Manufactured in huge quantities and many variants by the White Motor Company (some variants were built by International Harvester and the Diamond T Motor Company) the M-3A1 had the same function as the German Hanomag, utilized as a troop carrier, command vehicle, radio carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, mortar carrier and anti-aircraft gun carrier. The M-3A1 was simpler than the Hanomag and less prone to mechanical failure. Variants were in use with the Israeli army well into the 1970s.
