The concept of a combined wheeled and tracked vehicle dates back to the 1910s
but it was not until the Second World War that the vehicle became extremely popular
One of the proven successful stars was the M9 half-track produced by International Harvester of the United States
The M9 was a vehicle with the excellent cross-country ability of a tracked vehicle combined with the handling of a wheeled vehicle
The M9 served for a considerable period of time during the second world war and beyond
Three thousand five-hundred were produced by the end of World War II
It was used during World War II, the Arab-Israeli War of 1948, the Korean War, the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, the Six-Day War, and the Yom Kippur War
It had been used by eleven different countries by the end of its service
The M9 was produced between 1942–1944, using the same chassis and mechanical components as the M5
The result was a vehicle with a truck-like front section and a tank-like rear that showcased the track-and-wheel system
The vehicle had a weight of about 9.3 short tons, a length of 6.28 m, a width of 2.22 m, and a height of 2.26 m
The standard operating crew was usually three with seating for ten in the rear section
The rear part of the vehicle was designed to be open, providing only protection against light fire
It could be used to transport goods or combat-ready infantry
Weapons could be equipped for self-defense, consisting of a single 12.7mm heavy machine gun
and 2 x 7.62mm machine guns could be added on pintle mounts depending on mission requirements
Powering the vehicle was an IHC RED-450-B engine with 141 horsepower, for a maximum speed of up to 68 km/h
A variant of the M9 was the M9A1 with the changes being a ring machine gun mount and three pintle machine gun mounts
The production of M9s was leased to other countries, both the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom
with the latter providing it to other countries in the British Commonwealth
Following World War II, the second-hand market was a source of supply for some countries, including Israel