Cadillac Gage Commando

LAV-100, LAV-150 Commando
A V-100 Commando of USAF security forces on patrol at Osan Air Base, October 1980.
Type	Light armored vehicle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1963–present
Used by	See operators
Wars	Vietnam War Laotian Civil War Lebanese Civil War Toyota War Gulf War
Production history
Manufacturer	Cadillac Gage
Variants	See Variants
Specifications
Weight	9,888 kilograms (21,799 lb)
Length	5.69 metres (18.7 ft)
Width	2.26 metres (7 ft 5 in)
Height	2.54 metres (8 ft 4 in) turret roof, 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 in) hull top
Crew	3+2
Armor	.25 inch Cadaloy alloy steel
Main armament	1× Cockerill Mk3 90 mm gun, 1 × 20 mm, 1 × 7.62 mm machine gun
Secondary armament	2×6 40 mm Smoke Dischargers
Engine	V-504 V8 turbocharged diesel engine 202 bhp
Power/weight	18.75 bhp/ton
Suspension	4×4
Operational range	643 kilometres (400 mi)
Speed	100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) road, 5 kilometres per hour (3.1 mph) water

The M706 Commando is a 4×4 amphibious armored car built by the American firm Cadillac Gage. The vehicle has been outfitted for many roles, including armored personnel carrier, ambulance, fire apparatus, anti-tank vehicle, and mortar carrier. It saw service in the Vietnam war where it became known as the Duck, or the V. It was also supplied to many American allies, including Lebanon and Saudi Arabia which used it in the first major ground engagement of the Persian Gulf War. No longer produced, it has been largely replaced by the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle, which was developed as tougher alternative to up-armored Humvees, and the LAV-25.

The V-100 series of vehicles was developed in the early 1960s by the Terra-Space division of the Cadillac Gage company. By 1962 a patent was filed and received by Terra-Space for a vehicle then only known as the Commando. The first prototype emerged in 1963, and the production variants entered service in 1964.

The vehicle is equipped with four-wheel drive and uses axles similar to the ones used in the M34 series of trucks. The engine is a gasoline-powered 360-cubic-inch Chrysler V8, same as in the early gas models of the M113 armored personnel carriers. Its 5-speed manual transmission allows it to traverse relatively rough terrain. The M706 has a road speed of 62 mph (100 km/h), and can travel across water at 3 mph (4.8 km/h). A Commando's armor consists of high hardness alloy steel called Cadaloy, which protects against projectiles up to 7.62×51mm. Partly because of its armor, the M706 has an unloaded mass of over 7 tons. As a result, a common problem with the vehicle is rear axle failure caused by the extreme weight. However, because the armor also provides the monocoque structural framework, it can be lighter than a soft vehicle to which armor has been added, and the angle of the armor also helps protect against hits and mine blasts.