What will the US M113 armored vehicle help Ukraine?

April 15, 2022 08:30 GMT+7

Accordingly, it was reported that the armored vehicles sent to Kiev were originally intended to go to Afghanistan, but due to the failure in this country, the US decided to redirect them to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

With this equipment, the US intends to partially compensate for the losses that Ukraine’s military has suffered. It is expected that Ukraine will receive additional batches of new armored vehicles and improved models produced on their basis.

M113 will help improve the combat capabilities of the Ukrainian army in the context of the upcoming big battle in the Donbass region. (Image: Wikimedia)

The M113 armored personnel carrier is the most popular armored vehicle in the history of modern warfare, as for more than 60 years they have been produced in record numbers of about 85 thousand units. Despite their relatively old age compared to other armored vehicles, they continue to operate in nearly 60 countries around the world.

The US Army started to equip the M113 armored vehicle in the 1960s and the M113 was produced in 12 different versions, but mainly the M113A1, M113A2, M113A3 versions.

The M113 fought in the Middle East, was used in the long and bloody confrontation between Iran and Iraq, in the events in the Persian Gulf and the 2003 attack.

It is not yet clear which version of the M113 will be supplied to Ukraine. In the latest version, the M113 has a diesel engine of 275 hp and a combat weight of up to 14,000 kg. The maximum speed on the highway is 64 km / h, floating at a distance of 5.8 km / h. Fuel reserve 480 km, capacity 13 people. The 12.7 mm M2HB machine gun was used as the main weapon. The armor is made of aluminum alloy and in the basic version can withstand 12.7 mm DShK machine gun bullets from a distance of 200 meters.

However, according to experts, with the development of new lines of anti-tank weapons, the M113 proved vulnerable and the chassis was outdated for upgrading.

US military officials also assessed that the M113 armored vehicle is no longer suitable for the current mode of maneuvering because it cannot keep up with the Abrams tank units and the M2 Bradley fighting vehicle. In particular, the M113 is a very vulnerable target in urban combat environments and roadside bombs. This was evident during the war in Iraq.

Earlier, on April 13, US President Joe Biden announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $800 million.

Specifically, this military aid batch includes 17 helicopters, 300 drones, 500 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 200 armored fighting vehicles, and other weapons. These weapons will be sent to European allies that share a border with Ukraine. After that, the batch of weapons will be transferred to Ukraine.

Peace (translation summary)