I was digging through some of my M-113 references and came across this. I am concidering doing a conversion with the Tamiya and other kits. I will have to stretch the hull, because of the sixth road wheel and obvious other things. These are the only two pics I can come up with. Does anyone have any info on this vehicle? Was it ever put into service? I have searched the usuall sites, but have hit a wall. Any help would be appreciated. Don M.

It is actually the M577A4 with the extended hull. The M577A3 was/is in US service and has the standard 5 roadwheels with a steering yoke as opposed to laterals. The US did not buy the A4 versions though. I don't know about the M577A4, but Canada does use the M113A4 / MTVL. Egypt uses the M113A4 EIFV (Egyptian Infantry Fighting Vehicle) with a Bradley turret on top too. Look up M113A4 and you will get lots of info. I have seen an EIFV built. The builder took two M113 hulls and cut them in half. He then mated the halves together w/3 roadhweels on each half to get the extended part. It came out pretty nicely.

M113A4 / MTVL


EIFV


Here is the BAE Systems website on the different M113 and MTVL variants.

Good luck.

What's the source on the pictures? "XM577A3" is definitely an inaccurate designation, as nothing with an A at the end would still have an XM prefix. The sixth road-wheel configuration for M113 types has existed at least since the early 1960s when it was first used to try and increase the capabilities of the Mauler SP SAM vehicle. The XM546E1 had a sixth road-wheel. I believe there was a similar variant of the XM548 (not the E1 though, this would become the Chaparral carrier, and was redesignated).

The age of the pictures in my mind suggests that this is a 1980s picture, coupled with a healthy dose of wishful thinking on the part of the manufacturers or authors or both. The M113A2 had been standardized in 1979, and the M113A3 would not be standardized until 1994. Manufacturers often up the number in hopes it will help push the vehicle. Could easily be wrong though, but its my first thought.

On a side note, United Defence/BAE has used the Stretch M577A3 (fitted with a light dozer blade and a hydraulic manipulator arm) to develop the Hazardous Materials Recovery Vehicle (HAZMAT) :



Frenchy