Artifact of the Month
John Deere M-Gator being used in a field environment.
John Deere M-Gator being used as means to bring wounded back into a safe Area of Operations.
John Deere M-Gator used in a deseret Area of Operations.
The M-Gator is a militarized version of the John Deere Gator first introduced in 1992. Though first developed for civilian use, it was not long before the Gator started to be acquired by military units to fill a niche role that has been missing since the retirement of the M274 Mechanical Mule.
Beginning in 1996, John Deere began to create the M-Gator, the version would have an engine that ran on diesel or JP-8 fuel, litter rack on the front, keyless start, fold down sides on the cargo box, and blackout lights. In the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom, Special Forces would send two commercial gators to Afghanistan to help move supplies.
With lessons learned in Iraq and Afghanistan, in 2007, John Deere developed an “A1” version that had a more powerful engine, roll bar, and seat belts.