Vietnam The Vietnam War was the first combat opportunity for
mechanized infantry, a technically new type of infantry with its roots in the armored infantry of
World War II, now using the M113 armored personnel carrier. In addition, armored cavalry squadrons in Vietnam consisted largely of M113s, after replacing the intended
M114 in a variety of roles, and armor battalions contained M113s within their headquarters companies, such as the maintenance section, medical section, vehicle recovery section, mortar section, and the scout (reconnaissance) section. United States Army mechanized infantry units in Vietnam were fully equipped with the M113 APC/ACAV, which consisted of one headquarters company and three line companies, normally with an authorized strength of approximately 900 men. Ten U.S. mechanized infantry battalions were deployed to Vietnam from 1965 until their departure in 1972.
Company D, 16th Armor Company D, 16th Armor,
173rd Airborne Brigade, was the first U.S. Army armor unit deployed to Vietnam. It originally consisted of three platoons of M113s and a platoon of 90 mm
M56 Scorpion self-propelled anti-tank guns (SPAT). It was the only independent armor company in the history of the U.S. Army. Upon the company's arrival in Vietnam, a fourth line platoon was added; this unit was equipped with M106 4.2 in. mortar carriers (modified M113s). The mortar platoon often operated with Brigade infantry units to provide indirect fire support. It also deployed at times as a dismounted infantry unit. The remaining SPAT platoon was reequipped with M113s in late 1966 and the mortar platoon was deactivated in early 1967. From early 1967, D/16th had three line platoons equipped with M113s and, eventually, its diesel version, the M113A1. It was also standardized in late 1968 with three machine guns per track, one M2 .50 caliber and two M60 machine guns mounted on each side. Additional M113s were supplied to the Cambodian
Khmer National Armed Forces, equipped with a turret for the machine gun and a
M40 recoilless rifle mounted on the roof. The
Australian Army also
used the M113 in Vietnam. After initial experiences showed that the crew commander was too vulnerable to fire, the Australians tried a number of different gun shields and turrets, eventually standardizing with the Cadillac-Gage T-50 turret fitted with two .30 cal Browning machine guns, or a single .30-single .50 combination. Other turrets were tried as were various gun shields, the main design of which was similar to the gun shield used on the U.S. M113 ACAV version. In addition, the Australians operated an M113 variant fitted with a
Saladin armored car turret, with a 76 mm gun as a fire support vehicle, or FSV, for infantry fire support. This has now also been removed from service. Subsequent to Vietnam all Australian M113 troop carriers were fitted with the T50 turret. The FSV was eventually phased out and replaced with a modernized version known as an "MRV" (medium reconnaissance vehicle). The MRV featured a
Scorpion turret with 76 mm gun, improved fire control, and passive night vision equipment. Regiments using the M113 included former Citizens' Military Forces (CMF) units like the 4/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and Regular units such as 2ns Cavalry Regiment (armoured reconnaissance) and 3/4th Cavalry Regiment (APC Regiment). An Armoured Reconnaissance Troop consisted of Alpha Track – Charlie Track (M113 LRV) Bravo – Delta Track (M113 MRV) Echo Track (M113 APC) with Assault Section (armoured infantry) later known as Scouts... :Light reconnaissance vehicle (LRV) – 50/30 cal MG in Cadillac-Gage T-50 turret :Armoured personnel carrier (APC) – 30/30 cal MG in Cadillac-Gage T-50 turret :Medium reconnaissance vehicle (MRV) – Saladin turret (later Scorpion turret) – formerly known as a fire support vehicle The ARVN also used M113 armored personnel carriers. Between November 1967 and March 1970, the US and ARVN forces lost no less than 1,342 M113s to landmines alone (excluding the vehicle were lost by recoilless rifles or RPGs) In 1975, 1381 ARVN M113s were destroyed and captured. Losses in other years are unknown. In total, the U.S., ARVN and Australia lost about 8,000 M113s during the Vietnam war.
Israel The IDF are the second largest user of the M113 after the United States, with over 6000 of the vehicles in service. In 1967 some Jordanian M113 were captured in the
West Bank during the
Six-Day War and were integrated into the Israeli Army. In 1970 Israel started to receive M113A1 to replace the antiquated half-tracks. The IDF M113s were armed with M2 HB machine guns, and two MAG 7.62 mm machine guns on either side of the upper crew compartment door. The M113 took part in the
Yom Kippur War in October 1973, when the IDF was equipped with 448 M113s that saw action on the Sinai and Golan fronts. They proved inadequate for direct fighting due to their poor armor protection. In the Battle of Buq'atta most of the 7th Recon Company was wiped out while trying to assault Syrian commandos with their M113s. They were used by the IDF in the
1978 South Lebanon conflict. In the
1982 Lebanon War, they saw heavy action. PLO ambushes with RPGs caused extensive casualties because of the tendency of the M113's aluminum armor to catch on fire after being hit by anti-tank weapons. Israeli infantrymen being ferried by M113s learned to quickly dismount and fight on foot when engaged. By the time of the
Siege of Beirut, M113s were only used to carry supplies to the frontline, always stopping at least 100 meters from enemy lines. M113s were subsequently used by both the IDF and the
South Lebanon Army during the
South Lebanon conflict. The IDF utilized M113s during the
First Intifada and the
Second Intifada. In May 2004, two fully laden IDF M113s were destroyed by
IEDs in the
Gaza Strip, killing 11 soldiers, all those inside the vehicles on both occasions. This became known in Israel as the "APC disaster". The vulnerability of the M113 armored personnel carrier to IEDs and RPGs led the IDF to later begin to develop the
Namer APC. M113s were used again in the
2006 Lebanon War and
Operation Cast Lead. In 2014, during the first wave of the IDF's ground incursion into Gaza in
Operation Protective Edge, a Hamas
RPG-29 destroyed a fully loaded M113 in Gaza during the
Battle of Shuja'iyya, killing all seven
Golani Brigade soldiers inside the vehicle. As a result, the IDF faced calls from the Israeli public to build more Namer APCs over the next decade and to gradually reduce the number of M113s used in its future combat operations. A group of 30 Israeli reserve soldiers subsequently notified their commanders that they would refuse to enter the Gaza Strip in M113s. M113s were fielded in Palestine and Lebanon during the
Gaza war. On 15 June 2024, eight soldiers were killed, possibly due to a detonation of the explosives carried on the exterior of their M113. On 24 June 2024,
Al-Qassam Brigades published footage of its forces attacking an M113 using a Chinese
HJ-8 ATGM, hitting the vehicle, caused an external fire on the carry-on CARPET demining system. The Israel Defense Forces still operates large numbers of the M113, maintaining a fleet of 6,000 of the vehicles. On numerous occasions since their introduction in the late 1960s, the IDF's M113s have proven vulnerable to modern anti-tank missiles, IEDs, and RPGs, resulting in the deaths of many Israeli soldiers riding inside the vehicles. The IDF has nonetheless been unable to replace the use of them in combat operations, due to budget constraints in equipping its large mechanized infantry regiments. Israel is prototyping the
Eitan (Hebrew for steadfast), an eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicle to replace their M113s. Designed to serve alongside the tracked Namer, the Eitan is planned to be cheaper and lighter, at 35 tons, incorporating an active protection system and a turret. They are expected to begin replacing the M113 starting in 2020.
VBIED use Several disabled Zelda APCs in
Nabatieh, Lebanon and Gaza have revealed
VBIED use by the IDF, where the vehicles are filled with explosives, towed to their target, and detonated. An unknown number of M113s were converted into Unmanned Ground Vehicles and were observed to be acting as VBIEDs in Rafah. In November 2024 IAI showed videos of unmanned M113 units working with unmanned D9 bulldozers in what appeared to be Gaza as an example of its new teaming system for robotic units.
Law enforcement In the United States, M113s have been adopted by numerous law enforcement agencies. An M113 belonging to the Midland County Sheriff's Department was used in the
2008 raid of the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound. The
Brazilian Marine Corps's M113s were used in joint operations with
Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais during the
2010 raid on
Complexo do Alemão.
Ukraine . M113s were sent by the United States and several
Western world countries to
Ukraine during the
Russo-Ukrainian War. They are currently being used by Ukrainian forces alongside other
combat vehicles donated to Ukraine. Some M113s that were captured in Bakhmut were used by Wagner contractors for personnel transport.
U.S. Army replacement plans The U.S. Army stopped buying M113s in 2007, with 6,000 vehicles remaining in the inventory. The M113 will be replaced in U.S. Army service by the
Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program. 2,897 AMPVs, configured for five mission roles, are set to replace M113s at the brigade level and below within armored brigade combat teams. However, the AMPV program is not developing a vehicle to replace the M113 in supporting echelons above brigade level; this vehicle will have different requirements. BAE Systems proposed a turretless variant of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle as the AMPV. In December 2014, the U.S. Army selected BAE proposal, the only proposal it received, to replace over 2,800 M113s in service. The AMPVs are to be produced at a rate of around 180 vehicles per year, enough to equip 1.3 armored brigades. With 12 brigades to modernize, the M113 is not planned to be entirely replaced in armored brigades until the late 2020s. With studies on what vehicle to replace M113s with in rear-echelon units ongoing, the M113 is not likely to be phased out of U.S. Army service until after 2030, over 70 years after entering service. ==Variants==