page_title: M113 armoured personnel carriers in Australian service
section_title: Fire support vehicles
hierarchical_section_title: M113 armoured personnel carriers in Australian service / M113A1 variants and modifications / Fire support vehicles
caption_attribution_description: M113 Fire Support Vehicle in Royal Australian Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Puckapunyal, Australia.
context_page_description: The Australian Army has operated large numbers of M113 armoured personnel carriers since 1964. Between 817 and 840 M113s were acquired between 1965 and 1979, comprising nine different variants. A long-running modernisation program which commenced in the 1990s resulted in 431 being upgraded between 2007 and 2012.
  The M113 has been the main type of armoured fighting vehicle used by the Australian Army for most of its career, and has equipped armoured transport and reconnaissance units as well as mechanised infantry formations. It has also been used as a support vehicle by many other units. The type played an important role in Australia's commitment to the Vietnam War between 1965 and 1972. Small numbers of M113s were deployed to Somalia during 1992 and 1993 and Rwanda in 1994 and 1995. Larger numbers of M113s operated in East Timor from 1999 to 2002 and 2006 to 2008.
  Despite the upgrade program, the M113s are now obsolete and the Army has not used them in recent deployments due to their vulnerability to attack. A project to replace the M113s with infantry fighting vehicles is underway, and the new vehicles are scheduled to enter service from 2025.
context_section_description: Experience in South Vietnam led to the development of fire support variants of the M113 armed with medium-calibre guns. These variants were unique to Australia.
  The initial M113A1 Fire Support Vehicles were fitted with the turret from an Alvis Saladin armoured car. This turret was armed with a 76 mm L5A1 gun which could fire high explosive, canister and smoke rounds. A total of 15 of this variant were produced, using the turrets of all the Australian Army's Saladins. The M113A1 Fire Support Vehicles began to be produced in 1970. These vehicles were converted from newly acquired M113A1s, with the installation of the turret and armament being undertaken by 4 Base Workshop RAEME at Bandiana, Victoria.
  The development of a second tranche of fire support vehicles began in 1972, when a requirement for further such AFVs was issued. It was decided that the new AFV would use the turret of a FV101 Scorpion fitted to the chassis of a M113A1 APC. The prototype vehicles began to be constructed by the Ordnance Factory in Maribyrnong, Victoria during 1974, with three being completed in mid-1975. The design was approved for production in 1978, and 45 additional fire support vehicles were eventually completed by converting newly acquired M113A1s. The type was later designated the Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle.
caption: A M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle on display at the Royal Australian Armoured Corps Memorial and Army Tank Museum
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