DEFEA 2023: American-made M1117 armored vehicle now fully operational with Hellenic Army.
The American-made M1117 also nicknamed Guardian, a 4x4 armored vehicle is now fully operational with the Hellenic Army. A Greek army M1117 was displayed on the US pavilion at DEFEA 2023, a defense exhibition that was held in Athens, Greece.
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The American-made M1117 Guardian is now fully operational with the Hellenic army. (Picture source Army Recognition)
In January 2021, the United States and Greece concluded an intergovernmental agreement on the transfer of 1,200 M1117 ASV (Armored Security Vehicle) Guardian, 4x4 wheeled armored vehicles from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to Greece through the US program of intergovernmental foreign military sales (FMS).
In 2019, an initial agreement was struck for the U.S. Army to transport vehicles to Greece. The first delivery, consisting of 800 M1117 vehicles, was initially slated for March 2020, and then rescheduled for autumn 2020. Ultimately, the finalized deal set the commencement of delivery for 2021.
In January 2023, the Army Recognition editorial team reported that Greece will receive 400 additional M1117 Guardian armored security vehicles in 2023 from US surplus as part of the expansion and modernization of its military arsenal under contracts with several countries.
The M1117 Guardian, also known as the Armored Security Vehicle (ASV), is an internal security vehicle that was designed based on the V-100 and V-150 Commando series of armored vehicles. The vehicle is manufactured by Textron Marine & Land Systems, a subsidiary of the American industrial conglomerate Textron Inc. Its development began in the late 1990s for use by the U.S. Military Police Corps. The initial prototypes of the M1117 made their debut in February 1997, and mass production commenced from 1999 to the early months of 2000.
The M1117 was used extensively by U.S. Military Police units during the conflict in Iraq. Its design, featuring a V-shaped hull to deflect the blast of land mines or IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) away from the vehicle, proved particularly useful in the counter-insurgency role in urban and rugged terrain warfare.
In addition, it is armed with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, a .50 caliber machine gun, and an M240 7.62mm machine gun, making it a robust platform for various combat scenarios.
The M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) is typically operated by a crew of three including a driver, a gunner, and a commander. However, it also has the capacity to transport an additional four soldiers.
The M1117 features an advanced armor protection system that can withstand small arms fire, artillery shell fragments, and land mine explosions. Its V-shaped hull helps deflect the blast of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) away from the vehicle, which was particularly useful in conflicts such as the Iraq War.
The M1117 is powered by a Cummins 6CTA8.3 diesel engine, which provides 260 horsepower. This engine enables the vehicle to reach a maximum speed of about 110 km/h on roads. It also gives the M1117 the ability to climb grades of 60% and traverse side slopes of 30%.
