Militaries from all around the world have some awesome ATVs, ranging from small 2-seaters to massive personell carriers.
Everyone knows that the military needs to be able to operate in all terrain and in all weather. We all know how it is so much easier to cut across the countryside in an ATV, and that is no different for the military on the move. Although often not actually listed in an Army’s list of equipment on many sites, mostly due to how cheap and simple they are, many armies have a whole range of ATVs.
Sometimes they look like the fun and adventurous ATVs you might go off-roading in. And at other times they look more at home on a farm or range somewhere. One of the most important things for the military is mobility, and in low-intensity conflicts, ATVs are just the answer. Often, ATVs and motorcycles are part of the equipment of the special forces rather than the actual army.
8. Tomcar Australia
The Australians build their own ATV. The Aussies have built a version of the Tomcar to be both ultra-lightweight with a heavy-duty frame, allowing it to be dropped from aircraft and to hit the ground running.
The Aussies claim their vehicle is the “strongest in its class” and that it is very durable, easy to repair and maintain, and able to operate in all types of terrain. It can also be reconfigured to carry either soldiers or payloads.
7. Sportsman MV850
The Sportsman MV850 is a military quadbike built by Polaris and is supplied to the US military. The Sportsman is basically a regular quad that you will find any farmer using. Quads of this sort are the AVTs of choice on New Zealand farms and ranches.
The Sportsman can carry a payload of 850 lbs of military equipment and has seating for one. When thinking of military vehicles, quad bikes tend not to be the vehicles that come to mind.
6. Polaris Dagor A1
Polaris is one of the main suppliers of ATVs to the US military. It also supplies its Dagor series of ATVs. The Dagor can carry up to 9 soldiers and their gear and is fitted with a Turbo Diesel/JP8 Engine.
The Dagor can carry a payload of up to 4,000lbs and has an impressive 500-mile range (presumably on-road range). The Dagor comes with a removable half windshield to help direct some of the dust and wind away from the occupants.
5. Military M274 Truck
The M274 Aka “The Military Mule” was a very odd-looking vehicle that served in the US military between 1956 and the 1980s. This was a strange design that could carry up to half a short ton off-road and had a top speed of 25 mph.
In the course of their production, some 11,270 of these military mules were produced. The HMMWV (aka the Humvee) was meant to replace it, but it couldn’t, so it was replaced with the M-Gator.
4. M-Gator
Produced by the company John Deere (famous for their farming tractors and equipment), the M-Gator has been in service in the military for many years now. It has a top speed of around 20 mph and is powered by a 20.8 hp engine.
Oddly, its reverse speed is around the same as its forwᴀʀd speed, with 20 mph forwᴀʀd vs 19.4 mph reverse. It has a cargo capacity of 1,000lbs and a towing capacity of 1,400lbs.
3. The Springer
The Springer is the British Army’s answer to a military ATV. In 2009 the British Army bought 75 of these vehicles for $10.3 million. The Springer ATV is based on the Tomcar and can carry loads of around one ton.
The Springers are often used to supply soldiers on the front line when it is difficult to reach them with larger vehicles. After all, sometimes it can be next to impossible to get normal cargo trucks to the front line.
2. The Gama Goat
Looking something like a World wᴀʀ 2 era jeep gone wrong, the Gama Goat was a six-wheel-drive semi-amphibious off-road vehicle. It was designed to meet the requirements for the US Army during the Vietnam wᴀʀ.
They were replaced by Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicles (CUCV) and Humvees (HMMWV). They were particularly noted for their ability to transverse very difficult terrain. But perhaps one of the most memorable things about this ATV was its rather peculiar name.
1. Vityaz DT-30
So far in this list, we have been focusing on ultra-light ATVs, like the ones regular people could use for their family off-roading trips. The massive Soviet Vityaz DT-30 still meets the definition of an ATV. This articulated tracked carrier was developed by the USSR and was super awesome.
The Vityaz DT-30 was designed to carry heavy loads in particularly difficult terrain like in snow, sand, and the many swamps in Russia and in Russia’s extreme weather conditions.
In summary, there are many fun and interesting ATVs in the Army, it’s not all tanks and armored personnel carriers.
