"Second Life" M1117: The Armed Forces will get improved modification of the American APC MSFV

The document refers to the intention to enter into a three -year contract for production of 65 machines and supply spare parts with Textron. And the funding will be ensured within the framework of the Ukrainian Security Initiative (USAI). According to The War Zone analysts, earlier the Ukrainian Armed Forces have already received hundreds of standard M1117 Guardian. Now Kiev can count on a more advanced modification, which has increased crew protection and expanded weapons.

The MSFV armored personnel carrier was created in the early 2010s specifically for the Afghan National Army. Unlike the basic version of M1117, the new machine has received an elongated body, increased interior space and increased mine protection. According to the report of the Special General Inspector of the US, MSFV provides improved survivability and protection against explosions, including blasting on mines and homemade explosive devices.

For Ukraine, where the threat of a mine war is extremely high, it is especially relevant, experts said. Experts have noted that the MSFV US Army was practically not used, but for Ukraine, machines can be a useful complement to existing M1117. Their main purpose is to protect the crew from fragments of artillery, small arms and blasting on mines.

An important advantage of this APC is less weight and ease of operation than tanks and heavy armored vehicles, which facilitates maintenance and transportation. However, open-air armored vehicles are vulnerable to Dronov-Kamikadze attacks, so in practice, the Ukrainian military has already begun to strengthen M1117 with additional armor and screens to protect against FPV-pates, and similar measures will probably be applied to MSFV.