Military

XM1113/M1113 HMMWV Expanded Capacity Vehicle

The M1113 shelter carrier provided the capability to secure and transport the S250 electrical equipment shelter. The optional self-recovery winch permited recovery operations of similar vehicles. Fully-loaded M1113 shelter carriers could climb road grades as steep as 40 percent (22 degrees) and traverse a side slope of up to 30 percent (17 degrees). The vehicle could ford hard bottom water crossings up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) without a deep water fording kit and 60 inches (152 centimeters) with the kit.

The M1113 HMMWV had a gross vehicle weight of 11,500 lbs. TACOM developed the M1113 Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV) as a HMMWV shelter carrier with strengthened suspension, drive train, and braking systems. As a result, the available vehicle payload was increased to 5,150 lbs, more than enough to handle projected CECOM load requirements.

The S-788 Lightweight Multipurpose Shelters (LMS) mounted on the original M1037 and M1097 HMMWVs could not carry a fully configured shelter (weight rating of 3,300 lbs) because the combined shelter/crew/trailer pintle load weights exceeded available HMMWV payload (4,400 lbs). As a result, materiel developers either removed excess equipment from their shelters and/or added additional HMMWV "chase vehicles" to carry the additional equipment. This situation came to a head in one particular case where the system exceeded the HMMWV rating by 30 lbs, but was refused an overload waiver by DCSOPS. As an alternative to removing mission equipment, materiel developers should consider replacing the M1037/M1097 with a prime mover with a higher rated payload, leading to the the M1113 Expanded Capacity Vehicle (ECV).

The expanded payload capacity of the vehicle led to it being used in a wide variety of roles where carrying heavy equipment was required. The XM1124 hybrid HMMWV was based off of an M1113. The Line of Sight Anti-Tank (LOSAT) missile and Kinetic Energy Missile (KEM) launch vehicles were both based on the M1113 vehicle. The M56 smoke generator vehicle also used the M1113 as a carrier.

The M1113 became the lead vehicle in the HMMWV ECV series. The first vehicles to follow were Up-Armored armament carrier and TOW carrier configurations, the M1114, M1115, and M1116. The USAF also recieved a vehicle specifically designed for Tactical Air Control Parties, the M1145. In 2006, a second group of ECV based vehicles were introduced, providing an armament carrier with basic armor (but capable of accepting the various add-on armor kits), the M1151, a heavy cargo carrier, the M1152, and a general purpose and command vehicle variant, the M1165. Soon after, a TOW missile carrier with basic armor, the M1167, was also introduced.