[PH] M113 with M39 Canon - Why Not Experiment?

UnknownVariable · May 16, 2026, 10:32pm

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Introducing

FMC M113A2 APC w/ M39A3 20mm Revolving Canon
Making use of what you got

M113A2 APC w/ M39A3 20mm Revolving Canon during a capability display parade, circa ~2008’

OVERVIEW

At the end of 2005, the Philippine Air Force had decommissioned the last of its F-5A/B fleet after 40 years of service primarily due to the ageing airframes and the severe budget cuts that the entire military establishment has gotten since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had ousted then-president Erap Estrada.

Still however, this sharp decrease in military expenditure was justified by the AFP as they switch from territorial (external) defense to internal security operations to deal with the numerous rebel groups that has sprang up since the government’s 2000s all-out war campaign under the ousted presidency of Erap Estrada. To facilitate and guide the AFP in this transition, the AFP started the Capability Upgrade Program focusing on simplifying maintenance and logistics by strengthening the Self-Reliance Defense Posture Program - replacing foreign acquired systems with as much domestic components as possible.

M39A3 20mm Canon on an F-5

In 2007, Commanding General of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, saw the F-5’s M39 Canons just sitting in Air Force warehouses and so made a deal with the PAF that in exchange for these canons, the Army was going to donate its stocks of M134D gatling guns to the Air Force. Shortly after, the then Light Armor Division began modifying the cradle mounting to allow it to be used on the numerous M113 APCs that it had. In this configuration, it kept the original electronic firing mechanism of the gun relying instead on the batteries of the M113 although further modifications were done to allow for a manual trigger mechanism so the canons could be mounted on stand-alone mounts for air defense.

M39A3 20mm Canons on a stand-alone mount

Firing tests were conducted and the original plan was for the Light Armor Division to be equipped with at least a platoon-sized element of these modified armored vehicles. It seems however that the plan never fully materialized with problems arising from adequately cooling the gun and the M113 platform itself, and from the scant information I could gather, there is at least one prototype and maybe another 2 or 3 made without the gun shield.

SPECIFICATIONS

Characteristic	Details
Type	Armored Personnel Carrier / Fire Support Vehicle
Country of origin	United States (base vehicle) / Philippines (upgrade integration)
Base platform	M113A2
Operator	Philippine Army
Mass	Approx. 11,000–12,500 kg depending on armor and weapon fit
Length	4.86 m (15.9 ft)
Width	2.69 m (8.8 ft)
Height	Approx. 2.5–2.7 m depending on weapon mount
Crew	Commander, Driver, Gunner + embarked infantry
Max speed	64 kph (40 mph)
Operational range	Approx. 480 km
Propulsion	Detroit Diesel 6V53T turbocharged 2-stroke diesel engine
Engine power	275 hp
Power-to-weight ratio	Approx. 22–25 hp/ton
Transmission	Allison X200-4 automatic transmission
Suspension	Torsion bar
Primary armament	20mm M39A3 revolver cannon
Ammunition	20×102mm NATO
Rate of fire	Approx. 1,500 rpm cyclic
Armor	5083 aluminum alloy armor; protection against small arms fire and shell fragments

IN-GAME

This is basically a bare-bones M113 slapped with a 20mm M39 Canon on top. Despite this, it does actually carry quite a bit of punch and does fire fast. Reload would probably be long though. Personally I think it mirrors quite a bit with other 20mm armed AAs similar to the SUB-I-II in the Japanese Tech Tree and while it doesnt have an APDS ammo option of its own, it could use the M53 AP ammunition that could penetrate 0.25 inches of armor at a range of 1000 meters.

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