The M113 is an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) intended to transport infantry soldiers to the front line. Up to the 1950s, infantry went to battle riding a truck or a tank, a dangerous exposure. APCs had the same mobility as tanks and tracked vehicles and armor protection for their crews.
Like the contemporary Soviet BTR-152 series, it featured a gasoline engine and an open crew space; however, the BTR-152 was a wheeled vehicle. Made primarily of aluminum, the M113 was light enough to be air transported by a Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Its armor protected the crew from small arms fire. However, the upper hull was vulnerable to incoming fire.
The M113 can be equipped with various types of weaponry. Most commonly, it is armed with the heavy M2 machine gun and the MK 19 grenade launcher. Additionally, a wide range of anti-tank weapons can be mounted, including the M47 Dragon and the BGM-71 TOW missile systems, frequently used by the U.S. Army. It is also possible to install guns of various calibers, depending on mission requirements and operational roles.
Key recognition features
- Box-shaped hull with front sloping at 60 degrees to the rear, horizontal roof, vertical hull rear with large power-operated ramp, vertical hull sides with no firing ports or vision devices
- Driver’s circular hath front left with air louvers to the right, commander’s cupola with externally mounted 12.7m M2 HB machine gun in the center of the roof with rectangular hatch to rear. External box-type fuel tanks on each ramp side on the hull rear.
- Suspension on each side has five road wheels, drive sprocket front, idler rear, no track-return rollers, and the upper part of the track is typically covered by a rubber skirt.
Development
The M113 Armored Personnel Carrier is one of the most widespread and widely used armored vehicles in the world. Designed in the late 1950s, its simplicity, reliability, and adaptability have made it a battlefield mainstay for decades. The first prototype was completed in 1957, and the vehicle officially entered operational service with the U.S. Army in 1960.
Over the years, the M113 has evolved through multiple upgrades to meet changing battlefield requirements. In 1964, the original model was replaced in production by the diesel-powered M113A1. This was followed by the M113A2, which introduced a series of automotive improvements. The most advanced version, the M113A3, entered service in 1987, featuring a more powerful engine, spall liners, and optional applique armor for enhanced protection.
By 1992, over 76,000 M113s and their variants had been built, including approximately 4,500 units produced under license in Italy by OTOBREDA. The vehicle’s versatile design has allowed for countless modifications and specialized variants across different military forces worldwide.
The M113 is fully amphibious, capable of crossing water obstacles with minimal preparation. It is propelled in water by its tracks, and before entering, a trim vane is raised at the front of the hull while bilge pumps are activated to ensure buoyancy and stability.
Variants
There are countless local modifications of M113; for example, Israeli vehicles have additional armor protection. German vehicles have smoke grenade dischargers on the hull front and a 7.62mm machine gun in place of the standard 12.7mm M2 HB machine gun. The following list is by no means exhaustive.
M113 with dozer blade, M106 107mm mortar carrier, M125 91mm mortar carrier, M113 A/A (Egypt 2 x 23mm), M163 20mm Vulcan air defense system, M548 unarmored cargo carrier, M577 command post vehicle with a higher roof, M113 series recovery vehicle, M901 Improve TOW vehicle (tank destroyers), M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle, M113 with Scorpion turret (Australia), M113 with Green Archer radar (Germany).
The Norwegian Army had a number of specialized versions of the M113 series, including the NM135, which has a one-man turret armed with a 20mm cannon and a 7.62mm machine gun, and the NM142, which has a one-man Armored Launching Turret with to TOW ATGW in the ready to launch position. Italy has the SIDAM 4 x 25mm SPAAG on the M113 chassis. Chassis is also used as a basis for the ADATS air defense system. M548 is used for many specialized vehicles, including Tracked Rapier air defense system. Chaparral air defense missile system, minelayer (Germany), and electronic warfare carrier.
Status
In production. In service with Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kampuchea, South Korea, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Somalia, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zaire.
Manufacturer
United Defense Ground Systems Division, San Jose, California, United States of America. Also built by OTOBREDA in La Spezia, Italy, and by BMF in Belgium for the Belgian Army.
Technical specifications
| Crew: | 2+11 |
| Armament: | 1 x 12.7mm machine gun |
| Ammunition: | 2000 x 12.7mm |
| Length: | 4.863 m |
| Width: | 2.686 m |
| Height overall: | 2.52 m |
| Height to hull top: | 1.85 m |
| Ground clearance: | 0.43 m |
| Weight, combat: | 11,253 kg |
| Weight, empty: | 9,957 kg |
| Power-to-weight ratio: | 18.51 hp/tonne |
| Ground pressure: | 0.55 kg/cm2 |
| Engine: | Detroit Diesel Model 6V-53, 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel developing 212bhp at 2,800rpm |
| Maximum road speed: | 60.7 km/h |
| Maximum water speed: | 5.8 km/h |
| Maximum road range: | 480 km |
| Fuel capacity: | 360 lit |
| Fording: | Amphibious |
| Vertical obstacle: | 0.61 m |
| Trench: | 1.68 m |
| Gradient: | 60% |
| Side slope: | 40% |
| Armor: | 44 mm (maximum) |
| Armor type: | Aluminum |
| NBC system: | Optional |
| Night vision equipment: | Yes (passive or infra-red for the driver) |
