Move over, Humvee: IMI’s ‘CombatGuard’ 4×4 leaves its competitors in the dust

By Andrew Hard March 16, 2015

Israel Military Industries Combat Guard — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Military vehicle aficionados, meet your next bedroom poster.

It’s called the CombatGuard, and it’s made by Israel Military Industries (IMI). First unveiled at the 2014 Eurosatory defense and security show in Paris, the armored 4×4 boasts the capabilities to make Humvees blush.

Let’s start with off-road aptitude. The CombatGuard wears massive 54-inch tires and has three feet of ground clearance, allowing it to navigate 70-degree slopes with little difficulty. It can hurdle vertical obstacles up to 2.6-feet high and can traverse through water 5-feet deep.

Israel Military Industries Combat Guard

Israel Military Industries Combat Guard

On the road, the 17,637-pound vehicle can reach speeds up to 93 mph. In the dirt, it’s capable of an impressive 75 mph, which is faster than the iconic Humvee can go anywhere. This is in part due to the eight-seater’s stout engine, a GM-sourced ‘Cobra’ turbo diesel that displaces 6.5 liters and makes 300 horsepower.

The CombatGuard, which may or may not have been styled after the UNSC Warthog from the Halo series, isn’t just durable; it’s innovative. The prototypes showcased at Eurosatory were equipped with IMI’s “Bright Arrow” remote weapons station, which is essentially an electro-optical jammer that can destroy or disrupt incoming missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

Israel Military Industries Combat Guard — Image used with permission by copyright holder

All eight occupants are housed inside a super strong monocoque capsule that offers a high level of ballistics protection. For more safety, the entirety of the exterior has been reinforced, including the floor, which was designed to deflect land mines.

IMI, the one-time manufacturer of the Desert Eagle handgun and the folding ‘CornerShot’ weapon accessory, designed the CombatGuard to be mobile, tough, and intimidating. After looking at this thing, we’re a little too frightened to argue with them.

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Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

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