APCs

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There has been lots of debate over this, and all I can say is it's about darned time! Sheesh, old Scorpions and Ferrets borrowed from England would have been better!
 
The M113 is not the do all end all. They aren't being used for a reason. The "armor" is aluminum. They won't stand an RPG hit, and they are vulnerable to land mines, or IED's that are being used the same way. They're slow, and they provide a big target. They will be good against small arms fire.
 
Whether the box is steel or aluminium, wheeled or tracked, misses a few points.

Infantry inside an APC or IFV are the same as SPAM in a can. They have to exit the box before they can perform the mission. Armor is once again less than a total dominator, particularly in urban areas. The IDF (Isrealis) learned that the hard way when the Palestinians proved willing to go after tanks.

Having a few tanks to provide support for dismounted infantry, with lightly armored or unarmored carriers left outside the area makes a bit more sense.

Of course this does not make for large contracts to manufacture expensive weapons systems.
 
I have time in both and can tell you that although the M-113 isn't perfect, I'd prefer it to a Humvee any time, upgraded or not.
 
Army officials who pushed hard over the last two years for getting the M113 into duty in Iraq said it was more useful, cheaper and easier to transport than the Army's new wheeled Stryker armored vehicle, which also is in use in Iraq.
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What's effect, if any, will this experience have on the Stryker program? Or is this not the type of mission for which Stryker was envisioned?
 
I'm astounded that the M113 is still in the inventory. I recall they were not thought of as the answer to anybody's dream way back in the late 70's when I was ripping around Ft Hood.
Reckon I've not been keeping up with the times.
 
Relatively fast. Relatively reliable. Relatively protective. Lots of relatives there, but everythings a trade off. Moving the fuel tanks outside the main compartment was a good thing. Spall liners and bolting on armor for RPG's will help. Decent small arms protection

They're certainly more protective then a humvee and not that much more fragile then a Bradley or LAV when it comes to big IED's.

You want a really protective APC, you do what the Israeli's did and convert tank chassis (they also started the stand off armour to predetenate RPGs on their M113 way back when). Of course that gets expensive, they weigh a lot, and they're big. Everythings a trade off.

The big thing is that they are ready "RIGHT NOW" and can be up armoured and sent to the front cheaper and faster then anything else going. Ironicly, some M113 upgrade programs were cancelled in 2001. I wonder if what they are doing now was part of that cancellation.

The M113 wasn't the best answer in the world, but it does some things pretty well. Funny how so many tools of the '50's and early 1960's are still floating around pulling their weight.

Big enough IED and it won't matter what you're in anyway.
 
additional

also read a good article in a recent issue of SOF mag on this subject.
 
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