The M60 Armored Vehicle-Launched MICLIC (AVLM) is a United States Army engineering vehicle. It is actually a slightly modified M60A1 Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge (AVLB) (with the bridge removed) with dual-mounted M58 Mine Clearing Line Charges (MICLICs). Even with the modifications, the vehicle is still able to perform most of its duties as a mobile bridge.
By far, one of the most difficult and dangerous tasks of a combat engineer is breaching a minefield. While there are several ways of doing this, most of them involve some sort of manual effort with numerous soldiers being unprotected and in the line of fire without a lot of freedom of movement (you don't want to be running around, dodging bullets in a mine field). The AVLM is one method of solving this problem. While the AVLB is a mobile bridge placed on a tank, an AVLM is a vehicle used to send a rocket propelled mine clearing line across a minefield up to 100 meters wide. This allows a crew of two men {1} to move up to the edge of the minefield, then fire off and detonate the MICLIC without ever leaving the safety of their fully armored, 60 ton tank.
Traditionally, the MICLIC was mounted on a trailer and towed by an M9 Armored Combat Earthmover or M113 Armored Personnel Carrier, however there are problems with each of these methods. For one thing, towing a trailer is not always easy (especially when you need to go in reverse, or need to make a tight turn), and maneuverability is very important in combat. Another thing is that the vehicles towing the trailer have their own problems. The M9 is operated by a single low ranking soldier, and the M113 is not at all well protected against any kind of enemy fire. The AVLM answers all of these problems.
Specifications:
Primary function: Clearing minefields
Secondary function: Armored vehicle used for launching and retrieving a
60-foot scissors-type bridge.
Manufacturer: General Dynamics Land Systems Division
Contractor: Anniston Army Depot (ANAD)
M60A1 Tank Chassis {2}:
Power Plant: 12 cylinder diesel engine - AVOS-1790-20
Power Train: CD-850-6A - 2 speed forward, 1 reverse
Weight, Combat Loaded: 56.6 tons (51.33 metric tons)
Ground Clearance: 18 inches (.4572 meters)
Length: 31 feet (9.44 meters)
Width: 12 feet (3.66 meters)
Maximum Speed (governed): 30 mph (48.3 kph)
Cross Country Speed: 8-12 mph (12.88-19.32 kph)
Trench Crossing: 8.5 feet (2.59 meters)
Range: 290 miles (464 kilometers)
Fuel Capacity: 375 gallons (14.19 hectoliters)
Crew: 2 enlisted
Introduction Date: February 1987
Unit Replacement Cost: $749,000
MICLIC:
Entire Assembly
Length: 93 in (236 cm)
Width: 54 in (137 cm)
Height: 28 in (71 cm)
Weight: (C-4) 3000 lb (1360 kg)
Weight: (A-4) 3200 lb (1454 kg)
Line Charge
Length: 350 ft (107 m)
Weight (C-4): 2042 lb (926 kg)
Weight (A-4): 2242 lb (1017 kg)
Explosive weight (C-4): 1750 lb (794 kg)
Explosive weight (A4): 1950 lb (886 kg)
Method of initiation: Electrical (10 blasting cap or
higher capacity blasting machine)
Bridge:
Length, Extended: 63 ft (19.19 meters)
Length, Folded: 32 ft (9.75 meters)
Bridge Span: 60 ft (18.28 meters)
Width, Overall: 13.1 ft (3.99 meters)
Width, Roadway: 12.5 ft (3.81 meters)
Width, Treadway: 5.75 ft (1.75 meters)
Height, Unfolded: 3.1 ft (.94 meters)
Weight: 14.65 tons (13.28 metric tons)
Other Combat Engineering Vehicles
Notes
- {1} No ladies, I'm not being sexist. As of this writeup, only men can be combat engineers.
- {2} In some cases, the chassis is actually an M48 instead of an M60.
Sources
- I was an AVLB driver
- http://globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m60-avlm.htm
- http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/docs/avlb.htm
- http://www.adtdl.army.mil/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/3-34.2/appc.htm#marker-1041629
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