M1117 Armored Security Vehicle

M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
A U.S. Army M1117 Armored Security Vehicle in Khost Province, Afghanistan, in September 2007
TypeInternal security vehicle
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1999–present
Used bySee Operators
WarsWar in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Iraq War
Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013)
Colombian Conflict
Syrian Civil War[citation needed]
Russo-Ukrainian War
Production history
DesignerCadillac Gage
ManufacturerTextron Marine & Land Systems
Specifications
Mass29,560 lb (13,410 kg)
Length237 inches (6.0 m)
Width101 inches (2.6 m)
Height102 inches (2.6 m)
Crew5

ArmorIBD Modular Expandable Armor System
Main
armament
40 mm Mk 19 grenade launcher, .50 caliber M2HB heavy machine gun
Secondary
armament
M240H general-purpose machine gun
EngineCummins 6CTA8.3
260 hp, 828 foot-pounds
TransmissionModel MD3560 6-speed Allison Transmission
Suspension4×4 wheeled, fully independent
Operational
range
475 miles at 50 mph
Maximum speed 63 mph (101 km/h)

The M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV; nicknamed Guardian) is an internal security vehicle based on the V-100 and V-150 Commando series of armored cars. It was developed in the late 1990s for service with the United States' Military Police Corps.[1] The first prototypes appeared in February 1997 and serial production of the M1117 commenced between 1999 and early 2000.[1]

The M1117 was one of the first U.S. military vehicles to be built on a specialized mine-resistant hull, and after 2001 was adopted in increasing numbers as a direct response to the threat posed by improvised explosive devices to US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.[2][3] Its armament consists of an Mk 19 grenade launcher and M2HB Browning machine gun, mounted in a turret similar to that used on the United States Marine Corps' Amphibious Assault Vehicle, and a M240H Medium Machine Gun mounted outside the gunner's hatch.

The vehicle was utilized by American military police and convoy security units in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a more heavily protected and heavily armed alternative to the armored M1114 HMMWV aka "Humvee", which was not originally designed to be a protected fighting vehicle.

  1. ^ a b "A Commando For Every Mission" (PDF). Providence, Rhode Island: Textron. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. ^ Lansford, Thomas (2017). Afghanistan at War: From the 18th-Century Durrani Dynasty to the 21st Century: From the 18th-Century Durrani Dynasty to the 21st Century. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, publishers. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-59884-759-8.
  3. ^ "Army National Guard FY2012 Financial Report" (PDF). Arlington, Virginia: United States Army National Guard. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2017.