×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024)
HOME
ARMOR INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
ARMOR BY COUNTRY
VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE VEHICLES
VEHICLES BY CONFLICT
VEHICLES BY TYPE
VEHICLES BY DECADE
COLD WAR VEHICLES
MODERN TANKS
MODERN ARTILLERY
VIETNAM WAR VEHICLES
Land Systems / Battlefield

M106 MC


Tracked 107mm Mortar Carrier Vehicle [ 1965 ]



The M106 Mortar Carrier vehicle was an offshoot of the storied M113 APC line - incorporating a powerful 107mm field mortar.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/21/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The M106 was a Cold War-era (1947-1991) dedicated mortar carrier of the United States Army before being supplanted by the more modern M1064 series in same battlefield role. The type was built upon the existing - and proven - framework of the classic M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC), a ubiquitous tracked system seeing service all over the globe primarily with American allies. The M106, for its part in military history, was featured in the fire-support role, capable of lobbing various 107mm projectiles through Non-Line-of-Sight (NLoS) fire in support of infantry and mechanized ground actions.

The M106 conversion was handled by FMC Corporation of the United States. The vehicles saw combat service in the Vietnam War (1955-1975).

The variant was born through the developmental-minded "XM106" form and entered service as the "M106". The primary change to the M113 was the introduction of a rounded, two-piece roof hatch which sat over the 107mm (4.2") M30 (or Soltam M-65) heavy field mortar at the rear of the vehicle. The mortar sat atop a 90-degree (right and left of centerline) traversing turntable (rear-facing fire) and could be dismounted for use as a standard mortar weapon system as needed. The vehicle's exterior port side hull wall was used to carry the baseplate and bipod support structure for this feature.

Up to 88 x 107mm projectiles could be carried on board the vehicle and this collection amounted to a mix of High-Explosive (HE) shells along with illumination and White Phosphorous (WP) types.

Beyond the 107mm mortar weapon was a single, optional 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) installed at the commander's cupola over the center of the hull roof. This gave the operator complete 360-degree coverage around the vehicle to counter both aerial and lightly-armored threats (as well as infantry). Vision blocks were embedded into the cupola for situational awareness when "buttoned down". Armor protection was of aluminum, suitable against only small arms fire. The vehicle's overall weight reached nearly 13 tons and dimensions included an overall length of 16.2 feet, a width of 9 feet, and a height of 7.3 feet.

Internally, drive power came from the M113's Chrysler gas-powered engine but this changed to a Detroit Diesel 6V53T diesel-fueled engine of 210 horsepower to drive the conventional track-and-wheel arrangement once the M113 line switched to the diesel units. This change then gave rise to the "M106A1" variant in turn. The M106A1's powertrain included the Allison X200-4 series transmission.

All told, the vehicle could range out (on roads) to nearly 290 miles. The track-and-wheel running gear gave it a good steady pace to keep up with accompanying mechanized forces.

M106 total production reached 860 units of which the United States Army procured 589 and 271 being shipped to foreign allies (the series was not widely exported, ending up in the inventories of just Argentina, Greece, and Peru). The follow-up M106A1 was built to the tune of 1,316 units with the U.S. Army taking into inventory 982 and the remaining 334 shipped overseas.

With the M113A2 APC's introduction into service, the M106 line was, again upgraded in turn resulting in the "M106A2" carrying the same improvements and capabilities as the APC form.

The United States no longer operates the M106. The replacement M1064 vehicles entered service in 1990 and have only seen export to ally Lithuania.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Service Year
1965

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Crew
4
CREWMEN
Production
2,176
UNITS


National flag of Argentina National flag of Greece National flag of Peru National flag of Portugal National flag of Thailand National flag of the United States Argentina; Greece; Peru; Portugal; Thailand; United States (retired)
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
Fire Support / Assault / Breaching
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.
Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.


Length
16.1 ft
4.9 m
Width
8.9 ft
2.7 m
Height
7.2 ft
2.2 m
Weight
29,762 lb
13,500 kg
Tonnage
14.9 tons
LIGHT
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base M106 MC production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
Powerplant: M106A1: 1 x Detroit Diesel 6V53T diesel-fueled engine developing 210 horsepower and driving conventional track-and-wheel arrangement.
Speed
42.3 mph
(68.0 kph)
Range
288.9 mi
(465.0 km)
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base M106 MC production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)
1 x 107mm M30 OR Soltam M-65 heavy field mortar.
1 x 12.7mm Browning M2 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) at commander's cupola.


Supported Types


Graphical image of a tank medium machine gun
Graphical image of a tank heavy machine gun
Graphical image of a military battlefield mortar shell


(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
88 x 107mm mortar projectiles.
500 x 12.7mm ammunition (estimated).


M106 - Base Series Designation; initial service form with Chrysler gas engines; 860 units completed.
XM106 - Developmental model designation.
M106A1 - Detroit Diesel engines introduced with M113A1 production series; 982 built for U.S. service and further 334 shipped overseas.
M106A2 - Improved form based in the M113A2 production series.


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.

Images Gallery



1 / 1
Image of the M106 MC
Historical image from the U.S. Army archives; Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)