Philippines to add Scorpion turrets to M113s

The Philippine Army is to fit 14 of its BAE Systems M113 tracked armoured personnel carriers (APC) with the turrets of decommissioned Alvis Scorpion armoured reconnaissance vehicles.

The two-person Scorpion turret is armed with a 76 mm L23A1 gun and a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun (MG) with day/image intensification sights.

Prior to being integrated on the M113 hull the Scorpion turrets will be upgraded with a new fire control system and thermal imaging system. This will enable targets to be detected and engaged at longer ranges and with increased accuracy under almost all-weather conditions.

The 76 mm L23A1 gun will be very useful in counter-insurgency operations as it can fire a wide range of ammunition types including high explosive, smoke, illuminating, and high-explosive squash head. The modified M113 will retain its full amphibious capability with the installation of additional buoyancy aids on the hull's sides and front.

The Philippines Army currently operates around 100 M113A1 variants. The 76 mm version is expected to use surplus vehicles as the M113 production line was closed in the United States some years ago.

The Philippines took delivery of 41 members of the Scorpion Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance - Tracked (CVR-T) family of light tracked armoured vehicles, including the Scorpion, Sultan command post vehicle and the Samaritan ambulance.

The installation of the Scorpion turret on an alternative platform is not a new idea. It was first achieved by Australia, which fielded 45 vehicles under the M113A1 Fire Support Vehicle (Scorpion) designation - later the medium reconnaissance vehicle - after trials with three prototype vehicles. These have now been phased out of service.

Canada also fitted the 76 mm Scorpion turret to its Grizzly wheeled fire support vehicle but these have also been retired.

Article Source: IHS Janes 360

Signing of armored contract deal with Israeli defense manufacturer to boost PA's firepower capability --DND

With the impending delivery of 28 brand-new armored fighting vehicles, 14 of which are armed with automatic 76mm cannons, the Philippine Army's capability to provide support to its infantry units will be greatly enhanced.

Contract for these armored units, which is worth P888 million, was awarded to one of Israel's leading defense manufacturer, Elbit Systems Land and C4I, last week.

Aside from "fire support units," six of the Israeli-built armored vehicles are classified as the "armored personnel carrier" models, four as "infantry fighting vehicles and the remaining four as "recovery and repair" units.

Full delivery of these vehicles is expected within a year or around January 2015.

DND Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez earlier noted that these armored vehicles are very capable.
Once in service, 14 armored vehicles armed with 76mm cannon will act as the mobile artillery units of the PA which at the moment is armed with 273 units of heavy guns.

Around 24 of these weapons are the heavy 155mm howitzers with the remaining guns consisting of various models of the 105mm howitzer, an artillery piece capable of being towed or tracked into combat.


These weapons are constantly being maintained and modernized to provide Army units with a relatively heavy punch.

Article Source: PNA

Philippine Army has anti-armor capability

Not many people are aware of it but the Philippine Army, despite its small size, has an anti-armor capability.

This capability refers to a military unit's ability to destroy or incapacitate enemy armor units in the battlefield.

Capt. Anthony Bacus, Army spokesperson, said such anti-armor is provided by the 90mm and 57mm recoilless rifles, of which there are sufficient numbers in the armory.

"These weapons are being operated by elite infantry and special operations units," he added.

Aside from these weapons, the PA also operates 76mm and 25mm anti-tank guns which are mounted on its Scorpion CVRTs (combat vehicles reconnaissance tracks).

These vehicles are organized into mechanized infantry units of 14 CVRTs or armored fighting vehicles (AFVs).

The PA is known to operate 65 units of the Scorpion CVRTs.


The PA has 343 AFVs in its inventory, of which 150 are the United Kingdom-built GKN "Simba." The remaining AFVs consist of United States-designed V-150 and V-200 APCs, M-113 "Bradley," Turkish-made ACV-300s and British Scorpion CVRTs. 

Article Source: PNA

Philippine Army to boost fire support with 14 APCs

 The Philippine Army will acquire 14 M113 armored personnel carriers in 2015 to boost its fire support capabilities.

Army spokesperson Capt. Anthony Bacus said the M113 vehicles will be installed with 76-mm turrets among others from decommissioned Scorpion combat vehicle reconnaissance (tracked) units.

"It will be fitted with modern fire control and thermal imaging equipment. Once it is completed, the 76mm cannon armed M113s will be quite lethal," Bacus added.

The Army is currently operating over 100 M113 units, and the would-be acquisitions are manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments.

In the United States Army, the M113 series have been replaced as front-line combat vehicles by the M2 and M3 Bradley.

The Department of National Defense had said that more than P85 billion is needed for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines from 2014 to 2018.

Last year, the Army commissioned excessM1114 Armored Humvees as well as M939 and M35 truck series from the US. The new fighting vehicles provided fire support during the Zamboanga siege last September.

Article Source: The Philippine Star