AMPV pre-production prototype will be available for military testing in 2018, and the first batch of 551 vehicles will be produced at the end of 2018. There was a delay in the commissioning of the production line, and covid19 appeared in early 2020. At the same time, the U.S. military has experienced budget problems, which reduced AMPV expenditures. The production time for 2,907 AMPVs has been extended, and full production will not start until 2022, two years later than planned. There are several different variants of the AMPV from 34 to 37 tons of
, which is also the reason for the variable weight. The maximum speed is 60 kilometers per hour. With a cruising speed of 48 kilometers per hour, the cruising range on flat ground or highways is 360 kilometers. According to different purposes, the number of passengers varies from 2 to 4 people. The basic AMPV model has 2 passengers and 6 passengers. The medical type has a roof and can carry four wounded on a stretcher at the same time or six wounded while seated. There is also a medical variant vehicle that can carry several medical experts, an operating table, and medical equipment. The medical variant can also be used as a command center, mainly because AMPV has much more electricity than M-113. The purpose of the command variant is to provide a mobile command center for the battalion or brigade. There is also a weapon vehicle version, which currently only includes a mortar vehicle equipped with a 120mm mortar and 69 rounds of ammunition. Other weapons can also be installed in the future, such as 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm machine guns.
Israel, South Korea and the United States have equipped thousands of M113 armored personnel carriers and are actively looking for suitable replacements. There are currently about 10,000 M113s in use worldwide, with the United States, South Korea and Israel accounting for more than half. The United States chose the support version of M2, South Korea developed the K21 to replace the M113 combat, and developed the 16-ton 6x6 K806 to replace the M113 to perform non-step combat functions. The larger version of the car, the 8x8 K808, is similar to the American Stryker. The United States has considered using the Stryker variant as a replacement for the M-113, but found that this vehicle cannot keep up with the speed of the M1 tank and M2 infantry fighting vehicle when driving off-road under combat conditions. Since AMPV will account for about 30% of an armored brigade armored vehicle, this has become a decisive factor for AMPV.
Israel chose the 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier "Etan" in 2016. Aitan relies on new technology to control its weight below 35 tons, reducing the technical cost of tracked vehicles. Eitan uses the new lightweight armor and trophy APS active defense system to defend against RPG and ATGM anti-tank missiles. The new mechanical and electronic technology enables the "Etan" to perform off-road maneuvers like a tracked vehicle. This concept has undergone extensive field testing. The
lightweight armor design and "trophies" have been tested in combat. The spoils were first used in warfare in 2011 and have been used many times since. APS consists of a radar that detects incoming missiles and a small rocket that rushes out to respond to the threat of the incoming attack. A complete system weighs about one ton. Aitan uses a remote-controlled 30mm or 40mm automatic gun, and can carry 2 crew members and 12 soldiers. Eitan will replace Israel's M113 in the late 2020s, and the cost is about 20% lower than AMPV. The
M113 entered service in 1960 and served a large number in the Vietnam War. It is the main armored personnel carrier of the US Army, with approximately 80,000 produced. The weight of the M113 is 13 tons, which is often close to 15 tons after adding armor and other accessories, but it is lighter than the M2 and Stryker that replaced it. The main disadvantages of the M113 are the speed of travel and the cost of use. This is because it is a tracked vehicle, just like a bulldozer. Its maximum speed is only 65 kilometers per hour, while the wheeled armored vehicle has a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour. These tracks wear out very quickly. They need to be replaced every 6000 kilometers. Each set costs more than 10,000 US dollars. Driving on the road will make the tracks wear faster.
M-113 is still a very flexibleThe platform is very suitable for modification. Some countries have installed 25mm cannons. By the 1990s, the latest M-113 cost less than 2 million U.S. dollars each. This late model M-113 had much better armor protection and reliability, but as an infantry fighting vehicle, it is still better to replace it. M-2 Bradley. The
M2 Bradley is a 27-ton armored vehicle, an excellent, combat-tested vehicle. More than 4,000 M-2s were produced, and there are about 2,300 reconnaissance M-3s. The M2’s turret was equipped with a 25mm automatic cannon and two TOW anti-tank missiles. The final cost of each was about US$5.7 million. Later, a lot of additional armor and other equipment were added, and the weight increased to 30 tons.
The new M113 alternative models from South Korea, Israel and the United States are also competing for the huge export market and for good M113 alternative models. Which car will win this competition remains to be seen.
