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U.S. Battle Tanks
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1994-05-04
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The amphibious M113, which has been in production since 1964, carries a crew
of two plus an infantry squad of 11. It can maintain a road speed of 42 miles per
hour and averages 2.78 miles per gallon of fuel.
FMC Corporation's M113 has been criticized because its light armor barely stops
a rifle bullet. The M113 is particularly vulnerable to heavier-caliber weapons,
and crew and passengers suffered many casualties during the Vietnam War.
To improve survivability, FMC have developed bolt-on aluminum armor panels
for the exterior and Kevlar liners for the interiors of crew compartments. The
M113A3 has external fuel tanks and bolt-on interior armor to increase crew
survivability. An up-rated powertrain gives the vehicle a cross-country speed of
22 miles per hour even with the added panel weight.
The M113A3 is armed with a .50 caliber M2 machine gun. Basic hull armor is
5083 aluminum. The M113A3 is not fast enough to keep pace with the M-1
Abrams Main Battle tank, so is retained only in units having the M-60 Main Battle
Tank.
To date, more than 75,000 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, in 20 different
models, have been used in the world today.