Variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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 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; 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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: