The M1109 and M1114 HMMWVs are an Up-Armored Armament Carrier configuration of the HMMWV family. The vehicles are equipped with additional armor both on the sides and underneath to protect the crew from small arms ammunition and mines.

The M1114 is the successor version to the XM1109 HMMWV Up-Armored Armament Carrier. The M1114 is an Up-Armored HMMWV that provides ballistic, artillery, and mine blast protection to the vehicle occupants. The principal modifications to the ECV HMMWV include an armor package, high capacity brakes, upgraded suspension and lift points, a reinforced frame, and a large capacity air conditioning unit. The weapon mount, located on the roof of the vehicle, is adaptable to mount either the M60, 7.62mm machine gun; M2 .50 caliber machine gun; or the MK 19 Grenade Launcher. The weapons platform can be traversed 360 degrees. This confirguration of the HMMWV is equipped with the self-recovery winch.

The Up-Armored program (M1114) was developed as a result of peacekeeping efforts throughout various parts of the world. A need was identified for an armored, mobile vehicle that provided a high level of ballistic protection against sniper fire and mine blasts. One of the great pieces of equipment that was used down in Bosnia was this M1114, Up-Armored HMMWV. It is basically a standard HMMWV that is built on a heavy-duty HMMWV chassis so -- and it has some extra ballistic protection. It is far superior to a normal HMMWV in terms of its ability to withstand a blast from a mine.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a US HMMWV M1114, assigned to the 220th Military Police Company, then serving in Baghdad during 2003. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 2-1/2 inches
Width: 1-1/4 inches

Release Date: February 2006

Historical Account: "Hillbilly Armor" - Hillbilly armor, also known as "farmer armor", is a slang term used by American troops to describe improvised vehicle armor, most notably during the occupation of Iraq.

Vehicle armor has occasionally been improvised by American armed forces in other conflicts. In World War II, U.S. tank crews welded spare strips of tank track to the hulls of their Sherman, Grant, and Stuart tanks. In the Vietnam War, U.S. "gun trucks" were reinforced with sandbags and locally fabricated steel armor plate.

When American troops first took Baghdad, only the U.S. military police had fully armored vehicles. During the occupation that followed the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, insurgent forces deployed roadside bombs and snipers with small arms to attack military vehicles on supply convoys and other known routes.

To protect themselves from these threats, American troops began reinforcing their Humvees, LMTVs and MTVs with whatever was available, including scrap metal, kevlar blankets, compromised ballistic glass and plywood. In some cases they relied on Iraqis to assist them in these efforts, and referred to the result as "haji" armor. They were also officially advised to line the floors of their Humvees with sandbags to deaden the impact of land mine explosions.

Some officers in Iraq were disciplined over their refusal to carry out missions in what they considered improperly armored vehicles. (Courtesy: Wikipedia)