U.S. MILITARY M274 'MULE' WITH 106MM RECOILESS GUN

The M274 Mechanical Mule is an American light transport vehicle from the post-war era. The first copies of this vehicle appeared in the mid 1950s, and serial production continued in 1956-1970. Approximately 11,300 vehicles of this type were built in its course. In the basic version, the drive was provided by a single Willys AO4-4-53 engine with 16 HP. The M274 vehicle was developed to complement the Willys Jeep and Dodge M-37 vehicles in paratroopers and infantry units. The M274 was primarily used to transport machine guns, mortars and loads weighing up to 250 kilograms. It was also used to evacuate the wounded from the battlefield, as well as transport up to 7 soldiers. Vehicles of this type were used on a large scale in the Vietnam War (1964 / 1965-1975), during which recoilless guns and machine guns were often mounted on them. The M274 remained in service with the US Army until the 1980s.