Lithuania will send more M113 armored personnel carriers and M577 armored command vehicles to Ukraine as part of the next military aid package, according to Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas.
According to Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, M113 armoured vehicles are becoming an important part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Lithuania is making a significant contribution to that.
His comments followed a virtual meeting of the NATO Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
“Ukraine has identified its key training needs, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces are ready to meet them. At the moment, a request has been submitted for the training of military policemen and demining specialists. The Lithuanian Armed Forces will also contribute to the large-scale training of Ukrainian personnel in the United Kingdom by sending instructors there,” Anušauskas said.
Lithuanian military assistance provided to Ukraine so far includes Stinger air defense systems, anti-tank weapons, armoured vests and helmets, 120 mm mortars, small arms, ammunition, thermal imaging cameras, drones, anti-drones, surveillance radars, M113 armoured personnel carriers, trucks, and SUVs.
The long-serving M113 tracked vehicle will help Ukraine to repel a renewed military offensive by Russia. It is was the first aluminum hull combat vehicle to be put into mass production, it introduced new aluminum armor that made the vehicle much lighter than earlier vehicles; it was thick enough to protect the crew and passengers against small arms fire but light enough that the vehicle was air transportable and moderately amphibious.
The M577 Command Post Carrier, also known as the M577 Command Post Vehicle or Armored Command Post Vehicle, is a variant of the M113. The M577 is easily distinguished from the M113 upon which it is based by its raised upper hull and roof-mounted auxiliary power unit (APU). Vehicles are generally unarmed.