M1117 Armored Security Vehicle

M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
Name	M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
Origin	United States
Type	Armored security vehicle
Service	1999–present
Used by	See Operators
Designer	Textron Marine & Land Systems
Manufacturer	Textron Systems
Production date	1999–2018
Weight	14.5 t (approx.)
Length	5.7 m
Width	2.5 m
Height	2.9 m
Armour	Ballistic steel, spall liners
Primary armament	1 × 40 mm Mk 19 or 1 × 25 mm Bushmaster
Secondary armament	2 × 7.62 mm M240
Engine	Cummins diesel
Speed	100 km/h
Vehicle range	650 km

M1117 Armored Security Vehicle is a wheeled armored vehicle developed in the United States for force protection, convoy escort, and military police missions. It entered service in the late 1990s and has been deployed in expeditionary operations, peacekeeping, and stability missions. The vehicle combines mine-resistant, ambush-protected features with a turreted weapons station and is fielded by several national security organizations and law enforcement units.

Development and Design

Development began in the 1990s when United States Army and United States Marine Corps requirements for protected patrol and convoy escort platforms stimulated proposals from industry. Textron Marine & Land Systems, a division of Textron, adapted a family of wheeled armored vehicles to meet specifications influenced by lessons from Somalia 1993 and post‑Cold War operations. Industrial partners and subcontractors included companies linked to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency procurement ecosystem and components sourced from suppliers serving programs such as MRAP development. Prototype evaluation occurred at Aberdeen Proving Ground and other test centers before selection for production and limited fielding by military police and security detachments.

Description and Features

The vehicle uses a V‑shaped hull and ballistic steel construction influenced by designs seen in Stryker development and earlier M-ATV concepts. The chassis integrates a diesel powerpack from suppliers common to tactical vehicle programs and an automatic transmission similar to systems used in HMMWV upgrades. Crew layout places driver, vehicle commander, and gunner in the forward compartment with troop bench seating in the rear, facilitating patrols akin to missions performed by Military Police Corps units. The turret accepts a variety of weapon stations, including manual and remote turrets comparable to those fitted to LAV-25 and Bradley Fighting Vehicle families. Onboard systems have included communications suites interoperable with Blue Force Tracker-style networks and climate control compatible with operations in Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan theaters.

Variants and Modifications

Baseline configurations include the Patrol Vehicle variant with a 40 mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher or a 25 mm M242/M242 Bushmaster-style cannon, and an Armament Carrier with dual machine guns. Export and modified versions have been produced for law enforcement and foreign armed forces, with mission packages incorporating remote weapon stations, add-on armor kits, surveillance masts, and medical evacuation fittings. Field modifications by units in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom produced localized counter‑IED upgrades, blast‑mitigation seating, and electronic countermeasure suites similar to systems applied to Cougar and Buffalo vehicles.

Operational History

Initial operational deployments involved security, convoy escort, and base defense roles with United States Army Military Police Corps units assigned to theater security missions. The vehicle saw early use in Bosnia and Herzegovina peace enforcement rotations and later in major deployments to Iraq War and Afghanistan. Host nation forces and allied militaries adopted the platform for law enforcement, border security, and internal security duties, often through Foreign Military Sales programs administered under United States Department of Defense export frameworks.

Combat and Deployment Performance

In combat, the vehicle demonstrated strengths in patrolling urban and route‑security tasks, offering superior ballistic protection compared with soft‑skinned trucks and some lethality options for suppressive fire. Its wheeled mobility, comparable to Stryker and some Light Armored Vehicle families, enabled rapid response over paved and semi‑prepared routes. Encounters with improvised explosive devices and anti‑armor weapons revealed vulnerabilities common to light armored wheeled vehicles, leading units to apply modular add‑on armor and counter‑IED measures influenced by lessons from IED incidents across Iraq and Afghanistan. After-action reports from units and public accounts documented both survivability successes and limitations when faced with large IEDs and RPG ambushes.

Operators

Operators have included elements of the United States Army, United States Marine Corps for security roles, and several foreign militaries and law enforcement agencies through sales and excess equipment transfers. Recipients have come from regions including the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America under bilateral security assistance programs and surplus transfer authorities managed by Defense Security Cooperation Agency and similar agencies.

Survivability and Countermeasures

Survivability features include ballistic steel armor, spall liners, and a V‑shaped hull to improve blast deflection—design principles shared with MRAP programs and vehicles like the Cougar (vehicle) and Buffalo (vehicle). Crew survivability was improved with blast‑attenuating seats and retrofit kits that units installed in theater. Countermeasures have encompassed electronic warfare suites to disrupt radio‑controlled IEDs, slat and appliqué armor against rocket propellant grenades used in RPG attacks, and integrated situational‑awareness sensors inspired by systems fielded on armored reconnaissance platforms such as the LAV-25 and Stryker families. Continuous upgrades addressed threats characterized during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Category:Armoured fighting vehicles of the United States Category:Wheeled armoured personnel carriers