M548

M548 cargo carrier
M548 in the Armee Museum Full
Type	cargo carrier
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1960–present
Used by	Swiss Army
Specifications
Mass	12.8 tonnes (14.1 short tons; 12.6 long tons) (5 t Cargo)
Length	4.863 metres (15 ft 11.5 in)
Width	2.686 metres (8 ft 9.7 in)
Crew	4
Main armament	12,7mm Browning 50 machine gun
Engine	Detroit Diesel 6V53T, 6-cylinder diesel engine 204 hp
Suspension	torsion bar, 5 road wheels
Operational range	480 km (300 mi)
Maximum speed	61 km/h (38 mph)

The M548 is a tracked cargo carrier. It is based on the M113 armored personnel carrier. And was built by FMC Corp. in San Jose, California in the USA.

Design

Its weight allows the use of a relatively small engine to power the vehicle, a 6V53 Detroit 2-stroke six cylinder diesel, with an Allison TX-100-1 3-speed automatic transmission, and allows the vehicle to carry a large payload cross-country and to be transported by fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The driving gear is a rotating rod spring-loaded 7-roll drive. It consists of five wheels, a guide wheel at the rear and the front drive wheel. Support rollers are not necessary because of the taut and relatively light chain. In off-road driving, the driver must be careful to keep the chain tension constant. Even with a failed torsion bar of the M548 is still roadworthy. The power of the motor drives the intermediate drive, generator and oil pump for the hydraulic ramp and cooling of the steering gear. Of the intermediate drive can be used as a separating clutch in the towing of the vehicle and serves to reduce the motor speed. In the power transmission between the drive follows the torque converter with automatic lock-up clutch.

In Swiss Army Service

• Raupentransportwagen 68 (Rpe Trspw 68) M548 Munitionstransport (tracked transportvehicle 68, M548ammunition transporter.
• Raupentransportwagen 88 The Model 88 (Swiss Military License plates M+75829 to M+75882) was procured from 1986 to 1988 in total 54 piece. The model has, compared with the previous model 68 “Fleckentarnanstrich” (stain camouflage pattern) on improved diesel heating and improved landing gear on.

The M548 was mainly used as ammunition transporter in the equipped with self-propelled M109 howitzer .Also the armor and weapons mechanic schools recruit well as at the tank mortar unit 16/5 used the M548. The Usual load is 10 pallets to 8 projectile 15.5 cm including charges and detonators. The handling is done with electric hoist. A M548 is located in the Schweizerische Militärmuseum Full.

References

Heck M548

• Heller, Urs: Die Panzer der Schweizer Armee von 1920 bis 2008
• Schweizerische Militärmuseum Full