Australia started handing over M113 APC to Ukraine

Australia has started handing over to Ukraine previously promised M113 armored personnel carriers. The first four vehicles from the planned batch of 14 units have been delivered last week.

Australian TV channel 9NEWS reports about it.

This is part of the military assistance that Australia decided to provide to Ukraine as part of the $285 million aid package. Previously, the country had already handed over 155-mm M777 howitzers and Bushmaster MRAP to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

M113AS4 is the Australian version of M113, upgraded in 2007.

M113AS4 has reinforced сomposite armour, which allows protection from weapons with a calibre of up to 14.5 mm. Also, the bottom of the vehicle protects the crew from explosions of mines and IEDs.

The armored personnel carrier got changes in armament. M113AS4 has a turretwith an upgraded 12.7 mm Browning M2HB-QCB machine gun.

The M113AS4 has a 355 hp MTU 6V199TE engine and a new transmission. The hull of the machine became larger by 660 mm compared to the base version. Therefore, M113AS4 added another pair of rollers.

Reminder: Ukraine has already received and plans to receive additional M113 from a number of countries: the USA, Denmark, the Netherlands, Portugal and Lithuania.