Armored Vehicle
Armored Vehicle, a self-propelled motor vehicle enclosed by armor plate to protect the occupants against attack. The largest and most heavily protected armored vehicles are tanks.
Tanks are mainly used for attacking other armored vehicles, infantry, and ground targets. Some can also fire at aircraft. Tanks carry weapons such as cannons, machine guns, 120- or 125-millimeter guns, and grenade launchers. These weapons are often mounted in a revolving structure called a turret. Some carry smoke generators in order to conceal their position from an enemy. Tanks may have metal or ceramic armor. Many modern tanks have heavy frontal armor capable of withstanding attack by weapons that can penetrate 20 to 40 inches (51 to 102 centimeters) of steel. These tanks are also equipped with computer fire control systems and are even able to withstand the effects of a nuclear explosion. Almost all tanks travel on continuous tracks and have a three- or four-member crew.
Tanks can be classified into two types: main battle tanks or armored reconnaissance vehicles. Main battle tanks are larger and can weigh from 35 to 70 tons (32 to 64 metric tons); armored reconnaissance vehicles weigh from 10 to 25 tons (9 to 23 metric tons). On level ground, tanks can travel as fast as 50 miles (80 kilometers) per hour and average about 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) per hour on rough terrain. Tanks can climb and descend slopes as steep as 30 degrees and can pivot to change direction.
Tanks got their name from the British, who developed them around the time of World War I. To disguise their purpose at the time of construction, the British called them water tanks. The British used tanks for the first time in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, against Germany.By World War II, every nation involved used tanks. The greatest tank battle in history took place in 1943, when the Soviets defeated the Germans at Kursk, in the Soviet Union. In 1944, Allied tanks cemented an Allied victory in Europe by entering Germany.
Tanks have been used extensively in many wars since then, particularly in the Middle East. Precision-guided weapons were used for the first time in the Arab-Israeli War of 1973. More than 6,000 tanks were utilized, though almost half were destroyed. The United States used over 2,000 tanks in the Persian Gulf War of 1991. Tanks were also used extensively by the United States and its allies as they took control of Iraq during the Iraq War that began in 2003.
Military armored cars are used for scouting and to patrol hostile cities. They are also used by police forces for riot control. These vehicles are wheeled and thus are faster and more maneuverable than tanks, which run on treads. They are, however, not as heavily armored.
Armored personnel carriers (APC) transport infantrymen to the front lines, where they dismount and fight. The APC is also used as a command post or first-aid station. It is lightly armored and is equipped with a machine gun. The U.S. Marine APC is called the assault amphibian vehicle and can propel itself through shallow water.
Armored fighting vehicles (AFV), also called infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), are moving battle stations. Infantrymen fire their weapons through small openings. The AFV is more heavily armored than the APC, and is equipped with a cannon and missiles as well as a machine gun.
Light-armored vehicles (LAV) are fast, all-terrain vehicles useful for reconnaissance and for nighttime hit-and-run attacks. The LAV is typically equipped with machine guns, cannons or missiles, and smoke grenade launchers.
Self-propelled artillery includes armored vehicles mounting howitzers, long-range guns, antiaircraft guns, mortars, and battlefield missiles. They are normally fired while the vehicle is stationary.
Combat engineer vehicles are designed to remove obstacles blocking tanks or infantry. Such a vehicle is equipped with a winch, booms, and bulldozer blades. It carries a heavy gun, used mainly for demolition.
Civilian armored cars resemble ordinary trucks. They have bulletproof glass and a ventilating system to foil tear gas attacks. These vehicles are used to pick up and deliver money for mints, banks, and businesses that handle large amounts of cash.