Sapper Company Commander's M113 Gavin Combat Report from Iraq:
"My company attacked with the TF in every major battle with TF 1-64 Armor.We were either 2nd or 3rd in the OOM for every battle but one in which we were 4th. I'm not sure of this but I'd say my 113's ate more RPGs and small arms than any other deployed to Iraq to date. We made several modifications that I'm convinced saved the lives of 5-10 Sappers because we were able to 'absorb' RPGs in a very unconventional manner. M113s took direct hits from RPGs that survived because of the "baffling" we added to our M113s. We basically made our M113's mobile fighting positions which had a lot of pros and some cons. As it was all we had 6 WIAs, 4 shot by AK-47 and two Mortar wounds, pretty good all things considered."
DEUCE II
OUTSTANDING DEUCE II: 
U.S. Army Airborne and Light infantry units now have a 1-man band-tracked bulldozer that is UNARMORED and UNARMED yet weighs 17.25 tons! Can the "DEUCE" be parachute airdropped on a Type V airdrop platform with honeycomb, cargo parachutes from a C-130 with a LVAD limit of 42, 000 pounds? Only by removing the driver's cab--which means a lot of difficult heavy drop rigging. The DEUCE I does nothing for M/CM/S maneuver support operations of Airborne/Light infantry if it can't get to the fight because its too heavy to airdrop or sling-load by CH-47D/F helicopter or can't survive enemy ambush during ground movements. DEUCE doesn't transport any Sappers along the way nor is it able to launch rocket line charges to rapidly breach through minefields. For survivability tasks, as a mini-bulldozer, the DEUCE I will not dig berms high enough to dig in a tactical operations center (TOC)--you need a SEE bucket loader to assist, which is yet another soft-skin vulnerable vehicle like the DEUCE I that puts our Combat Engineers Soldiers at risk of death and maiming. DEUCE 1s have also had many hydraulic problems in field use. How do you begin repairing a forward landing site (FLS) inside an airhead under enemy fire when the DEUCE 1 has no armor protection? It can be quickly knocked out of action, putting the entire airhead at risk without an assault zone landing strip. Clearly, we need an ARMORED DEUCE II, and the good news is we can have it immediately.
Many countries around the world attach a dozer blade to the 10.5 ton M113 Gavin light tracked ARMORED fighting vehicle to get a maneuver support engineer means which has been successful for many years without any hydraulic or size-of-berm problems. The Canadian Army nearby has such variants not far from TACOM in Michigan that can be examined. The M113 Gavin by being under 11 tons is easily parachute-airdropped or airlanded by C-130s without any concerns of exceeding landing or ramp exit weights/heights or reducing fuel/range. Gavins can be sling-loaded by CH-47D/F Chinooks and heavier lift helicopters. There is armored space in back of the Gavin unlike DEUCE I to carry a Sapper squad that can deploy from the back rear ramp or door to breach or establish obstacles and minefields as needed. Unlike the unarmed DEUCE I, moving along the non-linear battlefield, with maintenance-free band tracks the Gavin can go much faster at 50+ mph than the DEUCE I's 30 mph. Sappers in M113 Gavins can face out in 360 degrees behind transparent armored gunshields (TAGS) gunshields to fire rifles and machine guns when alert eyes spot any sign of an ambush threat. The M113 Gavin as a "DEUCE II" can swim across lakes and rivers to secure the far side for bridging operations when the DEUCE I cannot swim at all.
Hunnicutt's book, "Bradley the History of American Fighting and Support Vehicles" on page 204: photographic proof that M113 Gavin's dozer blade acts as a swim trim vane
The M113 Gavin's bulldozer blade acts a trim vane when in the water. Fitted with a detachable nose section and waterjets, the M113 Gavin "DEUCE II" can even swim from ship-to-shore in oceans from Army prepositioned ships to speed logistics over the shore engineering and shuttle vital supplies ashore. Because the M113 Gavin DEUCE II has an armored hull, it can fire rocket line charges safely which Army Light, Airborne and Air Assault units cannot do now on foot or with flimsy Humvee, FMTV trucks.
Another feature of Light Mech Sappers is that their M113 DEUCE II dozer blades can have Butch Walker's "BucketLiftTM" attached to handle 40" x 48" warehouse, 88" x 108" ECDS pallets and even ISO container "BattleBoxes". Light Mech Sappers with BucketLiftTM can help clear drop zones of ECDS palletized supplies. DEUCE IIs with BucketLiftTM can move their own pallets and myriad of containers around to effect greater combat engineering effects without need of a separate and single-purpose forklift, which are notorious for being mechanically unreliable.
The Army is hurting for money due to wasting $BILLIONS on road-bound, vulnerable Stryker trucks and mental RMA "mother may I?" gadgets; however, introducing the M113 Gavin DEUCE II would be very low-cost because there are over 2, 000 in storage ready to be converted and they share the same parts/logistics commonality of the other 14, 655 M113 Gavins already in Army use. Engineers in heavy units already own and operate M113 Gavin Engineer Squad Vehicles (ESVs). Estimate conversion cost of a M113A2 into a M113A3 with a bulldozer blade would be just $200K each. Army spent $56 MILLION of our tax dollars for 184 DEUCE 1s which comes out to $304, 343 each. Another option would be to lengthen the hull to MTVL 6-roadwheel configuration to transport up to 15 men at a time and possibly use hybrid-electric drive to make a tremendous amount of electricity available to operate engineering devices/attachments like a back hoe digger so dismounted infantry can have instant fighting positions that they only need to fine-tune with firing stakes and overhead cover. The front bulldozer blade enables the DEUCE II Gavin to create hull-down berm fighting positions for other vehicles in the supported unit so they can fight more effectively with surprise, camouflage and protection.
We suggest that the Army Airborne, Light and Air Assault units replace their Humvee truck in Delta Weapons companies, AT platoons, Mortar, Scout sections and Supply & Transportation platoons with M113 Gavin light armored tracks to give A, B, C riflemen armored cross-country and amphibious mobility as needed without bogging them down with vehicle care. We suggest that a platoon of 4 Engineer M113 Gavin DEUCE IIs be co-located with the Delta Weapons companies and AT platoons to create a natural synergism of having mobility/counter-mobility/survivability means organic to those elements leading vehicular movements of the main body and to do their heavy weapons tasks better with a burrowing and obstacle/minefield clearing capability. We could even call this platoon an "Engineer Cavalry" or "ECAV" unit which would fit nicely after the Delta company with "E" an easy-to-recognize as "Engineer". The ECAVs would be a truly fighting engineer unit with their gunshielded TAGS and dismounted combat capabilities; not an engineer construction piece of equipment needing armed and armored escort.
The following performance comparison matrix shows why the M113 Gavin is clearly needed as the DEUCE II.
M113 Gavin DEUCE II compared to DEUCE I
|
Weight |
Armored |
Armed |
Speed |
Swim |
C-130 |
CH-47 |
Rocket Line Charges |
Carry Sappers Infantry |
Cost |
Support |
|
|
M113 Gavin DEUCE II |
12 tons |
YES |
YES |
50+ mph |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES |
YES 9 A3 15 A4 |
$200K |
14, 655 M113s already in Army system |
|
DEUCE I |
17.25 tons |
NO |
NO |
30 mph |
NO |
Maybe Weight cuts into fuel & range |
NO |
NO |
NO |
$304 |
Low Density system less than 200 in service |
Summary/Conclusion
The M113 Gavin as a "DEUCE II" can be heavily up-armored with RPG pre-det bird cages, Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) tiles, spaced armor and even Spirit of America earth-filled blast wall sections to withstand bomb blasts up to 24, 000 pounds. Gavins can even have their hulls V-shaped to defelect mine and bomb blasts. The DEUCE I does not have this up-armoring growth potential and simply is not survivable on the non-linear battlefield where the enemy can attack in any direction at any time. If Army Light, Airborne and Air Assault Sappers are to contribute effectively to the non-linear fight they need the M113 Gavin DEUCE II now.
NOTES
1.www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/deuce.htm
2. www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDF/is_3_30/ai_65350719
TACOM Sets the DEUCE Loose
Engineer: The Professional Bulletin for Army Engineers, July, 2000 by Rae Higgins
The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command has given some of the Army's elite, "high-speed" engineers something to say "hooah" about -- a new, and equally high-speed, high-tech dozer. The deployable universal combat earthmover (DEUCE) is a state-of-the art dozer that promises to set the combat-engineer community on its ear, as it represents a new concept in equipment use, crew comfort, training, and maintenance.
Light infantry units headquartered at Fort Drum, New York, and airborne units at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were the first to be equipped with the new dozers last summer. Although the DEUCE is not yet slated for Armywide fielding, units at Fort Lewis, Washington, will receive a few DEUCEs to test in support of the initial brigade combat teams, as the Army marches forward on its plan for transformation.
The DEUCE enables light infantry and airborne engineers to prepare airstrips, roads, and protective positions, while keeping pace with the ground forces. The great thing about this dozer is that it doesn't have to be loaded and hauled from one combat construction site to the next. All the operator has to do is flip a dashboard switch to shift the dozer from the earthmoving mode into the self-deploy mode. And, to the delight of combat engineers everywhere, the DEUCE features an enclosed cab with heat and air conditioning.
The Army's DEUCE program began in late 1992. According to TACOM's DEUCE system acquisition manager, the combat developer (the U.S. Army Engineer School) established the mission need for the DEUCE in an operational-requirements document (ORD). The DEUCE ORD states that "Engineers, as part of the light combined-arms team (organic or task-oriented to light divisions), need a light-weight earthmoving capability that does not require a prime mover and trailer for operational and tactical movement and is strategically deployable by air. The DEUCE must travel rapidly between job sites and travel across and on paved airfields and highways without damaging the surface."
TACOM's DEUCE team played a critical role in making the dozer a reality for engineers. When a combat developer expresses a need for a piece of equipment, TACOM's materiel developers procure equipment that can meet that need.
The 35,500-pound DEUCE is manufactured by Caterpillar (R). TACOM wanted to capitalize on existing commercial components rather than introducing unique parts and achieved this goal by the nondevelopmental item integration of Caterpillar (R) commercial components. This resulted in only about 20 percent of the parts being DEUCE unique.
Features
Three important features of the DEUCE are the--
* Ability to self-deploy.
* Six-way (power, angle, and tilt) blade.
* Electronically controlled engine/ transmission combination.
The DEUCE, which can be ready to dig in less than a minute, replaces the D5 dozer in the light engineer forces. Its ability to switch into the self-deploy mode is a radical departure from dozers used in the past. It saves the time and manpower it used to take to load, haul, and unload dozers like the D5B, which was at least a two-person job. This self-deployability was a key operational factor. A lone DEUCE operator can move right into battle, complete his mission, and redeploy to the rear without relying on anyone or anything else to get him and the vehicle there and back.
In the earthmoving mode, an operator drives the DEUCE with standard power-shift transmission. This allows for the slow, high-torque drive required for dozing. Conversely, once he switches to the self-deploy mode, a six-speed automatic transmission kicks in, which enables the DEUCE to reach road speeds of 30 to 35 mph.
The DEUCE's hydraulic blade is different from "regular" dozer blades. It not only goes up and down but also can tilt left and right for "V-cuts" and can angle left and right. This flexibility gives an operator a variety of dozing options, depending on the task at hand. Moreover, hydraulic blades can significantly improve dozing times.
The DEUCE also sports rubber track. Steel track, which is the norm for most construction equipment, can damage roads by chewing up the asphalt.
The DEUCE was designed with the soldier-operator in mind. The enclosed, climate-controlled cab sets the stage for optimal operator performance--meaning the soldier at the wheel is less likely to become fatigued due to extreme weather conditions like oppressive heat and humidity or frigid cold. In addition, the vehicle features a seat that adjusts to the operator's height and weight, a hook-up for hydraulic tools, and a communication connection for radio and global positioning systems.
The DEUCE is also different from other dozers in that its controls are ergonomically designed, so operator-training requirements are kept to a minimum. Simply put, the DEUCE has a steering wheel, an accelerator, and brakes--much like a car. This is a big change from older tracked construction equipment that combat engineers use.
Maintenance
Dozer mechanics have reason to give the DEUCE high marks because of a new electronically controlled diagnostics system. The soldiers' portable on-systems repair tool (SPORT) signals a maintenance specialist of mechanical problems. The SPORT is a separate piece of equipment and is the Army's only authorized "ruggedized" laptop. Using the SPORT, a mechanic can simply plug in a standard tester to zero in on a problem. He doesn't have to crawl around the DEUCE to pinpoint maintenance issues.
The DEUCE is also compatible to hookup with the small emplacement excavator's hydraulic tools, including the pavement breaker, hammer drill, chain saw, impact wrench, and hose assembly.
Response to the new dozer has been positive. In November 1999, the Engineer School trained several soldiers, both operators and maintainers, from the 5th Engineer Battalion, who recently tried out two DEUCES at the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California. Their positive comments centered on ease of operation, plentiful power, ride comfort, and user-friendly maintainability at the operator level.
According to the experiment projects NCO at the Maneuver Support Battle Lab at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, the NTC's fearsome, fabled, and famous opposing force thought the DEUCE's mobility was good, but the digging time was slower than they would have liked. The operators realized that their lack of experience on the equipment was a factor in the slower digging time but, with more experience, digging times would improve.
The DEUCE performed well on reliability, mobility, and durability, but some modifications, such as a wider blade, will enhance its ability to perform required missions faster. However, a wider blade does not fit the transportability requirements.
Troops aren't the only ones who are becoming more familiar with the DEUCE's derring-do. When Secretary of the Army Louis Caldera came to Fort Leonard Wood last December, he visited Training Area 244, where operators from all services learn to run heavy-construction equipment. Secretary Caldera climbed into the driver's seat of a DEUCE, revved it up, and took it for a spin. He returned with a big smile on his face and said that he considered this chance to drive the DEUCE an early Christmas present.
Program Success
TACOM's dedication to making the DEUCE the best possible state-of-the-art piece of Army engineer construction equipment has, without a doubt, greatly added to the success of the program. In meeting the deployability (C-130 drive on/off, low velocity air-droppable) and mobility requirements (30-plus mph), the DEUCE has significantly enhanced capabilities that will shape the battlefield in its combat-engineer mission for Army XXI. The "creature-comfort" improvements, along with its operational features, make the DEUCE a unique piece of engineer equipment that is highly universal.
TACOM is currently on contract for 130 DEUCEs, but the system acquisition manager anticipates procuring a total of about 200 for the Active and Reserve Components. DEUCE fieldings will continue as scheduled through December 2001.
Ms. Higgins is a public affairs specialist assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Michigan. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication from Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, and is a graduate the Defense Information School Public Affairs Officer Course. She is also a member of the Public Relations Society of America
3. M113 Gavin Data
www.combatreform.com/m113combat.htm
www.geocities.com/armysappersforward
www.geocities.com/armysappersforward/amphigavins.htm
www.combatreform.com/itmaneuverabattalion.htm
www.geocities.com/lightmechsappers
What Sappers need today: Air-transportable M113A4 MTVL Gavin Engineer Squad Vehicles (ESVs)
SIGN PETITION TO NAME M113 AFTER U.S. ARMY HERO, GENERAL JAMES M. GAVIN
NEW! How Amphibious Sappers in M113A3 Amphibious Gavins can lead the way for the rest of the U.S. Army ashore despite enemy seaport access denial!
Swiss Army M113 Ruag Light Mine Clearing Tank
Table of Contents |
Author: 1st Tactical Studies Group (Airborne)
Email: itsg@hotmail.com Home Page: www.combatreform.com/aesindex.htm
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