Cadillac Gage Commando

The Cadillac Gage Commando, frequently denoted as the M706 in United States 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, and 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 opponents over thick vegetation and fording deep rivers. The Commando was eventually produced in three distinct marks, the V-100, V-150, and V-200, each modified for a number of diverse battlefield roles, and an unlicensed copy called the Bravia Chaimite was manufactured in Portugal. After the United States military's disengagement from South Vietnam, the Commando series was gradually retired from active American service, and it was superseded in the Military Police Corps by the derivative M1117 armored security vehicle during the 1990s.