Old-timers now only useful as auxiliary vehicles Half of the army's armored personnel carrier fleet back in service

Half of the 248 M113 infantry fighting vehicles are back in service following a temporary ban. The entire fleet is expected to be converted by the end of the year, as Rolf Siegenthaler, head of the Swiss Armed Forces' logistics base, said in an interview.

Keystone-SDA

10.02.2025, 04:38

10.02.2025, 06:24

SDA

The army banned all 248 M113 vehicles from driving at the end of 2023. "We had to impose a driving ban after a drive shaft broke and purchase new spare parts from the original manufacturer," said Sigenthaler in an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" newspaper on Monday. There were longer delivery times, as some of these tanks were also in use abroad.

In the event of war, the division commander would no longer give the "old-timers", as Siegenthaler calls the M113 tanks, a major combat role. However, they are useful as auxiliary vehicles. One advantage is that the infantry fighting vehicles are technically simple due to their age. Maintenance, on the other hand, is costly.

Tanks do not guarantee the army's capability

"When people say that the army's capability is declining due to the loss of the M113, I have to reply: We no longer have this capability even with these tanks," said Siegenthaler. On a scale of 1 to 10, he rated the army's logistics at level 3 in the event of war.

The M113 fleet has been in service with the army for over 50 years. Their replacement is planned in various armaments programs, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport wrote in December 2023. Over 800 obsolete vehicles have already been scrapped by then.