- Yes
- No
M113A2 UT25 AIFV
Expensive Turret on a Budget Chassis
M113 vehicle of the Philippine Army with an Elbit UT25 Unmanned Turret. Photo courtesy of John K. Chua.
OVERVIEW
In 2012, the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act was signed into law that aimed to restart the halted modernization program after budget cuts due to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. This modernization program came into 3 phases, Project Horizon 1 for the Philippine Army came with a focus on the Mechanized Infantry Division’s capabilities with new batches of vehicles received by the end of 2014. With the new batch of vehicles came the M113 APC Firepower Upgrade that consisted of refitting the decommissioned FV101 Scorpion’s 76mm turret to the M113 for Fire Support roles, and Elbit System’s 12.7mm ORCWS Systems.
This was tragically proven to be inadequate in today’s battlefields though after the 2017 Marawi Siege which even led to an emergency interim solution of fitting the M113s with the M134D Minigun 7.62mm Galting gun. Elbit Systems also offered their UT25 Turret which came in just in time to be tested on the battlefields of Marawi which were compared against FNSS ACV-15 with a 25mm Oerlikon-KBA-B02 Cannon.
The Philippine Army saw benefits of the unmanned Elbit System’s UT25 Turret and its more modern Fire Control Systems. Ultimately though, the Philippine Army deemed it necessary to acquire more powerful Fire Support Vehicles which led to future acquisitions of Elbit System’s Sabrah Light Tank - which in its command version also houses the same unmanned UT25 turret.
SPECIFICATIONS
Modifications were made on the M113A2 roof to fit the UT25 unmanned turret at the center rather than on the original cupola’s position at the right side (which can be seen on the ACV-15), which also removed the Commander’s hatch.
Photo taken from the late John Chua’s collection.
- Weight: 12.5 Tons
- Armor: Aluminum Alloy
- Thickness: 1.1” – 1.75”
- Engine: Detroit Diesel, 6V-53 Liquid Cooled 2 Cycle V-6 Cylinder Piston 212 HP
- Fuel Capacity: 95 gal
- Speed: 40 mph
- Range: 300 miles
Armament:
- M242 Bushmaster Autocannon in Elbit Systems UT30 Mk.2 Unmanned Turret
- 7.62 Coaxial Machine Gun
- Advanced FCS
- Electrical Drive Stabilized System
- Smoke Grenade Launchers
Not Fitted:
- Integrated SPIKE-LR ATGM
- SPECTRO XR Thermal & Laser Target Designator Optics
Ammo:
- Since it is based on the M242 Bushmaster as its autocanon, it should perform comparably the same as the ones found in-game with the M3 Bradley & ADATS vehicles and use the same ammo. Elbit Systems did advertise in their brochure that it should be able to use Air Burst Ammunition, probably ATK’s 25 x 59mm LW25 Programmable Air Burst Munition with a range of up to 2000 meters.
WHICH NATION SHOULD GET IT?
Personally, I made this proposal with the mindset of being part of an expanded Thai subtree for Japan so this could either be in the main tree to supplement Japan’s lack of IFV options or made to be a premium or squadron vehicle so that more domestic Thai vehicles could be on the main tree. Israel could also probably get this one and with the SPIKE ATGMs on a much higher BR but since only this M113 upgrade package is unique to the Philippines, it should remain where Philippine vehicles would be. Also, there are other Israeli vehicles that uses the same turret as well on a much better chassis (I think it was fitted on the ASCOD II Chassis as an IFV offering & the Iveco Guarani which has the UT30 Turret).
MORE PHOTOS
Philippine M113 armored column, lead has a Elbit UT25 unmanned 25mm turret, the last ones are ACV-15s.
M-113 Armored Personnel Carrier with Elbit Systems’ ORCWS 25 30mm Unmanned Turret System (probably a prototype before the Mk.2 variant)
SOURCES
https://wiki.warthunder.com/M242_(25_mm)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/7qk1t5/upgraded_filipino_m113_with_israeli_ut25_turret/
https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/17la2qe/philippine_m113_armored_column_lead_has_a_elbit
https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/qqgyna/a_collection_of_all_philippine_army_m113_variants/
https://www.reddit.com/r/TankPorn/comments/yj1buj/m113_armored_personnel_carrier_with_elbit_systems/