M113

The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) designed to transport infantry and provide armored protection on the battlefield. It is one of the most widely used armored vehicles in the world, serving in numerous armed forces across the globe. Its versatility has led to the development of a vast array of variants, adapted for roles ranging from infantry transport to command and control, mortar carriers, and engineering vehicles.

The M113 was designed as a lightweight, air-transportable, amphibious APC to replace the heavier M59 and M75 carriers.

General M113 key features:

• Size & weight
  • 15 ft 11 in long, 8 ft 10 in wide, 8 ft 2 in high, ~12 tons
  • 4.85m long, 2.7m wide, 2.5m high
• Crew: Typically 2 (driver and commander), plus capacity for infantry squad (around 11 soldiers, depending on variant and configuration)
• Armor: 12–38 mm aluminum alloy armor, protects against small arms fire and artillery fragments.
• Engine: generally either gasoline (early models, Chrysler 75M V8 gasoline engine - 209 hp) or diesel engines (ex: Detroit Diesel 6V53 V6 - 215 hp), depends on variant.
• Torsion bar suspension, automatic transmission
• Maximum road speed around 40-45 mph (64-72 km/h) with a range of approximately 300 miles (480 km)
• Armament: Typically a single .50 caliber (12.7mm) M2HB machine gun
• Most M113 variants are amphibious with minimal preparation, propelled in the water by their tracks.

More information:

• AFV DB - Armored Personnel Carrier M113
• Wiki M113 Variants