Vietnam War M274A5 Truck, Platform, Utility 1/2 Ton, 4×4 “Mule”
Crew: 1
Main Armament: TOW anti-tank missile systems
Alternative Armaments: M60 7.62 mm NATO
Light Machine Guns
M2HB .50 Caliber Machine Guns
106 mm Recoilless Rifles
M134 Minigun
Horsepower: 17
Speed: 25 mph (40 km/h)
Weight: 550 lbs
Length: 9’10” (3.00 m)
Width: 3’11” (1.18 m)
Height: 2’4” (0.70 m)
The M274, nicknamed the Mule, combined efficiency and simplicity. With its bare minimum design, it is the only Army vehicle ever produced that could carry loads greater than its own weight (over 800 lbs off road). Designed for versatility, not comfort, the Mule could carry men, supplies, weaponry, string wire with a cable rear, or serve as a mobile weapon for almost any gun that could be mounted on a truck. Its usefulness was evident in its long production: from 1956 until 1970, 11,240 M274s were built, with 5 variants. The version seen here is one of the latest, the M274A5.
Did you know?
This Mule has hardly been put out to pasture. At the museum’s annual Living History Weekend it can be seen dashing from site to site, often filled with Texas A&M Corps of Cadet volunteers.