The M113 is the most widely used and versatile armoured vehicle in the world. Fielded in 1960 as a simple 'battlefield taxi', over 80,000 M113s would see service with 50 nations around the world and 55 years later, many thousands are still in use. In addition to its original role of transporting troops across the battlefield, specialized versions perform a multitude of other functions including command and control, fire support, anti-tank and anti-aircraft defence, and casualty evacuation. This new fully illustrated study examines the service record of the M113 from its initial fielding through to the end of the Vietnam War. It will also describe the many US, South Vietnamese, and Australian variants of the M113 used in the Vietnam War as well as information on tactics, unit tables of organization and equipment, and a selection of engagements in which the M113 played a decisive role.

This entry in R. P. Hunnicutt's unrivaled 10-volume history of American armored fighting vehicles focuses on the spectrum of armored personnel carriers with a focus on the Bradley fighting vehicle (BFV). Operations in WWII indicated a need for an armored vehicle with improved protection and reliable mobility for transporting soldiers in and out of battle. To address this need, development began on full-tracked armored personnel carriers with overhead protection before WWII came to a close. Development continued into the postwar period. One result of this program was the M59 armored infantry vehicle, which was pioneered as a low-production-cost vehicle and had the added benefit of being amphibious, a quality that became required in all armored personnel carriers that succeeded it. In his trademark style, Hunnicutt surveys the development of each armored personnel carrier since the end of WWII, illustrating his detailed history with line drawings and photographs. He covers the development of the M113, which was employed successfully in Vietnam and served as the basis for a family of vehicles ranging from armored combat vehicles to unarmored cargo carriers. The success of the M113 as a fighting vehicle gave rise to the development of the Bradley fighting vehicle, which was intended for use by both infantry and cavalry units. With all the detail and precision readers have come to expect from R. P. Hunnicutt's histories of American armored vehicles, Bradley is the definitive work on the history of American fighting and support vehicles. An absolute must-have for anyone interested in American military history. Readers interested in related titles from R. P. Hunnicutt will also want to see: Abrams (ISBN: 9781626542556), Armored Car (ISBN: 9781626541559), Half-Track (ISBN: 9781626541320), Patton (ISBN: 9781626548794), Pershing (ISBN: 9781626541672), Sheridan (ISBN: 9781626541542), Sherman (ISBN: 9781626548619), Stuart (History of the American Light Tank, Vol. 1) (ISBN: 9781626548626), Firepower (ISBN: 9781635615036).

The M113 has become as much a recognizable part of the US military machine at war as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois and M16 assault rifle. Earning its stripes in the jungles and highlands of Vietnam, it became the most widely armored vehicle of the campaign. Such was its prowess that the Viet Cong gave it the nickname Green Dragon on account of its ability to go virtually anywhere. Its groundbreaking aluminum hull gives the M113 a relatively low weight of 12ts, this allows it to be easily transported by air and gives it an amphibious ability. The design was also easy to modify and can carry a range of support and indirect fire weapons. From mortars to ballistic missiles, the M113 spawned a progeny of useful and innovative vehicles. The base M113 is lightly armored and safe against only the lightest of small arms fire and shell splinter. As a result a range of up-armor packages have been used in the past, from sandbags to complex appliqué armur. 80,000 M113s of all types have been produced and are in use with over 50 countries, making it one of the most widely used armored fighting vehicles to be produced. Indeed such was its popularity that the US bought their final M113s in as late as 2007. The M113 was designed and developed by the Food Machinery Corporation (FMC) to replace the heavier and less reliable steel-bodied M59 and M75 armored personnel carriers. It was specifically designed to be lighter, air-portable and have amphibious capability. Carrying a crew of two, driver and commander, who manned the M113’s only weapon, a .50cal machine gun, the M113 would transport 11 soldiers into combat before withdrawing to the rear. Powered initially by a V8 petrol engine the M113 would be continuously up-engined throughout its frontline and subsequent rear support lifespan. Changes included improved suspension, smoke dischargers and externally fitted fuel tanks. Other changes have included armored commander’s turrets and slat armor. This LandCraft title looks at the M113s development where the FMC sought to utilize its chassis into as many roles as possible, from smoke generators to flamethrowers. The book also looks at how the M113 was adapted for use by numerous overseas customers and how these are upgraded to suit local conditions. Finally the title looks at the M113’s changing roles in the more sophisticated contemporary battlescape and how it’s still providing service in theatres across the world in a variety of roles, both combat and support. For the modeler there is nothing more important than the little things and this image-rich section of Land Crafts M113 title delivers the goods. Filled with crisp photos that show the M113’s many details, combined with helpful accompanying text, forms an enviable visual guide for the enthusiast and modeler alike.

Major Hal Skaarup has woven together an informative and detailed synopsis of the carefully preserved and restored armoured fighting vehicles on display in Canada. He highlights the importance of these upon key turning points in history when these AFVs were in use as tools of war at home and overseas. We often associate the evolution of military prowess with the advancement of sophisticated technology. Major Skaarup's descriptions of Canadian armour as it evolved to the level it has today reveals that military planners have had to be continuously creative in adapting to the changes in modern combat. They had to devise many intricate techniques, tactics and procedures to overcome the insurgents and opposition forces faced in Afghanistan and future overseas missions where Canadian armour will be brought into play. This guide book will show the interested reader where to find examples of the historical armour preserved in Canada, and perhaps serve as a window on how Canadas military contribution to safety and security in the world has evolved.

January 2021 This is probably the toughest book I've attempted. Partly due to the lack of open-source information available and partly because of the Covid-19 lockdown. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and publish what I have since there are so few books on the subject out there. This is just the start as there are a lot of vehicles out there and I plan to add the ones I missed. Please let me know which I missed and I will add them. I would like to "crowd source" this book and ask that readers go to our web site (USGOVPUB.com) and send me comments to fill in the information gaps. Rather than writing a negative review, how about sending me the suggested changes and improvements and I then update the text as soon as I get your comments? I plan to upload updates on the last day of the month if I get input. In any event, I will continue to research the missing information myself and make corrections as I find them. Note that the pictures on the cover are a graphical Table of Contents. The page number is written before the vehicle name. Also, I hate to see blank pages, so I placed the cover page for a few suggested titles you may be interested in looking at. If you have ideas for future titles, let me know and I will see how much info is out there and try and publish suggested titles. Thank you for your continued support. 4th Watch publishing is a SDVOSB. Here is a partial list of vehicles: CSK-131 4x4 Tactical Vehicle CSK-141 6x6 Tactical Vehicle CSK-141 UAV Swarm Launcher CSK-181 Tactical Vehicle CSK-181 Multiple Rocket Launcher CSK-181 122 mm Self-Propelled Howitzer CTL181/CTL181A Light Protected Truck CSZ181 Protected Box Truck YJ2080 Protected Assault Vehicle MK-BLA-01 UAV Carrier/Launcher Vehicle CS/VP3 MRAP CS/VN3C 4x4 Light Armored Car MV3 MRAP Armored Personnel Carrier VP11 MRAP CS/VP14 MRAP VP-21 MRAP Heavy Tactical Armored Truck Personnel Carrier VP22 MRAP ZIL Karatel ('Punisher') CSK-002 Airborne Assault Vehicle 8x8 Armed Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Type 07 Infantry Fighting Vehicle ("ZBD09") ...................... There are many, many more.

This expert study of the U.S. military’s armored vehicles deployed during the Cold War features rare photographs from the wartime archives. To counter the Soviet threat and that of their client States during the Cold War years 1949-1991, the American military deployed an impressive range of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Expert author Michael Green presents a detailed study of these vehicles and their variants in this informative volume of stunning wartime photographs. The Patton series of medium main battle tanks—including the M46, M47 and M48—supplemented by the M103s Heavy Tank initially formed the core of the US tank fleet. In 1960 the M60 MBT entered service and, in turn, was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1980. In support were armored reconnaissance vehicles, progressively the M41 bull dog (1951); the M114 (1961), the M551 Sheridan (1967) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (1981). The armored personnel carrier range included the ubiquitous M113 and its replacement the M2 Bradley, cousin of the M3. All of these vehicles are covered in this highly detailed volume in the Images of War series.

44 illustrations of the "Little Willie" (1915), Rolls Royce armored scout car (1916), German Panzer III (1940), American M4 Sherman tank (1942), more Captions.