Later, in 2009, AM General launched the high-end armour fragmentation kit seven (FRAG 7) for the M1151 up-armoured Humvee. The FK 5 provides IED blast protection and small arms protection, while the objective gunner’s protection kit provides the gunner to view the battlefield with high safety through the transparent armoured glass. The M-1151A1 is fitted with a fragmentation kit five (FK 5) and objective gunner’s protection kit. In 2008, the US Army fielded a new variant, the M-1151A1, to the National Training Centre.

In 1989, the HMMWV entered combat as part of Operation Just Cause, the US invasion of Panama. In 1983, the US Army awarded a contract to AM General to manufacture 55,000 HMMWVs, of which 39,000 were for the US Army and the remaining vehicles for the US Marine Corps, US Air Force and US Navy. The development and operational testing were conducted in 1982. In 1981, the US Army awarded a contract to AM General to produce additional prototypes of the tactical vehicle for further tests. Testing was conducted over rocky hills, deep sand, 60in-deep water, desert heat and arctic snow over 965,606km. The US Army gave contracts to three contenders, AM General, Chrysler Defense, and Teledyne Continental, to design and develop 11 prototype HMMWVs, comprising of six weapon carriers and five utility vehicles.

In 1979, the US Army issued a draft specification for the new tactical vehicle which led to the development of the Humvee.

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