Types of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehiclesTypes of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehicles

Types of Armoured Fighting Vehicle

Tank

Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV)

Light Tank Main Battle Tank

Wheeled Vehicle Tracked Vehicle

An armoured fighting vehicle (or armored fighting vehicle; AFV) is a military vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked.Armoured fighting vehicles are classified according to their intended role on the battlefield and characteristics. This classification is not absolute; at different times different countries will classify the same vehicle in different roles.

Types of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehiclesTypes of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehicles

The tank is an all terrain AFV designed primarily 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 days of tank development, a standard, mature design configuration has since emerged to a generally accepted pattern. This features a main artillery gun, mounted in a fully rotating turret atop a tracked automotive hull, with various additional machine guns throughout.

TankTank

Types of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehiclesTypes of Armoured Fighting Types of Armoured Fighting VehiclesVehicles

Light TankLight Tank

Light tankLight tank (small, thinly (small, thinly armoured, weakly gunned, but armoured, weakly gunned, but highly mobile tanks intended for highly mobile tanks intended for the armoured reconnaissance the armoured reconnaissance role).role).

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Main Battle TankMain Battle Tank

Main Battle tanksMain Battle tanks have usually have usually been deployed to fulfill the need been deployed to fulfill the need for a breakthrough tank, though for a breakthrough tank, though in practice have been more useful in practice have been more useful in the defensive role than in the in the defensive role than in the attack. Design goals have attack. Design goals have included attacking obstacles, included attacking obstacles, creating breakthroughs, and creating breakthroughs, and engaging enemy armoured engaging enemy armoured formations.formations.

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IFVsIFVs are designed to transport a are designed to transport a section or squad of infantry (generally section or squad of infantry (generally between five and ten men) and their between five and ten men) and their equipment. They are differentiated equipment. They are differentiated from APCs - which are purely transport from APCs - which are purely transport vehicles, armed only for self defence - vehicles, armed only for self defence - because they are designed to give because they are designed to give direct fire support to the dismounted direct fire support to the dismounted infantry and so usually have infantry and so usually have significantly enhanced armament. IFVs significantly enhanced armament. IFVs also often have improved armour and also often have improved armour and firing ports (allowing the infantry to firing ports (allowing the infantry to fire personal weapons while mounted).fire personal weapons while mounted).

Infantry fighting Vehicle Infantry fighting Vehicle (IFV)(IFV)

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Wheeled IFVWheeled IFV

Wheeled IFVs can travel great distances on their own without needing to be transported by flat-bed trucks and railway, as required by tracked IFVs.

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Tracked IFVTracked IFVTracked IFVsTracked IFVs need to have need to have their treads serviced or their treads serviced or replaced on a regular replaced on a regular basis. The tracks basis. The tracks themselves and the weight themselves and the weight of the IFVs tend to be of the IFVs tend to be tough on road surfaces, tough on road surfaces, wearing them down more wearing them down more quickly than a wheeled IFV. quickly than a wheeled IFV.