Most have heard of the 'unarmored Humvee' scandal; it has generated an Army evaluation of upgrades of current military transport. They are currently being conducted, but without any Mission orientation, only with a list of suggestive-upgrades from Field Commands. This is equivalent to carrying a bucket of water to Hell. The U.S. Military needs a Concept Strategy for military transport.
Line Command suggests We need 'removable armor' for Our Transport vehicles. There will never be enough armor available, or will there be sufficiently rapid transition time. Armor once put on will never be taken off, until the vehicle is taken out of service due to Combat casualty or vehicle malfunction. The Military, on the other hand, will pay for the upgraded suspension systems on all vehicles, even when there is no armor to be found for them.
This Author suggests the Military must transition to a 'Pull-Trailer' Concept Strategy. We do not need upgraded Humvees, but lightly-armored light tanks of superior power, engineered to operate at high speed and function a Semi-tractors. These light tanks would have the armor to stop small weapons fire, mine penetration, and all shrapnel. It will have the suspension and weight to act as a Semi-tractor, with the quick connection of railway cars. It would have the transmission capacity to act as a Semi-tractor, or a high-speed role as Scout vehicle; all while maintaining the same Fuel consumption ratios of a Semi-tractor.
Pull-trailers can be produced for all uses: heavily-armored for Troop transport with cross-Country capacity; off-road capacity for Fuel transport and Munitions; or regular road Transport of materials. These Pull-Trailers should be easily stackable for Naval transport, and sturdy enough with necessary suspension for the role assigned.
The light tanks should be equiped with a short-barrel tank gun(or TOW-type rockets) for fighting APCs, armored cars, or bunker systems. There should be an on-board grenade-launcher for fighting Infantry, plus two Automatic Rifles to cover the rear and sides of the vehicle. The vehicle(crew of 4) should have the capacity to transport Troops in Pull-trailers, support those Troops in ground assaults, operate as Patrol vehicles, and operate as simple Semi-tractors for transport--in Peace and War. lgl
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