatched up (as were any other truck) to fill in the gaps. Armored HMMWVs were not available in the numbers needed. The FSB and other units in Iraq modified the existing vehicle - and surprised as you may be they did not sit around and think I wonder what the Rhodesian Army did 30 years ago. They did what every viable military force since the invention of protective equipment did, they improvised.

And why would strapping a claymore to the side of your vehicle assist in the IED attacks that plague the troops in country?

Seeing as the close ambush is not really an ettp - but baiting US forces into civilian damage is a T&T, I think that the claymore idea has loads of potential in the crowded civilian populated cities. :roll:

And why would they fill tires with water? To what purpose? They already have solid rubber cores.

And but thanks - the US infantry never realized about how to counter ambushes - I'll be sure to pass that up.

Moron.

[ibstolidude]

Hummers should have been armored this heavy before they even left the states. They knew they would have RPG's and IED's to deal with, they should have done this long ago.
Many HMMWVs are uparmored - but they need exceeded the production.

And many conventional US Cdrs would never allow the kinda mods to stateside Hmmwvs like you see here.


A couple more from my personal collection - from earlier on:

http://www.digitalstar.com/stolidude/images/358110.JPG

http://www.digitalstar.com/stolidude/images/358098.JPG

[Marmot1]

I wonder if after returning to US they have to reconvert them to oryginal state ???

[ibstolidude]

I wonder if after returning to US they have to reconvert them to oryginal state ???
It is likely that they will be left for many years with the returning forces...

Then they will be sent home to a DRMO, sold/given to other forces (possible the new Iraqi army), or sent to be refitted into a more servicable condition.

[thatguy96]

Everyone's still talking about stealth helicopter gunships and uber-assault rifles...and what is the US Army doing? Building technicals because they don't have any serious amount of light armoured vehicles that are useful for LICs...they should've learned this after Somalia...

[Maj C]

A guy in my office was the counter IED POC for USMC. Yes we know all the Rhodesian tricks, we know it is better to have a purpose built anti-mine vehicle with V-shaped bottom and break away components. But the Rhodesians only had to fight one war in one place. Our equipment is meant to go anywhere in the world and fight in almost any context. So, we have to adjust and try to make up on the fly. We just can't budget to buy specific stuff for every kind of operation before hand. One of the Marine Corps University's staff is South African and has lended alot of advice as to dealing with the threat.

The USMC will probably take custody of many of the Army uparmored HMMWVs when they go into country...they'll be left there for use by the rotating units but chances are they won't last too long as most are already over 10 years old and the additional wear and tear on the suspensions, engines, transmissions from the armor weight.

[DPGLAW]

Water in the tires....now that is something I've never heard of but sounds very interesting. Do they fill the tires completely with water or what? can someone elaborate on this? What does water do that air dosent?

I would imagine it might slow a leak down, but that's it

[thatguy96]

I thought HMMWVs had a tire re-inflate system anyhow...


Yes we know all the Rhodesian tricks, we know it is better to have a purpose built anti-mine vehicle with V-shaped bottom and break away components. But the Rhodesians only had to fight one war in one place. Our equipment is meant to go anywhere in the world and fight in almost any context. So, we have to adjust and try to make up on the fly. We just can't budget to buy specific stuff for every kind of operation before hand.
We seem to find ourselves a lot of these type of situations these days. While your absolutely right about the need to be flexible, everytime I look at it, it seems the US Army is very inflexible for low-intensity situations. While I don't agree with the Rumsfeld model that that's all the Army should be used for, and we should reduce it to a force capable of fighting only under those circumstances, I personally think with all the defense spending on projects that have very little use, a program to explore up-armoring HMMWVs and possibly adding MPV/dedicated patrol vehicles to inventory might well be useful.

[ibstolidude]

I thought HMMWVs had a tire re-inflate system anyhow...


Yes we know all the Rhodesian tricks, we know it is better to have a purpose built anti-mine vehicle with V-shaped bottom and break away components. But the Rhodesians only had to fight one war in one place. Our equipment is meant to go anywhere in the world and fight in almost any context. So, we have to adjust and try to make up on the fly. We just can't budget to buy specific stuff for every kind of operation before hand.
We seem to find ourselves a lot of these type of situations these days. While your absolutely right about the need to be flexible, everytime I look at it, it seems the US Army is very inflexible for low-intensity situations. While I don't agree with the Rumsfeld model that that's all the Army should be used for, and we should reduce it to a force capable of fighting only under those circumstances, I personally think with all the defense spending on projects that have very little use, a program to explore up-armoring HMMWVs and possibly adding MPV/dedicated patrol vehicles to inventory might well be useful.

uparmored HMMWVS are in the inventory and have been since early 1990's. They are being snatched up as fast as they are produced. Unfortunately they are heaby and do not perform as well as a "reg" hmmwv and as I stated the bulk of what you see now are troops that do not typically use hmmwv - i.e. dismount infantry and cav.

[kotrf]

Coolest one!!!
http://www.imageshack.us/img2/8238/x.jpg

Anyone ever watch that cartoon MASK back in the day? Reminds me of the leader guy's modified semi :)

[csqnsas]

Water in the tyres "evaporates" at great heat. So the explosive force is somewhat dissipated and cooled by the evaporating water so the blast damage is greatley reduced.

There are photos of the damage to a duce and a half out there that had water filled tyres and the front drivers side tyre went over at least one Russian TM46 anti tank mine. The result was a missing tyre and a bent wheel rim. The new tyre was fitted and the vehicle drove on.

The down side is that the tyre life is reduced by 33%. A small price to pay.

America's post war awareness and preperation was minimal. Did they really expect thet after winning - and that was a 100% certain. That the local losing population would roll over ?.

Get real

[Scrim]

From USMC.mil

Marines hustle to toughen Iraq-bound vehicles
Submitted by: 1st Force Service Support Group
Story Identification Number: 200431511145
Story by Staff Sgt. Bill Lisbon



FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIDGEWAY, Iraq(March 15, 2004) -- As Marines continue rolling into Iraq, leaders in Kuwait bustle to outfit as many military convoys as possible with extra protection for passengers from ambushes and improvised explosives commonly used by insurgents.

According to guidance from the I Marine Expeditionary Force's commanding general, every effort is to be made to armor the thousands of "soft-skinned" military vehicles the Marines are bringing with them to Iraq.

Given the tactics currently used by the enemy, the Marine Corps is eager to add higher levels of protection to their vehicles, beyond simply requiring passengers to wear Kevlar helmets and flak jackets with bulletproof inserts and lining the truck's inside with sandbags.

In fact, vehicle hardening is a top priority for the Marines, "...even if that means delaying a convoy by a day in order to do so," said Lt. Col. Todd Lloyd, the 1st Force Service Support Group's logistics officer overseeing operations in Kuwait.

Protection for most vehicles comes in the form of add-on kits, which fasten to the chassis or frame. Different kits provide different levels of protection and are applied depending on the mission the vehicle will be used for, said Lloyd. Metal doors replace canvas; Kevlar blankets or steel plates cover floorboards and seats; some even have bulletproof windshields.

Yet certain kits are on backorder, meaning some vehicles may be driven to their forward operating bases in Iraq with little or no additional protection. However, said Lloyd, these vehicles are being tracked and will be hardened as soon as the kits become available.

The area west of Baghdad that the Marines are moving into contains the hot-spot city of Fallujah, which has been the site of numerous convoy ambushes by extremists using rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and improvised explosives.

Since most I MEF units just returned from fighting in Iraq last summer, some as late as September 2003, and got the word to deploy to Iraq in November, time to get retooled for this deployment has been limited.

In December, I MEF asked its subordinate commands – 1st FSSG, 1st Marine Division and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing – to identify the number of vehicles it would need for its return trip to Iraq. This ultimately began the process of identifying how many hardening kits would be needed, said Lloyd, whose Marines are responsible for approximately 20 percent of the vehicles to be hardened.

Since then, Marine Corps systems command, who tests and fields gear for the Corps' operating forces, scurried to get the kits manufactured and shipped to Marines at their staging areas in Kuwait.

Yet some Marines, worried that the kits wouldn’t reach them in time or even wanting to further harden the vehicles, have sought out numerous alternatives.

Staff Sgt. Charles J. Willson, who oversaw the staging of I MEF vehicles in Kuwait, was among the handful of Marines at Camp Victory who scooped up humvee armor plating shed by Army units returning from Iraq.

"We're doing the Marine thing," said Willson. "If they’re willing to give it to us, we're willing to take it. We're going to bring all our Marines home."

Some Marines with 1st FSSG stumbled across Army National Guard Sgt. Alan R. Shields, who, with 35 years of metal working under his belt, has designed his own armor kit. With a handful of Marines, which he also taught how to cut and weld metal, and sheets of scrap metal, Shields could armor a humvee in two to three days.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 James L. Patterson, the officer in charge of the 1st FSSG's Mortuary Affairs Unit, found two Marine mechanics, bought them a pizza, and asked them to help harden his humvees, to include adding a machine gun mount and a wire-takedown bar to protect the gunner from low-hanging, decapitating wires.

"There's nothing more wonderful than a lance corporal with an imagination and a cutting torch," Patterson said.

While some of the hardening efforts have left some vehicles reminiscent of those in the Mad Max films, most are careful not to do anything that cannot be taken off later.

Reacting to the enemy's tactics, Army units here have individually relied on fabricating much of their own armor plating using resources available in Iraq and their own labor, said Maj. Anthony Fabiano, the Group's deputy logistics officer. Marine Corps Systems Command's approach of fielding specific kits helps the Marine Corps maintain some sort of standard protection.

In the near future, Fabiano plans to check all the vehicles to ensure their armor is up to snuff and determine whether or not 1st FSSG Marines could be employed in creating additional plating from available steel for Marine vehicles.

"Just because 'SysCom' came out with something doesn't mean it can't be improved upon," he said.

While the combat troops of 1st Marine Division's convoys will likely be concentrating on patrolling the streets and seeking out insurgents, the 1st FSSG's are primarily focused on moving supplies. Most military logistics vehicles aren't armored like tanks because they are not meant to attack vehicles.

"Vehicle hardening is essential," said Fabiano, who has been in Iraq for two months already and has ridden in numerous convoys.

Approximately 25,000 Marines and sailors, under the command of I MEF, are currently streaming back into the country they helped liberate less than a year ago. Once they have relieved the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, the Marines will conduct security and stability operations while the newly-formed Iraqi government strengthens. Iraq signed an interim constitution March 8, 2004, stepping in the direction of self-rule.

I MEF is based in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

[Sierra]

Here they are.
http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/1/5/20/124610520kSrjVF_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/6/86/124610686KaYcxX_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/22/13/124602213LVLLBo_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/0/79/124610079XrgOmm_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image8/0/23/66/124602366PEHNxJ_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/0/85/71/124608571dNXlvX_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/0/35/43/124603543wVokxA_ph.jpg?

http://community.webshots.com/s/image2/1/8/29/124610829TFUgvI_ph.jpg?[/img]

[MEGR]

Those pics are pretty sweet! More power to them for using junk to save their lives, along with their comrade's.

[catalyst]

the 5tonne truck photo in another setting. Samre truck different photo
http://www.armorama.com/modules/photopost/data/500/3942guntruck_thing.jpg