Developed in the late 1950s by Food Machinery Corporation (FMC), the T113 was designed to fill a unique role for the United States military as a multi-use armored personal carrier that was light enough for airborne operations and provided armored crew protection from small arms. The T113 was quickly adopted in 1960 by the US Army as the M113. In 1962, the first M113A1s joined combat operations in Vietnam where the vehicle would go on to earn its stripes as a reliable and tough combat armored vehicle. In 1965, with the arrival of the US Army Cavalry regiments in Vietnam, the US Army introduced the ACAV kit to the M113A1 in country. The ACAV Kit (Armored-Cav ) provided upgrades to the M113’s offensive and defensive capabilities with a multitude of gun shields and new weapon mounts for crew members. Today, the M113 has been adopted by dozens of nations around the globe operating in a variety of capabilities from armored personal carrier to mobile field hospital to anti-aircraft vehicle.
Unlike standard M113 APCs, the "ACAV" was designed to carry and assortment of heavy and medium machine guns. Most commonly utilized were the M2 .50 Caliber heavy machine gun in the forward turret with two M-60 in the two rear weapon stations. Other weapons might include the M134 mini-gun, M1919A4 .30 Caliber, and even a flame thrower.
Built by FMC in San Jose, California, the M113A1 weighed in at 13 Tons and was powered by a 245HP, Detroit Diesel 6VT-53T engine giving the M113 a top speed of 45MPH.
The M113 was built and utilized as an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), run by a crew of two - a driver and a commander. The vehicle could carry an additional 7 fully equipped soldiers in the back.
The Eagle Field Foundation is a California based 501C3 non-profit, all volunteer organization with a focus in education through the restoration and preservation of military artifacts, vehicles, and stories from the early 1900’s to Present Day.
