International AACO Mk 1 5000 kg Truck

     Notes: The AACO (Australian Army Cab Over) heavy truck was in production until 1974 for military models, but they continued in production as civilian trucks in various styles until 2002 (the ACCO, or Australian Constructed Cab Over).  The cab is identical to that used on the International 2500 kg truck, but the body is much larger and heavier.  The cargo has drop sides and a drop tailgate, with removable bench seats, removable bows, and a removable canvas cover.  Some have a cargo loading crane, usually with a capacity of 3.6 tons.  The truck has a selectable all-wheel drive, or 6x4 may be selected for road use, in which case the four rear wheels are the drive wheels. The International 5000 kg has a winch in the in the body at the rear of the cab that has a capacity of 5 tons; the winch cable may be directed out to the front or rear of the truck. They saw combat service in Vietnam, where many of them “lost” their cab doors to facilitate fast bail outs. Likewise, the tarpaulin was not normally mounted over the cargo body.

     The engine is an International AOD-283 I-6 gasoline-fired engine developing 150 horsepower at 3400 rpm. This is coupled with a manual T-54 transmission with 5 forward and one reverse gear. The cargo body has a wood floor over a steel truss and has a load area of 4.27 x 2.13 meters. The front suspension uses semi-elliptical springs with hydraulic shock absorbers; the rear wheels have 6-rod leaf springs. The AACO has a spare tire mounted under the rear of the cargo body. Over the commander’s position is a ring mount for a weapon up to NHT, normally an M2HB in Australian service; this is not included in the stats below. Variants include a dump truck, a road paving vehicle, a fire engine, a tanker, a garbage truck, and a recovery vehicle. 

Mack Australia MC3

     Notes: This is a Mack RM6866RS 6x6 heavy truck produced for the Australian military by Mack of Australia.  They began to be delivered to the Australian military in 1981 and all 906 units were delivered by 1986.  The engine is a Mack EM6-285 Maxidyne turbocharged diesel with a 283-horsepower rating at 2100 rpm. The transmission is an automatic Maxitorque with five forward gears and one reverse gear.  The steering and brakes are power assisted and include a parking brake. The standard load area is 5.71 x 2.39 meters. The cab has a space behind the seat for the crew’s gear.

     The MC3s were upgraded for continued use in the mid-1990s, and the fleet completed upgrades in 1996. These upgrades included the replacement of the mechanical suspension with an air suspension and standard installation of a winch with a capacity of 10.58 tons, and having 60 meters of cable. A variant was devised, with a load-handling crane with a capacity of 3.4 tons as standard. The crane uses a power take-off from the engine, and cannot be operated while the truck is in motion. The crane installation means that the cargo area is smaller; it is 5.02 x 2.39 meters, and has appropriately shorter troop seats. This variant has lockdown points for containers. The cab itself is placed on an air suspension to ease riding aches and pains for the crew.

     There is a fuel tanker version of the MC3; this version has four fuel pumps and hoses on reels.  The water tanker version features an aluminum tank with internal coatings to prevent corrosion and contamination.  The water tanker has three compartments in its tank, and comes with two hose reels, a spray bar, and three water dispensing faucets. Both have winches.

     Other variants include a wrecker, an artillery tractor with ammunition racks, a cement mixer, a dump truck, a vehicle to lay asphalt and spray tar, and a bridging vehicle.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Upgrades were not completed by the commencement of hostilities; an individual MC3 may not have the air suspension and upgraded winch installed; some have only the air suspension installed, without the winch, or only the winch, without the air suspension. These trucks were also put to convoy escort use, carrying a stripped M113 or M113A1 in the cargo bed.