OT M-60

History of the OT M-60

Yugoslavia was established in 1943 during World War II (1939-1945) and existed until its disintegration in 1992. The country started out as a partner of the communist Soviet Union until Tito's split with Stalin in 1948, after which the country settled to progress through a neutral global stance.

During this period, its industrial base accounted for many of the domestic products that served continued military needsaircraft, armored vehicles, and various small armsone of which developed into the lesser-known M-60 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).

The M-60 weighs 11,000 kg and measures 5 meters long, 2.7 meters wide and 2.4 meters high. The standard operator consists of three persons, including a driver, a commander and a co-pilot/gunner. To protect the crew and vital internal systems, the armor thickness varies from 10mm to 25mm (welded steel construction). The primary armament is a 12.7mm Browning M2HB machine gun (HMG) for local anti-aircraft/light tank support and a bow-mounted 7.62mm M53 machine gun for infantry use.

Power is provided by a 6-cylinder 150 hp FAMOS FFTR series diesel engine, and the suspension system consists of a torsion bar arrangement. The road speed reaches 45 km/h and the cruising range is up to 400 km. The landing gear consists of five twin-tire wheels on one side of the fuselage, drive sprockets at the front and track idlers at the rear.

Three track return rollers are proposed.

Inside, the driver manages the left front position with the right front passenger/nose gunner. The power pack is placed under the crew to provide a cabin in the severely cramped rear area. The two-door arrangement allows these occupants to enter and exit the vehicle.

Shooting ports on the sides of the hull allow passengers to engage enemies within range of the vehicle. The commander's position is marked by a dome behind the driver's cockpit.

The M-60 was originally called the "M-590" when it was introduced. It was designed and developed in response to the Yugoslav Army's requirements for a modern, fully tracked armored vehicle capable of transporting combat-ready troops to the front lines with a certain degree of protection. In this way, the M-60 was a success, as the cabin accommodated 10 such personnel.

The M-590 was unveiled at the Yugoslav military parade in 1965.

The original production model was simply referred to as the M-590/M-60, and the "M-60P" became its standard modification. The "M-60PB" is a special anti-tank (AT) variant equipped with 2 x 82mm recoilless rifles as primary weapons, which are mounted above the rear of the fuselage (right or left).

The "M-60PK" is a battalion-level command vehicle with additional communications equipment.

From 1962 to 1979, approximately 600 to 800 M-60 examples were delivered (various sources). After Yugoslavia ended as a single state, the vehicle fell to a successor who emerged from the rubble.

Subsequently, the troops of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, Republika Srpska Krajina and Serbia and Montenegro continued to advance along the line. Before the events of Operation Desert Storm (1991), the Iraqi army was the only foreign operator with 190 M-60P vehicles.

All M-60 vehicles have since withdrawn from front-line service, ending their days at the junkyard. During its four-decade career, the M-60 reportedly served various local militaries well and was used by government police for a while. It was available during the Yugoslav war (1991-2002), but its best days are clearly over - casualties are high due to poor armor protection against more modern armor-piercing measures, and its pure Machine gun weapons proved insufficient to take a beating.

Before the end, it was put into service as a moderately armored battlefield ambulance.

This line was largely replaced by the BVP M-80 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes