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M106 MC

1965 COLD WAR MODERN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY VIETNAM WAR

History

The M106 was a US Army special mortar carrier of the Cold War era (1947-1991), which was later replaced by the more modern M1064 series, serving the same role on the same battlefield. The type builds on the existing and proven frame of the classic M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), a ubiquitous tracked system used primarily by U.S. allies around the world.

For part of its military history, the M106 has played an important role in fire support roles, capable of firing a variety of 107mm projectiles with non-line-of-sight (NLoS) fires in support of infantry and mechanized ground combat throws.

The M106 conversion was carried out by FMC Corporation of the United States. These vehicles were used in the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

This variant was born through the development of the "XM106" and entered service as the "M106". The most notable change to the M113 was the introduction of a circular two-piece roof hatch on the 107 mm (4.2 in) M30 (or Soltam M-65) heavy field mortar at the rear of the vehicle.

The mortar is located on a 90 degree (left and right of centerline) traverse turntable (rear firing) and can be disassembled for use as a standard mortar weapon system if desired. The outer hull on the port side of the boat is used to support the base plate and bipod support structure for this function.

Up to 88x107mm projectiles can be carried on the vehicle, the range includes High Explosive (HE) rounds as well as Flare and White Phosphorus (WP) rounds.

Behind the 107mm mortar is an optional 12.7mm heavy machine gun (HMG) mounted on the commander's cupola above the top center of the fuselage. This gives the operator 360-degree coverage around the vehicle for aerial and light armor (as well as infantry) threats. Vision blocks are embedded in the dome to provide situational awareness when "buckled". Armor protection is aluminum and is only for small arms fire.

The total weight of the vehicle reaches nearly 13 tons, and the dimensions include an overall length of 16.2 feet, a width of 9 feet and a height of 7.3 feet.

Internally, power came from the M113's Chrysler gas engine, but once the M113 line switched to a diesel unit, it was changed to a 210-horsepower Detroit Diesel 6V53T diesel engine that powered the conventional track and wheel arrangement. This change subsequently gave rise to the variant "M106A1".

The powertrain of the M106A1 includes an Allison X200-4 series transmission.

All in all, the car has a range (on the road) of up to 290 miles. The tracked undercarriage gave it a good, steady speed to keep up with the accompanying mechanized troops.

Total M106 production reached 860, of which 589 were procured by the US Army and 271 were shipped to foreign allies (the series was not widely exported, only ending up in stocks in Argentina, Greece and Peru). The successor, the M106A1, numbered 1,316, with the U.S.

Army stockpiling 982 and the remaining 334 shipped overseas.

With the introduction of the M113A2 APC, the M106 series was upgraded again, which in turn resulted in the "M106A2" having the same upgrades and capabilities as the APC form.

The US no longer uses the M106. The replacement M1064 vehicle entered service in 1990 and was only exported to Allied Lithuania.