From Jeep to Humvee to JLTV

The Jeep served the U.S. military from 1942 to the 1980s, when it was replaced by the ponderous Humvee. Now the Humvee is considered venerable, as well as vulnerable, and the Army and Marines are looking forward to their next light truck. (The Jeep weighed 2300 pounds ready to roll. The Humvee weighs 6000 pounds. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is supposed to come in at 13,000 pounds, with a payload of 7000 pounds.) Above is a promotional video for the cutest of the three contenders, on offer from the British defense firm BAE and the American truck manufacturer Navistar. And here's a story in the Wall Street Journal about the tradeoffs involved. (Fuel economy is not mentioned.)

The only pet name I can derive from JLTV is Jilltiv, obviously a nonstarter. So here's a thought: we could call it an armored car. Blue skies! -- Dan Ford