All-terrain vehicles are essential articles of military machinery in armed forces worldwide. Here are the best Military Light Utility Vehicles in service today.
Before Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were seen cruising around town in their respective Humvee and Mercedes-Benz G-Class, these all-terrain people carriers played a far more important role on the world’s stage as essential articles of military machinery. Ever since horses were phased out and armies were mechanized, the Military Light Utility Vehicle (or LUV) has been integral to infantry utility service, with vehicles such as the Willys Jeep, Land Rover, Humvee, and G-Wagon proving invaluable for a variety of applications. These include transporting goods and personnel, carrying mounted weapons, medical evacuations, reconnaissance, and many other purposes.
LUVs are the lightest weight class of any military vehicle. They vary from commercially-available vehicles repurposed for military use, such as the ubiquitous Toyota Land Cruiser, to purpose-built machines, such as the bespoke Boeing Phantom Badger. While most Military Light Utility Vehicles are markedly different from one another, they all share some common characteristics. For example, they are usually all-wheel drive, have all-terrain capabilities, sparse armor, and the capacity to carry at least four people.
During World War 2, the 4×4 Willys Jeep was the first vehicle created for the Army’s new class of light vehicles weighing less than a ton, and the German equivalent was Volkswagen’s Kübelwagen. Successive militaries utilized various forms of LUV ever since, and they are now considered a fundamental part of any mechanized fighting force. The following are the best Military Light Utility Vehicles that are currently in operation worldwide.IVECO VM 90
Most European road users will be familiar with the Italian truck manufacturer IVECO. The company name is an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation and it has been producing high-quality trucks and buses since 1975.
Based on the IVECO Daily truck, the Italian IVECO VM 90 is an adaptable 4×4 that has seen action in many conflicts, most recently in Ukraine. True to its trucking roots, the VM 90 is bulky, with a height of over 9 feet, a length of over 20 feet, and a width of 6.6 feet. This lends itself to impressive versatility, as you can pack a lot of potential into such a sizable frame.
As such, there are four main variants of the VM 90 currently in use. There is the base model, the Ambulanza battlefield ambulance, the Protetto armor-plated option for combat use, and the Torpedo tactical unit with a tarp at the rear. This rear open section can mount a 12.7-millimeter heavy machine gun or a 7.62-millimeter light machine gun turret or install other add-ons, such as a field clinic box for medical applications.
The IVECO VM 90 is a somewhat basic yet highly versatile Military Light Utility Vehicle that fulfills roles as a general utility vehicle on the battlefield, a reconnaissance vehicle due to its lightweight design, and an armored car with off-road proficiency. The Italians have a saying: La semplicità è l’ultima sofisticazione, or “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” This certainly applies to the workhorse VM 90.Toyota Land Cruiser
Few brands have such a reputation for reliability as Toyota. It is, therefore, no surprise that the Toyota Land Cruiser became perhaps the most commonly-used non-purpose-built Military Light Utility Vehicle and the choice of irregular armies in South and Central America, Africa, and Asia.
The Land Cruiser has been manufactured as a four-wheel-drive commercial vehicle since 1953. More recently, it has become a staple vehicle for paramilitary organizations and militant groups for use in transporting personnel, supplies, and weapons. While it is available in many variants, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series is the one most popularly used as a LUV, in particular, the two-door pickup model, which could accommodate passengers in the cab and at the rear, where a heavy machine gun could also be mounted on a tripod. Dedicated troop carriers were also created with fully-enclosed cabins as well as armor-plated versions, among other special-purpose options.
Not only was the Land Cruiser reliable, but parts were readily available in all corners of the world, making this a highly practical and cost-effective solution, especially in poorer nations. Such was its ubiquity during the 1980s conflict between Chad and Libya that it was commonly referred to as the Toyota War. While this could only have been bad publicity for the Japanese marque, the Land Cruiser remains a popular seller even today.URO VAMTAC S3
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but even the Spanish would have to admit that they borrowed more than a little from the design of the Humvee in creating their flagship Military Light Utility Vehicle, the URO VAMTAC S3. To the casual onlooker, it is almost indistinguishable from its U.S. counterpart, with its narrow, perpendicular windshield, wide, boxy hood, flush wheel arches, and pitched rear roof panel.
The VAMTAC acronym translates as “high mobility tactical vehicle,” and it does exactly what it says on the carton. It is indeed highly mobile and available in several variants to suit multiple applications. This is a one-size-fits-all solution, and such is its usefulness that it has been exported to several countries in Europe, North Africa, and Central America.
Its variants include both pickup and enclosed versions and a command version, which houses a cargo compartment. Many are fitted with anti-ballistic armor plating, and they can carry many different armaments, including rocket launchers, grenade launchers, mortars, and heavy machine guns.
