Ukrainian military evaluates M113 armored personnel carriers

A Ukrainian military officer serving as a mechanic in a repair unit evaluated the M113 tracked armored personnel carriers handed over by the Allies.

The video was published by Armiyainform.

The commander of the armored vehicle repair platoon, chief sergeant Mykhailo, who restores military equipment at the field maintenance station, told a correspondent of the media about the operation and maintenance of the M113.

One of the armored personnel carriers being repaired at that time in the unit turned out to be a localized German M113 G3. Mykhailo, who in a peaceful life worked as a mechanic at an agribusiness, immediately recognized units and aggregates.

“Don’t laugh, but M113 is basically the same combine harvester. Only he does not mow wheat, but enemies,” he says.

According to the mechanic, power units similar in composition are used in John Deere combines popular on the Ukrainian market. This allowed him to easily understand the repair of the engine of this armored personnel carrier.

The main design advantages of the M113, as noted by the mechanic, are the availability of spare parts, as well as the simplicity and accessibility of the design itself.

“You can immediately see a completely different engineering school. The designers and constructors took care not only of the comfort of the crew and the landing party, but also that during repairs in the field it would not be necessary to disassemble half of the vehicle to get to the problem place.

For example, this M113 Medical Evacuation Vehicle has valve issues. We removed the engine without any difficulties. Now the necessary parts will be delivered and we will carry out the replacement. Let’s put everything back and the vehicle will be in order again!”, says Mykhailo.

Mykhailo adds that he also likes the accuracy of the assembly in the vehicles – no fluids leak anywhere, no puddles of oil and fuel form on the floor of the landing compartment, as happens in Soviet armored vehicles.

“I remember when we were on duty during training, we covered the gaps in the armored personnel carriers with “cannon grease” before crossing the water obstacle. There is no need to do this here. The entire structure is hermetic, without additional manipulations.”

According to an army technician, the M113 needs to be repaired less often and easier than a Soviet infantry fighting vehicle or armored personnel carriers.

“The boys and I have already mastered the basic technological cycles for engines, fuel systems, and chassis,” the mechanic said.

As part of the educational project, the translators of Militarnyi made comics about the maintenance of M113 tracked armored personnel carriers. In the release, you will be able to learn:

1. How to avoid a fire in the engine compartment
2. How to determine that the tracks have begun to wear out
3. What is rotary control in older versions of M113
4. How to maintain a ramp
5. How to maintain covers on a smoke launchers