M59 | |
---|---|
Type | Armored personnel carrier |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1954 – Late 1980s US |
Wars | Vietnam War Lebanese Civil War |
Production history | |
Designed | 1951 |
Manufacturer | FMC Corporation |
Produced | 1953–1960 |
No. built | 6,300 (approx) |
Specifications | |
Mass | 42,600 lb (19,300 kg) |
Length | 5.61 m |
Width | 3.26 m |
Height | 2.77 m |
Crew | 2 (commander, driver) + 10 passengers |
Armor | Welded steel between 25 mm to 9.5 mm thick |
Engine | Two GMC Model 302 six-cylinder inline petrol engines 146 hp at 3600 rpm (per engine, combined 292 hp) |
Transmission | Hydramatic model 301MG transmission |
Suspension | torsion bar |
Fuel capacity | 135 US gallons |
Operational range | 120 mi (190 km) |
Maximum speed | Road: 32 mph (51 km/h) |
The M59 was an American armored personnel carrier that entered service in the spring of 1954 replacing the M75. It had three key advantages over the M75: it was amphibious, had a lower profile, and was considerably cheaper to produce. Production ended in 1960, by which time approximately 6,300 had been built. The M84 Mortar Carrier was a derivative of the M59. The M59 was replaced in service by the M113 family of vehicles.