M113 Armored Personnel Carrier - Derivatives

Derivatives

M58 Wolf system

A smoke screen generator vehicle.

M106

A mortar carrier armed with an M30 mortar mounted on a turntable in the rear troop compartment. On this variant, the single hatch over the rear troop compartment was exchanged for a three-part circular hatch. The mortar could be fired from the vehicle, but could also be fired dismounted. Today, the US Army mortar carrier is the M1064A3, an M106 upgraded to A3 standard armed with an M121 120 mm mortar, a variant of the M120 mortar.

M125

Another mortar carrier, basically an M106 armed with an M29 81 mm mortar.

M132

Flamethrower variant equipped with a turret armed with a flamethrower and a .50 caliber machine gun. These vehicles are no longer used by the US Army. Vehicles upgraded to A1 standard were known as M132A1.

M163

Anti-aircraft variant equipped with a turret armed with a variant of the 20 mm M61 Vulcan cannon.

M48 Chaparral

Anti-aircraft variant equipped with a launcher armed with four MIM-72A/M48 Chaparral missiles.

M548

Unarmored cargo carrier equipped with a rear cargo bed.

M577

Command variant, the roof over the rear troop compartment is higher. The vehicle also carries additional radios and a generator. A variant of this is the M1068 Standard Integrated Command Post System Carrier, equipped with the newest US Army automated command and control system.

M579

A fitter and repair vehicle equipped with a crane. This vehicle was not taken into US Army service.

M806

Repair and recovery vehicle equipped with an internal winch and two earth anchors mounted on the rear hull.

M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle)

Equipped with a launcher armed with two TOW missiles.

M113 "MBT" (NTC)

A variant of the M113 fitted with a modified Bradley turret as part of a VISmod package specifically for training. This version also features MILES gear, a MGSS/TWGSS system, and fake ERA around the turret.

Others

A huge number of M113 variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 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 into the 21st century. Not without its faults, the otherwise versatile chassis of the M113 has been used to create almost every type of vehicle imaginable. Few vehicles ever created can claim the application to such a wide range of roles.

In 1994, a stretched version of the M113 was presented by its manufacturer, also known as "Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light" (MTVL). Its hull is lengthened by 34 inches and equipped with an additional road wheel (six on each side) to sustain the added dry weight and payload. The vehicle was developed as a "production-tooled demonstrator" with private-industry funding from United Defense. Although the US Army did not buy it, it was acquired by other nations, and is copied today by Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt in their local M113-producing plants. Some nations, like Canada or Australia, also stretched existing M113-hulls.

M113 Clones

Pakistan produces an armored personnel carrier known as Talha which has a number of mechanical and automotive parts in common with the M113. Turkey produces the ACV-300 based on the AIFV.