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115-422: A huge number of M113 armored personnel carrier variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 armored personnel carrier has become one of the most prolific armored vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, and continues to serve with armies around the world in many roles. In 2005, Afghanistan received 15 second-hand M577A2 command and control vehicles from

230-433: A laser-warning receiver , and mounts a total of eight grenade launchers in two clusters capable of firing smoke and fragmentation grenades. One of the machine guns is mounted coaxial to the main gun while the other is pintle-mounted in front of the crew commander's hatch. The main gun is equipped with dual ammunition feeds that allow for separate weapons effects, selectable by the gunner/crew commander. The standard load

345-470: A wide variety of adaptations that live on worldwide and in U.S. service. These variants together currently represent about half of U.S. Army armored vehicles. It is estimated that over 80,000 vehicles in the M113 family have been produced and used by over 50 countries worldwide, making it one of the most widely used armored fighting vehicles of all time. M113 production was terminated in 2007. The Army initiated

460-551: A .30/.50 Brownings machine guns for APC/LRV versions, a traverse bar to prevent the crew commander traversing the turret to the rear over the troop compartment roof hatch with the guns depressed low. For some reason, besides the M577A1 command vehicle, all of versions of the M113A1 had the passenger compartment heaters removed. In the late 1980s, the fleet was issued with German BM8005 image intensifying night vision driving periscopes, which, with

575-574: A batch of 14 M113A2 Plus series engineering vehicles were acquired in 2002 from the company Ingenieros. In 2003 Chile acquired additional M113s from the United States with a batch of 158 surplus M113A2 , which also included additional variants like the M106A2 , M577A2 , M163A2 and the M548A1 alongside baseline APCs. A batch of 48 surplus M548A1 were also purchased from Canada. Following these acquisitions

690-975: A detonation of the explosives carried on the exterior of their M113. On 24 June 2024, Al-Qassam Brigades published footage of its forces attacking an M113 using a Chinese HJ-8 ATGM, hitting the vehicle, caused an external fire on the carry-on CARPET demining system. Several disabled Zelda APCs in Nabatieh , Lebanon and Gaza have revealed VBIED use by the IDF, where the vehicles are filled with explosives, towed to their target, and detonated. An unknown number of M113s were converted into Unmanned Ground Vehicles and were observed to be acting as VBIEDs in Rafah. In November 2024 IAI showed videos of unmanned M113 units working with unmanned D9 bulldozers in what appeared to be Gaza as an example of its new teaming system for robotic units. The Israel Defense Forces still operates large numbers of

805-554: A dismounted infantry unit. The remaining SPATS platoon was reequipped with M113s in late 1966 and the mortar platoon was deactivated in early 1967. From early 1967, D/16th had three line platoons equipped with M113s and eventually, its diesel version, the M113A1. It was also standardized in late 1968 with three machine guns per track, one M2 .50 caliber and two M60 machine guns mounted on each side. The M113s were instrumental in conducting reconnaissance in force (RIFs), search and destroy missions, and large invasions (incursions) such as

920-459: A front-mounted trim vane; they are propelled in the water by their tracks. The Vietnam War was the first combat opportunity for mechanized infantry , a technically new type of infantry with its roots in the armored infantry of World War II , now using the M113 armored personnel carrier. In addition, armored cavalry squadrons in Vietnam consisted largely of M113s, after replacing the intended M114 in

1035-594: A large amount of their movement by road within Canada as well as the cheaper operation costs of using a wheeled vehicle for the Reserves. To convince Land Force Command to purchase the vehicle, two engineers from DDGM began to design the vehicle by working on a small scale model of the LAV II chassis. They cut off the troop compartment and added a large box on the rear half of the vehicle, which increased internal capacity. They replaced

1150-530: A lobbyist to Ottawa to work on him, making largely the same arguments as DDGM had before, that the Bison would be more cost efficient for operation by the reservists over the tracked M113A3, that the Bison did not face the same restriction for use on roads as the tracked M113, and that the Regular Force would simply reacquisition new M113s, possibly implying that DDGM likely knew that the Regular Force would appropriate

1265-469: A mast-mounted surveillance system that can be raised to 10 meters above the ground. This system includes the AN/PPS-5C MSTAR Version 3 surface surveillance radar and an electro-optical / infrared surveillance system with a long-range video camera and laser rangefinder . The remote surveillance variant consists of two tripod-mounted systems capable of being deployed up to 200 meters away from

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1380-509: A maximum road range of 660 kilometres (410 mi). Each vehicle is equipped with a tactical navigation system that includes a GPS receiver , a digital compass system, and a backup dead-reckoning system. A 15-tonne capacity hydraulic winch is fitted to every vehicle to aid in self-recovery. Unlike the LAV-25, the Coyote is equipped with extra fuel tanks in place of amphibious equipment. The Coyote

1495-518: A model number. Generally speaking, Australian models are modified from the original models, in the case of the M113A1 series this included the AN/VIC-1 communications harness, large dust filters for the passenger compartment ventilation blower, heavy steel track manufactured by ADI, provision for 600 kg of belly armor, the Cadillac-Gage T-50 turret mounting twin .30 Brownings (early service) or

1610-702: A modernized version known as an "MRV" (medium reconnaissance vehicle). The MRV featured a Scorpion turret with 76 mm gun, improved fire control, and passive night vision equipment. Regiments using the M113 included former Citizens' Military Forces (CMF) units like the 4/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and Regular units such as 2ns Cavalry Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and 3/4th Cavalry Regiment (APC Regiment). An Armoured Reconnaissance Troop consisted of Alpha Track – Charlie Track (M113 LRV) Bravo – Delta Track (M113 MRV) Echo Track (M113 APC) with Assault Section (armoured infantry) later known as Scouts... The Israel Defense Forces are

1725-438: A more powerful 6-cylinder, 10.6 Liter turbo-charged diesel-engine (MTU 6V 183 TC22 EURO II) developing 300 hp with a ZF LSG 1000 transmission (6F2R), improved suspension, prepared slots for mounting Addon Armour from Israelian Urdan, external fuel-tanks, a basket mount on the front of the hull, the option to mount 6 × smoke dischargers on the front of the hull, the original T130 tracks were replaced with Diehl 513 tracks,

1840-435: A new heater (Stewart-Warner, type 10560 M), a new 200 AMP generator, and an improved steering and brake system. Models that left service in 2014 and then returned to service in 2016 after undergoing essential modifications: The M113G4 series upgrade by FFG was for remaining M113G3 in service to be upgraded, initially between 2009 and 2010, with the addition of upgraded belly protection, Rubber Band tracks to replace

1955-463: A part of Project 5026, and all vehicles have received new rubber band tracks, exterior fuel tanks (to create more space inside), new intercom, new interior and command and control systems. In addition, the upgraded M113s come in three versions mainly based on the level of protection: Furthermore, a fourth variant, the M113F4, has been developed, but it was ultimately set aside in favor of FFG's ACSV, which

2070-524: A reflective silver stripe along the side interrupted by the vehicle number in red. Located at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and operated by the KSC Fire Department, for every crewed spacecraft launch during Mercury , Gemini and Apollo programs two vehicles containing firefighters and emergency rescue personnel wearing fire-proof suits were located approximately one mile from the foot of

2185-701: A search for new tracks to replace both the T130 and T130E1 tracks. The search culminated in the Diehl 213B tracks made in the Federal Republic of Germany which were already being used on the West German M113 fleet. Canadian trials with the Diehl 213B tracks proved conclusively that for a slightly higher cost initially over the T130E1, it had a much longer service life, better durability, easier maintenance, and would save money in

2300-624: A true infantry fighting vehicle rather than an armored personnel carrier. Pacific Car and Foundry entered the steel-armored XM701, but this proved to be too slow and too heavy to be airmobile, even in the C-141. FMC entered the XM734, which was largely the ACAV M113, but whereas the M113 seated the troops facing inward on benches along the walls, the XM734 sat them facing outwards on a central bench. Four gun ports and vision blocks were added on each side to allow

2415-490: A variety of M113s enter service starting with a delivery of 450 M113 (including 56 M125 81 mm mortar carriers) between 1962 and 1964, followed by delivery of 288 M113A1 from 1967 to 1975 and 1978–1979. These were to replace the M3 Halftrack and C15TA Armoured Truck that Denmark had used since 1955 and World War II respectively. During 1972-1973 the original M113s underwent a 'mid-life-update' and were brought up to

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2530-673: A variety of roles, and armor battalions contained M113s within their headquarters companies, such as the maintenance section, medical section, vehicle recovery section, mortar section, and the scout (reconnaissance) section. United States Army mechanized infantry units in Vietnam were fully equipped with the M113 APC/ACAV, which consisted of one headquarters company and three line companies, normally with an authorized strength of approximately 900 men. Ten U.S. mechanized infantry battalions were deployed to Vietnam from 1965 until their departure in 1972. Company D, 16th Armor, 173rd Airborne Brigade ,

2645-551: A vehicle that provided the protection of the M75 and the low weight and mobility of the M59. FMC responded with two proposals; two versions of the aluminum T113 – a thickly and a more thinly-armored one, along with the similar but mostly steel T117. The thickly-armored version of the T113 – effectively the prototype of the M113 – was chosen because it weighed less than its steel competitor, whilst offering

2760-464: Is Spanish for Armored Tracked Carrier. In the Ukrainian Army it is called "Emka" (M). The basic M113 armored personnel carrier can be fitted with a number of weapon systems. The most common weapon fit is a single .50 caliber M2 machine gun. However, the mount can also be fitted with a 40 mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher. A number of anti-tank weapons could be fitted to the standard variant:

2875-405: Is a belt of armour-piercing sabot rounds and a belt of HE-T explosive/fragmentation rounds. The main gun and coax machine gun are 2-axis stabilized. The turret is equipped with a laser rangefinder, but no ballistic computer. Elevation and lead corrections are applied manually by the gunner using multi-stadia reticules in the day, thermal, and image intensification sights. The standard armour of

2990-679: Is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation . The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used in combat in April 1962 after the United States provided the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) with heavy weaponry such as the M113, under the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) program. Eventually,

3105-419: Is air-transportable on Hercules C-130 aircraft when the turret is removed. Coyotes come in three variants: Command, Mast, and Remote. The Mast and Remote variants have a sophisticated suite of electronic surveillance equipment including radar , video , and infrared surveillance night vision devices . The mast variant has this equipment mounted on a 10-metre telescoping mast that can be extended to raise

3220-711: Is based on the PMMC G5 . List of Norwegian M113 variants: The Portuguese Army operates 190 (of 255 delivered) in the A1 and A2 variants of the basic M113 armored personnel carrier ( M113 A1/2 M/76 a 90 , or simply M113 ). Besides the M113 APC , the Portuguese Army operates 107mm mortar carriers , 81mm mortar carriers , self-propelled surface-to-air missile systems, TOW anti-tank guided missile tank destroyers , tracked cargo carriers, ambulance, command and communications variants of

3335-502: Is described by Peter Kasurak as being the first step on the road to the transformation of the Canadian Forces, moving away from primarily tracked armoured vehicles towards wheeled armoured vehicles, setting a trend that is still prevalent. The Bison was seen during various high-profile events during the 1990s and 2000s and is often associated with those periods and conflicts. It was seen by the public and used by Canadian Forces during

3450-691: Is impractical and less vibration and rolling resistance. Most of the 13,000 M113s that are still in U.S. Army service have been upgraded to the A3 variant. The current U.S. Army M113 fleet includes a mix of M113A2 and A3 variants and other derivatives equipped with the most recent RISE (reliability improvements for selected equipment) package. The standard RISE package includes an upgraded propulsion system (turbocharged engine and new transmission), greatly improved driver controls (new power brakes and conventional steering controls), external fuel tanks, and 200-amp alternator with four batteries. Additional A3 improvements include

3565-505: Is prototyping the Eitan (Hebrew for steadfast), an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle to replace their M113s. Designed to serve alongside the tracked Namer, the Eitan is planned to be cheaper and lighter, at 35 tons, incorporating an active protection system and a turret. They are expected to begin replacing the M113 starting in 2020. However, due to the slow rate of production of replacement APCs,

Variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier - Misplaced Pages Continue

3680-481: Is to the right of the crew compartment. The Canadian Forces began upgrading the Bison between 2002 and 2008. The upgrades include improved engine power, new torsion bars , fittings for add-on armour, air conditioning , and the VRS respirator system for nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) defence. The Bison's rail-mount system allows it to be adapted to a variety of roles without any major modifications. Bisons used by

3795-530: The 2010 raid on Complexo do Alemão . Bison and Coyote armoured vehicles War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Yugoslav Wars (1991-2001) United Nations Operation in Somalia II (1993-1995) Gulf War (1990-1991) The Bison is an armoured personnel carrier that has been in active service since 1990, built by Diesel Division General Motors Canada. They were purchased and intended for operation by

3910-602: The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program to search for a replacement. In 2014, the U.S. Army selected BAE Systems ' proposal of a turretless variant of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle to replace over 2,800 M113s in service. Thousands of M113s continue to see combat service in the Israel Defense Forces , although by 2014 the IDF was seeking to gradually replace many of its 6,000 M113s with

4025-607: The Canadian Forces Reserves. Leading this project was Colonel Roméo Dallaire , the Head of the Army's Armoured Vehicle Assessment and Procurement at the time, who was intent on purchasing 200 M113A3, the most recently upgraded variant of the M113 series, which the Canadian Forces were already using in the form of M113A1s and M113A2s. The original plan for these 200 M113A3s was to have

4140-596: The Canadian Forces have been adapted for use as armoured personnel carriers (original configuration – mostly replaced in this role by the LAV III ), 81 mm mortar carriers, command post vehicles, field ambulances (32), mobile repair team (MRT) vehicles (32), armoured recovery vehicles (32), airspace coordination centre vehicle, electronic warfare vehicles (25), engineer vehicles equipped with hydraulic tools and NBC reconnaissance vehicles (4). The Bison

4255-670: The Canadian Forces Primary Reserve , but were rapidly appropriated by the Regular Force of Land Force Command , leaving the armoured Reserve units with unarmed Iltis jeeps. Land Force Command began looking for a new armoured personnel carrier to equip the Canadian Forces Reserves, after the release of the 1987 Defence White Paper by the then recently appointed Minister of National Defence (Canada) Perrin Beatty , which announced major spending increases to support

4370-592: The Diehl 513 tracks, adjustable seats, and other features. The upgrade was originally just for vehicles in use during operations in the War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) but was later standardized for the G3 fleet through upgrades through 2011–2012. In German service, the M113 and M113A1 were known respectively as the M113G and M113A1G , while the M577 and M577A1 command post vehicles were known as

4485-736: The Government of Canada on August 4, 2020. Under the APCLE program, there were a number of variants created, these include: Models removed from service : Canada originally adopted and used the M113A1 series of vehicles after the failure of the domestic program for creating an armoured personnel carrier which had culminated in the Bobcat APC . After the cancellation of the Bobcat in late 1963, Canada began looking for an off-the-shelf vehicle to purchase instead and as

4600-638: The M113A1 standard by Falck Schmidt in Odense. The M113 series has since been replaced by the MOWAG Piranha V and the BAE Systems Hägglunds AB CV 90 in service, with only a few M113A2 Mk I DK fire fighting vehicles kept. Models in service: Models out of service: The M113G3 series upgrade by FFG which was initially done for 97 M113A1s and in 1999 it was announced that 257 M113A1s were to be upgraded between 2001 and 2004, which included;

4715-612: The M113A2 in limited numbers and also slowly began to upgrade older M113A1s to the A2 standard. As of the early 1990s, Canada had a mixed fleet of A1 and A2 series, for which they began to also procure a large number of ACAV protection kits as early as 1992 for use in United Nations peacekeeping missions like UNPROFOR and later NATO intervention in the Balkans, with these kits even seeing limited use in

Variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier - Misplaced Pages Continue

4830-519: The M577G and M577A1G . Most M113A1Gs were later upgraded to A2 standard and got the new designator M113A2 GE . Those vehicles that were fitted with external fuel tanks and the new SEM-80/90 radioset are known as M113A2 EFT GE A0 . Under the NDV-2 program, some vehicles had been fitted with a new MTU engine, new steering and brake systems etc. German M113s often have a bank of eight 76mm smoke grenade dischargers at

4945-467: The MTVL or M113A3 standard of upgrades for both existing M113A2 ADATS and to convert additional APCs for use as ADATS platforms was also considered. The program underwent three reductions including scrapping the optional ADATS update order and it reduced the total number of vehicles down to 254 vehicles, with just 112 MTVL standard and 142 M113A3 standard being produced starting in 2002. Modifications for

5060-500: The MTVL series and M113A3 series include a more powerful Detroit Diesel 6V-53TIA series Detroit Diesel Electronic Control (DDEC) IV electronic engine (which allows the user to electronically tune the engine to a desired rating up to 400 hp), upgraded suspension, additional fuel tanks that were added under the floor of the vehicle (In addition to the existing rear exterior fuel tanks, both of which now had special fuel cells designed not to rupture in an anti-tank mine blast) increasing

5175-549: The Namers , and with the Eitan AFV in 2020. The M113 was developed by FMC Corporation , which had produced the earlier M59 and M75 armored personnel carriers. The M113 bears a very strong resemblance to both of these earlier vehicles. The M75 was too heavy and expensive to be useful, as its weight precluded amphibious use and transport by air. The lightened M59 addressed both of these problems, but ended up with too little armor, and

5290-807: The Oka Crisis , the Gulf War as part of the ground security force defending Coalition aircraft, the UN and later NATO missions during the Yugoslav Wars in the form of UNPROFOR , IFOR , SFOR and KFOR , in the United Nations Operation in Somalia II with it being mentioned in the Somalia Affair , and the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) as part of the ISAF contingent as part of the War on Terror . As of July 2009,

5405-759: The U.S. invasion of Cambodia on 1 May 1970 and later Laos ( Operation Lam Son 719 ) in 1971; all of which used the M113 as the primary workhorse for moving the ground armies. While operating with cavalry and armor units, the M113s often worked in conjunction with U.S. M48 Patton and M551 Sheridan tanks. During the Vietnam War, U.S. Army gun trucks , along with V-100 armored cars, conducted convoy escorts for military traffic. The USAF used M113 and M113A1 ACAV vehicles in USAF security police squadrons, which provided air base ground defense support in Vietnam. Also, M113s were supplied to

5520-418: The War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) on some M113A3s and MTVLs. The fleet started to be withdrawn from service in the late 1990s starting mainly with older M113A1s and by the mid-2000s, only vehicles upgraded or being upgraded to M113A3 or MTVL standards were still in service. Chile first received M113s in 1970, with a batch of 60 FMC Corp. produced M113A1 , with these vehicles having continued in service into

5635-682: The "APC disaster". The vulnerability of the M113 armored personnel carrier to IEDs and RPGs led the IDF to later begin to develop the Namer APC. M113s were used again in the 2006 Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead . In 2014, during the first wave of the IDF's ground incursion into Gaza in Operation Protective Edge , a Hamas RPG-29 destroyed a fully loaded M113 in Gaza during the Battle of Shuja'iyya , killing all seven Golani Brigade soldiers inside

5750-428: The "Zelda" and "Zelda 2", which are fitted with ERA -suites. The Australian Army refers to its M113A1s as "buckets", "bush taxis" and modified M113A1s fitted with 76 mm turrets as "beasts". The German Army has various nicknames, depending on location and branch of service, including "elephant shoe", "Tank Wedge" and "bathtub". In Spain's Army it is known as "TOA", the acronym of Transporte Oruga Acorazado, which

5865-596: The 2010s. In 1990 when Chile became democratic it initiated the Alcázar project to reorganize, restructure, and modernize components of the Land Force . As part of the project an emphasis was placed on the mechanization of infantry and engineer units, which culminated in 1996 with the acquisition of 128 surplus M113A2 and additional M548A1 and M106A1 vehicles from Italy, an undisclosed number of surplus M113A1-B from Belgium along with 8 surplus Dutch M113 C&V . In addition,

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5980-437: The APCs. On 11 June 1962, the two mechanized units were fielded for the first time. During the Battle of Ap Bac in January 1963, at least fourteen of the exposed .50 caliber gunners aboard the M113s were killed in action, necessitating modifications to improve crew survivability. Makeshift shields formed from metal salvaged from the hulls of sunken ships were soon fitted to the carriers, affording better protection. However, it

6095-517: The ARVN. One notable ARVN unit equipped with the M113 APC, the 3d Armored Cavalry Squadron , earned the Presidential Unit Citation . Additional M113s were supplied to the Cambodian Khmer National Armed Forces , equipped with a turret for the machine gun and a M40 recoilless rifle mounted on the roof. The Army of the Republic of Vietnam also used M113 armored personnel carriers. In 1975, 1381 ARVN M113s were destroyed and captured. Losses in other years are unknown. The Australian Army also used

6210-484: The Canadian Army had kept themselves updated on American armour developments, including having even trialed some M59 APCs during the mid to late 1950s in parallel to the Bobcats development, they decided to purchase the M113A1 series as it fit the desired roles for use. In 1964 Canada began to procure the M113A1 from the United States with an order for 300 M113A1s, delivered through 1964–1965, with additional orders in 1968 for 300 M113A1s, and in 1971 for 445 M113A1s. While

6325-463: The Coyote protects against small arms fire, anti-personnel mines, and shrapnel, with add-on armour kits able to protect against larger projectiles. The Coyote is equipped with a suite of devices for detection nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) weapons, consisting of a GID-3 chemical detector and an AN/VDR-2 radiation monitor. Each vehicle is equipped with an NBC ventilated respirator system. The mast-mounted surveillance variants are equipped with

6440-440: The IDF in the 1978 South Lebanon conflict . In the 1982 Lebanon War , they saw heavy action. PLO ambushes with RPGs caused extensive casualties because of the tendency of the M113's aluminum armor to catch on fire after being hit by anti-tank weapons. Israeli infantrymen being ferried by M113s learned to quickly dismount and fight on foot when engaged. By the time of the Siege of Beirut , M113s were only used to carry supplies to

6555-523: The IDF is expected to be dependent on the M113 well into the 2020s. The IDF has also increased production of Namer APCs to replace the M113. In the United States, M113s have been adopted by numerous law enforcement agencies. An M113 belonging to the Midland County Sheriff's Department was used in the 2008 raid of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound. The Brazilian Marine Corps 's M113s were used in joint operations with Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais during

6670-401: The M113 in Vietnam. After initial experiences showed that the crew commander was too vulnerable to fire, the Australians tried a number of different gun shields and turrets, eventually standardizing with the Cadillac-Gage T-50 turret fitted with two .30 cal Browning machine guns, or a single .30-single .50 combination. Other turrets were tried as were various gun shields, the main design of which

6785-427: The M113 are capable of mounting anti-landmine applique armor. The M113A3 was upgraded with internal spall liners and additional applique armor which provided 14.5 mm ballistic protection. In comparison, a modern APC such as the Stryker has all-around 7.62 mm armor-piercing protection, plus 14.5 mm protection on the front, sides, and rear, and a protection against antipersonnel mines. Its weight allows

6900-764: The M113 fleet underwent an upgrade program under the Huracán II project which saw the vehicles fitted with two banks of four Wegmann 76 mm Multi-Purpose Grenade Launcher Tubes on the front of the hull, storage baskets mounted on the side of the hull along the length of the troop bay, and the upgrading of 60 vehicles to the M113A2 ABL KUKA standard. Additionally 22 surplus M113A2GE were acquired from Germany and converted by FAMAE (Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército) into Armoured Ambulances. FAMAE has also carried out other M113 based conversions since such as converting 8 M548A1 vehicles into fuel tankers or converting Chilean Air Force M163A2 PIVADS into basic M113A2 APCs. Models in service: Models out of service: Denmark had

7015-404: The M113 required only two crewmen, a driver and a commander, and carried 11-15 passengers inside the vehicle. Its main armament was a single .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine gun operated by the commander. On 30 March 1962, the first batch of 32 M113s arrived in Vietnam, and were sent to two Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) mechanized rifle companies, each equipped with 15 of

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7130-473: The M113 series, making them function as assault guns and fire support; while in many cases still having room inside to carry dismounted infantry or cavalry scouts. The M113 is built of 5083 aircraft-quality aluminum alloy . Aluminum alloy is lighter than steel but requires around three times the thickness for an equivalent level of ballistic protection, meaning the armor of the M113 was only designed for 7.62 mm and shell splinter protection. All variants of

7245-454: The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War and was used to break through heavy thickets in the midst of the jungle to attack and overrun enemy positions. It was largely known as an "APC" or an "ACAV" ( armored cavalry assault vehicle) by the allied forces. The M113 was the first aluminum hull combat vehicle to be put into mass production. Much lighter than earlier similar vehicles, its aluminum armor

7360-459: The M113, maintaining a fleet of 6,000 of the vehicles. On numerous occasions since their introduction in the late 1960s, the IDF's M113s have proven vulnerable to modern anti-tank missiles, IEDs, and RPGs, resulting in the deaths of many Israeli soldiers riding inside the vehicles. The IDF has nonetheless been unable to replace the use of them in combat operations, due to budget constraints in equipping its large mechanized infantry regiments. Israel

7475-424: The M113. In 1974, FMC used the M113's drivetrain as a platform for a tracked log skidder . The skidders use the same 6V53 Detroit Diesel engine and steering gearbox as the M113, but utilized a more heavily built undercarriage and a 4-speed Clark powershift transmission. The skidder either came as a cable arch model, with a tilting tray to set the logs on (a hydraulic grapple attachment was later offered to fit over

7590-402: The M113A2, NBC protection system etc.) under license as the M113A1-B , The Belgian army received 525 vehicles from 1982. Models in service : Under the Armoured Personnel Carrier Life Extension (APCLE) program otherwise known as M113LE Project, which was started after the 1994 White Paper on Defence, it was originally planned that 341 Canadian M113A2 series vehicles were to be upgraded under

7705-419: The M548 are used by various fire departments and private companies around the world as firefighting vehicles, often employed to combat forest fires where terrain makes access for regular firefighting appliances difficult. In 2017 MythBusters star Jamie Hyneman created the 'Sentry', a prototype firefighting vehicle from a surplus M548A1 Tracked Cargo Carrier. Deluge guns (water cannons) are mounted on

7820-400: The M551s they replaced, have also been modified to resemble enemy tanks and APCs, such as the T-80 and BMP-2 . One of the advantages of the M113 being used to simulate the latter is that the infantry squad can now ride inside the simulated BMP instead of in a truck accompanying a tank masquerading as one, as was often the case with the M551s. The M113 has received a variety of nicknames over

7935-416: The U.S. Army developed kits that allowed the M47 Dragon and BGM-71 TOW anti-tank missile systems to be mounted. In the case of the M47, the system mated to the existing machine gun mount, without having to remove the machine gun. This allowed the commander to use both weapons. A large array of turrets and fixed mounts are available to mount high explosive cannon ranging from 20 mm to 105 mm on to

8050-454: The United States. In 1967, the Argentine Army received from USA 250 M113A1 APC, 10 M577A1 command and control vehicles and 12 M548A1 cargo carriers. In 1992, they received from USA 200 M113A2 APC, 25 M106A1 mortar carrier, 10 M577A1 command and control vehicles and 16 M548A1 cargo carriers. Some variants are modified by the Army's Comando de Arsenales . Some Australian AFVs have the suffix "AS" (the NATO code for Australia), often appended by

8165-400: The aid of an adaptor, could be fitted to replace the driver's central periscope for night driving. In the early 90s, the fleet was issued with VINSON family cipher equipment, typically a single KY-57 per vehicle. This allowed the command net to be enciphered, but the admin net would normally work en clair. BMF from Belgium has built the M113A1 with some modifications (using the suspension of

8280-449: The baseline LAV-25 by raising the height of the roof, removing the turret ring, placing a commander's cupola behind the driver, and incorporating a rail mount system in the cargo/passenger compartment to quickly change mission specific equipment. The driver is seated in the front-left of the crew compartment. The commander has a slightly raised position directly behind the driver with access to his own hatch and mounted machine gun. The engine

8395-421: The cable fairleads), or as a Clam-Bunk forwarder , with a Prentice grapple mounted on the roof of the cab. Dealers also modified the base tractor to handle various forestry and utility jobs. Because of their mobility and light weight, these skidders are often used in steep and swampy terrain, and the most common alternate use is to fit them with water tanks and use them to fight forest fires . In 1988, FMC sold

8510-436: The contract issued in 2000: 183 were to be stretched by 50 cm and fitted with 6 road wheels and a one-piece rubber Band Track (which is prone to slipping off the running gear during high speed turns) as part of the MTVL (Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light) series upgrade. The remaining 158 vehicles were to be upgraded to M113A3 standards, retaining 5 road wheels. An optional additional order of 61 air defence vehicles either to

8625-496: The early 1960s. The ARVNs had modified the M113s to function as " amphibious light tanks " and not as battle taxis as U.S. designers had intended. Instead of an armored personnel carrier, the ARVN used the carried infantry as extra "dismountable soldiers" in "an oversized tank crew". These "ACAV" sets were eventually adapted to U.S. Army M113s with the arrival of the army's conventional forces in 1965. The vehicles continued to operate in

8740-406: The event. The engineers had little time to spare to produce a prototype of the vehicle, and began by starting with a LAV-25 that had been used in tests to judge if the LAV-25 could be airdropped from transport aircraft. Similar to the small scale model, they began by cutting off the troop compartment while keeping the suspension, drive-train, and front half of the vehicle intact. The cut-off area

8855-620: The family of vehicles later became known by the acronym TLAV (Tracked Light Armoured Vehicle) or the LAV-T in Canadian Army parlance. While some vehicles were retired as early as a year after being upgraded, the remaining vehicles are now set to be replaced along with the Bison in the coming decade by the ACSV (A LAV 6 support vehicle variant) produced by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada as announced by

8970-775: The front line, always stopping at least 100 meters from enemy lines. M113s were subsequently used by both the IDF and the South Lebanon Army during the South Lebanon conflict . The IDF utilized M113s during the First Intifada and the Second Intifada . In May 2004, two fully laden IDF M113s were destroyed by IEDs in the Gaza Strip , killing 11 soldiers, all those inside the vehicles on both occasions. This became known in Israel as

9085-453: The front of the vehicle, and are armed with Rheinmetall MG3s instead of the more common M2 .50 caliber machine gun. The German Army uses the type not only as APC ( MTW – Mannschaftstransportwagen ) but in many different specialized roles as well: Jordan received 150 M577 Command Post vehicles as a gift from the United States in February 2018. 288 M113s have been rebuilt and upgraded as

9200-550: The fuel tank capacity to 757 litres, bolt-on steel armour plates, replacement of the previous lever based steering with a steering wheel, the option of mounting steel cage armour, and improved armament consisting of either a Cadillac-Gage 1 metre turret , a Nanuk Remotely Controlled Weapon Station or a FFNW (Fitted For Not With) mounting, although some vehicles have been seen using older weapons mounts in place of not having any weapons mounted due to FFNW and not having enough RWS to equip all vehicles at once. After being upgraded,

9315-580: The incorporation of spall liners and provision for mounting external armor. The M113 has also been adopted to replace the aging fleet of visually modified M551s being used to simulate Russian-made combat vehicles at the U.S. Army's National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California as well as the M60A3s formerly at the Combat Maneuver Training Center near Hohenfels, Germany. These M113s, like

9430-671: The launchpad. For the Space Shuttle program a further unmanned vehicle was parked outside the exit of the crew evacuation bunker for use by the spacecraft crew as an emergency evacuation vehicle. As part of their mission training, the Shuttle astronauts were taught to drive and operate the vehicles (usually units 3 and 4), and each crew would affix their respective mission patch upon the vehicle's exterior. NASA's M113s were replaced in 2013 by more modern – and roomier – Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected ( MRAP ) trucks. M113s and variants such as

9545-687: The left and right front corners, supplied by two 500 gallon (1900L) water tanks located in the rear cargo tray along with an air compressor and other equipment. The vehicle can be either crewed or remotely operated. M113s and variants such as the M577 are used by various law enforcement agencies around the world (mostly North American), usually by tactical response teams ( SWAT ) as mobile command posts and siege and hostage rescue vehicles. US law enforcement agencies known to operate or have operated M113s or variants include: Global law enforcement agencies known to operate or have operated M113s or variants include: M113 armored personnel carrier The M113

9660-650: The long term. In March 1976 the procurement of the Diehl 213B tracks was approved with delivery to forces in Europe taking place during mid-July, forces in Canada during September, and forces on the UN mission in Cyprus during October. Eventually the entire Canadian fleet was using the Diehl tracks, along with the Lynx and later the M113A2 series. Beginning between 1980 and 1984, Canada began to procure

9775-647: The manufacturing rights of the skidder to Kootenay Tractor, their main dealer in British Columbia, Canada, who is selling them under the KMC brand name. Newer skidder models use Cummins diesel engines, and offer the option of hydrostatic drive alongside the mechanical steering. From the early 1960s through to 2013 NASA operated a number of ex-United States Army M113s as armoured rescue vehicles. The vehicles, numbered 1 to 4, were originally painted white with large red numbers but were later repainted luminous yellow-green with

9890-452: The new vehicles for their own use, as they later did with the Bison. Although Colonel Dallaire did not budge, the army sidestepped him and decided to purchase the Bison in July 1989 in the form of 149 "Bison" armoured personnel carriers, 18 "Bison CP" command posts, 16 "Wolf" 81 mm mortar carriers and 16 "MRV Bison" maintenance and recovery vehicles. The Bison production version differs from

10005-491: The number of Bison vehicles in use were The Coyote has been in service since 1996 for use in the light reconnaissance scout role. It was initially used in the role of medium tank trainer within armoured cavalry squadrons in the same way as the AVGP Cougar it replaced. The Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle is a non- amphibious armoured reconnaissance vehicle based on the design of the LAV-25. The Canadian Forces ordered 203 of

10120-508: The plant during that time. During this time a small team of salesmen and engineers heard about the army program and thought they had a chance to scoop up the contract and supply a vehicle based on the LAV II chassis with the idea that the vehicle would be better suited to the intended reservist role over the M113A3 due to being wheeled compared to the tracked M113 APC, as the vehicles would likely do

10235-464: The role of a light tank and reconnaissance vehicle, and not as designed in theater. Still, the M113 could carry 11 infantrymen inside, with two crewmen operating it. The U.S. Army, after berating the South Vietnamese for flouting battle doctrine, came out with their own ACAV version. This more or less standardized ACAV kit included shields and a circular turret for the .50-caliber M2 machine gun in

10350-476: The same level of protection. An improved T113 design, the T113E1, was adopted by the U.S. Army in 1960 as the "M113". A diesel prototype, T113E2, was put into production in 1964 as the "M113A1", and quickly supplanted the gasoline-engined M113. In 1994, FMC transferred the M113's production over to its newly formed defense subsidiary, United Defense . Then in 2005, United Defense was acquired by BAE Systems . The M113

10465-685: The seated troops to fire even while under cover. Although neither the XM701 or XM734 were deemed worthwhile to produce, FMC continued development of their version as the XM765 advanced infantry fighting vehicle (AIFV). The AIFV was sold to a number of third party-users in the 1970s, including the Netherlands, the Philippines and Belgium. Modified versions of the Vietnam War ACAV sets were deployed to Iraq to equip

10580-579: The second largest user of the M113 after the United States, with over 6000 of the vehicles in service. In 1967 some Jordanian M113 were captured in the West Bank during the Six-Day War and were integrated into the Israeli Army. In 1970 Israel started to receive M113A1 to replace the antiquated half-tracks. The IDF M113s were armed with M2 HB machine guns, and two MAG 7.62 mm machine guns on either side of

10695-701: The standard M113s still in service. The circular .50 caliber gun shields have been modified, while the rear port and starboard gun stations have been deleted for service in that region. Some of these modified vehicles have been utilized for convoy escort duties. The M113 has relatively light armor, but it can be augmented with add-on steel plates for improved ballistic protection. Reactive armor and slat armor can be added for protection against rocket-propelled grenades . Band tracks made of rubber are in use by Canadian and other forces to enable stealthy operation, less damage to paved roads, higher speed, less maintenance, access to terrain where operation of wheeled vehicles

10810-627: The support of Michael Wilson , the Minister of Finance , as well as members of Mobile Forces Command Headquarters in Saint-Hubert, Quebec . Engineers and executives of DDGM realized they would likely need the support of Dallaire to obtain the contract and decided that the way to win him over would be to build a full-scale prototype vehicle and present it to him. DDGM saw an opportunity to do this at Canadian Forces Base Borden for Armed Forces Day on June 5, 1988, as both Dallaire and Beatty would be attending

10925-589: The surveillance suite out from behind cover. The remote variant of the Coyote has its surveillance suite mounted on two short tripods, which crew can deploy remotely using a 200-metre spool of cable. When first purchased, the Coyote was designated for service with both the Regular Force and Reserve Force, with the Mast variants earmarked for the Regular units and the Remotes designated for the Reserves. Shortly after taking delivery of

11040-400: The track commander (TC) position, two M60 machine guns with shields for the left and right rear positions, and "belly armor"—steel armor bolted from the front bottom extending 1/2 to 2/3 of the way towards the bottom rear of the M113. The two rear machine gunners could fire their weapons while standing inside the rectangular open cargo hatch. This transformed the M113 into a fighting vehicle, but

11155-504: The two doors previously used for the troop compartment with a ramp similar to the style found on the M113. This small scale model was then shown to Dallaire, who was not interested in the proposal and continued to support the M113A3 acquisition. At this point DDGM decided to begin flexing lobbying muscles in 1988 to get the Canadian government to consider the vehicle more seriously. DDGM secured

11270-613: The upper crew compartment door. The M113 took part in the Yom Kippur War in October 1973, when the IDF was equipped with 448 M113s that saw action on the Sinai and Golan fronts. They proved inadequate for direct fighting due to their poor armor protection. In the Battle of Buq'atta most of the 7th Recon Company was wiped out while trying to assault Syrian commandos with their M113s. They were used by

11385-414: The use of a relatively small engine to power the vehicle, a Detroit 6V53 V6 two-stroke diesel engine of 318 cubic inches (5,210 cc) with an Allison TX-100-1 three-speed automatic transmission . This allows the vehicle to carry a large payload cross-country and to be transported by fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. Original production M113s can swim without deploying flotation curtains, using only

11500-547: The vehicle still suffered from its lightly armored configuration, having never been designed for such a role. Canada also adopted the ACAV kits when employing the M113A2 during peacekeeping operations in the Balkans in the 1990s. In order to improve the fighting ability of the mounted troops, a number of experiments were carried out in the 1960s under the MICV-65 project, which aimed to develop

11615-682: The vehicle. As a result, the IDF faced calls from the Israeli public to build more Namer APCs over the next decade and to gradually reduce the number of M113s used in its future combat operations. A group of 30 Israeli reserve soldiers subsequently notified their commanders that they would refuse to enter the Gaza Strip in M113s. M113s were fielded in Palestine and Lebanon during the Israel–Hamas war . On 15 June 2024, eight soldiers were killed, possibly due to

11730-434: The vehicle. The surveillance systems can detect tank-sized targets at up to 12 kilometres away, and large truck-sized targets at up to 24 kilometres. In good conditions the visual surveillance system can detect personnel up to 20 kilometres away. The Coyote is powered by a Detroit Diesel 6V53T engine developing 275 horsepower (205 kW), and can reach speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) on road. The Coyote has

11845-435: The vehicles had all initially used the standard American T130 tracks that came with the vehicles, by 1974 a third of the fleet was using the T130E1 tracks as a large scale trial of the new track which was supposed to have a longer service life of around 60% along with better durability but results of these large scale trials were extremely poor, blamed on poor quality materials used as well as forging defects, these factors led to

11960-495: The vehicles in 1993 to replace the Lynx reconnaissance vehicle . All were delivered and entered service by 1996. The Coyote originally came in three variants: the "Mast" variant with a mast-mounted surveillance system, a variant with a remote surveillance suite, and a basic reconnaissance/command post variant. The Coyote mounts a 25×137mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun and two 7.62×51mm NATO C6 general purpose machine guns in an electrically driven turret. The turret features

12075-605: The vehicles manufactured in the United States with some parts produced locally in Canada to fulfil Canadian content requirements for Canadian Forces procurement. At the same time, Diesel Division General Motors Canada (DDGM) was nearing completion of LAV-25 production for the United States Marine Corps and was facing the potential of having empty production lines for a year at the Ontario Plant, as they had no additional contracts until 1990 and considered shutting down

12190-629: The vehicles, but before they were assigned to the Reserve units, all Coyotes were reassigned to the Regular Force. Since the introduction of the Coyote to the Canadian Armed Forces, the vehicle has been used domestically and abroad. The Coyote was deployed during the United Nations  / NATO missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina , Macedonia , Kosovo , and in Afghanistan. Domestically, it has been deployed during "Operation Grizzly" to Kananaskis to secure

12305-485: The years. The South Vietnamese Army ( ARVN ) called it the "green dragon". United States troops tended to refer to the M113 simply as a "113" (spoken as "one-one-three"), or a "track". The Israel Defense Forces employ the M113 in many different variants, all designed in Israel, and have given each of them official names, from the baseline "Bardelas" ( lit. Cheetah ) to the "Nagmash" (Hebrew acronym equivalent to "APC"), "Nagman", and "Kasman" variants for urban combat up to

12420-440: Was cut piece by piece and then welded together to create a box on the rear half of the vehicle and was then fitted with a ramp. The turret ring was then replaced with a large folding roof hatch. A raised commander cupola was added on the front left of the vehicle behind the driver. The entire process to produce the prototype took eight days, after which the "Bison", as named by DDGM, was assembled, painted and ready to be shown. It

12535-611: Was designed to be thick enough to protect the crew and passengers against small arms fire, but light enough that the vehicle was air transportable and moderately amphibious. In the U.S. Army, the M113 series have long been replaced as front-line combat vehicles by the M2 and M3 Bradleys , but large numbers are still used in support roles such as armored ambulance, mortar carrier, engineer vehicle, and command vehicle. The U.S. Army's heavy brigade combat teams are equipped with approximately 6,000 M113s and 6,724 Bradleys. The M113's versatility spawned

12650-409: Was developed to provide a survivable and reliable light tracked vehicle able to be air-lifted and air-dropped by C-130 and C-141 transport planes. The original concept was that the vehicle would be used solely for transportation, bringing the troops forward under armor and then having them dismount for combat, after which the M113 would retreat to the rear. Entering service with the U.S. Army in 1960,

12765-418: Was driven up to CFB Borden and was presented during the parade on Armed Forces Day. It was considered to be a success, with Beatty coming on board with the idea, but stating that he would not force the army's hand to purchase the Bison over the M113A3. While the prototype had seemingly won over Beatty, Colonel Dallaire was not convinced and continued to support the M113A3 acquisition, which caused DDGM to send

12880-503: Was found that this material could be penetrated by small arms fire, so subsequent shields were constructed from scrapped armored vehicles. The ARVN 80th Ordnance Unit in South Vietnam developed the shield idea further and commenced engineering general issue gun shields for the M113. These shields became the predecessor to the standardized armored cavalry assault vehicle (or ACAV) variant and were issued to all ARVN mechanized units during

12995-538: Was similar to the gun shield used on the U.S. M113 ACAV version. In addition, the Australians operated an M113 variant fitted with a Saladin armored car turret, with a 76 mm gun as a fire support vehicle, or FSV, for infantry fire support. This has now also been removed from service. Subsequent to Vietnam all Australian M113 troop carriers were fitted with the T50 turret. The FSV was eventually phased out and replaced with

13110-532: Was the first U.S. Army armor unit deployed to Vietnam. It originally consisted of three platoons of M113s and a platoon of 90 mm M56 Scorpion self-propelled anti-tank guns (SPAT). It was the only independent armor company in the history of the U.S. Army. Upon the company's arrival in Vietnam, a fourth line platoon was added; this was equipped with M106 4.2 in. mortar carriers (modified M113s). The mortar platoon often operated with Brigade infantry units to provide indirect fire support. It also deployed at times as

13225-426: Was unreliable as a result of efforts to reduce its cost. The Army was looking for a vehicle that combined the best features of both designs, the "airborne armored multi-purpose vehicle family" (AAM-PVF) of all-purpose, all-terrain armored fighting vehicles. FMC had been working with Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical Co. in the late 1950s to develop suitable aluminum armor. It was known that use of this armor could produce

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