Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)
U.S. M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle
Photographed by James Hulse, September 9, 2021
1. U.S. M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle Marker
Inscription.
U.S. M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle. . The M981, known as the FIST-V, was the first U.S. Army specialized vehicle for the Fire Support Team or Forward Observer in the U.S. Army. Introduced in 1978, the FIST-V used a M113 Armored Personnel Carrier chassis and was identical in appearance to the M901 Improved TOW (ITV) vehicle. This identical appearance helped make the fire support team less of a target on the battlefield. The ITV used the large "hammerhead" on top of the vehicle to launch TOW anti-tank missiles. The "hammerhead" on the FIST-V housed a ground/vehicle laser locater designator (G/VLLD) and a AN/TAS-4 night sight. This allowed the fire support team to locate and designate targets with the laser to be hit by precision guided artillery projectiles or aerial bombs. Inside, the M981 had seven radios and two digital message devices to communicate with the infantry or armor units it supported or the artillery fire direction center. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, units found that the M981 and other M113 series vehicles were unable to keep up with the Abrams tanks and the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The FIST-V was replaced by the Bradley FIST (BFIST) beginning in 2000., Weight - 27,000 lb. - 12,250 kg , Maximum Speed - 40 mph - 64 kph , Cruising Range - 300 miles - 482 km , Crew 4 , Engine - General Motors 6V53 6-cylinder, water-cooled, diesel, 212 hp
The M981, known as the FIST-V, was the first U.S. Army specialized vehicle for the Fire Support Team or Forward Observer in the U.S. Army. Introduced in 1978, the FIST-V used a M113 Armored Personnel Carrier chassis and was identical in appearance to the M901 Improved TOW (ITV) vehicle. This identical appearance helped make the fire support team less of a target on the battlefield. The ITV used the large "hammerhead" on top of the vehicle to launch TOW anti-tank missiles. The "hammerhead" on the FIST-V housed a ground/vehicle laser locater designator (G/VLLD) and a AN/TAS-4 night sight. This allowed the fire support team to locate and designate targets with the laser to be hit by precision guided artillery projectiles or aerial bombs. Inside, the M981 had seven radios and two digital message devices to communicate with the infantry or armor units it supported or the artillery fire direction center. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, units found that the M981 and other M113 series vehicles were unable to keep up with the Abrams tanks and the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The FIST-V was replaced by the Bradley FIST (BFIST) beginning in 2000.
Weight - 27,000 lb. - 12,250 kg
Maximum Speed - 40 mph - 64 kph
Cruising Range - 300 miles - 482 km
Crew 4
Engine - General Motors 6V53 6-cylinder, water-cooled,
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diesel, 212 hp
Erected by U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum. (Marker Number 720.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, 1st Iraq & Desert Storm. A significant historical year for this entry is 1978.
Location. 34° 40.006′ N, 98° 23.233′ W. Marker is in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in Comanche County. It is at the intersection of Corral Road and Randolph Road, on the right when traveling west on Corral Road. The marker is located in the central section of Artillery Park at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Sill OK 73503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Kiowa Tribe, in the Comanche Nation, and in Southwest Oklahoma. It is also in the American South, specifically on the prairies, and on the Southern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comancherνa, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Louisiana Purchase.
2. The U.S. M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle and Marker
sectionhead>More about this marker. Marker and Museum are located on Fort Sill, an active U.S. military installation. The museum is open to the public, but appropriate identification is required for access for Fort Sill.
Also see . . . U.S. Army Artillery Museum. (Submitted on February 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Photographed by James Hulse, September 9, 2021
3. The side view of the U.S. M981 Fire Support Team Vehicle and Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 990 times since then and 106 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 26, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
