Collie West AU.

[Sentryduty]

Canada decided to re-introduce them for Afghanistan I believe. Ours started as gas and then went to the 300 HP Jimmy Diesel and from outside tanks to inside tank. They were OK. I had driver qual on that one as well as driver instructor...

The M113 in Canadian use enjoys an interesting service history that almost perfectly gaps my operational service, I seen them tearing about in Gagetown in the late 90's as a cadet, but when I joined the army in 2000 they had been all but withdrawn from service.

One variant did maintain, the TUA (TOW-Under-Armour) We kept the TUA version in the Infantry battalions until the Anti-tank role was pushed over to the Armoured Regiments. In spring of 2005, if I remember right, we paraded while our PPCLI TOW Platoon, was drummed out and marched two doors down to the Lord Strathcona's Horse (RC) for integration into the tankers and foster a gradual hand over of the TOW duties. In a very strange twist of dress and deportment, TOW PL remained with the Strat's for several years, still Infantry by trade but forced to wear Black berets, for some reason or another.

As far as this went the guys "vanished" and we lost touch with a number of our friends professionally.

The TUA was still the old Screaming Jimmy Detroit Diesel, built on the old hulls.

I do recall on certain exercises a few of our old guys were pulled to go "pound track" and maintain a couple M113's belonging to other groups, Medic variants and Queen Mary (Command Posts)

Then the M113 faded away, I can't recall seeing one after late 2005.

Sometime in 2008/09 I started seeing M113's again but they were different.



The old M113's had been overhauled and modified, now stretched hullsl, and rubber tracks. The engine had been hotrodded to produce more power and the old Grizzly AFV turret had been plopped on the top. This vehicle carried the new designation "T-LAV" or Tracked Light Armoured Vehicle. My understanding is that these were meant to be a compliment to bolster the number of LAV 3's were we losing/chewing up in Afghanstan. They did deploy on later tours but I do not personally know anyone who ran them or how they performed.

Personally I stated you could never pay me enough to run Afghanistan in one, looking at the flat sided aluminium hulls and flat bottoms. One person claimed they were the best IED survivable vehicle we had, however I remain very skeptical of that claim, knowing the physics of explosions and the success of V-hull designs, the M-113/TLAV fails to convince.

Tracked Light Armoured Vehicle – the Born-Again M113A3 TLAV APC
Turreted TLAV in Afghanistan with bar armour - DND The M113A3 TLAV retains the chassis length of the original M113 with its five roadwheels. New automotive systems, suspension, and tracks [1] are fitted as are interior spall liners plus attachment points on the aluminum hull for bolt-on steel plate armour. Some vehicles have also been fitted with bar armour (left) to protect from rocket-propelled grenades. M113A3s are a major rebuild ( the APCLE ) of the CF's 40 year old M113A2s.

Under that APCLE, the TLAVs were fitted with 400hp diesel powerpacks, the extra power needed to keep pace with Leopard tanks. [1] New, longer travel suspension arms were used to smooth out the ride. [2] TLAVs can run on Soucy band tracks, a flexible, rubber, link-less alternative to linked metal tracks. These quiet-running, Canadian-made, band tracks are widely used in Afghanistan but Soucys are also seen in use in Canada (alongside the more common German-made metal tracks). [3]

Re-lifed 'Buckets' are armed with either the Cadillac- Gage 1-Meter turret (with a 12.7mm Browning M2HB and coaxial 7.62mm C6 GPMG machinegun) or with a Protected Weapons Station. In Afghanistan, a PWS equipped TLAV might also feature twin gun shields for the rear roof hatch (left). The 1-Meter turrets are recycled (taken from phased-out Grizzlys). M113A3 TLAVs act as Infantry Section Carriers or in Mobile Repair Team roles. Most specialty roles are handled by the stretched MTLV TLAVs but not all – at right is an M113A3 used by a Skylark mini UAV team. TLAVs have been criticized [5] but Soucy tracks may give them another lease on life.


United Defense (BAE Systems/DEW) M113A3 TLAV – Specifications
Powerplant:
5.2 L, 298 kW (400 hp) 6-cyl. Detroit Diesel 6V53TIA [4]
[engine distinguished CF M113A3s from the US model]
Trans.: Allison X200-4B Hydrokinetic automatic (4 fwd, 1 rev)
Dimensions:
length x 5.37 m (incl. external fuel tanks), width x 2.69 m,
height x 2.52 m (less weapons), all dim. less bar armour
Weight: Max. 13,363 kg ( less armament and add-on armour )
Crew: 2 (driver, vehicle commander ) + up to 11 dismounts
Range: Max. road range 480 km (reduced on rough terrain)
Performance: Max. 66 km/h (41 mph), climb: 0.61 m, trench: 1.67m

[Peter Laidler]

Interesting history. Same as ours. You just keep the boat (as the main hull is known) and keep changing the stuff that goes in and on it. I agree about their IED surviveability. Even as range targets their life is minimal against platoon weapons

[browningautorifle]

I seen them tearing about in Gagetown in the late 90's as a cadet

Interesting...I was there '93-'96...so we DID serve together. Technically...