Cadillac Gage Commando Scout

     Notes: The American firm of Cadillac Gage manufactures a number of vehicles for export, some of which have been picked up for US service.  The 4x4 Commando Scout is not one of the latter, but is in service with a number of military and constabulary units throughout the world, including Indonesia (28 vehicles) and Egypt (112 vehicles). 

     The vehicle has a driver’s hatch on the front left deck; he has three vision blocks in front of the hatchway, and his hatch slides out to the front when open. There is a commander’s hatch on the turret deck, and an exit hatch on the rear of the vehicle.  In addition, the vehicle can be entered through a two-part door in the rear of the vehicle. The Scout may be fitted with a variety of turrets or armament. The command variant does not have turret-mounted weapons, but does have a pintle-mounted weapon on the turret, and has a firing port on the front, rear, and both sides of the turret, as well as three radios in the hull.

     The vehicle is armored with Cadloy, a cadmium/aluminum/steel proprietary Cadillac Gage alloy, with the front plate angled at 76 degrees.  This allows not only increased protection for minimum weight, but allows the Scout to push its way through thick underbrush and small trees. The fuel tank is in the front of the hull between the wheels, where the heaviest armor is present. The engine is on top of the fuel tank, and is a Cummins 155 horsepower turbocharged diesel which is coupled to a 4-speed Allison automatic transmission. The two are combined into a unitary powerpack, and are accessed through a hatch on the right front of the vehicle, allowing the crew to do maintenance tasks. The entire front of the vehicle may also be hinged open, allowing the powerpack to be removed and replaced in 2 hours. The Scout features power steering and brakes, and the axles have locking differentials. The brakes have backup systems which allow the brakes to continue to operate even in case of engine failure. The turning radius is a tight 8 meters.

     Standard equipment sold with the Scout includes two manual fire extinguishers, pioneer tools, basic tools, a first aid kit, and an air compressor. Options include police lights, a siren, a PA system, water and fuel cans, a slave cable, a tow cable, a camo net, and smoke grenade clusters. The command fit adds two extra radios, a map board, office supplies, two hand colored smoke grenades, and two folding chairs with a small folding table.

Cadillac Gage LAV-300CS

     Notes: The LAV-300 series is a 6x6 wheeled armored vehicle manufactured by Cadillac Gage and used by Kuwait, Philippines, and Panama, but it was not adopted by the US Army.  The CS (Combat Support), also known as the FSV (Fire Support Vehicle) version is a type with a 90mm gun turret. 

     The LAV-300 is powered by a 270-horsepower Cummins VT-504 turbocharged diesel engine, coupled to an automatic transmission.  The suspension is 6x6 and of an off-road type, with puncture-resistant tires (though they are not run-flat). Ground clearance is decent and the floor armor is strengthened as a measure against mines. Armor is of Cadillac Gage’s proprietary Cadloy (a cadmium/stainless steel/aluminum alloy). The LAV-300 can have added appliqué armor.  The LAV-300CS uses a sort of low observable technology, and has the equivalent of IR Suppression, Stealth 0, and half the normal audio signature. The LAV-300 is amphibious after turning on bilge pumps and erecting a trim vane (5 minutes), but speed is quite slow.

     The LAV-300 has a driver’s position on the front left, with a hatch above him and three vision blocks to the front and one to each side.  The center front vision block can be replaced with a night vision block.  The vehicle has one small side door on its left side and a rear exit ramp, plus a commander’s cupola atop the turret.  In the side of the vehicle, at about the center of the vehicle on the right side, is a hatch in the sides of the hull, but it looks like a tight squeeze.  On either side of the hull in the troop compartment are three firing ports, and there is one more in each rear door.  One of the firing ports on the right side is in this hatch, and the hatch can conceivably be opened to allow the firing of heavier weapons like grenade launchers.  At the rear of the hull on the roof are a pair of hatches.  On each side of the turret are clusters of four smoke grenade launchers. The turret has two hand fire extinguishers and the driver has another inside his compartment.

     Of the ammunition supply, 10 rounds of 90mm ammunition are stored inside the turret bustle, along with 500 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.  The rest of the ammunition is stored in the hull.

     Standard equipment sold with the LAV-300CS includes pioneer tools, basic/vehicle tools, a 19-liter water can, a 19-liter fuel can, a first aid kit, a slave cable, a tow cable, and an engine-driven air compressor.  In the front hull is a winch with a 9-ton capacity and 46 meters of cable.  A snatch block is also provided. Options include upgraded night vision, central tire inflation system, air conditioning, a heater, a wiper kit, a collective NBC system, and an automatic fire extinguishing system.

*Floor AV is 4.

**Roof AV is 3; Floor AV is 5Sp.

AV Technology Dragoon Light Combat Vehicles

     Notes: The LFV (Light Forces Vehicle)-90 is designed around a 90mm gun in a two-man turret.  The turret is constructed from a hard steel ballistic design that is resistant to 7.62mm NATO armor-piercing rounds.  The LFV-90 is equipped with a fire control system that is also coupled with a secondary backup in case of damage or power loss (the rangefinder requires two damaging results to knock it out).  The US Air Force adopted the LFV-90 in late 1996; they required a lightweight armored vehicle that was capable of defending Air Force installations around the globe.  The Air Force contracted with AV Technology for 125 LFV-90s, but specified that they must also be equipped with ERA (the LFV-90 has lugs for ERA on the HF, HS, TF, and TS).  The commander has no dedicated night vision, but the commander has an elbow scope for the gunner’s sight.  The turret stores 10 rounds of 90mm ammunition and 500 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

     The MEWS (Mobile Electronic Warfare System) is packed with electronic warfare equipment, including radio and radar-finding equipment and analysis, MIJI (Meaconing, Intrusion, Jamming, and Interference) capability, as well as visual surveillance capability to allow it to act as a scout vehicle.  Radio detection range is 50 km, with radar detection range being 30 km.  The MEWS can produce a radio jamming signal over three bands (out of a total is six) of radio at a range of 40 km, or simple interference (such as random static or dropped signals) over 50 km.  Intrusion, meaconing, and interception of enemy signals can be made at a range of 30 km.  The MEWS has an extendable antenna to facilitate these functions, as well as a small computer related to its functions with digital storage.  The MEWS has an enlarged turret armed with an autocannon, which houses enhanced night vision gear, day vision gear, and a set of video cameras.  The MEWS has a short-range radio and two long-range radios with data capability to transmit the data from its radio interceptions and visual surveillance activities.  Atop the commander’s position is a ring mount for a light machinegun.  The MEWS carries a 10kW generator on the rear roof to power vehicle systems while the engine is off.  This APU has an exhaust and noise dampening system attached to it, and the entire vehicle uses IR dampening measures.

     The VOSV (Video Optical Surveillance Vehicle) version of the Dragoon basic APC contains advanced surveillance devices coupled with a radio datalink to higher headquarters.  The sensors are contained on a 3-meter mast, and include TV, video, night vision, shotgun microphone, and radio direction finders that work with an ELINT level of 2.  The purpose is to provide a scout vehicle that can provide the commander with a real-time picture of a remote area.  This requires an equivalent datalink and equipment at the higher headquarters, and is included in the cost of the vehicle.  The VOSV is equipped with no less than three radios, one dedicated to the datalink. The VOSV also has a 10kW APU.

     The driver and commander are in the front, with the driver on the left and commander beside him.  They have a small bullet-resistant windshield in front of them, and vision blocks to the sides.  Vision blocks are also present in front of the hatches for use when the vehicle is buttoned up. They have hatches above them and can also reach their stations through the troop compartment.  Their hatches have night vision blocks, which can be removed and replaced with an armored block.  The driver has a conventional control set, though he has power brakes.  The driver and commander have electrically-powered raising and lowering of their seats. On the LFV-90, the commander and loader also have hatches on the turret deck, with the gunner using the loader’s hatch.

     The crew enters and exits through wide doors on either side.  There are two firing ports on each side and one in the rear. These are not true firing ports, but merely shuttered openings in the hull. The Dragoon has air conditioning as standard.  The Dragoon has a heater, and this heater has a booster for the driver/commander compartment.

     The Dragoon borrows the starter, vision blocks, bilge pumps, control knobs and electrical and hydraulic components from the M113A2 APC; automotively, many components are the same as on the M809 medium truck, particularly in the suspension.  The engine of the Dragoon is a Detroit Diesel 6V-53T 300-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine (again, a modified version of that of the M113), coupled to an automatic transmission. The engine and transmission are in a unitary power pack which can be removed from the vehicle in one piece, simplifying replacement. The Dragoon has a flood-type Halon fire suppression system, but this must be manually triggered; in addition, there are two fire extinguisher bottles in the crew compartment. There is one for the troop/front compartment and one for the engine compartment.  The suspension is 4x4 and of the off-road-type (switchable to 4x2 for efficient road use), and the Dragoon has run-flat tires and central tire pressure regulation.  Armor is moderate, but angling of the front and sides helps the situation, giving it protection greater than might be expected for such a vehicle.  Armor is acceptable for such a vehicle, though appliqué armor kits are available.  All Dragoons and variants have a front-mounted winch with a capacity of 5 tons and 53.34 meters of cable.  The Dragoon is amphibious, powered by wheel rotation in the water, and steered by the front wheels as if on land.  Bilge pumps must be turned on before entering the water, but other than that, there is no preparation required for amphibious operations (and turning on the bilge pumps only requires the flipping of a switch by the driver).  The driver may also fully inflate the tires using the central tire inflation system before amphibious operations to increase flotation, an operation that requires only 15 seconds. Amphibious speed is slow, and steering response is sluggish.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: It is believed that all LFV-90s were delivered by November of 1997; they were distributed across the European theater, Korean theater, and Middle Eastern theater.

HMMWV Light Combat Vehicles

     Notes: The M1118 HMMWV FSV (Fire Support Vehicle) was an experimental version of the armored HMMWV.  Production was greatly hastened in the latter stages of the war, with many conversions made from existing HMMWVs.  The FSV is a standard M1114 model armored HMMWV fitted with a casemate-mounted M242 25mm ChainGun of the same type that is mounted on the M2 Bradley IFV.  The gunner controls the gun via a downlinked television monitor connected to a sight on the gun.  The rear area of the vehicle is largely taken up with the turret mechanism and ammunition for the gun. The vehicles were tested at the 9^th ID High Technology Testbed Division in the mid-1980s; The vibrations from firing the autocannon sometimes blew out the windows of the HMMWV base, and rendered the crew stunned. The version here posits an improved model with a properly buffered autocannon.  The designation “M1118” I have used here is something I made up; the HMMWV-FS never actually received a type designation. (As far as I can find out, the M1118 designation was never used by the US Military for a vehicle.)

     The M1109 is an armored HMMWV version focusing on crew survivability.  Though lacking in payload, the “Oh Niner” has been retained for its protection.  Though not issued with a winch, many were back fitted in theater.  The M1109 has a NHT mount (C), or it may carry a TOW II ATGM.  Damage to crew from mines or HE blast is halved due to extensive installed measures (blast shields. collapsible seats, etc.).

     The M1114 is an armored HMMWV version focusing on crew survivability, restoring the favorable payload lost in the M1109.  Though not issued with a winch, many were retrofitted with one in theater.  The M1114 has a NHT mount (C), or may be fitted with a TOW II launcher.  Damage to the crew from mines or HE blast is halved due to extensive installed measures (blast shields, collapsible seats, etc.).

     The M1116 is an armored HMMWV version focusing on crew survivability.  It was specifically designed for the US Air Force with provisions for crew comfort (better heat and air circulation), and has an armored cupola with an NHT mount (C).  Many were retained when air base security needs faded.  Though not issued with a winch, many were retrofitted with one in theater.  Damage to the crew from mines or HE blast is halved due to extensive installed countermeasures (blast shields, collapsible seats, etc.).

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The HMMWV FSV was produced by the thousands for use by Light Infantry Divisions.

*Belly AV for these versions is 6Sp.

Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

     Notes: Alarmed by the vulnerability of even up-armored HMMWVs in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially to IEDs, the Army, Air Force, and Marines demanded a replacement, something along the lines of an MRAP light utility vehicle, and one which could take armor add-ons as well. The first RFP was put out by the DoD in 2006, and the second in 2008.  Some 14 companies responded to the 2008 RFP.  These designs ranged from MRAP-modified HMMWVs to hybrid electric vehicles.  At this point the TD phase of the RFP began (the “run-off’).  This resulted in LRIP contracts for the designs by three companies; strangely, Oshkosh was not one of those companies, and they arrived late in the game as the DoD decided they were not impressed with any of the 3 companies’ designs. Finally, in 2015, the Oshkosh version was selected as the final winning design, and went at first into LRIP, though Full Production has not yet commenced as of April 2021.Oshkosh version is related to Oshkosh’s L-ATV, though it is smaller than the L-ATV.

     Foreign interest has been lively, and the UK in 2017 decided to purchase the JLTV, to be built by the Oshkosh London facility, it is currently in LRIP by the London facility.  The Lithuanians purchased a number of JLTVs in 2019 (about 200), with deliveries slated to begin in 2021.  The Slovenians have requested a whopping order of 11,149 in 2018; deliveries should begin in late 2020. The Montenegrins have requested a small order of 65 for advanced field tests with their armed forces, with deliveries starting in April-June 2020.  Lithuania ordered 200, and they should be delivered this year (2020).

     The JLTV is based around Oshkosh’s independent suspension system.  This gives each wheel an independent suspension with a combination of pneumatic shocks and coil-springing, to give each wheel a large amount of independent travel, making the JLTV very agile off-road, while keeping the cabin relatively level.  The JLTV is powered by a Duramax LML turbocharged and supercharged 397-horsepower engine; this is normally a diesel engine but, keeping with DoD standards, may also run off of JP8 jet fuel.  This engine is coupled to an Allison 2500SP automatic transmission, with power brakes and steering.  The tires are run-flat and puncture-resistant, as well as being made thicker-than-normal rubber.  The fuel tanks are also puncture-resistant.  The JLTV is designed to be able to travel up to 5 kilometers at full speed with three 0.75-centimeter holes in the fuel tanks. The JLTV can ford up to 150 centimeters of water without a deep fording kit. The JLTV is an MRAP 2 vehicle.

     The JTLV has armor based on the Army Long Tern Armor Strategy (LTAS) which calls for an A-Kit/B-Kit principle. This gives the base JLTV a modicum or armor, but allows for the application of an armoring kit that can be bolted on using conventional hand tools or basic power tools.  In addition, an RPG Protection Kit may be installed by higher-echelon maintenance units, and is essentially a cage of bar/slat armor.  The JL:TV also has internal Kevlar spall liners as a part of base armor.  Current US Army plans call for enough armoring kits and RPG Cage kits to outfit one of three vehicles in combat conditions, while in training scenarios no extra armoring would be fitted. The Marines also intend to use no armor kits during training, but to have all of their JLTVs up-armored when in combat zones, and RPG Cages as needed.  The vehicle cabin and engine compartment also have automatic fire detection and suppression systems. Fuel tanks are mounted externally. The JLTV has a crew compartment heater and air conditioning.  A BMS with vehicle state computer has been installed. Each vehicle has crew seats which are independently mounted and on large springs.

     JLTV (except for the M1282 have cluster of four smoke grenade launchers on each rear corner on top of the vehicle.  The Special Operations version is a special case; see below.

The JLTV Variants

     The JLTV is basically a modular vehicle, from the armor setup above to the mission packages.  Any version may be converted to another version in 2-7 hours, depending on what JLTV version you start with and which one you intend to end up with.

     The M1278 Heavy Guns Carrier is designed for convoy escort, military police, and combat patrols.  It almost always is up-armored to the max and its primary mark is the roof “castle” on a rotating turret and armed with a pair of heavy weapons such as M2HBs and Mk 19s or Javelin missiles. The turret has all-around armor  with bullet-resistant windows, and the top has further armored panels with bullet-resistant glass. Inside the four-seat Heavy Gun Carrier are more heavy and infantry weapons, and ammo. The gunner is on a separate stand behind and between the two rear seats.

     The M1279 Utility Vehicle is basically an armored modular body which can be used for anything from armored truck to logistics carrier to repair shop with box rear body to a mobile command post.  Some of these setups include:

·         Battlespace Awareness” variant, which is equipped with numerous communications-type and ranging equipment and extra radios, allowing small teams such as command elements and TACP teams – and other small units that need a high degree of battlefield mobility.  This version is armed with a single M2HB on a compact RWS mount, downlinked to a monitor in the right rear seat, and can be aimed, fired, and reloaded from inside the vehicle. This RWS also has its own night vision equipment and laser rangefinder/designator. This is generally a four-seater, with the rear area holding extra radios and equipment.

·         An Infantry Carrier, which based around a two-seat version and can carry six infantrymen plus the driver and commander, as well as room for bulky weapons like the Javelin, M32, or M240 machinegun.  The Infantry Carrier can also carry a specialist antitank or SHORAD team. This is an Army and Marine version.

·         An armored utility truck, the Utility Carrier, based on the two-seat version of the JLTV, and with a cargo bed at the rear.  The bed may be accessed by two half-sized doors at the rear of the vehicle. It has roll in, lock down and tie-down points in the bed.

·         The Light Ambulance sub-version is, designed as a light ambulance, with a somewhat raised rear end to accommodate up to two stretcher patients or four seated patients.  The interior has a three-seat design, with the third seat accommodating a medic.  The third seat is on a track and the medic may move along the length of the rear area on his seat.

·         A Heavy Logistics Mover/light workshop version may be set up as transportation for larger items or many smaller items and equipment.  The workshop may be setup as a light radio repair workshop, vehicle repair workshop, etc.

The M1280 General Purpose is generally used for various scouting and reconnaissance setups.  This includes:

·         The Reconnaissance, Scout, has a six-seat configuration with the rear seat members operating day/night vision devices and a small C4I suite. It also includes extra radios, including very long-range radios with a range of 500 kilometers or more, and an RWS station above the center of the vehicle, but controlled by the right rear crewmember, via a downlinked monitor.  The RS also generally carries a pair of Javelin Missiles and a pair of Stinger missiles in the back; up to two dismounts may also be carried.

·         The Command and Control on the Move sub-version is similar to Battlespace Awareness variant, and is a four-seat version to carry small command parties around the battlefield.  It generally has similar equipment to the Battlefield Awareness variant, but is used at higher echelons and has several more radios including satellite radio, and many elements of C4I equipment, as well as extensive night vision and day vision gear.

     The M1281 Close Combat Weapons Carrier is similar, but has its primary weapons in a low-profile RWS.  There are generally two weapons in the RWS, heavy and light or two heavy weapons. It is a four-seat version, and it’s weapons are operated through a downlinked interface for the right rear passenger. Two more soldiers are generally carried in the rear bed of the vehicle, though other equipment, ammo, or weapons may be carried instead, in the RWS or in the rear area.  It is almost always fully armored in combat. 

     The M1282 Special Operations variant typically does not have a roof, instead having two roll bars upon which are mounted up to four light, medium, or heavy weapons, from M249s to Javelin missiles. (It could be almost anything.)  In front of the commander’s position can be mounted an M249 or M240. Though the sides of the vehicle are armored, they are only armored up to a point (up to the chest of a sitting crewmen or legs of a standing crewmember). The M1282 is typically equipped with other equipment, ranging from regular, long range, or satellite radios, some minor C41 equipment (it can, for example, communicate with aircraft and control certain UAVs). Grenade launchers are more like small mortars and can launch 76mm flares, chaff, anti-laser aerosols, or airburst grenades on a timer. Extra and personal equipment is usually strapped to the sides of the rear.  The M1282 is often fitted with the anti-HEAT cage armor to provide places to tie, strap, and lock more equipment and mount more weapons. The M1282 may carry up to eight operators.

     The JLTV may be fitted with the JVLT-T, which is a trailer allowing the JLVT to tow up to two tons and having the same mobility as the JLTV.

     The US Marines are experimenting with a light SPAA version, with twin 30mm Mk 44 autocannons and six Stinger or Mistral SHORAD SAMs, called the MADIS (Marine Air Defense Integrated System).  These will be combined with self-contained short-range radar, day/night vision, and the ability to interoperate with most other AAA units within 2 kilometers.  This has yet to be given a designation; They will be contained in an unmanned module at the rear, with the actual gunner being in a third seat behind the first row of seats. I have given it a placeholder designation of M1283.

White M3A1 Scout Car

     Notes: This is a 4x4 light scout car produced during World War 2 for US forces.  It was replaced in US service during World War 2 by the M8 and M20, but some copies remained in service with Columbia, Guatemala, Liberia, Madagascar, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and the former Yugoslavia until the 1990s, with only the Dominican Republic still using the White Car in 2024.  The British that called the M3A1 the White Scout Car; countries who got their M3A1s from the US tended to call them the M3A1, with countries getting them from Britain calling them the White Armored Car. The places in which the M3A1 saw combat service reads like a list of conflicts in the 20^th century. They were in service with some 40 countries and the United Nations. However, by 1943, most combatants in World War 2 saw the M3A1 as obsolete, and they were replaced in the scout role by the M8 and M20 Greyhound scout cars, and the M3A1s were relegated to rear-echelon duties. Some 20,918 were produced by 1944.

     The M3A1 Scout Car was later used as the basis for the M2 Half Track and BTR-40.

     The M3A1 is a simple vehicle with light armor.  The driver and commander have bullet resistant windshields to the front and sides.  The vehicle is open-topped, but a canvas cover was provided to protect the occupants from the elements.  The M1919A4s are mounted on a track around the troop compartment on skate mounts, and can be moved to fire in any direction. The M2HB is on a pedestal mount. Copious amounts of ammunition are carried for the machineguns. (Conceivably, other weapons could be mounted, but the standards are below.) Tripods were carried for all three machineguns. The M3A1 is distinguished from the limited-production early M3 by its wider fenders, the lack of a rear door in the hull, the mounting of a front unditching roller, and the use of a more powerful Hercules JXD I-6 gasoline engine developing 110 horsepower. This was paired with a manual transmission.  The brakes were power-assisted. Off-road performance of the M3A1 was unfortunately average at best, though the M3A1 was 4x4 with full-time four-wheel drive.

     Armor was nothing to write home about, consisting of face-hardened steel plates from 6.4 to 13mm in thickness. This was considered to be adequate; it was proof from many infantry weapons of the time period as well as shell splinters, and speed and agility were to be the M3A1’s primary defense. The windshield could be covered by a hinged 12.7mm steel plate with vision slits in it. The side windows could also be protected by a hinged steel plate of about 6mm thickness. The rear compartment and the front cab were fitted with bucket seats, a rare comfort in wartime production.

     The original M3 version was a development of the M2 Scout Car, and was designated the M2A1 in development. Only 64 M3s were produced, and these all went to the 7^th Cavalry Division. The M3 was powered by the 94-horsepower engine of the M2 Scout Car and was much lighter in weight than the M3A1.  They are also distinguished from the M3A1 by the narrower fenders and the lack of an unditching roller at the front.

     The M3A1E1 was developed after a Soviet request to increase the range and fuel economy of the M3A1s they had received in Lend-Lease.  The M3A1E1 was powered by a Buda-Lanova 6DT-317 diesel engine developing 81 horsepower. 3340 were produced. The M3A1E2 had an armored roof; it was deployed only in small numbers.  The M3A1 Command Car differed primarily in internal arrangements and the radios installed, usually several, taking up much of the rear space.  The M3 Command Car had an armored screen between the cab and rear compartment, and additional side armor. A noted user was General Patton. The M3A1E3 was a singular prototype, armed with a pedestal-mounted M3 37mm cannon, also found on the M3 Stuart light tank and M8 Greyhound armored car. 100 M3A1s were fitted with the Hercules DJXD 103-horsepower diesel engine; these received considerable testing, but in the end were not adopted, and received no type designation.  When the testing was complete, they were recycled for usable parts onto the standard M3A1’s production lines.

*The vehicle is open-topped, and overhead hits against the vehicle are against AV0.

Ford M8/M20 Greyhound

     Notes: The M8 version of the Greyhound was used as a light scout car.  The M8 was originally designed to be a fast and agile tank destroyer, but in World War 2 it quickly became apparent that the M8’s 37mm gun could not deal with the tanks being fielded by the Axis at the time. Therefore, the M8’s role was changed to a fast and agile scout/reconnaissance vehicle.  Its agility suffered due to disappointing off-road characteristics, but 8523 were produced and they saw heavy use in World War 2 by US forces.  They entered service in 1943, and Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Columbia, Guatemala, Madagascar, Paraguay, and Peru still use them, often heavily modified, such as Columbia’s M8 TOW carriers, vehicles with diesel engines, and improved communications equipment. M8s saw combat service as late as the Iran-Iraq War, and some are still seeing combat in Africa.

     The M8 was not designed for offensive combat, and its armor barely repels infantry small arms. The light armor is especially egregious in the belly armor – or lack thereof, as the hull floor was unarmored. (This led to crews lining the hull floor with sandbags, the extra weight impacting mobility.) The M8 has an partially-topped turret with a 37mm manually fed cannon (not an autocannon) and a coaxial machinegun.  Turret traverse is slow, as it is done with a manual crank.  Only the front third of the turret roof is armored. The commander and gunner sit in the turret, while the driver has a hatch on the front deck.  The radio operator sits on the right side of the driver; in later years, improved radios meant that the radio operator was no longer necessary, and as radios became more compact, the radio operator’s position was often replaced with additional cargo or ammunition. During the M8’s early years, the vehicle normally carried only one long-range and one short-range radio, due to the long-range radio’s size, but some M8’s carried two long-range radios, with the ammunition on the right sponson being sacrificed to carry this extra radio, and only 16 rounds of 37mm ammunition being carried in the turret. This led to a blizzard of field modifications of two radio carrying M8’s to increase the amount of main gun ammunition carried. The armament was rounded out with various grenades and crew small arms (normally M1 carbines).

     The M8 is powered by the same Hercules JXD I-6 gasoline engine developing 110 horsepower as the White Scout Car. The engine as installed in the M8 was quieter than most vehicle’s engines, enhancing stealth. The off-road performance of the M8 was hampered by the high ground pressure, limited wheel travel, and open differentials of its suspension, and the M8 could get bogged town in muddy terrain and severely uneven ground. (Armored cavalry units in World War 2 often preferred the Jeep as a reconnaissance vehicle.) On the other hand, performance on roads and paths was exceptional, though the use of such roads and paths led the M8 to be susceptible to ambush. The M8 was, however, mechanically simple and easy to maintain, part of the reason it was favored by reconnaissance units.

     The M8E1 was an attempt to fix the M8’s suspension deficiencies; this was only partially successful and only two prototypes were produced. The M8 H-90 was a French upgrade for the M8 first offered in 1971, placing the Panhard AML’s turret on the M8 chassis.  I have not been able to find out if production of this variant ever took place, leading me to believe that it didn’t.

     The Brazilian IME produced the VBB-1; this modification removed the center axle and powered the VBB-1 with a Mecedes-Benz OM-321 diesel engine developing 120 horsepower. The VBB-1 was found to have poor off-road performance and only one prototype was produced. IME then produced the CRR Brasileiro, which went back to the 6x6 configuration and used the same engine as the VBB-1.  Modern (for the time) radios were installed. Eight vehicles were produced for evaluation.  Further modification led to the EE-9 Cascavel.

     The Greek Army replaced the gasoline engine with a Steyr 110-horsepower diesel engine; this engine was large and required the rear of the M8 to be extended by 30 centimeters, and also required the hull deck above the engine to be raised slightly. Modern (for the time) radios were installed, a new instrument panel for the driver was installed, and the M1919A4 was replaced by an MG3.  The pintle for the M2HB was moved to the right front of the turret. These vehicles were not retired from service until the late 1990s.

     The Columbian AM8 replaced the M8’s turret with one mounting an M45 quad-M2HB setup.  Though the M45 is an antiaircraft rig, the Columbians primarily use theirs as an anti-infantry and anti-light vehicle weapon. The AM8 also used the same engine as the Brazilian VBB-1 above.

     The M20 is an unturreted version of the World War II M8 Greyhound reconnaissance vehicle, still used in a number of foreign countries.  Its armor is inferior compared to other vehicles, but it is cheap and mechanically reliable. They were designed to be light command vehicles, but also were used for reconnaissance. M20s often carried a Bazooka in addition to their small arms and grenades to deal with unplanned encounters with armored vehicles (not included in the stats below). Without the need for 37mm ammunition, the designers were free to place additional communications equipment on the sponsons. The M20 featured a somewhat raised, but low superstructure to provide armor protection for the crew seated in the vehicle.  The space where the turret was is open on the M20, though a canvas cover was issued with the vehicle. The passenger seats could be removed to quickly repurpose the M20 as an armored cargo carrier. The M20 was armed with an M2HB on a raised ring mount.

*Only the front third of the turret has a roof; on a 1-2 on a D6, the attacking fire hits that roof.  Other hits are against AV0.

**The center deck of the hull is open-topped, and hits against it are against AV0.