The Ukrainian armed forces showcased a US-delivered M1117 Armored Security Vehicle for the first time this week.
A 425th Separate Assault Battalion Skala Instagram post displayed the Textron vehicle on a training ground.
Washington announced 250 refurbished M1117s for Ukraine in November 2022 as part of a $400 million aid package, which also included 45 refurbished T-72B tanks, an unknown number of refurbished HAWK air defense missiles, 1,100 Phoenix Ghost drones, and 40 Armored Riverine Boats.
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Delivery Delays
The Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative necessitates industry procurement, possibly delaying the delivery.
According to Defense Express, the decommissioned vehicle’s refurbishment was the subject of a separate briefing for the congressional defense committees in September 2023.
It was revealed that the refurbishment would take another 18 months, with US officials pushing to accelerate it.
M1117
Based on the Cadillac M706 Commando, the 13.4-ton 4×4 armored personnel carrier was developed in the 1990s and first inducted in 1999.
It features an M2 Browning machine gun and an Mk 19 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Additionally, an M240H machine gun is installed near the gunner’s hatch.
The US produced around 2,000 of the vehicles. In 2019, it was decided that the M1117 would be gradually replaced with the Oshkosh M-ATV MRAP.
