Editing Armoured fighting vehicle

{{short description|Combat vehicle with both armament and armour}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2007}}
[[File:WW1 Tank Mark V, Bovington.jpg|thumb|WW1 [[Mark V tank]], in [[The Tank Museum]]]]
{{war}}

An '''armoured fighting vehicle''' ([[British English]]) or '''armored fighting vehicle''' ([[American English]]) ('''AFV''') is an armed [[combat vehicle]] protected by [[vehicle armour|armour]], generally combining [[operational mobility]] with [[Offensive (military)|offensive]] and [[defense (military)|defensive]] capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or [[Continuous track|tracked]]. Examples of AFVs are [[tank]]s, [[armored car (military)|armoured cars]], [[assault gun]]s, [[Self-propelled artillery|self-propelled artilleries]], [[infantry fighting vehicle]]s (IFV), and [[armoured personnel carrier]]s (APC).

Armoured fighting vehicles are classified according to their characteristics and intended role on the battlefield. The classifications are not absolute; two countries may classify the same vehicle differently, and the criteria change over time. For example, relatively lightly armed armoured personnel carriers were largely superseded by infantry fighting vehicles with much heavier armament in a similar role.

Successful designs are often adapted to a wide variety of applications.  For example, the [[MOWAG Piranha]], originally designed as an APC, has been adapted to fill numerous roles such as a [[mortar carrier]], infantry fighting vehicle, and assault gun.

Armoured fighting vehicles began to appear in use in World War I with the armoured car, the tank, the self-propelled gun, and the personnel carrier seeing use. By World War II, armies had large numbers of AFVs, together with other vehicles to carry troops this permitted highly mobile [[maneuver warfare|manoeuvre warfare]].

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== Evolution ==
[[File:Schlacht bei Zama Gemälde H P Motte.jpg|thumb|right|[[Battle of Zama]] by [[Henri-Paul Motte]], 1890]]

The concept of a highly mobile and protected fighting unit has been around for centuries; from [[Hannibal]]'s [[war elephant]]s to [[Leonardo da Vinci|Leonardo]]'s [[Leonardo's fighting vehicle|contraptions]], military strategists endeavoured to maximize the mobility and survivability of their soldiers.

Armoured fighting vehicles were not possible until [[internal combustion engine]]s of sufficient power became available at the start of the 20th century.

=== History ===
{{main|Armoured warfare}}

====Pre-modern====
[[File:Helepolis.png|right|thumb|A [[Helepolis]]-like Siege Engine showing ballistae, stairs and movement capstan]]
Modern armoured fighting vehicles represent the realization of an ancient concept – that of providing troops with mobile protection and firepower. Armies have deployed war machines and cavalries with rudimentary armour in battle for millennia. Use of these animals and engineering designs sought to achieve a balance between the conflicting [[paradox]]ical needs of mobility, firepower and protection.

===== Siege machine =====
[[File:DaVinciTankAtAmboise.jpeg|thumb|Model of a [[Leonardo's fighting vehicle|vehicle]] sketched by [[Leonardo da Vinci]]]]
[[Siege engine]]s, such as [[battering ram]]s and [[siege tower]]s, would often be armoured in order to protect their crews from enemy action. [[Polyidus of Thessaly]] developed a very large movable siege tower, the ''[[helepolis]]'', as early as 340 BC, and Greek forces used such structures in the [[Siege of Rhodes (305 BC)|Siege of Rhodes]] (305 BC).

The idea of a protected fighting vehicle has been known since antiquity. Frequently cited is [[Leonardo da Vinci]]'s 15th-century sketch of a [[Leonardo da Vinci's fighting vehicle|mobile, protected gun-platform]]; the drawings show a conical, wooden shelter with apertures for cannons around the circumference. The machine was to be mounted on four wheels which would be turned by the crew through a system of [[Hand crank#Hand-powered cranks|hand cranks]] and [[Gear#Cage gear|cage (or "lantern") gears]]. Leonardo claimed: "I will build armoured wagons which will be safe and invulnerable to enemy attacks. There will be no obstacle which it cannot overcome."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://yousense.info/6c69676874/light-armor-armaholic.html|title=Summary -> Light Armor Armaholic|website=yousense.info|language=en|access-date=2018-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126051036/http://yousense.info/6c69676874/light-armor-armaholic.html|archive-date=26 November 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Modern replicas have demonstrated that the human crew would have been able to move it over only short distances.

===== War wagon =====
[[Hussite]] forces in [[Bohemia]] developed [[war wagon]]s – [[Middle Ages|medieval]] horse-drawn [[wagon]]s that doubled as [[wagon fort]]s – around 1420 during the [[Hussite Wars]]. These heavy wagons were given protective sides with firing slits; their heavy firepower came from either a cannon or from a force of [[Hand cannon|hand-gunners]] and [[crossbowmen]], supported by [[light cavalry]] and [[infantry]] using [[pike (weapon)|pike]]s and [[flail (weapon)|flail]]s. Heavy [[arquebus]]es mounted on wagons were called ''arquebus à croc''. These carried a ball of about {{convert|3.5|oz|-1}}.<ref>{{Cyclopaedia 1728|title= ARQUEBUSS|url= http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/HistSciTech/HistSciTech-idx?type=turn&entity=HistSciTech.Cyclopaedia01.p0187&id=HistSciTech.Cyclopaedia01&isize=M |page= 342|inline=1}}</ref> [[File:Husitsky bojovy vuz replika.jpg|thumb|Modern reconstruction of [[Hussite]] [[war wagon]]]]

====Modern====
By the end of [[World War II]], most modern armies had vehicles to carry infantry, artillery and [[anti-aircraft weapon]]ry. Most modern AFVs are superficially similar in design to their World War II counterparts, but with significantly better armour, weapons, engines, electronics, and suspension. The increase in the capacity of [[Military transport aircraft|transport aircraft]] makes possible and practicable the transport of AFVs by air. Many armies are replacing some or all of their traditional heavy vehicles with lighter airmobile versions, often with wheels instead of tracks.

===== Armed and armoured car =====
[[File:Simms Motor Scout from Autocar.jpg|thumb|[[Frederick Richard Simms|F. R. Simms]]'s [[Motor Scout]], built in 1898 as an armed car]]

The first modern AFVs were armed cars, dating back virtually to the invention of the [[Car|motor car]]. The British inventor [[Frederick Richard Simms|F. R. Simms]] designed and built the [[Motor Scout]] in 1898. It was the first armed, petrol-engine powered vehicle ever built. It consisted of a [[De Dion-Bouton]] [[quadracycle]] with a [[Maxim gun|Maxim machine gun]] mounted on the front bar. An iron shield offered some protection for the driver from the front, but it lacked all-around protective armour.{{sfn|Macksey|1980}}

The [[armored car (military)|armoured car]] was the first modern fully armoured fighting vehicle. The first of these was the [[Motor War Car|Simms's Motor War Car]], also designed by Simms and built by [[Vickers#Vickers, Sons & Maxim|Vickers, Sons & Maxim]] in 1899.<ref name="DCMB"/> The vehicle had Vickers armour 6&nbsp;mm thick and was powered by a four-cylinder 3.3-litre<ref name="DCMB">{{cite book| author= Edward John Barrington Douglas-Scott-Montagu Baron Montagu of Beaulieu|author2= Lord Montagu|author3= David Burgess Wise| title= Daimler Century: The Full History of Britain's Oldest Car Maker| year= 1995| publisher= Haynes Publications| isbn= 978-1-85260-494-3}}</ref> 16 [[Horsepower|hp]] Cannstatt Daimler engine giving it a maximum speed of around {{convert|9|mph|km/h|abbr= off}}. The armament, consisting of two Maxim guns, was carried in two turrets with 360° traverse.{{sfn|Macksey|1980|p=256}}<ref>{{cite book|last= Tucker|first= Spencer|title= The European Powers in the First World War|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=gv3GEyB19wIC&pg=PA65|year= 1999|publisher= Routledge|isbn= 0-8153-3351-X|pages= 816}}</ref>

[[File:Simms Motor War Car 1902.jpg|thumb|[[Frederick Richard Simms|F. R. Simms]]'s 1902 [[Motor War Car]], the first armoured car to be built]]
Another early armoured car of the period was the French [[Charron, Girardot et Voigt 1902]], presented at the ''Salon de l'Automobile et du cycle'' in [[Brussels]], on 8 March 1902.{{sfn|Gougaud|1987|page= 11}} The vehicle was equipped with a [[Hotchkiss machine gun]], and with 7&nbsp;mm armour for the gunner.<ref>{{cite book|last= Bartholomew|first= E.|title= Early Armoured Cars|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PknxxLTNhU8C&pg=PA5|year= 1988|publisher= Bloomsbury USA|isbn= 978-0-85263-908-5|pages= 4–5}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Gougaud|1987|pp= 11–12}}</ref> Armoured cars were first used in large numbers on both sides during [[World War I]] as scouting vehicles.

===== Tank =====
{{History of the tank | state= collapsed }}
{{main|History of the tank}}

In 1903, [[H. G. Wells]] published the short story "[[The Land Ironclads]]," positing indomitable war machines that would bring a new age of land warfare, the way steam-powered [[ironclad warship]]s had ended the [[age of sail]].

Wells's literary vision was realized in 1916, when, amidst the pyrrhic standstill of the [[Great War]], the British [[Landship Committee]] deployed revolutionary armoured vehicles to break the stalemate.  The tank was envisioned as an armoured machine that could cross ground under fire from [[machine gun]]s and reply with its own mounted machine guns and [[naval artillery]].  These first [[Tanks of World War I|British tanks of World War I]] moved on [[caterpillar track]]s that had substantially lower ground pressure than wheeled vehicles, enabling them to pass the muddy, pocked terrain and slit trenches of the [[Battle of the Somme]].

===== Troop transport =====
[[File:The Tank Museum (2012).jpg|thumb|[[Mark IX tank]], the first Armoured Personnel Carrier at the Tank Museum, Bovington]]
The tank eventually proved highly successful and, as technology improved, it became a weapon that could cross large distances at much higher speeds than supporting [[infantry]] and [[artillery]]. The need to provide the units that would fight alongside the tank led to the development of a wide range of specialised AFVs, especially during the [[Second World War]] (1939–1945).

The armoured personnel carrier, designed to transport infantry troops to the frontline, emerged towards the end of World War I. During the first actions with [[tank]]s, it had become clear that close contact with infantry was essential in order to secure ground won by the tanks. Troops on foot were vulnerable to enemy fire, but they could not be transported in the tank because of the intense heat and noxious atmosphere.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} In 1917, Lieutenant G. J. Rackham was ordered to design an armoured vehicle that could fight and carry troops or supplies. The [[Mark IX tank]] was built by [[Armstrong Whitworth|Armstrong, Whitworth & Co.]], although just three vehicles had been finished at the time of the [[Armistice]] in November 1918, and only 34 were built in total.

===== Tankette =====
[[File:IJA TK Tankette Display at Armor School History Museum 20130302b.JPG|thumb|IJA [[Type 94 tankette]] at the Armor School History Museum]]
Different tank classifications emerged in the interwar period. The [[tankette]] was conceived as a mobile, two-man model, mainly intended for reconnaissance. In 1925, [[Sir John Carden, 6th Baronet|Sir John Carden]] and [[Vivian Loyd]] produced the first such design to be adopted – the [[Carden Loyd tankette]]. Tankettes saw use in the [[Royal Italian Army]] during the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War|Italian invasion of Ethiopia]] (1935–1936), the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–1939), and during [[World War II]]. The [[Imperial Japanese Army]] used tankettes in [[Second Sino-Japanese War|China]] for infantry support, reconnaissance and later for [[jungle warfare]].<ref name="T27">{{cite web |url=http://www.battlefield.ru/content/view/72/50/lang,en/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227100158/http://www.battlefield.ru/content/view/72/50/lang,en/ |date=1998 |archive-date=27 February 2009 |title=T-27 Tankette |website=The Russian Battlefield |access-date=21 February 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/jp_tankette/index.html |title=U.S. Forces Encounter Old Jap Tankette |magazine=[[Intelligence Bulletin]] |publisher=[[Military Intelligence Service (United States)|United States Military Intelligence Service]] |date=September 1945 |access-date=6 January 2008}}</ref>{{sfn|Zaloga|2007|pp=7, 8}}

===== Self-propelled artillery =====
[[File:British Gun Carrier Mark I - 60 pdr.jpg|right|thumb|British [[Gun Carrier Mark I]] (60 pdr)]]
The British [[Gun Carrier Mark I]], the first [[Self-propelled artillery]], was fielded in 1917. It was based on the first tank, the British [[Mark I (tank)|Mark I]], and carried a heavy field-gun. The next major advance was the [[Birch gun]] (1925), developed for the British motorised warfare experimental brigade (the [[Experimental Mechanized Force]]). This mounted a field gun, capable of the usual artillery trajectories and even anti-aircraft use, on a tank chassis.

During World War II, most major military powers developed self-propelled artillery vehicles. These had guns mounted on a tracked chassis (often that of an obsolete or superseded tank) and provided an armoured superstructure to protect the gun and its crew. The first British design, [[Bishop (artillery)|"Bishop"]], carried the [[Ordnance QF 25 pounder|25 pdr gun-howitzer]] in an extemporised mounting on a tank chassis that severely limited the gun's performance. It was replaced by the more effective [[Sexton (artillery)|Sexton]]. The Germans built many lightly armoured [[self-propelled anti-tank gun]]s using captured French equipment (for example [[Marder I]]), their own obsolete light tank chassis ([[Marder II]]), or ex-Czech chassis ([[Marder III]]). These led to better-protected tank destroyers, built on a medium-tank chassis such as the [[Jagdpanzer IV]] or the [[Jagdpanther]].

===== Anti-aircraft vehicle =====
The [[Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon]] debuted in WWI. The [[Flak 88|German 88]]&nbsp;mm<ref>{{Cite web |title=Air Artillery |url=https://spartacus-educational.com/FWWairartillery.htm |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=Spartacus Educational}}</ref> anti-aircraft gun was truck-mounted and used to great effect against British tanks, and the British [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt]] was mounted on trucks for use on the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]]. Although the [[Birch gun]] was a general purpose artillery piece on an armoured tracked chassis, it was capable of elevation for anti-aircraft use. [[Vickers Armstrong]] developed one of the first SPAAGs based on the chassis of the Mk.E 6-ton light tank/[[Vickers Medium Dragon|Dragon Medium Mark IV tractor]], mounting a Vickers QF-1 "Pom-Pom" gun of 40&nbsp;mm. The Germans fielded the Sd.Kfz. 10/4 and 6/2, cargo halftracks mounting single 20&nbsp;mm or 37&nbsp;mm AA guns (respectively) by the start of the war.

===== Self-propelled multiple rocket-launcher =====
Rocket launchers such as the Soviet [[Katyusha rocket launcher|Katyusha]] originated in the late 1930s. The [[Wehrmacht]] fielded self-propelled rocket artillery in World War II – the [[Panzerwerfer]] and [[Wurfrahmen 40]] equipped half-track armoured fighting vehicles. Many modern [[multiple rocket launchers]] are self propelled by either truck or tank chassis.

=== Design ===
{{Expand section|date=January 2011}}

==== Survivability ====
{{Main|Aramid|Ballistic glass|Twaron|Vehicle armour}}

The level of armour protection between AFVs varies greatly – a [[main battle tank]] will normally be designed to take hits from other [[tank gun]]s and [[anti-tank missiles]], whilst light [[reconnaissance]] vehicles are often only armoured "just in case". Whilst heavier armour provides better protection, it makes vehicles less mobile (for a given engine power), limits its air-transportability, increases cost, uses more fuel and may limit the places it can go – for example, many bridges may be unable to support the weight of a main battle tank. A trend toward [[composite armour]] is taking the place of steel – composites are stronger for a given weight, allowing the tank to be lighter for the same protection as steel armour, or better protected for the same weight. Armour is being supplemented with [[active protection system]]s on a number of vehicles, allowing the AFV to protect itself from incoming projectiles.

[[File:PantheraScheme.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Armour-thickness chart for a [[Panther tank]]]]
The level of protection also usually varies considerably throughout the individual vehicle too, depending on the role of the vehicle and the likely direction of attack. For example, a main battle tank will usually have the heaviest armour on the hull front and the turret, lighter armour on the sides of the hull and the thinnest armour on the top and bottom of the tank. Other vehicles – such as the [[MRAP]] family – may be primarily armoured against the threat from [[Improvised explosive device|IEDs]] and so will have heavy, [[sloped armour]] on the bottom of the hull.

==== Firepower ====
Weaponry varies by a very wide degree between AFVs – lighter vehicles for infantry carrying, reconnaissance or specialist roles may have only a [[autocannon]] or [[machine gun]] (or no armament at all), whereas heavy self-propelled artillery will carry [[howitzer]]s, [[Mortar (weapon)|mortars]] or [[rocket (weapon)|rocket]] launchers. These weapons may be mounted on a [[weapon mount#Pintle|pintle]], affixed directly to the vehicle or placed in a [[gun turret|turret]] or cupola.

The greater the recoil of the weapon on an AFV, the larger the turret ring needs to be. A larger turret ring necessitates a larger vehicle. To avoid listing to the side, turrets on amphibious vehicles are usually located at the centre of the vehicle.{{sfn|Margiotta|1996}}

[[Grenade launcher]]s provide a versatile launch platform for a plethora of munitions including, [[Smoke grenade|smoke]], phosphorus, [[tear gas]], illumination, anti-personnel, infrared and radar-jamming rounds.{{sfn|Margiotta|1996}}

Turret stabilization is an important capability because it enables firing on the move and prevents crew fatigue.

==== Maneuverability ====
[[File:Auslieferung von Bergepanzer 2 an die Bundeswehr durch die Kieler Atlas-MaK Maschinenbau GmbH (Kiel 40.250).jpg|thumb|Engine replacement for a [[Bergepanzer 2]]]]
Modern AFVs have primarily used either petrol (gasoline) or diesel piston engines. More recently, gas turbines have been used. Most early AFVs used [[petrol engine]]s, as they offer a good [[power-to-weight ratio]]. However, they fell out of favour during World War II due to the flammability of the fuel.

Most current AFVs are powered by a [[diesel engine]]; modern technology, including the use of [[turbocharger|turbo-charging]], helps to overcome the lower power-to-weight ratio of diesel engines compared to petrol.

[[Gas turbine]] (turboshaft) engines offer a very high power-to-weight ratio and were starting to find favour in the late 20th century – however, they offer very poor fuel consumption and as such some armies are switching from gas turbines back to diesel engines (i.e. the Russian [[T-80]] used a gas turbine engine, whereas the later [[T-90]] does not). The US [[M1 Abrams]] is a notable example of a gas turbine powered tank.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tanknology.co.uk/post/future_afv | title=The AFV of the future, today | date=20 February 2022 }}</ref>

== Modern classification by type and role ==
Notable armoured fighting vehicles extending from post-World War I to today.

=== Tank ===
{{Further|Tank classification|Tank gun}}
The [[tank]] is an all terrain AFV incorporating artillery which is designed to fill almost all battlefield roles and to engage enemy forces by the use of [[direct fire]] in the frontal assault role. Though several configurations have been tried, particularly in the early experimental "golden days" of tank development, a standard, mature design configuration has since emerged to a generally accepted pattern. This features a main [[tank gun]] or [[artillery|artillery gun]], mounted in a fully rotating [[gun turret|turret]] atop a tracked automotive hull, with various additional secondary weapon systems throughout.

Philosophically, the tank is, by its very nature, an offensive weapon. Being a protective encasement with at least one gun position, it is essentially a [[Pillbox (military)|pillbox]] or small [[fortress]] (though these are static fortifications of a purely defensive nature) that can move toward the enemy – hence its offensive utility. Psychologically, the tank is a [[force multiplier]] that has a positive morale effect on the infantry it accompanies.<ref name="morale effect">{{cite book|title=Ground Warfare: An International Encyclopedia, Volume 1|year=2002|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=1-57607-344-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L_xxOM85bD8C&q=%22main+battle+tank%22|author=Stanley Sandler|access-date=5 April 2011|page=59}}</ref> It also instills fear in the opposing force who can often hear and even feel their arrival.<ref name="McNab Gulf War">{{cite book|title=Tools of violence: guns, tanks and dirty bombs|year=2008|publisher=Osprey Publishing|first1=Chris|last1=McNab|first2=Hunter|last2=Keeter|isbn=978-1846032257|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/toolsofviolenceg0000mcna}}</ref>

==== Tank classifications ====
Tanks were classified either by size or by role.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Ripsaw M5.webp|alt=Ripsaw Ground Combat Vehicle|[[Ripsaw (vehicle)|Ripsaw M5]] [[Unmanned ground vehicle|unmanned]] [[light tank]]
File:PanzerIISaumur.jpg|A WWII [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Panzer II]] light tank
File:T-34-76 RB8.JPG|Soviet-made Polish [[T-34]] medium tank Model 1942 in [[Poznań]], Poland. The model 1942's hexagonal turret distinguishes it from earlier models.
File:T29 Heavy Tank.png|[[United States|American]] [[T29 Heavy Tank|T29]] Heavy Tank
</gallery>

Classification by relative size was common, as this also tended to influence the tanks' role.
* [[Light tank]]s are smaller tanks with thinner armour and lower-powered guns, allowing for better tactical mobility and ease of strategic transport. These are intended for [[armoured reconnaissance]], [[skirmishing]], [[artillery observer|artillery observation]], [[expeditionary warfare]] and supplementing [[Landing operation|airborne or naval landings]]. Light tanks are typically cheaper to build and maintain, but fare poorly against heavier tanks. They may be held in reserve for exploiting any breakthroughs in enemy lines, with the goal of disrupting communications and supply lines.
* [[Medium tank]]s are mid-sized tanks with adequate armour and guns, and fair mobility, allowing for a balance of fighting abilities, mobility, cost-effectiveness, and transportability. Medium tanks are effective in groups when used against enemy tanks.
* [[Heavy tank]]s are larger tanks with thick armour and more powerful guns, but less mobile and more difficult to transport. They were intended to be more than a match for typical enemy medium tanks, easily penetrating their armour while being much less susceptible to their attacks. Heavy tanks cost more to both build and maintain, and their heavy armour proved most effective when deployed in support infantry assaulting entrenched fortifications.

Over time, tanks tended to be designed with heavier armour and weapons, increasing the weight of all tanks, so these classifications are relative to the average for the nation's tanks for any given period. An older tank design might be reclassified over time, such as a tank being first deployed as a medium tank, but in later years relegated to light tank roles.

Tanks were also classified by roles that were independent of size, such as [[cavalry tank]], [[cruiser tank]], [[BT tank|fast tank]], [[infantry tank]], "assault" tank, or "breakthrough" tank. Military theorists initially tended to assign tanks to traditional military infantry, cavalry, and artillery roles, but later developed more specialized roles unique to tanks.

In modern use, the heavy tank has fallen out of favour, being supplanted by more heavily armed and armoured descendant of the medium tanks – the universal [[main battle tank]]. The light tank has, in many armies, lost favour to cheaper, faster, lighter [[Armoured car (military)|armoured cars]]; however, light tanks (or similar vehicles with other names) are still in service with a number of forces as [[reconnaissance vehicle]]s, most notably the [[Naval Infantry (Russia)|Russian Marines]] with the [[PT-76]], the [[British Army]] with the [[FV107 Scimitar|Scimitar]], and the [[Chinese Army]] with the [[Type 63 (tank)|Type 63]].
{{clear}}

==== Main battle tank ====

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Karelian_Lock_23_(7827362).jpg| [[US|United States]] third-generation [[M1 Abrams]] tank
File:2013_Moscow_Victory_Day_Parade_(28).jpg| [[Russia|Russian]] [[T-90]] main battle tank with [[2A46]] smoothbore gun
File:Leopard_2A6,_PzBtl_104.jpg| Modern [[Germany]] [[Leopard 2]] main battle tank
File:ZTZ-99A_MBT_20170902.jpg| [[China|Chinese]] [[Type 99 tank|Type 99]] main battle tank
</gallery>

{{Main|Main battle tank}}
Modern [[Main battle tank#Main battle tank (late twentieth century)|main battle tanks]] or "universal tanks" incorporate recent advances in automotive, artillery, armour, and electronic technology to combine the best characteristics of the historic medium and heavy tanks into a single, all-around type. They are also the most expensive to mass-produce. A main battle tank is distinguished by its high level of firepower, mobility and armour protection relative to other vehicles of its era. It can cross comparatively rough terrain at high speeds, but its heavy dependency on fuel, maintenance, and ammunition makes it [[Military logistics|logistically]] demanding. It has the heaviest [[Vehicle armour|armour]] of any AFVs on the battlefield, and carries a powerful [[precision-guided munition]] weapon systems that may be able to engage a wide variety of both ground targets and air targets. Despite significant advances in [[anti-tank warfare]], it still remains the most versatile and fearsome land-based weapon-systems of the 21st-century, valued for its [[Shock tactics|shock action]] and high [[survivability]].
{{clear}}

==== Tankette ====
{{Main|Tankette}}
[[File:Carden-Loyd Two-Man Tankette, 1926. KID235.jpg|right|thumb|The [[Carden-Loyd tankette]] concept was adopted by many armies]]
[[File:W2 argus.tif|thumb|[[Wiesel 2]] ''Argus'' scout tankette]]
A tankette is a tracked armed and armoured vehicle<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.tedescos.com/Pages/VJ/monograph2.pdf |title=The Revolution After Next: Making Vertical Envelopment by Operationally Significant Mobile Protected Forces a Reality in the First Decade of the 21st Century |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213100806/http://www.tedescos.com/Pages/VJ/monograph2.pdf |archive-date=13 February 2012 |last=Tedesco |first=Vincent J. |publisher= [[United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies]], United States Army Command and General Staff College]] |location=[[Fort Leavenworth]], United States |date=2000 |page=15}}</ref> resembling a small "ultra-light tank" or "super-light tank" roughly the size of a car, mainly intended for light infantry support or [[reconnaissance|scouting]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z23JjCBkSykC&q=tankette&pg=PA84 |title=Iron Arm: The Mechanization of Mussolini's Army, 1920–1940 |last=Sweet |first=John Joseph Timothy |publisher=[[Stackpole Books]] |date=2007 |page=84 |isbn=9780811733519}}</ref> Tankettes were introduced in the mid-1920s as a reconnaissance vehicle and a mobile machine gun position They were one or two-man vehicles armed with a machine gun. Colloquially it may also simply mean a "small tank".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/War_Slang |quote=tankette. |title=War Slang: American Fighting Words and Phrases Since the Civil War |last=Dickson |first=Paul |publisher=Brassey's |date=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/War_Slang/page/n234 221] |isbn=9781574887105}}</ref>

Tankettes were designed and built by several nations between the 1920s and 1940s following the British [[Carden Loyd tankette]] which was a successful implementation of "one man tank" ideas from [[Giffard Le Quesne Martel]], a British Army engineer. They were very popular with smaller countries. Some saw some combat (with limited success) in World War II. However, the vulnerability of their light armour eventually caused the concept to be abandoned. However, the [[German Army]] uses a modern design of air-transportable armoured weapons carriers, the [[Wiesel AWC]], which resembles the concept of a tankette.

==== ''Super''-heavy tank ====
{{Main|Super-heavy tank}}
The term "super-heavy tank" has been used to describe armoured fighting vehicles of extreme size, generally over 75 tonnes. Programs have been initiated on several occasions with the aim of creating an invincible [[siege engine|siegeworks]]/[[Breakthrough (military)|breakthrough]] vehicle for penetrating enemy formations and fortifications without fear of being destroyed in combat. Examples were designed in World War I and World War II (such as the [[Panzer VIII Maus]]), along with a few in the [[Cold War]]. However, few working prototypes were built and there is no clear evidence any of these vehicles saw combat, as their immense size would have made most designs impractical.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:TOG II.jpg|[[United Kingdom|British]] [[TOG II]]
File:Metro-maus1.jpg|[[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Panzer VIII Maus]]
</gallery>
{{clear}}

==== Missile tank ====
[[File:IT-1 missile tank.jpg|200px|thumb|Soviet [[IT-1]], [[Kubinka Tank Museum]]]]
A [[missile tank]] is a tank fulfilling the role of a main battle tank, but using only [[Anti-tank missile|anti-tank]] [[surface-to-surface missile]]s for main armament.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} Several nations have experimented with prototypes, notably the Soviet Union during the tenure of Nikita Khrushchev (projects Object 167, Object 137Ml, Object 155Ml, Object 287, Object 775),
{{clear}}

==== Flame tank ====
[[File:Churchill Crocodile 01.jpg|thumb|right|British [[Churchill Crocodile]] flame tank]]
{{Main|Flame tank}}
A '''flame tank''' is an otherwise-standard [[tank]] equipped with a [[flamethrower]], most commonly used to supplement [[combined arms]] attacks against [[fortification]]s, confined spaces, or other obstacles. The type only reached significant use in the [[Second World War]], during which the United States, [[Soviet Union]], [[Nazi Germany|Germany]], [[Kingdom of Italy|Italy]], [[Empire of Japan|Japan]] and the United Kingdom (including members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|British Commonwealth]]) all produced flamethrower-equipped tanks. Usually, the flame projector replaced one of the tank's machineguns, however, some flame projectors replaced the tank's main gun. Fuel for the flame weapon was generally carried inside the tank, although a few designs mounted the fuel externally, such as the armoured trailer used on the [[Churchill Crocodile]].

Flame tanks have been superseded by [[thermobaric weapon]]s such as the Russian [[TOS-1]].
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==== Infantry tank ====
[[File:MatildaII.jpg|thumb|A British [[Matilda II|Matilda tank]] displaying a captured [[Kingdom of Italy|Italian]] flag]]
{{Main|Infantry tank}}
The idea for this tank was developed during World War I by British and French. The [[infantry]] tank was designed to work in concert with infantry in the assault, moving mostly at a walking pace, and carrying heavy armour to survive defensive fire. Its main purpose was to suppress enemy fire, crush obstacles such as barbed-wire entanglements, and protect the infantry on their advance into and through enemy lines by giving mobile [[overwatch (military tactic)|overwatch]] and [[Suppressive fire|cover]]. The French [[Renault FT]] was the first iteration of this concept.

The British and French retained the concept between the wars and into the Second World War era. Because infantry tanks did not need to be fast, they could carry heavy armour. One of the best-known infantry tanks was the [[Matilda II]] of World War II. Other examples include the French [[Renault R35|R-35]], the British [[Valentine Tank|Valentine]], and the British [[Churchill Tank|Churchill]].

==== Cruiser tank ====
[[File:IWM-E-17616-Crusader-19421002.jpg|thumb|2 pdr-armed [[Crusader tank]] in the desert]]
{{Main|Cruiser tank}}
A cruiser tank, or cavalry tank, was designed to move fast and exploit penetrations of the enemy front. The idea originated in "[[Plan 1919]]", a British plan to break the trench deadlock of [[World War I]] in part via the use of high-speed tanks. The first cruiser tank was the British [[Medium Mark A Whippet|Whippet]].

Between the wars, this concept was implemented in the "fast tanks" pioneered by [[J. Walter Christie]]. These led to the Soviet [[BT Tank|BT tank series]] and the British [[Cruiser tank|cruiser tank series]].

During [[World War II]], British cruiser tanks were designed to complement [[infantry tank]]s, exploiting gains made by the latter to attack and disrupt the enemy rear areas. In order to give them the required speed, cruiser designs sacrificed armour and armament compared to the infantry tanks. Pure British cruisers were generally replaced by more capable medium tanks such as the [[Sherman Tank|US Sherman]] and, to a lesser extent, the [[Cromwell tank|Cromwell]] by 1943.

The Soviet fast tank (''bistrokhodniy tank'', or [[BT tank]]) classification also came out of the infantry/cavalry concept of armoured warfare and formed the basis for the British cruisers after 1936. The T-34 was a development of this line of tanks as well, though their armament, armour, and all-round capability places them firmly in the medium tank category.
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=== Armoured car ===
{{Main|Armored car (military)}}
The [[Armored car (military)|armoured car]] is a wheeled, often lightly armoured, vehicle adapted as a fighting machine. Its earliest form consisted of a motorised ironside chassis fitted with firing ports. By [[World War I]], this had evolved into a mobile fortress<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nT3zle-U3jgC&q=WWI+armored+cars&pg=PP1|title=1914–1938 Armored Fighting Vehicles|last=Bradford|first=George|date=2010|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=9780811705684|language=en}}</ref> equipped with command equipment, searchlights, and machine guns for self-defence. It was soon proposed that the requirements for the armament and layout of armoured cars be somewhat similar to those on naval craft, resulting in turreted vehicles. The first example carried a single revolving cupola with a [[Vickers gun]]; modern armoured cars may boast heavier armament – ranging from twin machine guns to large calibre cannon.

Some multi-axled wheeled fighting vehicles can be quite heavy, and superior to older or smaller tanks in terms of armour and armament. Others are often used in military marches and processions, or for the escorting of important figures. Under peacetime conditions, they form an essential part of most standing armies. Armoured car units can move without the assistance of transporters and cover great distances with fewer logistical problems than tracked vehicles.

During [[World War II]], armoured cars were used for reconnaissance alongside scout cars. Their guns were suitable for some defence if they encountered enemy armoured fighting vehicles, but they were not intended to engage enemy [[tank]]s. [[Armored car (military)|Armoured cars]] have since been used in the offensive role against tanks with varying degrees of success, most notably during the [[South African Border War]], [[Toyota War]], the [[Invasion of Kuwait]], and other [[Low intensity conflict|lower-intensity conflicts]].

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Rolls Royce 1920 Mk1 1 Bovington.jpg|[[Rolls-Royce Armoured Car]] in The Tank Museum, Bovington
File:T 17 Staghound Armored Car (1).jpg|American [[T17E1 Staghound]] armoured car of World War II
File:SATORY 9 JANVIER 2014 021 bis.jpg|French [[VBC-90|Renault VBC-90]] six-wheeled armoured car. 
</gallery>

==== Aerosledge ====
{{Main|Aerosledge}}
[[Image:RF-8.jpg|thumb|200px|The [[RF-8]], a smaller World War II model, powered by an inexpensive automotive engine]]
An ''aerosledge'' is a type of propeller-driven [[snowmobile]], running on skis, used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery and border patrolling in northern Russia, as well as for recreation. Aerosledges were used by the Soviet [[Red Army]] during the [[Winter War]] and [[World War II]].

Some early aerosledges were built by young [[Igor Sikorsky]] in 1909–10, before he built multi-engine airplanes and helicopters. They were very light [[plywood]] vehicles on skis, propelled by old airplane engines and propellers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/TRANSPORT/propsleigh/propsleigh.htm |title=The Propeller-Driven Sleigh |website=The Museum of Retro Technology |first=Douglas |last=Self |date=26 July 2005 |access-date=11 September 2008}}</ref>
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==== Scout car ====
{{Main|Scout car}}
A ''scout car'' is a military armoured [[reconnaissance vehicle]], capable of off-road mobility and often carrying mounted weapons such as [[machine gun]]s for offensive capabilities and crew protection. They often only carry an operational crew aboard, which differentiates them from wheeled armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and [[infantry mobility vehicle]]s (IMVs), but early scout cars, such as the open-topped US [[M3 scout car]] could carry a crew of seven. The term is often used synonymously with the more general term armoured car, which also includes armoured civilian vehicles. They are also differentiated by being designed and built for purpose, as opposed to improvised "[[Technical (vehicle)|technicals]]" which might serve in the same role.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Verkhnyaya Pyshma Tank Museum 2011 140.jpg|[[BA-64]] at the [[UMMC Museum of Military and Automotive Equipment|UMMC Museum]]
File:BRDM-2 (1964) owned by James Stewart pic1.JPG|Soviet [[BRDM-2]] amphibious scout car.
</gallery>
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==== Reconnaissance vehicle ====
{{Main|Reconnaissance vehicle|Armoured reconnaissance}}

A ''reconnaissance vehicle'', also known as a ''scout vehicle'', is a [[military vehicle]] used for forward [[reconnaissance]]. Both tracked and wheeled reconnaissance vehicles are in service. In some countries, light tanks such as the [[M551 Sheridan]] and [[AMX-13]] are also used by scout platoons. Reconnaissance vehicles are usually designed with a low profile or small size and are lightly armoured, relying on speed and cover to escape detection. Their armament ranges from a [[medium machine gun]] to an [[autocannon]]. Modern examples are often fitted with [[ATGM]]s and a wide range of sensors.
 
Armoured reconnaissance is the combination of [[terrestrial reconnaissance]] with [[armoured warfare]] by using tanks and wheeled or tracked armoured reconnaissance vehicles. While the mission of reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy with the use of reconnaissance vehicles, armoured reconnaissance adds the ability to fight for information, and to have an effect on and to shape the enemy through the performance of traditional armoured tasks.                                                                                                                                                                                       Some [[armoured personnel carrier]]s and [[infantry mobility vehicle]], such as the [[M113]], [[TPz Fuchs]], and [[Cadillac Gage Commando]] double in the reconnaissance role.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Stryker RV front q.jpg|[[United States Army]] [[M1127]]
File:Scimitar Light Tank MOD 45149231.jpg|British [[FV107 Scimitar]] tracked reconnaissance vehicle in the [[Salisbury Plain Training Area]]
</gallery>

==== Internal security vehicle ====
{{Main|Internal security vehicle}}
[[File:Bulgarian m1117.JPG|thumb|right|An American-made Bulgarian [[M1117]]]]

An internal security vehicle (ISV), also known as an armoured security vehicle (ASV), is a combat vehicle used for suppressing civilian unrest. Security vehicles are typically armed with a turreted [[heavy machine gun]] and auxiliary [[medium machine gun]]. The vehicle is designed to minimize firepower dead space. [[Non-lethal weapon|Non-lethal]] [[water cannon]]s and [[tear gas]] cannons can provide suppressive fire in lieu of unnecessary deadly fire.{{sfn|Margiotta|1996|p=56, 57}}

The vehicle must be protected against weapons typical of riots. Protection from [[Molotov cocktail|improvised incendiary device]]s is achieved though coverage of the air intake and exhaust ports as well as a strong locking mechanism on the fuel opening. Turret and door locks prevent access to the interior of the vehicle by rioters. Vision blocks, ballistic glass and window shutters and outside [[Closed-circuit television|surveillance cameras]] allow protected observation from within the vehicle. Wheeled 4x4 and 6x6 configurations are typical of security vehicles. Tracked security vehicles are often cumbersome and leave negative political connotations for being perceived as an imperial invading force.
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==== Military light utility vehicle ====
{{Main|Military light utility vehicle}}
Military light utility vehicles are the lightest weight class of military vehicles. It refers to light [[4x4]] military vehicles with light or no armour and all-terrain mobility. This type of vehicle originated in the first half of the 20th century when horses and other [[draft animal]]s were replaced with mechanization. Light utility vehicles such as the [[Willys Jeep]] were frequently mounted with .50-calibre machineguns and other small weapons for [[hit-and-run tactics]] in World War II, especially by the [[British Special Air Service]] who used Jeeps to raid [[Axis powers|Axis]] airfields during the [[North Africa campaign]]. After the war, vehicles like the [[Toyota Mega Cruiser]] and [[Humvee]] filled this role. In the 21st century, [[improvised explosive devices]] continue to pose threat to mobile infantry resulting in light utility vehicles being made heavier and with more armour.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:1942Jeep.jpg|[[Willys Jeep]] with a [[37 mm gun M3]] and [[M1917 Browning machine gun#M1917A1|M1917A1]] machinegun of the US Army's [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry]] in [[Newfoundland]]
File:USMC-04325 (cropped).jpg|American [[Humvee]], the main US light utility vehicle since the 1980s
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==== Improvised fighting vehicle ====
{{Main|Improvised vehicle armour|Improvised fighting vehicle|Narco tank|Gun truck|Technical (vehicle)}}
An improvised fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle resulting from modifications to a civilian or military non-combat vehicle in order to give it a fighting capability. Such modifications usually consist of the grafting of [[improvised vehicle armour|armour plating]] and [[weapon systems]]. Various militaries have procured such vehicles, ever since the introduction of the first [[automobile]]s into military service.

During the early days, the absence of a doctrine for the military use of automobiles or of an industry dedicated to producing them, lead to much improvisation in the creation of early armoured cars, and other such vehicles. Later, despite the advent of [[arms industry|arms industries]] in many countries, several armies still resorted to using ad hoc contraptions, often in response to unexpected military situations, or as a result of the development of new [[Military tactics|tactics]] for which no available vehicle was suitable. The construction of improvised fighting vehicles may also reflect a lack of means for the force that uses them. This is especially true in [[Underdeveloped country|underdeveloped countries]] and even in [[Developing country|developing countries]], where various armies and [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] forces have used them, as they are more affordable than military-grade combat vehicles.

Modern examples include '''military gun truck''' used by units of regular armies or other official government armed forces, based on a conventional [[Military vehicle|military cargo truck]], that is able to carry a large weight of weapons and armour. They have mainly been used by regular armies to escort military convoys in regions subject to ambush by [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] forces. "[[Narco tank]]s", used by [[Mexico|Mexican]] drug cartels in the [[Mexican drug war]], are built from such trucks, which combines [[operational mobility]], [[Military tactics|tactical]] [[Offensive (military)|offensive]], and [[defense (military)|defensive]] capabilities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-13488620 |title=Mexico police seize 'narco-tank'|date=22 May 2011 |work=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laplaza/2011/05/narco-tank-vehicles-cartels-drug-war-mexico.html|title='Narco tank' is latest find in cartels' armored vehicles |first=Daniel |last=Hernandez |date=25 May 2011|work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110606/wl_afp/mexicocrimedrugweapons |title=Mexico soldiers find narco 'tank' factory |access-date=2011-06-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612112125/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110606/wl_afp/mexicocrimedrugweapons |archive-date=12 June 2011 |work=Yahoo! News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/01/18/mexican-cartels-moving-drugs-in-armored-vehicles/ |title=Mexican Cartels Moving Drugs in Armored Vehicles |work=Fox News Latino |access-date=2014-08-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119210304/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/01/18/mexican-cartels-moving-drugs-in-armored-vehicles/ |archive-date=19 January 2012}}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:Na KhTZ-16.jpg|[[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[NI tank]] improvised fighting tractor of [[World War II|WWII]].
File:Free Syrian Army technical in the eastern Qalamoun Mountains (cropped).jpg|Technical armed with a [[ZPU-2]] [[heavy machine gun]] operated by the [[Free Syrian Army]] during clashes with [[ISIL|ISIS]] in the eastern [[Qalamoun Mountains]], southern Syria, 2017
File:Gun Truck.jpg|A gun truck of the type used in Iraq, based on an [[M939 Truck|M939]] five-ton truck
File:Narco-tank-1.jpg|"Monstruo 2010", a narco tank based on a [[Ford F-350]] with a [[gun turret|turret]] captured by [[Mexico|Mexican]] Authorities in [[Jalisco]]
</gallery>

=== Troop carriers ===
Troop-carrying AFVs are divided into three main types – armoured personnel carriers (APCs), infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and infantry mobility vehicles (IMV). The main difference between the three is their intended role – the APC is designed purely to transport troops and is armed for self-defence only – whereas the IFV is designed to provide close-quarters and anti-armour fire support to the infantry it carries. IMV is a wheeled armoured personnel carrier serving as a military patrol, reconnaissance or security vehicle.

==== Armoured personnel carrier ====
{{Main|Armoured personnel carrier}}
Armoured personnel carriers ('''APCs''') are intended to carry infantry quickly and relatively safely to the point where they are deployed. In the [[Battle of Amiens (1918)|Battle of Amiens]], 8 August 1918, the British [[Mk V tank#Mark V series|Mk V* tank]] (a lengthened Mark V) carried a small number of machine gunners as an experiment, but the men were debilitated by the conditions inside the vehicle.<ref>{{cite book
  |title=The British Tanks, 1915–1919
  |last=Fletcher |first=David
  |author-link=David Fletcher (military historian)
  |isbn=1-86126-400-3
  |publisher=Crowood Press
  |year=2001
  |page=149
}}</ref> Later that year the first purpose-built APC, the British [[Mark IX tank|Mk IX tank]] (Mark Nine), appeared. In 1944, the Canadian general [[Guy Simonds]] ordered the conversion of redundant armoured vehicles to carry troops (generically named "[[Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier)|Kangaroos]]"). This proved highly successful, even without training, and the concept was widely used in the [[21st Army Group]]. Post-war, specialised designs were built, such as the Soviet [[BTR-60]] and US [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113]].
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-801-0664-37, Berlin, Unter den Linden, Schützenpanzer.jpg|[[Nazi Germany|German]] WWII [[Sd.Kfz. 251]] [[half-track]]ed APC
File:IM000656.jpg|[[Israel|Israeli]] [[Namer]] tracked APC
File:GTK_Boxer_Fuehrungsfahrzeug_front.jpg|The [[Boxer (armoured fighting vehicle)|ARTEC Boxer]] armoured personnel carrier
</gallery>
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==== Infantry fighting vehicle ====
{{Main|Infantry fighting vehicle}}
An ''infantry fighting vehicle'' (''IFV''), also known as a ''mechanized infantry combat vehicle'' (''MICV''), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry [[infantry]] into battle and provide [[Direct fire|direct]] [[fire support]].<ref name=McNab>{{cite book|title=Combat Techniques: An Elite Forces Guide to Modern Infantry Tactics|year=2010|publisher=Macmillan|isbn=978-0-312-36824-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3YaVQR7x5QC|first1=Martin J. |last1=Dougherty |first2=Chris |last2=McNab |access-date=5 March 2011}}</ref> The first example of an IFV was the [[West Germany|West German]] [[Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30]] which served in the [[Bundeswehr]] from 1958 until the early 1980s.

IFVs are similar to armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and [[Armoured personnel carrier|infantry carrier vehicles]] (ICVs), designed to transport a [[Section (military unit)|section]] or [[squad]] of infantry (generally between five and ten men) and their equipment. They are differentiated from APCs{{snd}}which are purely "troop-transport" vehicles armed only for self-defence{{snd}}because they are designed to give direct fire support to the dismounted infantry and so usually have significantly enhanced armament. IFVs also often have improved [[vehicle armour|armour]] and some have firing ports (allowing the infantry to fire [[firearm|personal weapons]] while mounted).

They are typically armed with an [[autocannon]] of 20 to 57&nbsp;mm calibre, 7.62mm machine guns, [[anti-tank guided missile]]s (ATGMs) and/or [[surface-to-air missile]]s (SAMs). IFVs are usually [[Caterpillar track|tracked]], but some wheeled vehicles fall into this category. IFVs are generally less heavily armed and armoured than [[main battle tank]]s. They sometimes carry anti-tank missiles to protect and support infantry against armoured threats, such as the NATO [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW]] missile and Soviet [[9M117 Bastion|Bastion]], which offer a significant threat to tanks. Specially equipped IFVs have taken on some of the roles of light tanks; they are used by reconnaissance organizations, and light IFVs are used by airborne units which must be able to fight without the heavy firepower of tanks.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Puma, first series.jpg|The [[Germany|German]] [[Puma (IFV)|Puma]] infantry fighting vehicle
File:BMP-2M.jpg|[[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[BMP-2]]M amphibious IFV
File:Royal Tank Museum 157.jpg|[[South Africa]]n Wheeled [[Ratel IFV]]
</gallery>
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==== Infantry mobility vehicle ====
[[File:AMZ Tur PICT0096.jpg|thumb|[[Poland|Polish]] [[AMZ Tur]]]]
{{Main|Infantry mobility vehicle|MRAP}}
An ''infantry mobility vehicle'' (''IMV'') or ''protected patrol vehicle'' (''PPV'') is a wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) serving as a military patrol, reconnaissance or security vehicle. Examples include the [[ATF Dingo]], [[AMZ Dzik]], [[AMZ Tur]], [[Mungo ESK]], and [[Bushmaster IMV]]. This term also applies to the vehicles currently being fielded as part of the [[MRAP]] program.

IMVs were developed in response to the threats of modern counterinsurgency warfare, with an emphasis on [[Ambush]] Protection and [[Improvised Explosive Device|Mine]]-Resistance. Similar vehicles existed long before the term IMV was coined, such as the French [[Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé|VAB]] and South African [[Buffel]]. The term is coming more into use to differentiate light 4x4 wheeled APCs from the traditional 8x8 wheeled APCs. It is a [[neologism]] for what might have been classified in the past as an armoured [[scout car]], such as the [[BRDM]], but the IMV is distinguished by having a requirement to carry dismountable infantry. The up-armoured [[M1114]] Humvee variant can be seen as an adaptation of the unarmoured Humvee to serve in the IMV role.
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<gallery mode="packed">
File:CV9035 assessment (cropped).jpg|A [[Combat Vehicle 90|CV-9035]] [[Sweden|Swedish]] infantry fighting vehicle used by U.S. Army
File:M113IraqiFreedom.jpg|The [[M113 armored personnel carrier|M113]], one of the most common tracked APCs, on duty during the [[Iraq War]]
File:Dingo 2.jpg|An [[ATF Dingo]] of the [[German Army]] is a mine-resistant and ambush-protected infantry mobility vehicle used by several European armed forces
File:278th MP Company's new ASVs.jpg|A United States [[Army National Guard]] [[M1117 armoured security vehicle]]
File:Nexter Aravis, place Jeanne Helbling, Strasbourg 2010 (2).jpg|A French [[Nexter Aravis]] in [[Strasbourg]]
File:Norwegian Iveco LMV 02.jpg|Norwegian soldiers running operations in an [[Iveco LMV]] in Faryab province, Afghanistan. The Iveco LMV is widely used by European militaries.
File:Saxony State Police Survivor R (1).jpg|An [[RMMV Survivor R]] used by the [[Saxony]] State Police. In this configuration, it does not feature the .50 machine gun and grenade launcher remote weapon station used in the standard military configuration.
</gallery>

=== Amphibious vehicles ===
{{Main|Amphibious vehicle#Armored|Amphibious warfare|amphibious assault|Landing craft}}
Many modern military vehicles, ranging from light wheeled command and reconnaissance, through armoured personnel carriers and tanks, are manufactured with amphibious capabilities. Contemporary wheeled armoured amphibians include the French [[Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé]] and [[Véhicule Blindé Léger]]. The latter is a small, lightly armoured [[4×4]] all-terrain vehicle that is fully amphibious and can swim at 5.4&nbsp;km/h. The VAB (''Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé'' – 'armoured vanguard vehicle') is a fully amphibious armoured personnel carrier powered in the water by two water jets, that entered service in 1976 and produced in numerous configurations, ranging from basic personnel carrier, anti-tank missile platform.

During the [[Cold War]] the [[Soviet bloc]] states developed a number of amphibious APCs, fighting vehicles and tanks, both wheeled and tracked. Most of the vehicles the Soviets designed were amphibious, or could ford deep water. Wheeled examples are the [[BRDM-1]] and [[BRDM-2]] [[4x4]] armoured scout cars, as well as the [[BTR-60]], [[BTR-70]], [[BTR-80]], [[BTR-94]] and [[BTR-90]] [[Eight-wheel drive|8x8]] armoured personnel carriers.

[[File:Type 2 Ka-Mi amphibious tank.jpg|thumb|[[Type 2 Ka-Mi]] tank with flotation sections attached]]
During the 1930s and 1940s, Japan produced a number of amphibious tank designs, including prototypes such as the [[Sumida amphibious armored car]] (AMP), [[SR I-Go]], [[SR II Ro-Go]], [[SR III Ha-Go]], [[Type 2 Ka-Mi#History and development|Type 1 Mi-Sha]] (a/k/a Type 1 Ka-Mi) and [[Type 5 To-Ku]].{{sfn|Tomczyk|2003|pp=3, 4, 32}} Production amphibious tanks during World War II included the [[Type 2 Ka-Mi]], and [[Type 3 Ka-Chi]]; production amphibious transports included the [[F B swamp vehicle]] and [[Type 4 Ka-Tsu]] APC. All production units were for use by the [[Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces]] in campaigns in the Pacific with amphibious operations.{{sfn|Tomczyk|2003|p=4}}{{sfn|Zaloga|2007|pp=23, 24}}

The United States started developing a long line of [[Landing Vehicle Tracked]] (LVT) designs from {{Circa|1940}}. The US Marine Corps currently uses the AAV7-A1 [[Assault Amphibious Vehicle]], which was to be succeeded by the [[Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle]], which was capable of planing on water and can achieve water speeds of 37–46&nbsp;km/h. The EFV project has been cancelled.

A significant number of tracked armoured vehicles that are primarily intended for land-use, have some amphibious capability, tactically useful inland, reducing dependence on bridges. They use their tracks, sometimes with added propeller or water jets for propulsion. As long as the banks have a shallow enough slopes to enter or leave the water they can cross rivers and water obstacles.

Some heavy tanks can operate amphibiously with a fabric skirt to add [[buoyancy]]. The [[M4 Sherman|Sherman]] [[DD tank]] used in the [[Normandy landings]] had this setup. When in water the waterproof float screen was raised and propellers deployed. Some modern vehicles use a similar skirt.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:DD-Tank.jpg|[[M4 Sherman]] [[DD tank]] during WWII
File:BTR-80 coming ashore.jpg|[[BTR-80]]s coming ashore, engine snorkels and waterjet deployed
File:AAV-australia.jpg|Two [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] [[Assault Amphibious Vehicle]]s emerge from the surf onto the sand of [[Freshwater Beach]], Australia
File:PKP trailer attached to the amphibian carrier [[PTS-2]] in Military-historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.jpg|PKP trailer
File:PTS-M.jpg|Soviet [[PTS-M]] landing craft
</gallery>
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=== Airborne vehicles ===

[[File:C-130 airdrop.jpg|thumb|[[C-130]] airdrops an [[M551]] light tank]]
Lightweight armoured fighting vehicles designed or modified to be [[airlift|carried by aircraft]] and delivered by air drop, helicopter lift, glider, or air landing with infantry to provide heavier tactical firepower and mobility. The air-equivalent to amphibious vehicles, the main advantage of airborne forces is their ability to be deployed into combat zones without land passage, as long as the [[airspace]] is accessible. Airborne vehicles are limited only by the tonnage capacity of their [[military transport aircraft|transport aircraft]]. Airborne vehicles typically lack the armour and supplies necessary for prolonged combat, so they are utilized for establishing an [[airhead (warfare)|airhead]] to bring in larger forces before carrying out other combat objectives. One modern example is the German [[Wiesel AWC]]. The USA also created the [[M22 Locust]] as a way to aid paratroopers/ being paradropped in as it was very lightly armoured and very small.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nash |first=Mark |date=2017-05-09 |title=Light Tank (Airborne) M22 Locust |url=https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/us/light-tank-airborne-m22-locust |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=Tank Encyclopedia |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Armoured engineering vehicle ===
[[File:IDF Puma CEV (5).jpg|thumb|[[IDF Puma]] combat engineering vehicle]]
{{Main|Military engineering vehicle}}
Modern engineering AFV's utilize chassis based on main battle tank platforms: these vehicles are as well armoured and protected as tanks, designed to keep up with tanks, breach obstacles to help tanks get to wherever it needs to be, perform utility functions necessary to expedite mission objectives of tanks, and to conduct other earth-moving and engineering work on the battlefield. These vehicles go by different names depending upon the country of use or manufacture. In the United States the term "combat engineer vehicle (CEV)" is used, in the United Kingdom the term "[[Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers]] (AVRE)" is used, while in Canada and other commonwealth nations the term "armoured engineer vehicle (AEV)" is used. There is no set template for what such a vehicle will look like, yet likely features include a large dozer blade or mine ploughs, a large calibre demolition cannon, augers, winches, excavator arms and cranes, or lifting booms.

Although the term "armoured engineer vehicle" is used specifically to describe these multi-purpose tank-based engineering vehicles, that term is also used more generically in British and Commonwealth militaries to describe all heavy tank-based engineering vehicles used in the support of mechanized forces. Thus, "armoured engineer vehicle" used generically would refer to AEV, AVLB, Assault Breachers, and so on. Good examples of this type of vehicle include the UK [[Trojan Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers|Trojan AVRE]], the Russian IMR, and the US [[M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle]].
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[[File:ILÜ_2012_-_Panzer_Keiler.jpg|alt=|thumb|A [[German Army|German army]] [[Rheinmetall]] [[Keiler (mine flail)|Keiler]]. It uses a heavy-duty rotor-powered mine flail, which causes mines it comes in contact with to safely detonate.]]

==== Breaching vehicle ====
{{Main|Military engineering vehicle#Breaching vehicle}}
A '''breaching vehicle''' is especially designed to clear pathways for troops and other vehicles through [[minefields]] and along [[roadside bomb]]s and other [[Improvised Explosive Device|improvised explosive device]]s. These vehicles are equipped with mechanical or other means for the breaching of man-made obstacles. Common types of breaching vehicles include mechanical [[Mine flail|flails]], mine plough vehicles, and mine roller vehicles.
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==== Armoured bulldozer ====
[[File:IDF-D9-Zachi-Evenor-001.jpg|thumb|[[IDF Caterpillar D9]] [[armoured bulldozer]]]]
{{Main|Armored bulldozer}}
The armoured bulldozer is a basic tool of [[combat engineering]]. These [[combat engineering vehicle]]s combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armour which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat. Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of [[vehicle armour]]/military equipment, but some are [[tank]]s stripped of armament and fitted with a dozer blade. Some tanks have bulldozer blades while retaining their armament, but this does not make them armoured bulldozers as such, because combat remains the primary role – earth moving is a secondary task.
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==== Armoured recovery vehicle ====
{{Main|Armoured recovery vehicle}}
An ''armoured recovery vehicle'' (''ARV'') is a type of [[Vehicle recovery (military)|vehicle recovery]] armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs. To this end the term ''armoured repair and recovery vehicle'' (''ARRV'') is also used.

ARVs are normally built on the [[chassis]] of a main battle tank (MBT), but some are also constructed on the basis of other armoured fighting vehicles, mostly armoured personnel carriers (APCs). ARVs are usually built on the basis of a vehicle in the same class as they are supposed to recover; a tank-based ARV is used to recover tanks, while an APC-based one recovers APCs, but does not have the power to tow a much heavier tank.
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==== Armoured vehicle-launched bridge ====
{{Main|Armoured vehicle-launched bridge}}
An ''armoured vehicle-launched bridge'' (''AVLB'') is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of [[combat engineering vehicle]], designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying [[tank]]s and other armoured fighting vehicles across rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank chassis to carry a folding metal bridge instead of weapons. The AVLB's job is to allow armoured or infantry units to cross water, when a river too deep for vehicles to wade through is reached, and no bridge is conveniently located (or sufficiently sturdy, a substantial concern when moving 60-ton tanks).

The bridge layer unfolds and launches its cargo, providing a ready-made bridge across the obstacle in only minutes. Once the span has been put in place, the AVLB vehicle detaches from the bridge, and moves aside to allow traffic to pass. Once all of the vehicles have crossed, it crosses the bridge itself and reattaches to the bridge on the other side. It then retracts the span ready to move off again. A similar procedure can be employed to allow crossings of small chasms or similar obstructions. AVLBs can carry bridges of {{convert|60|ft|m|abbr=off}} or greater in length. By using a tank chassis, the bridge layer is able to cover the same terrain as main battle tanks, and the provision of armour allows them to operate even in the face of enemy fire. However, this is not a universal attribute: some exceptionally sturdy 6x6 or 8x8 truck chassis have lent themselves to bridge-layer applications.
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==== Combat engineer section carriers ====
''Combat engineer section carriers'' are used to transport [[sapper]]s ([[combat engineer]]s) and can be fitted with [[bulldozer]]s' blades and other mine-breaching devices. They are often used as APCs because of their carrying ability and heavy protection. They are usually armed with [[machine gun]]s and grenade launchers and usually tracked to provide enough tractive force to push blades and rakes. Some examples are the U.S. [[M113 Armored Personnel Carrier|M113 APC]], [[IDF Puma]], [[Nagmachon]], Husky, and U.S. [[M1132 Engineer Support Vehicle|M1132 ESV]] (a [[Stryker]] variant).
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<gallery mode="packed">
File:French_army_EFA_DSC00859.jpg#/media/File:French_army_EFA_DSC00859.jpg|French [[EFA (mobile bridge)|EFA]] [[Pontoon bridge#Amphibious float bridge|Amphibious float bridge]]
File:M60-panther-mcgovern-base.jpg|A remotely controlled Panther armoured mine clearing vehicle leads a column down a road in [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]], 16 May 1996.
File:M1 Assault Breacher Vehicle.jpg|Marines with 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion launch a [[M58 MICLIC]] from an [[M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle]]
File:D9-IDF-2018-Zachi-Evenor-1.jpg|An armoured [[IDF Caterpillar D9]] [[armoured bulldozer|bulldozer]], nicknamed "דובי" ('[[Teddy bear]]') in Israel. Its armour allows it to work under heavy fire.
File:Bergepanzer Bueffel.jpg|BPz3 "Büffel" armoured recovery vehicle, [[German Army]]
File:M60A1 Armored Vehicle Landing Bridge.jpg|An [[M60 AVLB|M60A1 armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB)]], deploying its scissors-type bridge
File:Stryker ESV front q.jpg|An [[M1132]] engineer squad vehicle (ESV) issued to combat engineer squads in the US Army Stryker brigade combat teams
</gallery>

=== Air defence vehicles ===

{{Main|Self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon|Counter rocket, artillery, and mortar|Close-in weapon system}}
An anti-aircraft vehicle, also known as a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun (SPAAG) or self-propelled air defense system (SPAD), is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti-aircraft capability.
Specific weapon systems used include [[machine guns]], [[autocannon|anti-aircraft autocannon]]s, larger anti-air guns, or [[surface-to-air-missiles]], and some mount both guns and longer-ranged missiles (e.g. the Pantsir-S1). Platforms used include both trucks and heavier combat vehicles such as armored personnel carriers and tanks, which add protection from aircraft, artillery, and small arms fire for front line deployment.
Anti-aircraft guns are usually mounted in a quickly-traversing turret with a high rate of elevation, for tracking fast-moving aircraft. They are often in dual or quadruple mounts, allowing a high rate of fire. In addition, most anti-aircraft guns can be used in a direct-fire role against surface targets to great effect. In the early 21st century, missiles (generally mounted on similar turrets) largely supplanted anti-aircraft guns, though guns have recently shown revived utility against slow, low-flying drones.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Brno, Řečkovice, transportér Praga V33 II.JPG|[[Czechoslovakia|Czechoslovak]] self-propelled anti-aircraft gun [[M53/59 Praga]] developed in the late 1950s.
Image:Wirbelwind CFB Borden 2.jpg|[[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Wirbelwind]] - a [[2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling#2 cm Flakvierling 38|20 mm ''Flakvierling'']] quadmount on a [[Panzer IV]] chassis.
File:Gepard 1a2 overview.jpg|[[Flakpanzer Gepard]], Germany
File:JLTV 1.jpg|At AUSA 2017, a [[Joint Light Tactical Vehicle|JLTV]] Utility variant mounting [[Boeing]]'s [[SHORAD]] Launcher
File:2008 Moscow Victory Day Parade - 9K22 Tunguska.jpg|Typical of more modern designs, the [[Tunguska-M1]] mounts both [[Surface-to-air missile|missile]]s and [[autocannon]]s.
</gallery>
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=== Self-propelled artillery ===
{{Main|Self-propelled artillery|Self-propelled gun}}
Self-propelled [[artillery]] vehicles give mobility to [[artillery]]. Within the term are covered [[self-propelled gun]]s (or [[howitzer]]s) and [[rocket artillery]]. They are highly mobile, usually based on tracked chassis carrying either a large howitzer or other field gun or alternatively a [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]] or some form of rocket or missile launcher. They are usually used for long-range [[indirect-fire|indirect]] bombardment support on the battlefield.

In the past, self-propelled artillery has included direct-fire "Gun Motor Carriage" vehicles, such as [[assault gun]]s and [[tank destroyer]]s (also known as self-propelled anti-tank guns). These have been heavily armoured vehicles, the former providing danger-close fire-support for infantry and the latter acting as specialized anti-tank vehicles.

Modern self-propelled artillery vehicles may superficially resemble tanks, but they are generally lightly armoured, too lightly to survive in direct-fire combat. However, they protect their crews against [[Shrapnel (fragment)|shrapnel]] and [[small arms]] and are therefore usually included as armoured fighting vehicles. Many are equipped with [[machine gun]]s for defence against enemy infantry.

The key advantage of self-propelled over towed artillery is that it can be brought into action much faster. Before towed artillery can be used, it has to stop, unlimber and the guns set up. To move position, the guns must be limbered up again and brought – usually towed – to the new location. By comparison, self-propelled artillery in combination with modern communications, can stop at a chosen location and begin firing almost immediately, then quickly move on to a new position. This ability is very useful in a mobile conflict and particularly on the advance.

Conversely, towed artillery was and remains cheaper to build and maintain. It is also lighter and can be taken to places that self-propelled guns cannot reach, so despite the advantages of the self-propelled artillery, towed guns remain in the [[arsenal]]s of many modern armies.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Destroyed german self-propelled gun carriage.jpg|A [[Wespe]] destroyed in [[Normandy]], 1944.
File:G6 Howitzer2.JPG|[[G6 howitzer]] wheeled SPG
File:Slovak Ground Forces Zuzana 2 first time outside Slovakia (1) (cropped).jpg|Slovak Self-propelled 155mm Howitzer model 2000 [[155 mm SpGH Zuzana|Zuzana]]
File:April 9th rehearsal in Alabino of 2014 Victory Day Parade (558-34).jpg|A Russian [[2S19 Msta-S]] in 2014
</gallery>
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==== Assault gun ====
{{Main|Assault gun}}
An assault gun is a gun or howitzer mounted on a motor vehicle or armoured chassis, designed for use in the [[direct fire]] role in support of [[infantry]] when attacking other infantry or [[fortified]] positions.

Historically, the custom-built fully armoured assault guns usually mounted the gun or howitzer in a fully enclosed [[casemate]] on a tank chassis. The use of a [[casemate]] instead of a [[gun turret]] limited these weapons' [[field of fire (weaponry)|field of fire]], but allowed a larger gun to be fitted relative to the chassis, more armour to be fitted for the same weight, and provided a cheaper construction. In most cases, these turretless vehicles also presented a lower profile as a target for the enemy.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:ISU-152 at Victory Park in Moscow.jpg|[[ISU-152]]K, [[Poklonnaya Hill|Victory Park]], [[Moscow]], Russia
File:Ikv 91 a.jpg|[[Infanterikanonvagn 91]], Swedish [[gun turret|turreted]] amphibious assault gun
</gallery>
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==== Self-propelled siege gun ====
[[File:Karl6.jpg|thumb|A [[Karl-Gerät]] firing in Warsaw,1944]]
{{Main|Self-propelled siege gun}} 
Self-Propelled siege guns often carry cannons or mortars in excess of 400mm. The carrying platform could be multiple vehicles, built for use on train rails, or a purpose-built chassis.
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==== Mortar carrier ====
{{Main|Mortar carrier}}
A mortar carrier, or self-propelled mortar, is a [[self-propelled artillery]] vehicle carrying one or more [[mortar (weapon)|mortar]] as its primary weapon. Mortar carriers cannot be fired while on the move and some must be dismounted to fire. In U.S. Army doctrine, mortar carriers provide close and immediate indirect fire support for maneuver units while allowing for rapid displacement and quick reaction to the tactical situation. The ability to relocate not only allows fire support to be provided where it is needed faster, but also allows these units to avoid [[counter-battery fire]]. Mortar carriers have traditionally avoided direct contact with the enemy. Many units report never using secondary weapons in combat.

Prior to the [[Iraq War]], American 120&nbsp;mm mortar platoons reorganized from six [[M1064 mortar carrier]]s and two M577 fire direction centres (FDC) to four M1064 and one FDC.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.benning.army.mil/Armor/eARMOR/content/issues/2006/JUL_AUG/ArmorJulyAugust2006web.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.benning.army.mil/Armor/eARMOR/content/issues/2006/JUL_AUG/ArmorJulyAugust2006web.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Mortar Platoon Training Focus to Meet the Evolving Battlefield |magazine=[[Armor (magazine)|Armor]] |last=Ward |first=CPT Stephen |publisher=United States Army Armor Center |location=[[Fort Knox]] |date=July–August 2006 |volume=CXV |issue=4 |pages=41–42 |issn=0004-2420}}</ref> The urban environment of Iraq made it difficult to utilize mortars. New technologies such as mortar ballistic computers and communication equipment and are being integrated. Modern era combat is becoming more reliant on [[direct fire]] support from mortar carrier [[machine gun]]s.
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<gallery mode="packed">
File:T5E1-motar-carrier-4.2inch-haugh.jpg|T5E1 4.2inch mortar carrier variant of the [[M3 Scout Car]].
File:ParkPatriot2015part11-150.jpg|[[2S9 Nona]]-S 120&nbsp;mm Soviet [[self-propelled mortar]], 2016.
File:Stryker MCV-B.jpg|An American [[M1129 mortar carrier]]
</gallery>

==== Multiple rocket launcher ====
{{Main|Multiple rocket launcher}}
A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided [[rocket artillery]] system. Like other [[rocket (weapon)|rocket]] artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower (sustained) rate of fire than batteries of traditional [[artillery]] guns. However, they have the capability of simultaneously dropping many hundreds of kilograms of explosive, with devastating effect.

The [[Korea|Korean]] [[Hwacha]] is an example of an early weapon system with a resemblance to the modern-day multiple rocket launcher. The first self-propelled multiple rocket launchers – and arguably the most famous – were the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Katyusha rocket launcher|BM-13 Katyushas]], first used during World War II and exported to Soviet allies afterwards. They were simple systems in which a rack of launch rails was mounted on the back of a truck. This set the template for modern multiple rocket launchers. The first modern multiple rocket launcher was the [[Nazi Germany|German]] ''[[15 cm Nebelwerfer 41]]'' of the 1930s,{{citation needed|date=September 2013}} a small towed artillery piece. Only later in [[World War II]] did the British deploy similar weapons in the form of the [[Mattress (rocket)|Land Mattress]].The Americans mounted tubular launchers atop [[M4 Sherman]] tanks to create the [[T34 Calliope]] rocket launching tank, only used in small numbers, as their closest equivalent to the Katyusha.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Panzerwerfer alias Maultier.jpg|[[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Panzerwerfer]] [[Half-track|half-tracked]] MRLS.
File:BM-31-12 on ZIS-12 chassis at the Museum on Sapun Mountain Sevastopol 4.jpg|[[Katyusha rocket launcher]] at the Museum ([[Diorama]]) on Sapun Mountain, [[Sevastopol]]
File:9a52 smerch.jpg|[[BM-30 Smerch]] 300&nbsp;mm rocket launcher in raised position
File:Army mlrs 1982 02.jpg|The [[M270]] MLRS conducts a rocket launch.
</gallery>
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==== Missile vehicle ====
[[Missile vehicle]]s are trucks or tractor units designed to carry rockets or missiles. The missile vehicle may be a self-propelled unit, or the missile holder/launcher may be on a trailer towed by a prime mover. They are used in the military forces of a number of countries in the world. Long missiles are commonly transported parallel to the ground on these vehicles, but elevated into an inclined or vertical position for launching.
* A [[Transporter erector launcher]] (TEL) is a missile vehicle with an integrated prime mover (tractor unit) that can carry, elevate to firing position and launch one or more missiles. Such vehicles exist for both surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:19-03-2012-Parade-rehearsal - Topol-M.jpg|Missile truck [[MZKT]] 79221 under missile [[RT-2PM2 Topol-M|Topol-M]]
Image:sa-4.jpg|A [[Soviet]] [[2K11 Krug]] [[Transporter erector launcher|TEL]]
File:MoscowParade2009 7.jpg|[[S-300 missile system]].
</gallery>

==== Tank destroyer ====
{{Main|Tank destroyer|Anti-tank missile carrier|Anti-tank warfare}}

Tank destroyers and tank hunters are armed with an [[anti-tank gun]] or [[anti-tank missile]] launcher, and are designed specifically to engage enemy armoured vehicles. Many have been based on a tracked tank chassis, while others are wheeled. Since World War II, main battle tanks have largely replaced gun-armed tank destroyers; although lightly armoured anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) carriers are commonly used for supplementary long-range anti-tank engagements.

In post-[[Cold War]] conflict, the resurgence of [[expeditionary warfare]] has seen the emergence of gun-armed wheeled vehicles, sometimes called "protected gun systems", which may bear a superficial resemblance to tank destroyers, but are employed as direct fire support units typically providing support in low intensity operations such as Iraq and Afghanistan. These have the advantage of easier deployment, as only the largest air transports can carry a main battle tank, and their smaller size makes them more effective in urban combat.

Many forces' IFVs carry anti-tank missiles in every infantry platoon, and attack helicopters have also added anti-tank capability to the modern battlefield. But there are still dedicated anti-tank vehicles with very heavy long-range missiles, or intended for airborne use. There have also been dedicated anti-tank vehicles built on ordinary armoured personnel carrier or armoured car chassis. Examples include the U.S. M901 ITV (Improved TOW Vehicle) and the Norwegian NM142, both on an [[M113]] chassis, several Soviet ATGM launchers based on the [[BRDM-2|BRDM scout car]], the British FV438 [[Swingfire]] and [[FV102 Striker]] and the [[West Germany|German]] ''Raketenjagdpanzer'' series built on the chassis of the [[HS 30]] and [[Marder (infantry fighting vehicle)|Mardar IFV]]s.

<gallery mode="packed">
File:M3 75mm gun motor carriage.jpg|American [[M3 Gun Motor Carriage|M3 GMC]] [[half-track]]ed tank destroyer
Image:M-36 tank destroyer at Dudelange, Luxembourg, 3 January 1945 (SC 198612).jpg|90&nbsp;mm GMC [[M36 tank destroyer|M36]] during the Battle of the Bulge in January, 1945
File:Jagdtiger 1 Bovington.jpg|British-captured [[Nazi Germany|German]] [[Jagdtiger]] in [[The Tank Museum]], the UK
File:NM142 x 3.jpg|A Norwegian anti-tank platoon equipped with [[NM142]] TOW missile launchers
File:Panzermuseum Munster 2010 0915.JPG|[[West Germany|West German]] missile tank destroyer [[Raketenjagdpanzer 2]].
</gallery>

=== Armoured train ===
{{Main|Armoured train|Draisine#Military use}}
An ''armoured train'' is a railway train protected with [[vehicle armour|armour]]. They are usually equipped with rail cars armed with [[artillery]], [[autocannon]]s, [[machine gun]]s, tank [[gun turret|turret]]s and [[anti-aircraft gun]]s. They were mostly used during the late 19th to mid-20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower. Their use was discontinued in most countries when road vehicles became much more powerful and offered more flexibility, and because armoured trains were too vulnerable to track sabotage and attacks from the air. However, the [[Russian Federation]] used improvised armoured trains in the [[Second Chechen War]] in the late 1990s and 2000s. Armoured trains carrying ballistic missiles have also been used.

The rail cars on an armoured train were designed for many tasks, such as carrying artillery and machine guns, infantry units, anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns. During World War II, the Germans would sometimes put a ''Fremdgerät'' (captured AFVs such as the French [[Somua S-35]] or Czech [[PzKpfw 38(t)]]), or obsolescent [[Panzer II]] light tanks on a flatbed rail car, which could quickly be offloaded by means of a ramp and used away from the railway line to chase down enemy [[Partisan (military)|partisans]].

Different types of armour were used to protect armoured trains from attack. In addition to various metal plates, concrete and sandbags were used in some cases on armoured trains.

Armoured trains were sometimes escorted by a kind of rail-tank called a [[draisine]]. One such example was the Italian 'Littorina' armoured trolley, which had a cab in the front and rear, each with a control set so it could be driven down the tracks in either direction. Littorina mounted two dual 7.92mm [[MG-13|MG13]] machine gun turrets from [[Panzer I]] light tanks.
<gallery mode="packed">
File:MÁV armoured train.jpg|[[Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen|Hungarian]] [[MÁVAG]] armoured train in 1914
File:Pancierovy vlak-Zvolen.jpg|Replica of the [[Armored train Hurban|"Hurban" armoured train]] located in Zvolen, Slovakia
File:Obrněná drezína Tatra T 18.gif|[[Polish People's Republic|Polish]] armoured [[Draisine#Military use|draisine]] [[Tatra T18]].  
</gallery>
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{{Main|Mobile missile launcher}}
A missile vehicle, also known as a missile carrier, missile truck, or (if capable of launching) missile launcher vehicle, is a military vehicle that is purpose-built and designed to carry missiles, either for safe transportation or for launching missiles in combat. Missile vehicles include transporter erector launchers (TEL) and multiple rocket launchers (MRL).
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== See also ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* [[Armoured warfare]]
* [[Lists of armoured fighting vehicles]]
* [[Non-military armored vehicles|Non-military armoured vehicles]]
* ''[[Tachanka]]''
* [[Tank classification]]
* [[Vehicle markings of the United States military]]
}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

=== Sources ===
* {{cite book|title=Brassey's encyclopedia of land forces and warfare|year=1996|publisher=Brassey's|isbn=1-57488-087-X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ipz0AzERg_MC&q=%22Main+battle+tank%22|editor-first=Franklin D. |editor-last=Margiotta|access-date=19 February 2011}}
* {{cite book | last= Gougaud| first= Alain| title= L'aube de la gloire: les autos mitrailleuses et les chars français pendant la Grande Guerre, histoire technique et militaire, arme blindée, cavalerie, chars, Musée des blindés| year= 1987| isbn= 978-2-904255-02-1 |location=Issy-les-Moulineaux |publisher=Société OCEBUR |language=fr}}
* {{cite book|last= Macksey|first= Kenneth|title= The Guinness Book of Tank Facts and Feats|year= 1980|publisher= Guinness Superlatives Limited|isbn= 0-85112-204-3}}
* {{cite book | last = Tomczyk | first = Andrzej | year = 2003 | title = Japanese Armor Vol. 3 | publisher = AJ Press | isbn = 978-8372371287 }}
* {{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven J. | author-link = Steven Zaloga | title = Japanese Tanks 1939–45 | pages=7, 8 | publisher = Osprey Publishing | year = 2007 | isbn = 978-1-8460-3091-8 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Armored fighting vehicles}}
* [https://archive.today/20121212211037/http://www.army.mil/factfiles/equipment/wheeled/ US Wheeled armoured fighting vehicles]

{{Military and war}}
{{WWI tanks|style=wide}}
{{Interwar tanks|style=wide}}
{{WWII tanks|style=wide}}
{{Cold War tanks|style=wide}}
{{Post-Cold War tanks|style=wide}}

[[Category:Military vehicles by type]]
[[Category:Armoured fighting vehicles| ]]