Video of JCB HMEE Military Backhoe, Bound for Afghanistan
In our upcoming special July 4th issue of Compact Equipment, we are honoring our brave men and women in the armed forces around the world. We’re also honoring the tough-minded, military-grade equipment used by our troops and our allies in reconstruction applications. JCB’s HMEE is just such a machine, built for America’s armed forces to help rebuild nations while protecting troops with high-tech armaments in battleground arenas.
With the globalization of the military theatre, the JCB HMEE has been purposefully designed to meet a variety of transportation requirements, whether by land, sea or air. This first round of HMEE’s were loaded onto military C-5 aircraft at US Airforce base in South Carolina and transported to Bagram, Afghanistan. What’s more, the HMEE has equal weight distribution on all axels and all wheels ride low enabling transport by an even smaller C-130, the turboprop military transport aircraft. Never before has a military construction vehicle meet on road regulations and safety standards, allowing the HMEE to travel on civilian roads without the need for a trailer. This unit also meets global rail specifications and has roll-on, roll-off capabilities allowing the HMEE to load itself on and off of a ship. This unmatched transportability means no jobsite is inaccessible to the JCB HMEE. Watch for yourself:
