Ukrainian forces upgrade vintage M113 vehicles for combat edge
Ukraine's allies are providing it with very old M113 armoured personnel carriers. Due to certain features, they have been nicknamed "grain harvesters mowing down enemies," but as the Ukrainians suggest, the machines will only be able to do this efficiently now, after the upgrades have been implemented and one of the major drawbacks has been eliminated.
The M113 armoured personnel carriers are American vehicles that date back to the Vietnam War. Production began in 1960 and lasted long enough for them to enter service in many countries worldwide. The Allies have already delivered several hundred of these machines to Ukraine. They are structurally similar to the grain harvesters popular in Ukraine.
Ukrainians have modified the M113 armoured personnel carriers
Ukrainian soldiers frequently joked that these are "grain harvesters mowing down enemies instead of crops." However, a problem with the M113 armoured personnel carriers is, among others, the fact that the machine gun used in them requires the shooter to be in an unprotected position. Thanks to the ongoing upgrades, this will no longer be necessary.
According to the Defence Express portal, Ukrainians are equipping the M113 armoured personnel carriers with Tawria-14.5/7.62 remotely controlled combat modules of local production. The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has confirmed this information.
This combat module is armed with machine guns of calibres 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm. Importantly, its operator can shoot from inside the armoured vehicle. Although M113 armoured personnel carriers do not have strong armour due to their age, they are still a much safer option (providing protection from shrapnel and small arms fire) than using a standard 12.7 mm calibre machine gun, which requires the shooter to fire from an unprotected position on the turret.
M113 in Ukrainian service
The Ukrainians had previously experimented with similar solutions. In August 2023, an M113 armoured personnel carrier with a Turkish Sarp Dual module designed for combating drones was spotted at the front. However, the upgrade revealed now should be on a significantly larger scale.
The M113, in its most popular infantry carrier variant, weighs about 9,100 kilograms and can carry a maximum of 11 people. An advantage is the tracked traction, which allows for more efficient movement over difficult terrain than wheeled constructions. The maximum speed of this armoured personnel carrier is about 65 kilometres per hour. It can also cross water bodies, but at a speed of no more than 6 kilometres per hour.
