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Soviet Evaluation and Testing of Captured M113 Armored Personnel Carriers
Überblick
Following the Vietnam War, the Soviet Union tested and evaluated captured American M113 armored personnel carriers at the Kubinka proving grounds. Soviet researchers analyzed the M113's mobility, comparing it unfavorably in speed and fuel consumption to the BMP-1, while noting the advantages of its compact automatic hydromechanical transmission, aluminum hull construction, and overall reliability.
Wichtige Punkte
- Captured M113s were tested at the Kubinka proving grounds after the Vietnam War to evaluate mobility, protection, and construction.
- An early gasoline-powered M113 tested significantly slower and used more fuel than the Soviet BMP-1 during comparative trials.
- Soviet testers were particularly interested in how compactly the automatic hydromechanical transmission was installed in a light APC.
- The M113's 5083 aluminum-magnesium alloy hull simplified manufacturing through good weldability and eliminated the need for subsequent heat treatment.
- Aluminum construction allowed for thicker armor plates that provided high structural stiffness and good bullet resistance without making the vehicle excessively heavy.
- A 1989 reliability analysis comparing American M113 data with BMP-2 data concluded that both vehicles had approximately the same level of reliability.