Despite Upgrades, Humvee Deaths Up

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/04/iraq/main1585174.shtml

Coming on the heels of insurgent violence in Iraq on Wednesday, a new report says that despite stronger armor on over 50,000 Humvees and other military vehicles throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, roadside bombs have killed more U.S. troops this year based on Pentagon records.

Most are dying in their Humvees, USA Today reports, as insurgents plant more powerful bombs and use different triggering methods to evade U.S. countermeasures, experts tell the newspaper.

According to Pentagon casualty reports, 67 U.S. troops have died this year in roadside bomb attacks on their Humvees, and another 22 troops were killed when IEDs hit other military vehicles, including more heavily armored tanks and troop carriers.

That's up from 27 in Humvees — and an additional 38 deaths involving IED attacks on other vehicles — during the first four months of 2005, USA Today notes, using Pentagon and the newspaper's Iraq war casualty database. Roadside bombs also killed more troops in Afghanistan, USA Today reports, with 10 killed this year, compared with one in the first four months of 2005.

[One Honest Guy]

1. Humvee Deaths Up? Well how about another 800 lbs of armor plating?

Heck, make it an even extra 1000 lbs of armor plating. Yeah, that's the ticket! Make these suckers look like an APC on steroids.

Lowering their agility and top speed with all the armor plating is sound strategy. Humvee with a top speed of 10-12mph is a great asset in a combat zone!:sarcasm:

How about leaving Iraq? I think that could fix the exploding Humvee issue. No?

[alfredo]

5. The extra weight would wear out the transmission

suspension and brakes. Might even shorten the life span of the engine.

[Captain Hilts]

6. The Marines are VERY concerned about the effect of weight on trans...

missions. It's going to wear them out.

[alfredo]

7. If the sand does do it first.

[Ian David]

2. Oh... I was hoping this was going to be the Humvees on U.S. Highways

Welcome to FUH2.com, home of the official Hummer H2 salute. So...why all the fuss? Well, it breaks down like this:


* The H2 is a gas guzzler. Because it has a gross vehicle weight rating over 8500 lbs, the US government does not require it to meet federal fuel efficiency regulations. Hummer isn't even required to publish its fuel economy (owners indicate that they get around 10 mpg for normal use). So while our brothers and sisters are off in the Middle East risking their lives to secure America's fossil fuel future, H2 drivers are pissing away our "spoils of victory" during each trip to the grocery store.

More:
http://www.fuh2.com/

[CatholicEdHead]

3. The Hummer was designed to be a scout vehicle

to be used in open areas, not urban warfare patrolling.

[951-Riverside]

4. If you've ever seen those videos that come out every week

I doubt even a tank could survive those roadside explosions.

[One Honest Guy]

8. I've seen few of them.

Few of them looked very small, but others were huge. I mean, there was one that looked like several tons of high explosives were detonated. I forget, but in the video I think a Bradley vehicle was the target. The vehicle just disappeared. Once all the dust and smoke settled, you could see the Bradley but it was all mangled and was thrown (and I do believe it WAS in fact thrown) quite a bit sideways. I don't know the physics involved which would cause a vehicle of that size and tonnage to be thrown in such a manner, but damn!