Cadillac Gage Commando
The Cadillac Gage Commando, frequently denoted as the M706 in U.S. military service, is an American armored car designed to be amphibious. It was engineered by Cadillac Gage specifically for the United States Military Police Corps during the Vietnam War as an armed convoy escort vehicle. The Commando was one of the first vehicles to combine the traditionally separate roles of an armored personnel carrier and a conventional armored car, much like the Soviet BTR-40. Its notable height, amphibious capability, and waterproofed engine allowed American crews to fight effectively in the jungles of Vietnam by observing their opponents over thick vegetation and fording the country's deep rivers.
| Cadillac Gage Commando | |
|---|---|
A Philippine National Police Special Action Force V-150 Armored Vehicle | |
| Type | |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | List of Conflicts
|
| Production history | |
| Designed | June 1962 |
| Manufacturer | Cadillac Gage |
| Produced | 1963–2000 |
| No. built | 3,200 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7.37 tonnes (8.12 short tons; 7.25 long tons) (V-100) 9.8 tonnes (10.8 short tons; 9.6 long tons) (V-150) 12.73 tonnes (14.03 short tons; 12.53 long tons) (V-200) |
| Length | 5.69 m (18 ft 8 in) (V-100/V-150) 6.12 m (20 ft 1 in) (V-200) |
| Width | 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in) (V-100/V-150) 2.43 m (8 ft 0 in) (V-200) |
| Height | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) (V-100/V-200) 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) (V-150) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) + 9 passengers |
Main armament | 1x Cockerill Mk3 90 mm cannon 1x 20 mm autocannon 1x 7.62 mm machine gun |
Secondary armament | 2x 6x 40 mm smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | Chrysler 361 eight-cylinder petrol 210 hp (156 kW) at 4,000 rpm |
| Power/weight | 20.42 hp/tonne (15.22 kW/tonne) |
| Ground clearance | 0.38m (V-100/V-150) 0.43 (V-200) |
| Fuel capacity | 303 liters (V-100/V-150) 379 liters (V-200) |
Operational range | 644 km |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
The Commando was eventually produced in three distinct marks: the V-100, V-150, and V-200, all of which were modified for a number of diverse battlefield roles. An unlicensed copy of the Commando series, the Bravia Chaimite, was also manufactured in Portugal. After the U.S. military's disengagement from South Vietnam, the Commando series was gradually retired from active U.S. service. It was superseded in the Military Police Corps by the derivative M1117 Armored Security Vehicle during the 1990s.