In 1988, MTU took over the responsibility for Mercedes-Benz engines to be used in armoured fighting vehicles. These engines are based on the Mercedes-Benz 440 engine family, produced in large quantities and typically installed in heavy trucks and buses. In this application they have proved to be very reliable.

MTU has now applied its tank and engine pack knowledge to convert these engines for armoured fighting vehicle applications and install them into several prototype vehicles. These include the M113, MOWAG Piranha (6x6 and 8 x 8), TH 495 and Pizarro. In order to give the vehicle a good performance on slopes, a dry oil pan was introduced.

The engines of the 183 Series are available as 6-, 8-and 12-cylinder V-engines and cover a power range of 220 to 660 kW.

Details of the M113 upgrade by FFG, which uses a 6 V 183 TC22 based on the commercial OM 441 LA engine, are given in an earlier entry. The MTU 8 V 183 TE 22 powers the Pizarro armoured infantry fighting vehicle now in production in Spain and, in the near future, Austria where the vehicle is called the Ulan.