Image source: topwar.ru
The United States will continue to supply M113A2 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, removed from the storage of National Guard reserves and surplus of the US Army. In total, the APU will receive 200 (two hundred) American armored personnel carriers.
According to a number of American specialized publications, these armored personnel carriers are supplied in the basic version, i.e. without any changes. The M113A2 version appeared in 1979, it differed from the previous ones with a modified suspension and powertrain. The engine received a new cooling system, and the chassis - torsion shafts, providing a smoother ride of the APC, and additional shock absorbers. As a result, the combat weight of the machine increased to 11.34 tons, and the engine power remained the same.
When deciding on the transfer of these armored personnel carriers to Ukraine, Washington stated that this amount would be enough to form two or three mechanized brigades. In the Ukrainian army, the M113A2 armored personnel carrier is to replace Soviet-style armored personnel carriers, which are "destroyed by Russian and Donetsk separatists." Since Ukraine is unable to establish the production of modern combat vehicles, the M113 will form the basis of the APC fleet, which will also be supplied by several other countries.
In addition, the United States has organized training for Ukrainian military personnel to drive American armored personnel carriers. The five-day courses were held on the territory of one of the countries of Eastern Europe, most likely Poland, about 50 people were trained. In the future, the Ukrainian military, who have mastered the M113A2 armored personnel carrier, will themselves act as instructors.
The American M113 APC has become the most massive armored personnel carrier in history. Adopted in 1960, the tracked combat vehicle is still used in the armies of many countries. The armored personnel carrier will be delivered to Ukraine in several versions, including a medical vehicle.
