The Toyota Horde. Potential Future Fact or Fairytale?

[a_majoor]

Looking at it from the other direction, we could produce a very hard hitting "toyota horde" of our own by marrying modern military equipment to military grade utility vehicles. This has been done to some extent by arming and armouring HMMVWs, but there have been lots of prototypes and developmental experiments based on the HMMVW which demonstrate what *we* could do.

HMMVWs can act as DF and anti tank vehicles using ground mounted Hellfire or LOSAT missiles mounted on the vehicles. Low tech solutions could include mounting 106mm Recoiless rfles.
They can provide IF by towing/ carrying all maner of weapons ranging from FOG-M, 81mm automatic mortars, conventional mortars or towing light artillery pieces.
They have been used as recce vehicles mounting various sensor kits and carrying dismountable scouts; FOO/FAC versions also exist
They are used as troop carriers
They have been used as platoon and company fire support vehicles mounting all manner of machine guns, AGL's and other nastyness in ring mounts, turrets and remote weapons mounts.
There is even a demonstrated AA capability using the AVENGER turret
Since the basic vehicle is a utility truck, the logistical tail is also taken care of, and if all the vehicles of the "horde" are based on the same chassis, the logistical tail is shortened.
The HMMVW is a military grade chassis, and has superior cross country mobility to most commercial vehicles.

In today's environment, we would subsititue some form of MRAP light chassis as the basis, but as you can see from this thought experiment, a light "horde" is possible, and allied with modern comunications techniques and tied into long range support would be able to carry out most military tasks short of direct assault against prepared positions or the main line of defense in a high intensity war scenario. This answers Infanteers objection as well, such a force will have utility across a broad spectrum of operations and hence be able to support the political goals of the organizing force.

The main issue to overcome is really an institutional bias against light/medium forces

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

The main issue to overcome is really an institutional bias against light/medium forces

Well, there is an bias against throwing soldier's lives away when you didn't have to. What works in training may not work when real lives are on the line. The "Trading Sabre for Stealth" thread talked about that. I trained with a Cav HMMVW organization. It was quite powerful in terms of firepower, but it was also quite vulnerable.

In a WW3 all-hands on deck fight for survival you might take that chance, but in most wars you will be quite reluctant to take the chances you take in peacetime.

For a force that is somewhat indifferent to casualties and can hide among civilian vehicles then the Toyota can be a great weapon of war.

 

[Old Sweat]

At the risk of flying off on a tangent, do we not have an example of a Toyota Horde taking on a real army in Libya? Admittedly, both sides are militarily inept, with the rebels being little but an armed mob, but it sure looks like poorly-trained, equipped and led, but highly motivated, forces still operate at a real disadvantage.

 

[a_majoor]

Well, there is an bias against throwing soldier's lives away when you didn't have to. What works in training may not work when real lives are on the line. The "Trading Sabre for Stealth" thread talked about that. I trained with a Cav HMMVW organization. It was quite powerful in terms of firepower, but it was also quite vulnerable.

This is probably a matter of perspective as well. In my thought experiment, I suggested a MRAP light chassis be the basis of the "Horde" (think of the Ocelot). We know the US uses uparmoured HMMVW's as troop carriers and fire support vehicles today. The British seem comfortable with Landrover 110's "armoured" with a Kevlar blanket, or Jackal MWMIK's which seem to be open platforms surrounded by guns. The owning nations have their own "comfort levels" for light forces.

The sort of force which can be generated using light vehicles will have certain advantages in strategic and operational mobility, and a smaller logistics tail than medium or heavy force. OTOH there will be situations where the light force will not be applicable, so planning and usage will have to take that into account.