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M106 mortar carrier

The M106 mortar carrier (full designation: Carrier, Mortar, 107 mm, Self-propelled) was a tracked, self-propelled mortar carrier in service with the United States Army. It was designed to provide indirect fire support to primarily infantry, units, but could also provide support to any unit under attack within range. It was replaced with the M1064 mortar carrier.

History

The M106 is a variation of the M113 armored personnel carrier that carried a 107 mm M30 mortar. It was introduced in 1964, alongside the similar M125 81 mm mortar carrier, and deployed in Vietnam.[4] Three variants existed: the M106, the M106A1 and the M106A2. 862 M106 (including 841 for US forces), 1,409 M106A1 (including 990 for US forces) and 350 M106A2 (including 53 for the US forces) were produced.

After intensive trials in 1988, the US Army chose to replace it with the 120 mm Soltam K6. Some of the M106 carriers were upgraded to the M1064A3 configuration by replacing the 107 mm mortar by a 120 mm mortar.[5]

Operators

  • 🇦🇷: 25 M106A2[6]
  • 🇪🇬: 65 M106A1 and 35 M106A2
  • 🇬🇷[7]
  • 🇵🇪: 24 M106A1
  • 🇱🇾
  • : 32-36 M106A2
  • : 24
  • : 18 (3 M106 and 15 M106A2)[8]
  • 🇹🇼 Taiwan: 90 M106A2
  • 🇺🇦: 10 M106A2[9]
  • : Captured during the Vietnam War. Refurbished to be equipped with the domestic 100mm mortar SC100TX.

Former operators

  • Khmer Republic (Cambodia): 17 M106A1 with a 107 mm mortar.[10][11]
  • South Vietnam
  • : M106 with a 120 mm mortar, known as 12 cm Mw Pz 64 (Minenwerferpanzer 64) and 12 cm Mw Pz 64/91. 132 bought, retired from service in 2009.[12][13]
  • 🇺🇸[14]
  • 🇮🇹: M106 with a Mortier 120 mm Rayé Tracté Modèle F1[15]

See also

  • M1064 mortar carrier
  • Variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier
  • List of U.S. military vehicles by model number

Bibliography

  • Kenneth Conboy, Kenneth Bowra, and Mike Chappell, The War in Cambodia 1970–75, Men-at-arms series 209, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1989. ISBN 0-85045-851-X
  • Sak Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse, U.S. Army Center of Military History, Washington D.C. 1980. – available online at Part 1Part 2Part 3 Part 4.
  • Simon Dunstam, Terry Hadler and David E. Smith, The M113 series, Vanguard series 34, Osprey Publishing Ltd, London 1983. ISBN 0-85045-495-6

External links

References

  1. Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 182, Appendix C (Army Item).^
  2. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 43.^
  3. Defense Industry Bulletin, August 1967, p. 33.^
  4. Jamie Prenatt. M113 APC 1960–75: US, ARVN, and Australian variants in Vietnam 30 Nov 2017^
  5. Christopher F. Foss. United Defense LP M113 armoured personnel carrier family Jane's Armour and Artillery 2002-2003, 27 November 2001^
  6. International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Military Balance 2016 Routlegde, February 2016^
  7. E. Tsiliopoulos. US granted armored vehicles arrive in Greece New Greek TV, November 10, 2014^
  8. Viaturas Militares Portuguesas: Auto Blindado Lagartas M106A1/A2 m/1978/1980/1989 c/morteiro 107 mm Viaturas Militares Portuguesas, 2018-08-18, retrieved 2021-01-17^
  9. Ukraine Army receives 10 M106 self-propelled mortars and 2 M577 comman 14 November 2022^
  10. Sutsakhan, The Khmer Republic at War and the Final Collapse (1980), p. 182, Appendix C (Army Item).^
  11. Conboy and Bowra, The War in Cambodia 1970–75 (1989), p. 43.^
  12. 120 mm Model 64 mortar in M106 mortar carrier Jane's Infantry Weapons 1994-1995, 27 April 1994^
  13. Markus Oetterli. Indirekte Feuerunterstützung auf kurze Distanz Allgemeine Schweizerische Militärzeitschrift, September 2018^
  14. Christopher F. Foss. Inventory - Armour and artillery in service, United States of America Jane's Armour and Artillery 1998-99, 15 June 1998^
  15. https://raids.fr/2019/01/16/les-soldats-de-la-lagune/^