M114装甲戦闘車両 – 写真&ビデオ

フォトギャラリー M114, The M114 Command and Reconnaissance Carrier is a Vietnam War-era tracked armored fighting vehicle, used by the United States Army. It was manufactured by the Cadillac Division of General Motors in the early 1960s. The M114 was designed to be fast and stealthy. Like the larger M113, it was amphibious and could be deployed by parachute. However unlike the M113 which became one of the most successful armoured vehicles, it quickly proved unsuited to use in the Vietnam war, and was replaced in the reconnaissance role by the M551 Sheridan light tank. By 1973, it had been branded a failure and retired by the US Army, but some released as surplus continue to be used by police departments.

ソース： ウィキペディアの M114

ザ M114装甲戦闘車 was a command and reconnaissance carrier that served in the Vietnam War with the United States Army. It was produced by the Cadillac Division of General Motors in the early 1960s, and was intended to be a fast and stealthy vehicle that could scout ahead of the main force and report enemy positions and movements. The M114 was based on the M113 armored personnel carrier, but was smaller, lighter and lower in profile. It had a three-man crew and was armed with a .50-caliber machine gun and a 7.62 mm machine gun. The M114 was also amphibious and air-droppable, making it versatile for different terrains and missions.
しかし、M114はすぐに信頼性が低く、パワー不足で、戦闘において脆弱であることが判明しました。特にベトナムのジャングル環境ではオフロード性能が悪く、機械的な故障が起こりやすかった。また、敵の砲火や地雷に晒された乗組員に対する十分な保護も欠如していた。M114は溝や小川を簡単に渡ることができず、乾舷が低いため泳ぐのが困難でした。M114は1964年までにベトナムから撤退し、より高性能なM551シェリダン軽戦車に置き換えられました。M114は、クレイトン・エイブラムス将軍によって失敗と見なされた後、1973年にアメリカ陸軍から正式に退役しました。