Royal Ordnance M-113/AMS (Kuwaiti Version)

     Notes: Rebuilding their forces after the 1991 Gulf War, the Kuwaitis began trials using Royal Ordnance’s AMS (Armored Mortar System) turret atop the chassis of an M-113A3 APC.  Though the trials seem to have been a success, the Kuwaitis actually bought few of these systems, and consider M-113/AMS to be in an “extended testing phase,” as stated by one Kuwaiti officer.  Many defense analysts believe that the Kuwaitis are working with Patria of Finland on a vehicle based on the AMOS or NEMO turret, at which point the M-113/AMS’s will be sold off or end their lives as ignoble range targets.  However, there is some hope, as their neighbor Saudi Arabia uses the same turret on a LAS-25 chassis quite effectively (and is looking to place those turrets on LAV III or Stryker hulls in the future).

     At its base, the AMS consists of a turret (which may be made with one of several armor levels, and with appliqué armor) and a long-barreled, breech-loading 120mm mortar.  Armor on the M-113/AMS’s turret is pretty light at its base level, though Kuwait tends to improve the situation with passive appliqué armor and ERA modules (both on the AMS turret and M-113A3 base).  The turret’s primary armament is a Royal Ordnance/Delco 120mm Turreted Mortar, designed as a system specifically for the AMS project.  The gun can fire most Western-type 120mm mortar ammunition, as well as some rounds developed for direct-fire for 120mm mortars which are capable of direct fire.  The RO 120mm TDM is capable of depressions of -5 degrees up to elevations up to +80 degrees, so direct fire is quite possible.  The barrel is also equipped with a bore evacuator.  The AMS turret provides a coaxial light or medium machinegun of the user’s choice; the Kuwaitis use a MAG derivation.  A second mount for a light, medium, or heavy machinegun or weapon is provided for at the commander’s hatch, though the Kuwaitis do not seem to take advantage of this.  However, on each side of the turret, is a cluster of four smoke grenade launchers.  The top of the turret are hatches for the commander on the left and gunner on the right; on Kuwaiti models, the commander can look through his front vision block and use either his native image intensification viewer or see through the gunner’s sight.

     Included at mortar equipment are a mortar ballistic computer and a small computer primarily to store mapping and route information and to an extent keep track of troop positions, and monitor vehicle, ammunition, and vital equipment states.

     On the surface, seen from the outside, the M-113A3 hull does not seen to have seen much alteration, other than the turret topping the vehicle.  Inside, the M-113A3 is heavily modified, in order to take and use the turret, to feed the mortar, and to load more ammunition through an external source.  Though the rear of the M-113A3 hull retains the rear ramp with a small door in it, there is not space for equipment behind it, as the loading equipment for the mortar begins almost at the rear of the vehicle. The ramp can remain open however, and extra rounds fed into the vehicle from an outside source. (Note that only a few HEAT mortar rounds are actually carried, perhaps five at any time in most cases.) There are otherwise racks for the crew’s small arms and a light machinegun (except for the driver’s weapon, which is at his side), racks for radios and a simple computer, and small bins for other crew equipment.  (Like most vehicles in combat, the exterior becomes covered with more equipment and ammunition.)  The crew of the M-113/AMS is four, and there is really no more room for any more.  The driver is on the front left of the vehicle, in the customary position for an M-113A3 driver; the driver can access a thermal imager when necessary, and has access to the mapping functions of the vehicle’s computer and output from the GPS.  The loader’s station is inside the hull armor envelope, though also near the gun.  The system used on the M-113/AMS is not a full BMS link, but will keep the crew from getting lost and provide a helping hand in finding friendly units, evading enemy units, and if necessary, plotting their own supporting fires.  The additional two long-range radios also help in this effort.

     The M-113A3 hull does have beefed-up suspension, primarily to help shoulder the weight of the turret and gun system.  The hull is, though, an M-113A3 hull, and shares the automotive components and power packs.  The engine, therefore, is a GM 6V53T turbocharged engine with a RISE package improving the reliability and efficiency of the entire power train and electrical system), developing 275 horsepower.  The fuel tanks, like on the M-113A3, are located at the rear of the vehicle; though the armor of these fuel tanks is no better than the sides of the hull, the walls of the cells do have self-sealing features.  The transmission is fully automatic and has pivot steering capability.  The driver has conventional controls for the vehicle.

     The Kuwaitis typically use add-on hard Kevlar panels on the front and sides of the hull, and the front, sides, and front third of the roof of the turret.  The Kuwaitis will also sometimes further upgrade the armor of the M-113/AMS by adding ERA to the hull front, hull sides, turret front, and turret sides.  (Like many countries using the M-113 series, the Kuwaitis have removed the trim vane and given up on trying to make their M-113-based vehicles swim.  However, the internal equipment for swimming remains on the vehicle.)  Theoretically, there is no reason the Kuwaitis could not replace the turret with a newer AMS II turret, but they show no signs of taking this option.

*These Fire Control and Stabilization modifiers apply only to direct fire shots, and not shots taken in indirect fire mode.

**Roof armor for this vehicle is AV3.

Armored Mortar System (AMS)/M-113

     Notes:  This is the same turret as on the Saudi AMS/LAV-25, mounted on an M-113 chassis.  It is essentially the above vehicle with a more heavily-armored turret and a gun/mortar instead of a mortar able to take direct fire shot. The AMS/113 often carries a few HEAT shells as part of their load, for this reason. The vehicle also uses lighter aluminum-alloy armor on its turret, and the individual components are also lighter, but can also take applique and ERA add-on armor, including MEXAS packages.  It also has more advanced, lighter components, including an advanced autoloader that eliminates the need for a loader. It also does not have quite the fire control of the above vehicle.  The vehicle has full NBC protection, including Overpressure, and direct fire, indirect fire, and direct-lay missions may be carried out with the hatches closed. Only Kuwait uses this vehicle.