Cadillac Gage Commando The Cadillac Gage Commando is a 4x4 amphibious armored car built by the American firm Cadillac Gage . The vehicle has been outfitted for many roles , including armored personnel carrier , ambulance , fire apparatus , anti - tank vehicle , and mortar carrier . They saw service in the Vietnam war where it became known as the Duck , or the V . It was also supplied to many American allies , including Lebanon and Saudi Arabia which used them in the first major ground engagement of the Persian Gulf War . No longer produced , it has been largely replaced by the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle , which was developed as tougher alternative to up - armored Humvee s . Design and development . The V - 100 series of vehicles was developed in the early 1960s by the Terra - Space division of the Cadillac Gage company . By 1962 a patent was filed and received by Terra - Space for a vehicle then only known as the Commando . The first prototype emerged in 1963 , and the production variants entered service in 1964 . The vehicle is equipped with four - wheel drive and uses axles similar to the ones used in the M34 series of trucks . The engine is a gasoline - powered 360 - cubic - inch Chrysler V8 , same as in the early gas models of the M113 armored personnel carrier s . Its 5 - speed manual transmission allows it to traverse relatively rough terrain . The M706 has a road speed of , and can travel across water at . The armor consists of high hardness alloy steel called Cadaloy , which protects against projectiles up to 7 . 62 x 51 mm . Partly because of its armor , the M706 has an unloaded mass of over 7 tons . As a result , a common problem with the vehicle is rear axle failure caused by the extreme weight . However , because the armor also provides the monocoque structural framework , it can be lighter than a soft vehicle to which armor has been added , and the angle of the armor also helps protect against hits and mine blasts . The V - 100 was available in turret and open - top models . Factory prototype turret options included the T - 60 , T - 70 , and T - 90 . The T - 60 featured a combination of two . 50 caliber machine guns , two . 30 caliber machine guns , or one of each , and had manual traverse . The specific . 30 caliber machine gun options were extremely varied , with from factory configurations including the M1919A4E1 , M37 , M73 , M219 , and MG42 . Later the M60 and FN MAG were also added to the list of options . The Cadillac Gage company also intended to use the solenoid trigger equipped fixed machine gun version of the Stoner 63 weapon system , but this was dropped after tests showed the smaller caliber cartridge to be unsuited to this role . The T - 90 featured a single 20 mm cannon with power traverse . The T - 70 , developed for police use , featured 4 tear gas launchers , vision blocks all around the turret for 360 - degree vision , and no other weapons . The T - 70 and T - 90 were not put into mass production with a modified T - 60 , with the guns mounted together in the center , instead of on the outer edges , becoming the standard . A variant of this turret featuring the 7 . 62 mm General Electric Minigun was also developed . In addition an open - topped variant with a central parapet was developed . The intended usage of this variant was to be a mortar portee , but a total of five machine gun mounts could also be fitted . There were 2 in front , one in the rear all three M2 Browning or Mk 19 capable and one folding pintle point on each side M1919 Browning machine gun or M60 capable . An enclosed raised superstructure " pod " was also developed for converting the V - 100 into either a command vehicle or for police use . The variants for police work featured special elongated firing ports for better angles of fire for tear gas grenade launchers . Operational use . The Commando was originally deployed to South Vietnam in September 1963 for use by the US Army Military Police , US Air Force and allied forces including the ARVN . It was introduced in Vietnam as the XM706 Commando first to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam who loaned the first examples to the U . S . Army in 1967 . By the end of 1968 , the U . S . Army had purchased its own version of the armored car , the XM706E1 , later standardized as the M706 . Within the U . S . Army it was affectionately known as " the Duck " , or " the V " . The main differences between the XM706 and XM706E1 / M706 were in the design of the gas tank fill port covers , side windows , front vision blocks , and most importantly in the weaponry . The XM706 featured two . 30 - 06 - caliber M37 machine guns , while the XM706E1 / M706 for the U . S . Army featured two 7 . 62 mm NATO M73 machine guns for better ammunition commonality with existing weapons . The ARVN , on the other hand , were still using a variety of weapons in the . 30 - 06 caliber , and had relevant ammunition in their supply train . In practice , the ARVN found the standard two - gun armament to be lacking and often mounted an additional M1919A4 machine gun on a standard tripod mount at the rear radio operator ' s hatch . A number of their V - 100s were also refitted with the combination turret armament of one M37 and one . 50 BMG - caliber M2HB machine gun . The V - 100 in with the ARVN mainly saw service in armored car elements of armored cavalry units , but also as part of the mechanized platoons of the Regional Forces . Compared to the American counterparts ARVN V - 100 units had larger crews , including a commander riding shotgun , and a radio operator outside the rear hatch . Another model , the XM706E2 , was supplied to the U . S . Air Force for base protection purposes , post - attack reconnaissance against munitions and EOD use . The XM706E2 featured no turret and an open - topped center parapet . In practice a variety of weapons were mounted on USAF XM706E2s , but the most common configuration was one . 50 BMG - caliber M2HB machine gun and one 7 . 62 mm NATO M60 machine gun . Other equipment included the XM174 40 mm grenade launcher and searchlights . The 3rd Security Police Group of the United States Air Force at Clark Air Base Republic of the Philippines was still was operating the " Duck " as a Fire - Team vehicle until it received M1026 HMMWV s in the fall of 1988 . The vehicles were then semi - retired , and occasionally used as " steel " bunkers at the gates , because of the difficulty in keeping the 20 - year - old vehicles running . The V - 100 carries a maximum crew of 12 . In road patrol , convoy duty and base defense use by the U . S . Army ' s Military Police , it usually had a crew of two : driver and gunner . Additional armament often included two or three top - mounted M2 machine gun or M60 machine gun s . Other weapons such as M134 Miniguns were also sometimes used . Passengers could also use their personal weapons to fire through the vehicle ' s various gun ports . In spite of its effectiveness during the Vietnam War , the U . S . military made limited use of the V - 100s after the war , deploying only small units of the armored cars with US Army Military Police platoons at the Herlong Army Depot in California during the 1970s , or other related sites across the country . The remaining V - 100s were expended as " hard targets " for tank and machinegun ranges throughout various military installations . However , survivors remain in service with various smaller forces , such as Vietnam People ' s Army , Royal Thai Army , Republic of China Military Police , the Philippine Army , Marine Corps , and Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police , the Lebanese Armed Forces , the Army of Venezuela and the Jamaican Defence Force . It was used by Malaysian Army in Second Malayan Emergency ( now retired ) and Royal Malaysian Police ( GOF - Pasukan Gerakan Am ) until now . The vehicle is also used by many SWAT units in the U . S . and gendarmerie forces overseas . The V - 100 is the predecessor of the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle which is being used by the U . S . Army for convoy protection and other duties in Iraq and Afghanistan . For many years the Los Angeles Police Department ( LAPD ) had used 2 V - 100s and used them for high risk warrant arrests . They pioneered the first SWAT teams and were the first to use the V - 100 as a law enforcement vehicle . Typically a court issued warrant was required to use them , however the LAPD had deployed them outside of that requirement . On a moment ' s notice the LAPD Metropolitan Division could have a V - 100 ( nicknamed the " tank " ) in the field for shooting scenarios as well as officer assistance calls . Instead of outfitting these vehicles with guns the LAPD would attach a battering ram . LAPD has retired the V - 100 vehicles . Today some SWAT teams around the nation have similar V - 100s . On the A & E TV show " Detroit SWAT " a V - 100 with a battering ram is often seen being used by the Detroit SWAT team . Most SWAT operations now are more updated with better equipped APCs and armored vans . However , when needed , the V - 100 continues to be a valuable tool for making a tactical entrance on a building , residence , etc . Variants . Cadillac Gage ' s basic V - 100 vehicle spawned an entire series of vehicles . This development was continued even after the production and further development of the system was passed to Marine and Land Division of the Textron company . The include updated 4x4 vehicles , but also expanded 6x6 vehicles utilizing a similar design and some basic components . V - 150 . The V - 150 was a hybrid variant which actually came after the V - 200 and was based on the V - 200 but had some V - 100 features . It could be equipped with diesel or gasoline engines and most were produced for the Saudi Arabian National Guard . Their version was called the V - 150S . In the Battle of Khafji , between 7 and 10 of the lightly armored Saudi V - 150s were destroyed when they were used in conjunction with AMX - 30 main battle tanks to drive Iraqi armored forces out the town in the first major ground engagement of the 1991 Gulf War . In the 1980s Portugal updated its Chaimite s ( originally built between 1967 and 1974 ) with a version with a 90 mm turret ( V - 400 ) , but the Portuguese Army also bought 15 examples of the U . S . - made V - 150 Commando . V - 200 . The V - 200 was essentially an enlarged version of the V - 100 and utilized many components of the U . S . Army ' s 5 ton trucks . This version was specially tailor - made to the specifications of the Singapore Armed Forces ( SAF ) and manufactured exclusively for use by the SAF . ST Kinetics upgraded the Singaporean fleet of V - 200 vehicles in the 2002 – 2003 time frame with upgrades — a fully electric turret drive system by Moog — as well as improvements to both the engine and transmission systems . All in all , about two hundred fifty V - 200s were acquired by SAF , with the Singapore Army ( thirty V - 100s and another forty V - 150s ) , keeping two hundred V - 200s in reserve storage while the remaining fifty V - 200s were relegated for use by the Republic of Singapore Air Force in the role of airbase defence / security duties and also as SHORAD air - defence systems . In these roles , the vehicles are generally equipped with the RBS 70 Surface - to - air missile s " or " a single Oerlikon 20 mm cannon plus FN MAG 7 . 62 mm General - purpose machine guns for self - defense . In 2006 the Singapore Armed Forces ( SAF ) decided to purchase 300 Terrex APCs to replace their remaining V - 200s . LAV - 300 . Originally named as the V - 300 , the LAV - 300 is a 6x6 variant originally designed for a heavy weapons support role . LAV - 600 . The V - 600 is a much heavier version of the V - 300 and was intended to fulfill heavier weapons support . The primary version is equipped with a 105 mm turret . Commando Select 90 mm Direct Fire . On 22 October 2013 , Textron Marine & Land Systems unveiled a new version of the Commando Select family called the Commando Select 90 mm Direct Fire armored vehicle . It is intended to fill a growing international role for armored firepower within a highly mobile vehicle . The vehicle is fitted with the CMI Defence Cockerill CSE 90LP weapons system , which is a 90 mm gun in a two - man low - profile turret . The turret gives the Commando platform a day / night combat capability for missions ranging from conventional combat to counter - insurgency . Operators . " Information from Cadillac Gage V - 100 Commando , 1960 – 1971 " " Please note , this list is not complete . "