M106 mortar carrier
TypeMortar carrier
Place of originUnited States
Service history
Used bysee operators
WarsVietnam War
Lebanese Civil War
Production history
ManufacturerFMC Corp.[1]
VariantsXM106, M106, M106A1, M106A2
Specifications
Mass12.9 short tons (11.7 t)
Length16.2 feet (4.9 m)
Width9 feet (2.7 m)
Height7.3 feet (2.2 m)
Crew6[2]
Armor5083 Aluminum
Main
armament
M30 4.2in (106.7mm) mortar
Secondary
armament
M2 Browning
EngineDetroit Diesel 6V53T
210 horsepower (160 kW)
Payload capacity88 rounds (HE, Illumination, White Phosphorus)
TransmissionAllison X200-4 series
Ground clearance16.5 inches (42 cm)
Fuel capacity90 US gallons (340 L)
Operational
range
250 nautical miles (460 km)

The M106 mortar carrier (full designation: Carrier, Mortar, 107 mm, Self-propelled) was a tracked, self-propelled artillery vehicle in service with the United States Army. It was designed to provide artillery support to mechanized infantry battalions. It was replaced with the M1064 mortar carrier.[2]

History

Interior view of mortar, hatch and stowage

The M106 is a variation of the M113 armored personnel carrier that carried a 107mm M30 mortar. It was introduced in 1964, alongside the similar M125 81mm mortar carrier, and deployed in Vietnam.[3] Three variants existed: the M106, the M106A1 and the M106A2. 862 M106 (including 841 for US forces), 1,409 M106A1 (including 990 for US forces) and 350 M106A2 (including 53 for the US forces) were produced.[2]

After intensive trials in 1988, the US Army chose to replace it with the 120mm Soltam K6. Some of the M106 carriers were upgraded to the M1064A3 configuration by replacing the 107mm mortar by a 120mm mortar.[2]





Operators

Former operators

  •  Switzerland: M106 with a 120mm mortar, known as 12 cm Mw Pz 64 (Minenwerferpanzer 64) and 12 cm Mw Pz 64/91. 132 bought, retired from service in 2009.[13][14]
  •  United States[15]
  •  Italy: M106 with a 120mm mortar

See also

References

  1. ↑ Defense Industry Bulletin, August 1967, p. 33.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Foss, Christopher F. (27 November 2001). "United Defense LP M113 armoured personnel carrier family". Jane's Armour and Artillery 2002-2003.
  3. ↑ Prenatt, Jamie (30 Nov 2017). M113 APC 1960–75: US, ARVN, and Australian variants in Vietnam. New Vanguard 252. p. 10. ISBN 9781472817464.
  4. ↑ International Institute for Strategic Studies (February 2016). The Military Balance 2016. Vol. 116. Routlegde. p. 376. ISBN 9781857438352.
  5. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 324.
  6. ↑ Tsiliopoulos, E. (November 10, 2014). "US granted armored vehicles arrive in Greece". New Greek TV.
  7. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 410.
  8. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 342.
  9. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 345.
  10. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 125.
  11. ↑ "Viaturas Militares Portuguesas: Auto Blindado Lagartas M106A1/A2 m/1978/1980/1989 c/morteiro 107 mm". Viaturas Militares Portuguesas. 2018-08-18. Retrieved 2021-01-17.
  12. ↑ The Military Balance 2016, p. 291.
  13. ↑ "120 mm Model 64 mortar in M106 mortar carrier". Jane's Infantry Weapons 1994-1995. 27 April 1994. pp. 4523–4524.
  14. ↑ Oetterli, Markus (September 2018). "Indirekte Feuerunterstützung auf kurze Distanz" (PDF). Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitschrift (in German). pp. 24–25.
  15. ↑ Foss, Christopher F. (15 June 1998). "Inventory - Armour and artillery in service, United States of America". Jane's Armour and Artillery 1998-99.

Media related to M106 mortar carriers at Wikimedia Commons


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.