The IDF recently purchased over 2,000 Hummer vehicles from the U.S. Army surplus, in a deal that will significantly expand the Ground Forces’ fleet of combat vehicles, writes the official IDF Website, which adds that the sale “reflects the strong relationship between the IDF and the U.S. Army.“

The acquisition will take place in stages over the next three years. The IDF will receive A0- and A1-model Hummers, then carry out repairs and extensive preparation and outfitting for use, before transporting them to Israel. After their arrival in Israel, the vehicles will be further outfitted, according to the specific operational needs of the units that receive them.

“The new Hummers will be used for combat reconnaissance and as administrative vehicles,” Maj. Amit Trep, head of the Department of Weapons Mobility, told the IDF Website‘s Iddan Sonsino. “Most of them will be used [only] in case of emergency, and during routine situations they will remain in warehouses, since the Hummers that we use today for routine activities are more advanced. However, several hundred of them will undergo extensive reinforcement and will be used for routine purposes and for training.”

Most of the vehicles will be kept in “dry storage,” with advanced sleeves protecting them from corrosion. Their batteries will be kept charged, so that they are prepared to enter service directly in case of emergency.

The process of outfitting the vehicles is expected to start in early 2013, and the first vehicles will arrive in Israel in under a year. “The vehicles will arrive at a rate of over 100 vehicles per month, so that within less than two years the warehouses will be full, due to the significant addition of the Hummers,” said Maj. Trep.