VCC-2

History and development

Side view of a VCC-2 with firing ports closed. (Stefano Santoli photo , November 1987)

In the '70s the Italian Army searched a new APC (or better, a MICV) to supplement his existing M 113 in its better mechanised infantry units. The German Marder and the Swiss Mowag Tornado were evaluated (and probably also liked) but they were too expensive for the budget of Italian Army.

Then the Italian Army selected the Oto-Melara VCC-1 Camillino, a local improvements of the M113A1. To supplement the VCC-1 (that are new built vehicles) the Italian Army chosen to upgrade some of its existing fleet of M113 (thus the original petrol-engine powered version).

After the upgrading (that interested 1230 M113 in the first '80s) the vehicles were redesigned VCC-2.

The aim of both VCC-1 and VCC-2 were:

• A better mobility respect the original petrol engine powered M113 thank to a new diesel engine and a new transmission (the same models employed on the M113A1).
• Improved armour protection.
• The ability, for the carried infantrymen to aim and fire their individual weapons from inside the vehicle.
• Improved seating arrangements.
• A separated cupola for the gunner and the commander (In the M 113 the gunner is also the commander).

• The VCC-1 has sloped sides in the rear, the VCC-2 retain the vertical sides of the M-113.
• The VCC-1 has rear external armoured fuel-tanks like the FMC AIFV, the VCC-2 has internal fuel tanks.
• Some hatches and the gun shielding on the top of the vehicles are different between VCC-1 and VCC-2.

• The upgrading of the power pack to a M 113A1 like standard. This included the replacement of the petrol engine Chrysler 75M with the GMC model GM6V53 6-cylinder water-cooled diesel. Also the transmission is upgraded.
• A new fuel subsystem that allow a separated and redundant fuel feeding from two new fuel tanks. These fuel tanks are made in fibreglass and are placed inside the hull, in the rear.
• A appliqué steel armour (thickness 5-6 mm) fitted to the front and sides over the original aluminium armour.

 

 

This allow the VCC-2 to withstand the 0.50 (12.7 mm) ball round fired from about 200 m or more instead of the over 600 m of the original M 113.

• Adding of two firing ports with a bullet-proof vision block above in either sides of the rear troop compartment firing ports. A fifth firing port is added in the rear ramp.
• The original M 113 gunner's cupola is replaced by two side by side cupola. The gunner's cupola (that remain the same model of the original M 113) on the right side and the commander cupola on the left side.

 

 

A fixed steel shield is added to protect the gunner.
The driver's cupola remain that of the standard M 113. Also the rectangular hatch of the original M113 above the troop compartment remain unchanged.

• The addition of two electrical powered fans to evacuate smokes from combat compartment.
• Modifications to electrical system include the movement of the batteries on the left of the hull.
• Modifications in the seating arrangements. The original layout of the M 113 is replaced with the same layout of the VCC-1.

Description

The engine is mounted as in the original M113 series, thus at the front of the hull, to the right of the driver, with the air-inlet and air-outlet in the roof of the vehicle. The turning radius is 3.85 m against the 7 m of the original M113.

The driver sits at the front of the hull on the left, and has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to right. There are four M17 periscopes to the front and left his position and a single M19 periscope, which can traversed through a full 360°, mounted in the hatch cover. The M19 periscope can be replaced by periscope for night driving. In brief all remain unchanged from the original M113.

All others crew accommodations are instead changed respect the original M113 and are identical with these of VCC-1. The vehicle commander sit immediately behind the drivers and has a single piece hatch cover that opens to rear and five M17 periscopes to the front and left his position. The gunner sits side by side with the commander and his cupola is the same of the original M113 but are added fixed shields to protect him when operated the machine gun.

The six infantrymen sit at rear of the vehicle on individual seats. The first four face outwards (towards the side firing ports) and the last two inwards. In each side of the hull are two firing ports each with a rectangular bullet-proof vision block over it (probably the vision blocks are the Aeritalia V200 model).

As in the M 113 , the infantrymen enter and leave the vehicle by a power operated ramp in the rear of the hull which opens downwards. In the rear ramp there are a fifth firing ports in the right side and the usual M 113 emergency door on the left side.

The torsion bar remain the same of the M-113 with five dual rubber-tyred road wheels with drive sprocket at the front and the idler at the rear and no track return roller. The first and last road wheel stations are provided with a hydraulic shock absorber.

The VCC-2, as the M113, is fully amphibious being propelled in the water by its tracks. Before entering in the water a trim board is erected in the front of the hull and two electric bilge pumps are switched on.

The vehicle retain the infra-red driving lights of the M113 and do not have a NBC system.

The armament remain the same Browning M2HB .50 (12.7 mm) machine gun used on the M-113 and it is pintle mounted on the forward part of the gunner cupola. The carried personnel can use individual weapons from the firing ports and the retained large rectangular hatch on the rear top of the hull.

Variants

In the 1993, after the bloody clashes with Somali guerrillas, several Italian armoured vehicle there deployed were up-armoured under emergencies programmes. Also some VCC-2 were interested. They were fitted on their sides with a layer of holed metallic stripes to obtain a rudimentary spaced armour against HEAT rounds. Side firing ports and the related upper vision blocks were covered. This emergency modification was probably removed from the few vehicles that receive it after the end of the Italian and UN involvement in Somalia. After the Somali lesson several VCC-1were upgraded with improved spaced armour but none improvements was fitted to VCC-2 that remain unchanged.

Status and Users

Conclusions

Both the VCC-2 and the VCC-1 have some drawbacks however:

• Their mobility is acceptable, and better of the M113, but not exceptional. For example, also the Leopard 1A2 are better.
• The steel add-on armour is attached directly on the aluminium hull. If it were been spaced it will be much more effective (in particular against HEAT rounds). Furthermore a spaced armour, with voids filled with closed cell polyurethane foam gives additional buoyancy in amphibious operations. This surely is the bigger error done by the designers on both VCC-2 and VCC-1 because without significance price o weights penalties the protection could be much better. This problem was confirmed in the Somali experience and must be also remembered that all the improved APC developed in the world from the M113 (such as the FMC AIFV or the South Korean KIFV) have spaced steel laminated armour bolted on the aluminium armour hull.
• The arrangements adopted for the firing ports (with a bullet-proof vision block above) in either sides of the rear troop compartment, also if acceptable and not worse in comparison with many other foreign vehicles, could be better designed. The relatively large firing ports allow large firing angle but also a lot of space opened to enemy bullets and splinters (then spherical firing ports, as found on the Marder for example, are preferable). Furthermore the use of bullet-proof vision block instead periscopes limits side protection and prevent further addition of armour without close them.
• The infantrymen carried are only 8 (more the driver) against the 12 (more the driver) of the original M-113. The reduction of the number of infantrymen carried by the APCs is a trend well consolidated and probably inevitable (if you want vehicles with a acceptable size and good mobility, armour, armament and crew accommodation) but surely not a positive thing.
• As in original M-113 there is not NBC protection (then in a NBC environment the personnel must wear his NBC suite also inside the vehicle).
• Some accessories could be improved. For example, the absence of modern passive night vision systems. But these are limitations that can be overtaken quickly if the customer (the Italian Army in this case) pays to install them. Do not install modern night vision equipment is one typical example where to save a few money are compromised much more money and, worse, the combat efficiency is highly compromised too. Then a similar practice is witness of very little skill of the top officer of a armed force.
• The presence of two side by side cupolas for the commander and the gunner, instead of the single cupola for the commander-gunner as in the original M 113, do not overload the commander by the task of gunner. However must be noted that the commander do not have a full 360° field of view because of the large gunner cupola located on his right.

• The fixed armour shields on the gunner cupola are a less elegant solution respect the folding shields found in the VCC-1 gunner's cupola (the OTO-Melara TPT Mk4). And, after the first batch, the VCC-1 cupola also include 4 smoke grenade launcher for each side. On the VCC-2 there are not smoke grenade launcher and this is not a good thing.
• The internal fuel tanks solution of the VCC-2 is worse respect the VCC-1 rear external armoured fuel-tanks (that allow more internal space for the crew and less hazards in case of fire).

Specifications

Right side view of a VCC-2 with firing ports and floor hatches open. (Stefano Santoli photo , November 1999)

Rear view of a VCC-2 with firing ports, rear power-operated ramp and roof hatches open. The firing port on the ramp is under the soldier's foot. (Stefano Santoli photo , November 1999)

Left side view of a VCC-2 with firing ports, rear power-operated ramp and top hatches open. Note as the shields for the gunner constrain the commander's field of view on his right side. (Stefano Santoli photo , November 1999)

Right side interior view of the VCC2 combat compartment. The firing ports are closed and the seats are folded. In the free spaces under the firing ports and the related vision blocks must be stored the ammunition boxes both for the machine guns and the assault rifles of the transported squad. Note in the corner the empty rotating drum where must be stored the 8 rounds for the anti-tank weapon of the squad (In origin it was the old American M20 3.5 in. rocket launcher that only in the last '90s began to be replaced by the modern Panzerfaust 3). Behind the folded seat in foreground on the right is visible the right internal fibreglass fuel tank. (Stefano Santoli photo , April 1987)

Left side interior view of the VCC2 combat compartment. Note the folded single seats and the large roof rectangular hatch, the same of the original M113, open. Behind the folded seat in foreground on the left is visible the edge of the left internal fibreglass fuel tank. (Stefano Santoli photo , April 1987)

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The only know variant of the VCC-2. In the 1993, after the bloody clashes with Somali guerrillas, several Italian armoured vehicle there deployed were up-armoured under emergencies programmes. Also some VCC-2 were interested. They were fitted on their sides with a layer of holed metallic stripes to obtain a rudimentary spaced armour against HEAT rounds. Note as the firing ports and the related upper vision blocks were covered. This emergency field-modification was probably removed from the few vehicles that receive it after the end of the Italian and UN involvement in Somalia. After the Somali lesson several VCC-1were upgraded with improved spaced armour but none improvements was fitted to VCC-2 that remain unchanged.( Reproduced from Ref. [ 3 ] )

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References