The harrowing experience of the Somali Civil War in 1993, during which the US military had to navigate Mogadishu in inadequately protected Humvee SUVs amidst bloodshed, compelled the leadership of the American army to reassess their tactics regarding armored vehicles. This led to a shift in command strategy, broadening the organizational structure beyond the dualistic doctrine of exclusively deploying M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and lightly armored, poorly armed HMMWV SUVs.

The U.S. Army needed to find a compromise solution that would combine the firepower of HMMWV weapons with the level of protection offered by an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). This led to the development of the M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle, a 4×4 wheeled armored vehicle based on the Cadillac Gage Commando from the Vietnam War era.

The M1117 was developed in the late 1990s for service with the United States Army Military Police Corps. It was one of the first U.S. military vehicles built with a mine-resistant hull. After 2001, the combat vehicle was reintroduced as a direct response to the threat posed by improvised explosive devices to American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, the program was canceled in 2002 due to a change in budget priorities. The United States Army believed that there were enough vehicles in service that could be used without an ‘unacceptable level of risk.’

In 2011, the cost of one M1117 was $800,000 per unit, significantly more expensive than an unarmored army HMMWV SUV worth $140,000 or its armored version worth $220,000.

Nevertheless, the 2003 invasion of Iraq offered a new opportunity for this vehicle. Active hostilities revealed the numerical shortcomings of the available equipment – HMMWVs were vulnerable to ambushes and resulted in significant losses. After all, HMMWVs were not designed as armored vehicles and could not withstand serious engagements with the enemy.

However, military police units that used the M1117 in combat zones, such as the 527th Company and other units of the 709th Military Police Battalion, which were equipped with 49 M1117 armored vehicles, successfully carried out their combat missions and experienced relatively low losses.

Soldiers who operated the M1117 and some members of Congress who visited Iraq are known to have favored these particular vehicles due to significantly higher levels of protection.

Due to urgent demands from the United States Army in the mid-2000s, production increased more than forty-fold – from a single manufactured armored vehicle in three weeks to 56 vehicles per month. As of mid-2007, 1,729 vehicles had been manufactured.

Interestingly, many of the armored vehicles ordered were not only delivered to units of the Military Police Corps but also to other detachments, including the national police of Iraq.

Tactical and technical characteristics

The weight of the standard M1117 is 15 tons, but with a complex of add-on ceramic armor, it can reach 20 tons. The dimensions of the vehicle are 2.4 meters wide and 2.6 meters high.

In terms of size and capability, the М1117 falls between a Humvee light army SUV and a $5 million Stryker armored personnel carrier.

One of the key advantages of the Guardian is a multi-layer modular armor protection scheme with a removable set of ceramic composite armor and a layer of steel, from which the ‘monocoque’ body-shell of the vehicle and the inner layer of Kevlar anti-icing are made. This greatly improves crew survivability, especially in urban combat conditions. The armor protection of the vehicle is capable of withstanding shots from 12.7 mm caliber heavy machine guns in all directions, including the turret.

The vehicle’s design, protected from improvised explosive devices and mines, can withstand an explosion equivalent to 5-6 kilograms of TNT.

The М1117 is armed to effectively engage enemy infantry and can also destroy lightly armored vehicles. It features a Mk.19 40mm automatic grenade launcher paired with a Browning M2HB 12.7mm heavy machine gun, both mounted on an electrically powered rotary 360-degree turret. Additional firepower can be provided by a M240H 7.62mm machine gun in the gunner’s turret hatch. The vehicle is also equipped with smoke mortars installed on the turret.

The ASV is equipped with both daytime and nighttime sights.

A typical crew consists of three people: a driver, a commander, and a gunner, with an additional passenger if necessary.

The armored vehicle features two main side doors for troop and crew exit, a hatch in the turret for the gunner, and a separate door on the right at the stern of the hull. This door leads past the engine compartment (located on the left) to the squad compartment. These doors can also serve as emergency exits or storage spaces for cargo. The presence of multiple doors and hatches increases the chances of evacuation in the event of an ambush or accident.

Due to its high center of mass, the М1117 has a significant risk of overturning. However, crew members have a higher chance of survival in such cases. The turret is fully enclosed, protecting the gunner from falling out. Nevertheless, at least two cases of overturning are known to have resulted in the deaths of two soldiers when the turret detached from the vehicle. Following several such incidents, Textron introduced an additional 15 bolts into the turret’s attachment design.

Survivability

The М1117 uses an advanced modular armor kit from IBD Deisenroth Engineering, consisting of ceramic composite plates on the exterior and ballistic material on the interior. The Guardian ASV’s armor is designed to withstand small arms fire, mines, and improvised explosive devices.

The armor is installed at an angle, eliminating vertical surfaces, which significantly increases the likelihood of ricochets. Additionally, due to this angular design, the armored bottom of the vehicle offers enhanced resistance to detonations. The V-shape of the hull deflects the energy of explosive waves, in contrast to a flat hull that absorbs and transfers the energy to the crew.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, the М1117 endured numerous ambushes and IED blasts, with some individual vehicles experiencing multiple detonations. There is a documented case where an armored vehicle returned on its own, covering a distance of 45 km after an explosive device destroyed all four tires.

Mobility

The armored vehicle is powered by a 260-horsepower Cummins 6CTA8.3 diesel engine, coupled with an Allison MD3560 automatic transmission.

Its independent suspension provides a high ground clearance of 46 cm, ensuring excellent off-road capabilities. The combat vehicle features all-wheel drive and a central tire inflation system, enhancing its mobility on various types of terrain.

This vehicle can reach speeds of up to 110 km/h on highways and can ford water obstacles up to 1.5 meters deep.

Versions

Reconnaissance, Surveillance & Target Acquisition

The basic variant of the М1117 armored vehicle is equipped with a more powerful radio.

M1117 Infantry Carrier Vehicle

This armored vehicle, with an elongated body of 60 centimeters, is equipped with an open turret for a machine gun or grenade launcher instead of the standard closed turret. It can carry three crew members and eight soldiers.

M1200 Armored Knight FiST-V

М1200 Armored Knight is an armored wheeled vehicle developed based on the M1117. It is designed to transport equipment for the quick guidance of precision-guided aircraft ammunition and the adjustment of artillery fire. The M1200 is equipped with a laser designator, laser rangefinder, GPS, and radios and computers that receive target location data and transmit it to remote artillery units or aircraft in the sky.

M1117 Guardian in Ukraine

The U.S. Department of Defense announced $400 million in security assistance to Ukraine through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) last November, which provides М1117 Guardian vehicles.

It was noted that this announcement marked the beginning of the process to conclude contracts for supplying additional defense capabilities to Ukraine, including financing the repair and modernization of 250 Guardian M1117 armored security vehicles.

However, nearly a year has passed since the contracts were signed, and the delivery of the first combat vehicles has been postponed for another 18 months.

The transfer of the Guardian ASV is beneficial for both parties. Back in the mid-2010s, the U.S. Army considered the М1117 as “surplus” equipment and actively phased it out of service. For the U.S. Army, this delivery streamlines the process of divesting older vehicles, facilitating the renewal and modernization of its armored vehicle fleet.

For Ukraine, acquiring these combat vehicles will expand the capabilities of medium and light brigades, as well as highly mobile troops, which have faced a serious shortage of armored vehicles after the deployment of a dozen new brigades and equipment losses during a year of active hostilities.

The Guardian, despite being retired by the U.S. Army, is far from being subpar. The standard М1117 can serve as an armored combat vehicle for fire support and supporting offensive operations, thanks to its wheelbase and high maneuverability. Such vehicles could have made a significant difference during operations like the Kupyansk offensive, where they could replace numerous civilian pickups armed with machine guns and grenade launchers. Additionally, its robust anti-mine protection becomes especially vital during offensive operations in areas like Zaporizhzhia.

The armament, consisting of a 40mm automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7mm machine gun, is ideal for suppressing enemy positions in urban environments and providing effective firepower against light armored vehicles, including wheeled armored vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and potentially even infantry fighting vehicles (BMPs) when using 40mm HEAT grenades.