M577 Command Post Carrier
Armored personnel carrier / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about M577?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
The M577 Command Post Carrier, also known as the M577 Command Post Vehicle or Armored Command Post Vehicle, is a variant of the M113 armored personnel carrier that was developed and produced by the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation (FMC) to function on the battlefield as a mobile command post i.e. a tactical operations centre, usually at the battalion level. In U.S. military service its official designation is Carrier, Command Post, Light Tracked M577.[6][7]
M577 command post carrier | |
---|---|
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1963–present |
Used by | See Operators |
Wars | |
Production history | |
Designer | FMC Corporation |
Designed | 1962 |
Manufacturer | BAE Systems (from 2005) |
No. built | over 7300[2] |
Variants | see Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | see Basic Versions |
Length | 194 inches (4.93 m)[3] |
Width | 105.8 inches (2.69 m)[3] |
Height | 106.5 inches (2.71 m)[3] |
Crew | 2 (driver + commander) |
Passengers | 3 operators |
Armor | 5083 Aluminium Alloy 38–45 millimetres (1.5–1.8 in)[4][5] |
Engine | see Basic Versions |
Drive | tracked |
Transmission | see Basic Versions |
Suspension | torsion bar, 5 road wheels |
Fuel capacity | 120 US gallons (454 litres) |
Operational range | see Basic Versions |
Maximum speed | see Basic Versions |
Steering system | hydrostatic, integrated with transmission |
Introduced to the U.S. Army in 1962 it soon saw operational service in the Vietnam War and more recently in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It is used by many armies around the world and has been adapted for further uses such as an armoured ambulance, emergency medical treatment vehicle and fire control vehicle. It is also used by various police forces and law enforcement agencies as a tactical response vehicle.[8]
The M577 is easily distinguished from the M113 upon which it is based by its raised upper hull and roof-mounted auxiliary power unit (APU). Vehicles are generally unarmed.