RED RIVER ARMY DEPOT, Texas – There’s one thing the team at Red River Army Depot knows well – how to remanufacture every variant of the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee). For nearly 20 years, the depot has ensured HMMWVs are returned back to the field in a like-new status.
Now team members at Red River are partnering with Ricardo Defense to improve the safety of HMMWVs by taking on a program to install Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) and Electronic Stability Controls (ESC) on the vehicles.
“The plan is to retrofit the entire HMMWV fleet over time with anti-lock brakes and stability controls,” said Jamie Bass, Director of the depot’s Directorate of Logistics. “This program will provide active rollover protection as well as a more stabilized braking system. The bottom line is providing more protection for the men and women who use these vehicles.”
The ABS/ESC program provides shorter stopping distances, reduces wear of the brake system components and increases the operational readiness of the vehicles.
Currently, Red River is set to upgrade over 1,900 vehicles in the HMMWV fleet, but the plan includes upgrading 500 or more HMMWVs per year through FY27.
The ABS/ESC program will focus on both active duty units as well as the National Guard. Red River will conduct these upgrades at the depot as well unit locations including, Yukima, Washington; Ft. Irwin, California; Ft. Bragg, North Carolina and Paris, Illinois.
“We are just continuing our commitment to taking care of soldiers,” RRAD Commander Col. John Kredo said. “This program provides an additional layer of protection for them while also making the HMMWV even more viable.”
Red River Army Depot serves as the Center of Industrial and Technical for the HMMWV and has repaired the fleet since 2004. To date, over 50,000 HMMWVs have been remanufactured on the depot’s multifaceted production lines. When the depot first began rebuilding HMMWVs, the team was only able to produce three vehicles per week. Through the depot’s complete commitment to lean manufacturing principles, they now have the capability to produce up to 40 HMMWVs a day, if needed.
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