Army orders Humvees for Afghan forces

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has ordered more than 2,500 Humvees from AM General LLC of South Bend, Ind., for the Afghan National Guard and Police.

The fixed-price contract for the vehicles, announced last week by the Department of Defense, is worth about $61.9 million, it said.

Manufacture of the 2,526 M1152A1B2 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles will be performed in South Bend. The estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2013.

The vehicles will be configured with troop enclosures.

The Department of Defense said one bid had been solicited and one bid received for the contract.

The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle was first introduced into the Army's vehicular fleet in the mid-1980. It was originally intended as a replacement for the Jeep and for use as a personnel and light cargo carrier behind front lines.

Humvees today, often used as urban combat vehicles, are heavily armored to withstand small arms fire and to help improve occupant survivability from improvised explosive devices.