M1117 Guardian
The M1117 Guardian, also denoted Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), is an internal security vehicle based on the V-100 and V-150 Commando series of armored cars. It was developed in the late 1990s for service with the United States Military Police Corps. The first prototypes appeared in February 1997 and serial production of the M1117 commenced between 1999 and early 2000.
The M1117 was one of the first American military vehicles to be built on a specialized mine-resistant hull, and after 2001 was adopted in increasing numbers as a direct response to the threat posed by improvised explosive devices to US forces in Afghanistan. Its armament consists of an Mk 19 grenade launcher and M2HB Browning machine gun, mounted in a turret similar to that used on the U.S. Marine Corps' Amphibious Assault Vehicle; and a M240H Medium Machine Gun mounted outside the gunner's hatch. The vehicle was utilized by American military police and convoy security units in Afghanistan. It is a more heavily protected and heavily armed alternative to the armored Humvee which was not originally designed to be a protected fighting vehicle. In 2015 Textron Systems rebranded the M1117 as the COMMANDO™ family of vehicles, bringing back the name of the vehicle from which the M1117 was derived.
Operators[edit | edit source]
- Afghanistan
- Afghan National Army
- Afghan National Police
- Bulgaria
- Bulgarian Army
- Canada
- Canadian Army - see Textron TAPV
- Colombia
- Colombian Army
- Romania
- Romanian Land Forces
- United States
- United States Army
