The Jeep J8 is a military vehicle originally based on the Jeep Wrangler JK platform, but currently based on the Jeep Wrangler JL platform. It is also used by government agencies, security groups, peacekeepers, fire departments, underground mining and other industries requiring a heavy duty off-road vehicle. The model was introduced at the Defence Systems & Equipment International (DSEi) trade show on September 13, 2007. The J8 is assembled in Gibraltar by Africa Automotive Distribution Services Limited
AADS
has developed and tested the entire range of J8's for deployment to various missions including logistical and front line operations. Jeep J8 IDET

Recently, the J8 has been submitted as a replacement for the Toyota Tacoma,

Toyota Hilux The , stylized as HiLux and historically as Hi-Lux, is a series of pickup trucks produced and marketed by the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The majority of these vehicles are sold as pickup truck or cab chassis variants, although the ...

Mitsubishi Triton The Mitsubishi Triton is a compact pickup truck produced by Mitsubishi Motors. In Japan, where it has only been sold intermittently and in small numbers, it was originally known as the Mitsubishi Forte and from 1991 as the Strada. In the Unite ...

, and HMMWV for the US Special Forces.

Design

The J8 is equipped with larger brakes, axles and suspension components than the civilian version and can be upgraded further depending on the end user requirement. It has a base payload capacity of which can be extended for Armoured or Utility variants. The Jeep J8 is powered by a range of petrol and diesel engines, but more commonly the 3 litre V6 diesel power units are used, the latter delivering 260 hp and 600Nm of torque. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Available in a number of different variants, the J8 can be produced as a patrol vehicle, utility vehicle, armoured vehicle, and ambulance. All J8 variants have a range of upgrade options to choose from and are designed to be easily transportable by rail, sea,

fixed wing aircraft A fixed-wing aircraft is a heavier-than-air flying machine, such as an airplane, which is capable of flight using wings that generate lift caused by the aircraft's forward airspeed and the shape of the wings. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinc ...

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...

(either inside a CH-47 or underslung).

Production

The first J8 was first planned for assembly at a Chrysler joint-venture facility in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the Capital city, capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, List of ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. On July 2, 2008, the production version of the Jeep J8 was unveiled at Euro Camp Jeep 2008, a customer event in

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. On November 13, 2008, Chrysler LLC and Arab American Vehicles officially announced the manufacturing launch of the Jeep J8 at AAV's assembly plant in Cairo. The J8 is also assembled in Israel, by

Automotive Industries Ltd Automotive Industries, Ltd. ( he, תעשיות רכב נצרת עלית, תע"ר, ''Ta'asiyot Rekhev Natzrat Ilit'', AIL) is an Israeli automaker and major supplier of the Israeli Security Forces. History Located in Nazareth Illit, the company w ...

(AIL) of Nazareth. It is locally badged Storm 3, and will be supplied as a command vehicle to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). A pair of production J8s was tested by Israeli web magazin
Jeepolog.com
journalists in April 2009. It was dubbed "probably best Jeep ever". A civilian version was apparently considered for the local Israeli market, but the idea was abandoned. In 2012 a variant of the Storm 3 was introduced by AIL in Israel under the name Storm 3 Type R. According to Israeli Blo

this is a door-less, no windshield Jeep J8, running on 35" tires, and sporting metal tube fenders and roll-cage. It is intended for special forces use in the border patrol, pursuit, and deep strike missions. American Expedition Vehicles, a Montana-based Jeep aftermarket parts producer, has struck a deal with Chrysler to sell 120 J8 component chassis in the US. These chassis are sold fully assembled but without an engine or transmission. This allows the customer to install or have installed either a 2.8L VM

Turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output ...

with 339 lb.-ft. of torque (460 N • m) or a 5.7-liter V-8 Chrysler HEMI. The vehicle can then be legally registered as a "component vehicle". Since 2019 all J8s are produced by AADS using base vehicles manufactured in the US. Underground Mining A special version of the J8 was developed in 2009 by Jeep and VM Motori for the underground mining market. This version is equipped with a version of the 2.8L VM turbodiesel that is approved by MSHA and CANMET for use in underground mines.

Operators

Military Light Tactical Vehicle Type C Display at ROCMA Ground 20160604a

* 7, USA donated to BDF- 3 Jeep J-eight transport vehicles, 3 Jeep J-eight Patrol vehicles, and one Jeep J-eight Ambulance. * 15, 5 used by the Dominican Army and 10 used by the Dominican Navy (Marine Infantry Command) * : used by

Salvadoran Army The Salvadoran Army (Spanish: ''Ejército Salvadoreño'') is the land branch and largest of the Armed Forces of El Salvador. Conflicts The Football War The Football War (also called The Soccer War or 100-hours War) was a term coined by Po ...

. * : 40, used by

Ghana Armed Forces The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is the unified armed force of Ghana, consisting of the Army (GA), Navy (GN), and Ghana Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces is the president of Ghana, who is also the supreme military commander ...

. *: 20 used by

National Border Service The National Border Service, also called SENAFRONT (abbreviation for es, Servicio Nacional de Fronteras, link=no) is a police force specialized in the land border area and branch of the Panamanian Public Forces. Its mission is to protect Panama' ...

(SENAFRONT). * : 1020, used by Joint Task Force Tecún Umán, fuerza chorti son a combined military and police force in Guatemala * : 35, used by

Mongolian Armed Forces The Mongolian Armed Forces ( mn, Монгол Улсын Зэвсэгт Хүчин; ''Mongol: ulsyn zevsegt hüchin'') is the collective name for the Mongolian military and the joint forces that comprise it. It is tasked with protecting the inde ...

. * : 38, used by Peruvian Army * : 3598, used by

Republic of China Army The Republic of China Army (ROCA), previously known as the Chinese Nationalist Army or Nationalist Revolutionary Army and unofficially as the Taiwanese Army, is the largest branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. An estimated 80% of th ...

* : 5, used by Tajikistan Peacekeeping Battalion

References

"New Military Version of Jeep Wrangler Unlimited".
jeephorizons.com. Retrieved September 16, 2007.

CNN.com. Retrieved September 23, 2007.
"Iconic Jeep J8 Offers Cargo and Towing For Humanitarian, Commercial and Military Uses".
jeephorizons.com. Retrieved September 7, 2008.

jeephorizons.com. Retrieved November 13, 2008.

jeepolog.com. Retrieved April 21, 2009.

jeepolog.com. Retrieved August 5, 2012.

External links

The current manufacturer, agent and seller of the J8
AEV J8 page

Jeep Government and Military Sales page
{{Jeep Jeep vehicles Off-road vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Military light utility vehicles Military vehicles of Egypt