- Yes
- No
- Benelux
- France
- Other / I don’t know
- No
In 1992, CMI (now John Cockerill) developed the LCTS 90 turret fitted with the Cockerill Mk 7/8 gun.
Some time later, they acquired an M113A1-B and shoved an improved LCTS 90 turret right on there, making it the boxiest fire support vehicle you’ve ever seen! (probably)
An earlier and smaller version of that turret was also tested on an M41 chassis (which i already made a suggestion about go check it ou-)
but while the LCTS 90 on the M41 had smoke grenade launchers, there appears to have been none fitted to the M113 one unfortunately.
The LCTS 90 is the predecessor of the LCTS 90MP turret which is in service on many vehicles today, including on the Belgian Piranha IIIC DF90.
It is fitted with a Cockerill Mk 8 cannon, firing APFSDS, HESH and Smoke shells.
Thermal sights are available, as are a laser rangefinder, 2-plane stabiliser for the gun and turret, and a laser warning system, turning a simple APC into a modern tank hunter!
The M113 hull hasn’t been changed much, flotation panels have been added so that the vehicle remains amphibious, but it is still very poorly armored, quite tall and only decently mobile.
Its aluminum armor won’t protect the vehicle from anything but machine gun fire, and isn’t quite quick enough to evade enemy fire, the main trick up the danger box’s sleeve is its firepower!
M113A1-B LCTS 90
Specifications
Armament:
90 mm Cockerill Mk 8 cannon (ammo: 20 + hull stowage)
- M690A1 APFSDS: 150 mm RHA at 2000 m and 60°, 1345 m/s
- M691A2 HESH: similar to DM502, 712 m/s
- M693A2 Smoke: 709 m/s
Reloading rate: Unknown, around 7 s
1 x 7.62 mm machine gun
Vertical guidance: -9 / 20°
Stabiliser: yes
Laser rangefinder: yes
Laser warning system: yes
Thermal sights: yes
Armor:
38 mm Aluminium front and rear hull
44 mm Aluminium hull sides
Turret protected against 7.62 mm AP, additional armor up to STANAG 4569 lvl 5
Mobility:
6V-53 6-cylinder engine (215 hp)
Max. speed: ~64 km/h (6 km/h in water)
Power to weight ratio: 15.3 hp per ton
Crew:
3 (Driver, Commander, Gunner)
Dimensions:
Mass: 14 t
Length: 4.8 m
Width: 2.68 m
In-game, you’d end up with an excellent turret albeit very lightly protected, paired with a very weak hull.
That situation could result in interesting gameplay, with the only redeeming feature left for the hull is its buoyancy.
However its very weak armor could also prove an advantage, as we all know the best armor is no armor, and by the time an enemy APFSDS passes through the hull, dealing no damage, you’ll have the time to quickly react with your LWS and thermals and shoot the enemy back before he’s done loading HE!
As to where it would go, as always with these Belgian vehicles, i personally would want to see them end up in a BeNeLux tree, but if Gaijin chooses not to do that, then the next most logical place would be in a Belgian subtree in France.
Sources
