The M113A4 armored medical evacuation vehicle (AMEV) is a U.S. Army variant of a M113 armored personnel carrier (APC) made by United Defense (now part of BAE Systems) modified to function as a battlefield emergency medical evacuation (medevac) vehicle. It replaced the M113A3 armored ambulance in U.S. military service and is designed to operate in conjunction with the M577A4 armored treatment vehicle.
Ambulance versions of the M113 have existed for nearly as long as the vehicle has been in production, and fielded by many different countries. During the Vietnam War the U.S. Army introduced the M113 medevac vehicle to function as an armored ambulance for the treatment and evacuation of wounded personnel from the battlefield. Based upon the standard version of an M113, the seats in rear of the vehicle that were normally used by troops were replaced with two or four litters along either side, attached by chains suspended from the ceiling to the floor. Medical equipment and supplies were carried in internal stowage boxes. Following introduction of later A2 and A3 versions of the base vehicle, vehicles in U.S. service were re-designated as the M113A2/3 armored ambulance. [1] [2]
Similar vehicles were also created based on the M577 variant, which with their increased interior space were able to accommodate up to six litters, and their raised roof offered the benefit of allowing the crew to stand while tending to the wounded. The vehicle's tent extension, which attaches to the rear over the cargo ramp, was often used as an emergency treatment centre. [3]
In accordance with the terms of the Geneva Conventions regarding the treatment and transportation of wounded personnel, these vehicles are required to be unarmed and their non-combatant role indicated by large red crosses on a white background painted on their exterior. [3] Medical personnel are permitted to carry small arms for the purpose of defending themselves and their patients.
In the early 1990s the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) initiated a review of the M113A2/3 armored ambulance and identified a number of deficiencies including: [4] [2]
As a result of the review, the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations approved the Mission Need Statement (MNS) for Medical Evacuation for Combat Casualty Care in December 1995, which resulted in an Operational Requirements Document (ORD) for the exploration of options and funding for procurement. Approved by TRADOC on 18 October 1996, and including options for tracked and wheeled vehicles and a new vehicle based upon the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). A design was drafted and a prototype vehicle developed based upon the latest variant of the M113, the A4. [4]
In March 1997 the prototype was tested the National Training Center (NTC) at Fort Irwin, California, in Rotation 97-06 of the Task Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiment (TF XXI AWE). The vehicle generally performed favourably, providing performance similar to or better than that of other modern medical evacuation vehicles and aircraft; however, small concerns were noted (mostly in regards to the safety and security of stowages) which were fed back into the design process for improvement. [5]
The final OPTEC test report of July 1997 noted that the AMEV "projects and sustains the force through": [6]
The Combat Service Support (CSS) Enabler Functional Assessment (CEFA) for the AMEV dated December 1997 noted that the AMEV concept was "sound" and that the vehicle should replace the M113A2/3 armored ambulance on a one-for-one basis. [6]
The AMEV utilises a high-mobility stretched M113A4 chassis as used by the Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light (MTVL), with the standard M113 hull lengthened 34 inches and equipped with an additional road wheel (for a total of six on each side), to give the AMEV excellent cross-country capability and ride characteristics. The vehicle shares common components with the M577A4 Armored Treatment Vehicle. [4]
The upgraded M113A4 includes the RISE (Reliability Improvements for Selected Equipment) power package consisting of the turbocharged Detroit Diesel 400 hp 6V53TA engine and Allison X200-4A automatic transmission with integrated hydrostatic steering and braking in a compact and rugged unit providing four forward and two reverse gears. This provides the vehicle with sufficient power and performance to maintain pace with mechanised front line units and their equipment (specifically, the M1 Abrams main battle tank and M2 Bradley IFV), both on- and off-road. The A4 upgrade package also provides: [4]
In addition, mission profile-specific capability and equipment includes: [4]
In September 2020 the U.S. Army began phasing the AMEV out of service, to be replaced by the similar version of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the M1284 Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV). [7]
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe defines an infantry fighting vehicle as "an armoured combat vehicle which is designed and equipped primarily to transport a combat infantry squad, and which is armed with an integral or organic cannon of at least 20 millimeters calibre and sometimes an antitank missile launcher". IFVs often serve both as the principal weapons system and as the mode of transport for a mechanized infantry unit.
Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities, or to patients at a rural hospital requiring urgent care at a better-equipped facility using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and other means of emergency transport including ground ambulance and maritime transfers.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) is a tracked armored fighting vehicle of the United States developed by FMC Corporation and now manufactured by BAE Systems Land & Armaments, formerly United Defense. It is named for U.S. General Omar Bradley.
Battlefield medicine, also called field surgery and later combat casualty care, is the treatment of wounded combatants and non-combatants in or near an area of combat. Civilian medicine has been greatly advanced by procedures that were first developed to treat the wounds inflicted during combat. With the advent of advanced procedures and medical technology, even polytrauma can be survivable in modern wars. Battlefield medicine is a category of military medicine.
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier (APC) that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation. The M113 was sent to United States Army Europe in 1961 to replace the mechanized infantry's M59 APCs. The M113 was first used in combat in April 1962 after the United States provided the South Vietnamese army (ARVN) with heavy weaponry such as the M113, under the Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) program. Eventually, the M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War and was used to break through heavy thickets in the midst of the jungle to attack and overrun enemy positions. It was largely known as an "APC" or an "ACAV" by the allied forces.
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The Expert Field Medical Badge (EFMB) is a United States Army special skills badge first created on June 18, 1965. This badge is the non-combat equivalent of the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) and is awarded to U.S. military personnel and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military personnel who successfully complete a set of qualification tests, including both written and performance portions. The EFMB is known for its adherence to its testing standards and, as such, requires strict attention to detail from candidates in order to receive a "GO" on its combat testing lanes. The pass rate for FY 2017 was 7%, making the EFMB one of the most difficult and prestigious Army special skill badges to earn.
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" is the callsign specific to U.S. Army Air Ambulance units. CASEVACs by air today are almost exclusively done by helicopter, a practice begun on a small scale toward the end of World War II; before that, STOL aircraft, such as the Fieseler Fi 156 or Piper J-3 were used.
A combat medic is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury or illness. Additionally, medics may also be responsible for the creation, oversight, and execution of long-term patient care plans in consultation with or in the absence of a readily available doctor or advanced practice provider. Combat medics may be used in hospitals and clinics, where they have the opportunity to work in additional roles, such as operating medical and laboratory equipment and performing and assisting with procedures.
The AIFV is a US tracked light armored vehicle that serves as an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in the armies of several countries. It is a development of the M113A1 armored personnel carrier.
A huge number of M113 armored personnel carrier variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 armored personnel carrier has become one of the most prolific armored vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, and continues to serve with armies around the world in many roles.
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MICV-65, short for Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, 1965, was a US Army project that studied a number of armored fighting vehicles that would replace the M113 and M114 as well as take on a variety of new roles. A number of designs were studied as part of the MICV project, but none of them entered service for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, experience gained in the MICV project eventually led to the M2 Bradley, which incorporates many of the MICV concepts.
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
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The M577 command post carrier, also known as the M577 command post vehicle or armored command post vehicle, is a variant of the M113 armored personnel carrier that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation to function on the battlefield as a mobile command post i.e. a tactical operations centre, usually at the battalion level. In U.S. military service its official designation is Carrier, Command Post, Light Tracked M577.