M114 armored fighting vehicle

M114
M114 in markings of the U.S. 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment on display at the Fort George G. Meade Museum
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1962–73
Used by	United States
Wars	Vietnam War
Production history
Manufacturer	General Motors, Cadillac Div.
Specifications
Weight	15,000 lb (6,800 kg)
Length	4.46 m
Width	2.33 m
Height	2.39 m
Crew	3
Armor	44.5 mm
Main armament	.50-caliber M2 machine gun
Secondary armament	7.62 mm M60 machine gun
Engine	v8 gasoline 160 hp (120 kW)
Power/weight	23 hp/t
Suspension	torsion-bar
Operational range	443 km
Speed	58 km/h

The M114 Command and Reconnaissance Carrier is a Vietnam War-era tracked armored fighting vehicle, used by the United States Army. It was manufactured by the Cadillac Division of General Motors in the early 1960s.

The M114 was designed to be fast and stealthy. Like the larger M113, it was amphibious and could be deployed by parachute. However unlike the M113 which became one of the most successful armoured vehicles, it quickly proved unsuited to use in the Vietnam war, and was replaced in the reconnaissance role by the M551 Sheridan light tank. By 1973, it had been branded a failure and retired by the US Army, but some released as surplus continue to be used by police departments.

The M114 was a lightweight, low-silhouette vehicle, designed to complement the M113 in command and reconnaissance roles. It looked like a sleeker, lower M113. It was constructed of aluminum and weighed 13,100 lb (5.94 metric tons) empty, with a combat weight of 15,093 lb (6.846 metric tons). It was powered by a Chevrolet V-8 engine with a 283 cubic inch (4.6 liters) displacement. The engine was rated at 160 horsepower. It had a three-man crew, and a top speed of 36 mph (58 km/h). It could swim, propelled by its tracks, and was light enough to be transported by cargo aircraft and dropped by parachute.

The original M114 required the commander's cupola hatch be opened to fire the .50 caliber machine gun, which rotated along with the hatch to allow aim in any direction. The updated M114A1 allowed the firing of the machine gun from the inside, utilizing manual traverse and elevating mechanisms. The M114A2 (aka M114A1E1) had a hydraulically powered cupola and mounted the M139 20mm cannon with greatly improved firepower. The observer in the rear had an M60 7.62mm machine gun mounted on a pedestal. There was stowage on the rear door for three M72A1 "LAW" anti-tank rockets.