According to Ukrinform on April 22, Portugal will hand over five armored vehicles to Ukraine: "Portugal will send five armored rescue and medical aid vehicles to Ukraine: three of the M113 type and two of the M577 type," Minister of National Defense of Portugal Helena Carreiras announced following the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Ukrinform reports.
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M577A2 command post in ambulance version (Picture source: Army Recognition)
255 M113A1/A2 APC were received, among which 190 are believed to remain in service: 101 M113A1s were received from the United States in 1977, 104 M113A2s received from the Netherlands in 1993, and 50 M113A1/A1Gs were received from Germany in 1994.
The latest version of the M113 is powered by a 6V-53T 6-cylinder Detroit Diesel engine developing 275 hp at 2,800 rpm coupled to GMC Allison transmission with 4 forward and 1 reverse gears. The vehicle can reach 60 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 480 km. In recent years the M113s have undergone modernizations to remain operational and respond to the new threats of the modern battlefield.
In January 2023, Portugal already offered a second batch of 14 M113s to the Ukrainian army. The first batch of 14 M113s was sent to Ukraine in July 2022. The number of transferred armored vehicles of this type at that time amounted to 10% of the active fleet of Portuguese M113 APCs. Portugal received this armament after 1989, when the United States reduced its presence in the European Union.
Defense News April 2023
