Armored supply vehicles

[Steel Penguin]

possibly cost of procuement.  ( that and the models a stretch its got 6 road wheels not 5 like a normal m113) took me a minute to work out what was bugging me abought it.

[Go4fun]

Besides the fact we called the M-113 "The Group Coffin" due to it's iffy armor I think one used today with a little 'stand off' type armor might be a good supply transport in this configuration.

[kerick]

Lengthen an M-113, Box it off behind the center hatch, add bar or slat armor and off you go.  I wonder if there is a door to the cargo bed?  There was the artillery resupply version many moons ago.
Then there is the FAASV.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M992_Field_Artillery_Ammunition_Support_Vehicle

[Go4fun]

The M-992 presents the old "Bigger Vehicle, bigger target" problem. I don't know but I imagine that you have to figure out the balance of speed, manuverbility and concealability you are after. Also the amount of material you want to move gets involved. Then there are the Scaraficial Lamb kits available and how much modifying you want (or have the skills) to do.

[raafif]

How about the Bradley hull that hauls the MLRS system?

There was a proposed version of the MLRS chassis for cargo but it never happened .... except in my wardrobe  Maybe on my hobby-bench soon too, I have one without the rocket launcher -- playing with making it a command version, supply "ute", or radar toter (like the big Russian ones).  The "ute" would go well with my M-548 filled with boxes & crates etc.

[Old Wombat]

I have a Stryker I pulled out of the stash to look at re: this idea...


... The Royal Australian Marines may just get a new vehicle!








Oh, no! Not another build to plan & start...

[rickshaw]

The M548 isn't armoured.  Its basically a soft-skinned truck, so the crew are sitting behind canvas, glass and a bit of mild Aluminium (I am sure the lower hull is armoured though, I can't imagine them creating a completely new production line for the M548 when M113 lower hulls are coming off the existing one).  The M113as4 supply vehicle has the advantage that the crew are under armour.  I used to work for a sub-contractor who built the milling machine for the lower hulls of the AS4 remanufacture line.  I had to go down and visit the pilot line in Port Adelaide a couple of times to upgrade the PC which ran the CNC mill.

In Vietnam, nearly all resupply (at least for the Australians) was undertaken by trucks from Vung Tau to Nui Dat (from Nui Dat it would go forward to the various units in the field and in firebases by what ever method was deemed appropriate - air, truck, TLC, APC, etc.).   Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, the NLF and the PAVN weren't busy ambushing everybody every day so you could often go for long periods, particularly in the "pacified" regions without incident.  I don't think I've read of a single incident of a major convoy being ambushed in SVN in the Australian controlled province.  Any way major roads in South Vietnam had all been cleared for a distance of 200 metres on both sides by 1967, so no "jungle tracks".   

This vehicle would be useful but personally, I'd still prefer a shield for the .50cal. 

[Mossie]

A variant of the M548 is the M752 and M688 vehicles used to transport Lance.  These had a one man armoured cab, they could be converted to the transport roll simply by deleting the missile handling equipment.

[kerick]

The M548 idea transferred to a MLRS type might be usefull.  I wonder what the payload of such a vehicle would be without all the missle equipment.  Would the bed from a 5 ton truck be small or go bigger?
Of course my idea of the field mod Bradley would be to haul fuel and ammumition under armor to keep it from going bang.  The MRE's could be uncovered and pick the shrapnel out later.

[scooter]

The MRE's could be uncovered and pick the shrapnel out later.

Mmm...tasty shrapnel.  You may also want to have the water under armor as well.  Wouldn't do to have water tanks hit and leaving a trail of pure clean rainwater on the highways.

[kerick]

This is true but at least water doesn't go boom.

[Rheged]

This is true but at least water doesn't go boom.

Oh yeah?   It does if it gets hot !    Seriously, how efficient would a water tank (probably with some airspace above it) be as protection?Would it act as a blast cushion?

[Go4fun]

Crunchy apple sauce anyone? Heck, the troopies need more iron in their diets anyway.
As for the water tank, why not have pop-off lids on top? They hit the water tanks and it blows the water out the top. Free vehicle wash and a cloud of mist screwing with the enemy's thermal sights.

[raafif]

Seriously, how efficient would a water tank (probably with some airspace above it) be as protection?Would it act as a blast cushion?

ask the crews of the "wet" Sherman tanks before & after they were hit by a Panther

[kerick]

There has been investigation into water armor against RPG type weapons.  The Swedish "S" tank had jerry cans along the sides as a sort of spaced armor.  Not sure how effective it was.