M901 ITV
Encyclopedia
The M901 ITV is a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 armored vehicle designed to carry a dual M220 TOW launcher. It is based on the ubiquitous M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...

 chassis.

Equipment

The M901 ITV provides the crew and weapon system protection from small-arms fire and artillery fragments. The squad leader has a 270-degree range of view through the squad leader's periscope (SLP). The turret launcher has the capability for day and night acquisition and tracking of targets, and it provides firing coverages of 360 degrees in azimuth and +35 to −30 degrees in elevation. The ITV has stowage provisions for tripod-mounted TOW components configured so the ground system can be dismounted and set up in three to five minutes. In addition, the ITV can ford small bodies of water (40 inches or less) and is air transportable. It has the following characteristics:
  • A hydraulically and electrically powered "hammerhead" turret, attached to a modified M27 cupola, that can be operated manually.
  • A complete M220-series TOW weapon system stowed and strapped in fixed mounting brackets. The daysight tracker and nightsight (AN/TAS-4
    AN/TAS-4
    The AN/TAS-4 is a thermal imaging night sight developed by Texas Instruments for the U.S. Army.- Applications :It has been used in conjunction with many U.S. weapon systems including:* M151 and M220 TOW missile guidance sets...

     or AN/TAS-4a) are mounted in an operational ready state at the head of the turret. The missile guidance system is also connected at the base of the turret.
  • A dual M220 TOW launcher.
  • M243 smoke grenade launcher
    M243 smoke grenade launcher
    The M243 smoke grenade launcher uses rounds filled with red phosphorus. Upon activation, a dense cloud of white smoke is created from ground level up to a minimum height of 7 meters and between 20 and 50 meters from the vehicle in 2 to 6 seconds. The cloud lasts 1 to 3 minutes depending on wind...

    s.
  • A 3x acquisition sight with a 25-degree field of view.
  • Remote actuators that allow daysight tracker and nightsight adjustments.
  • A machine gun mounted on a traversing rail.


The system is capable of firing two missiles without reloading and carries ten TOW rounds in the missile rack. Reloading is performed under armor protection and is accomplished by tilting the launching apparatus back so that the crew can reach the turret through the carrier's rear roof hatch. The missile launcher targeting head is at the end of a pivoting arm which raises the launcher assembly for firing. When stowed, the turret is aimed down and to the rear of the vehicle. A major limitation of the M901 is that it is practically unable to move while the turret is in firing position, and unable to fire while it is in the stowed position. A common work-around is to move the vehicle while the turret is in the loading position, thereby reducing the amount of time to get the turret in a fire position as opposed to the stow position. Moving from the firing to the stowed position is a procedure that takes several seconds and some skill on the part of the operator.

Variants

Designation Description
M901 employs the M220A1 TOW
M901A1 employs the M220A2 TOW 2
M901A3 employs the M220A2 TOW 2 and incorporates the RISE powerpack and improved driver controls of the M113A3
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...

.

Operators

: United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

: Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...

: Royal Moroccan Army
Royal Moroccan Army
The Royal Armed Forces is the terrestrial arm of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is a part of one of the oldest monarchies in history. The Alaouite Dynasty is the name of the current Moroccan royal family. The name Alaouite comes from the ‘Alī of...

: Portuguese Army
Portuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...

: 4 in service since 1993.: Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...

: Royal Thai Army: Tunisian Army

Similar vehicles

The M981 FISTV
M981 FISTV
The M981 FISTV is a United States Army armored vehicle designed to house an artillery observer team in mechanized units...

(Fire Support Team Vehicle) armored vehicle is based on the M901 ITV and closely resembles it, in a deliberate effort to make it less conspicuous on the battlefield.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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