Ukraine enhances vintage M113s with modern combat tech
Ukraine's allies are providing it with the very old M113 armoured personnel carriers. Due to certain features, they have been nicknamed "grain harvesters mowing down enemies," but the Ukrainians suggest the machines will be able to do this efficiently now, following the implemented upgrades and the elimination of one of the major drawbacks.
The M113 armoured personnel carriers are American vehicles dating back to the Vietnam War. Their production began in 1960, allowing them to enter service in many countries worldwide. Allies have already delivered several hundred of these machines to Ukraine, which structurally have much in common with 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 that the machine gun requires the shooter to be in an unprotected position. Thanks to ongoing upgrades, this is no longer 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. This information has been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
This is a combat module armed with machine guns of calibres 14.5 mm and 7.62 mm. Importantly, its operator can shoot from inside the armoured vehicle. Although due to their age, M113 armoured personnel carriers do not have strong armour, it is 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 currently revealed upgrade should be on a significantly larger scale.
The M113, in its most popular infantry carrier variant, weighs about 10 tonnes and can carry a maximum of 11 people. An advantage is its tracked traction, allowing for more efficient movement over difficult terrain than wheeled constructions. The maximum speed of this armoured personnel carrier is about 40 mph. It can also cross water bodies, but at a speed of no more than 4 mph.
