Armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle ( or armored fighting vehicle - see spelling differences ) AFV is a combat vehicle , protected by strong armour and armed with weapon s , which combines operational mobility , tactical offensive , and defensive capabilities . AFVs can be wheeled or tracked . It is not uncommon for AFVs to be simply referred to as " armour " ( or " armor " ) . 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 . For example , armoured personnel carrier s were generally replaced by infantry fighting vehicle s in a similar role , but the latter has some capabilities lacking in the former . There may also be hybrid vehicles , such as the Stryker family of AFVs ; the M1128 Mobile Gun System , an armoured car which mounts a large 105mm gun normally used in tank destroyer s , but can theoretically be reconfigured to the M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle . Successful general - purpose armoured fighting vehicles often also serve as the base of a whole family of specialized vehicles , for example , the M113 and MT - LB tracked carriers , and the MOWAG Piranha wheeled AFV . History . Prior to the invention of the internal combustion engine , there were numerous examples of ' armoured fighting vehicles ' - that is to say protected machines used for war fighting . Some examples were powered by man - power alone , whereas others used the horse to provide motive power . Human - powered AFVs . The siege engine were amongst the first armoured machines - battering rams would often be armoured in order to protect the crews from the defenders , who might use incendiaries , chemicals , explosives , and other projectile attacks to try to prevent the attack . In Ancient China , the Dongwu Che ( Chinese : 洞屋车 ) was a kind of mobile armoured cart used from the 5th century BCE . It was used for the purpose of protecting warriors on the battlefield - a sort of early APC . Leonardo da Vinci designed a form of AFV in the 15th century - his drawings of what some describe as a " tank " show a man - powered , wheeled vehicle with cannons all around it . However the human crew would not have enough power to move it over larger distance , and usage of animals was problematic in a space so confined . Horse - drawn AFVs . The earliest successful AFVs were a wide range of " armoured carriages " whose designs historically struggled between exposed - lightweight rapid - mobility , and cumbersome - yet - effective protection . The chariot was used for war as " battle taxis " and mobile archery platforms , as well as more peaceable pursuits such as hunting or racing for sport , and as a chief vehicle of many ancient peoples , when speed of travel was desired rather than how much weight could be carried . The original chariot was a fast , light , open , two - wheeled conveyance drawn by two or more horses that were hitched side by side . The car was little more than a floor with a waist - high semicircular guard in front . The chariot , driven by a charioteer , was used for ancient warfare during the bronze and the iron ages . Armor was limited to a shield . The vehicle was used for travel , in processions , games , and races after it had been superseded by other vehicles for military purposes . The war wagon was a medieval development during the Hussite Wars around 1420 by Hussite forces rebelling in Bohemia . It was a heavy wagon given protective sides with firing slits and heavy firepower from either a cannon or a force of hand - gunners and crossbowmen , supported by infantry using pikes and flails . Groups of them could form defensive works , but they also were used as hardpoints for Hussite formations or as firepower in pincer movements . This early use of gunpowder and innovative tactics helped a largely peasant infantry stave off attacks by the Holy Roman Empire larger forces of mounted knights . The war wagon is similar to the Korean Hwacha , which was first produced in 1407 by the order of " King Sejong the Great " during the early Joseon Dynasty . The tachanka was a horse - drawn machine gun platform , usually a cart or an open wagon with a heavy machine gun installed in the back . A tachanka could be pulled by two to four horses and required a crew of two or three ( one driver and a machine gun crew ) . A number of sources attribute its invention to Nestor Makhno . Modern AFVs . The first modern AFVs were armoured cars , dating back virtually to the invention of the motor car . The Davidson Automobile Battery armored car , Davidson - Duryea gun carriage and Charron - Girardot - Voigt 1902 were early attempts to make a machine gun mobile and provide some degree of protection for the vehicle and occupants . Armoured cars were largely used as scouting vehicles , and were armoured to protect the crew . The development of the AFV continued into World War I , when the tracked tank was introduced on the Western Front - a machine that was armoured because it had to cross ground under fire from machine guns , had guns to engage the same machine guns and tracks to cross ground broken up by shellfire and trenches . The tank proved highly successful , and as technology improved the tank 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 the wide range of AFVs that exist today , with most armies having vehicles to carry infantry , artillery and anti - aircraft weapon ry by the end of World War II . Most modern AFVs are superficially similar in design to their World War II counterparts , with significantly better armour , weapons , engines and suspension - however with an increase in the capacity of transport aircraft allowing AFVs to be practically transported by air , many armies are replacing some or all of their traditional heavy vehicles with lighter airmobile versions , often with wheels instead of tracks . Design . Armour . The level of armour protection between AFVs varies greatly - a main battle tank will normally be designed to take hits from other tank guns 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 place in 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 . 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 IEDs and so will have heavy , sloped armour on the bottom of the hull . Weaponry . Weaponry varies by a very wide degree between AFVs - lighter vehicles for infantry carrying , reconnaissance or specialist roles may have only a machine gun for self - defence ( or no armament at all ) , whereas heavy self propelled artillery will carry large guns , mortars or rocket launchers . These weapons may be mounted on a pintle , affixed directly to the vehicle or placed in a turret or cupola . The greater the recoil a weapon on an AFV is , the larger the turret ring needs to be . A larger turret ring necessitates a larger vehicle . To avoid listing to the side , turrets are usually located at the centre of the vehicle on vehicles that are capable of amphibious operations . Grenade launcher s provide a versatile launch platform for a plethora of munitions including , smoke , phosphorus , tear gas , illumination , anti - personnel , infrared and radar - jamming rounds . Turret stabilization is an important capability because it enables firing on the move and prevents crew fatigue . Engine . Modern AFVs have primarily used either petrol ( gasoline ) or diesel piston engines . More recently gas turbines have been used . Most early AFVs used petrol engines , as they offer a good power - to - weight ratio . However , they fell out of favour during World War Two due to the flammability of the fuel . Most current AFVs are powered by a diesel engine ; modern technology including the use of turbo - charging help 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 . Modern classification by type and role . Notable armoured fighting vehicles extending from post - World War I to today . Tank . 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 . 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 or small fortress ( though these are static fortifications of a purely defensive nature ) that can move toward the enemy - hence its offensive utility . Historically , tanks are divided into three categories : Cavalry tank , cruiser tank , infantry tank , and breakthrough tank have been used by various countries to classify tanks by operational role . Tankette is used to describe particularly small one or two - man vehicles , typically armed with a machine gun and / or anti - air weapons . A modern main battle tank incorporates advances in automotive , artillery , and armour technology to combine the best characteristics of the historic medium and heavy tanks into a single , all around type . It 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 - hungry makes it logistically demanding . It has the heaviest armour of any IFV 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 . It is among the most versatile and fearsome weapons on the battlefield , valued for its shock action against other troops and high survivability , although it can be still be vulnerable to anti - tank warfare . Tankette . A tankette is a tracked armed and armoured vehicle resembling a small " ultra - light tank " roughly the size of a car , mainly intended for light infantry support or scouting . They were one or two - man vehicles armed with a machine gun . Colloquially it may also simply mean a " small tank " . Tankettes were designed and built by several nations between the 1920s and 1940s . 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 . Super - heavy tanks . 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 siegeworks / 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 , along with a few in the Cold War . However , the immense size made most designs impracticable , few examples have ever been built , and there is no clear evidence any of these vehicles saw combat . Flame tank . A flame tank is a tank equipped with a flamethrower , most commonly used to supplement combined arms attacks against fortifications , confined spaces , or other obstacles . The type only reached significant use in the Second World War , during which the United States , Soviet Union , Germany , Italy , Japan and the United Kingdom ( including members of the British Commonwealth ) all produced flamethrower - equipped tanks . A number of production methods were used . The flamethrowers used were either modified versions of existing infantry flame weapons ( Flammpanzer I and II ) or specially designed ( Flammpanzer III ) . They were mounted externally ( Flammpanzer II ) , replaced existing machine gun mounts , or replaced the tank ' s main armament ( Flammpanzer III ) . Fuel for the flame weapon was either carried inside the tank , in armoured external storage , or in some cases in a special trailer behind the tank ( Churchill Crocodile ) . Flame tanks have been superseded by thermobaric weapons such as the Russian TOS - 1 . Armoured car . The military ' s armoured car is a wheeled armoured vehicle , generally lighter than other armoured fighting vehicles , primarily being armoured and / or armed for self - defence of the occupants . Other multi - axled wheeled military vehicles can be quite large , and actually be superior to some smaller tracked vehicles in terms of armour and armament . They usually do not have attached weaponry . Armoured cars are often used in military marches and processions , or for the escorting of important figures . Aerosani . An " aerosani " ( , literally " aerosled " ) 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 . Aerosanis were used by the Soviet Red Army during the Winter War and World War II . The first aerosanis may have been 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 . Scout car . A scout car is a of military armored 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 armored personnel carrier s ( 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 armored car , which also includes armored civilian vehicles . They are also differentiated by being designed and built for purpose , as opposed to improved technicals which might serve in the same role . Internal security vehicle . An internal security vehicle ( ISV ) , also known as an armoured security vehicle ( ASV ) , is a combat vehicle used for supporting contingency operations . 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 and the vehicles weapons can be depressed to a maximum of 12° . Non - lethal water cannon s and tear gas cannons can provide suppressive fire in lieu of unnecessary deadly fire . The vehicle must be protected against weapons typical of riots . Protection from 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 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 . Improvised fighting 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 armour plating and weapon systems . Various militaries have procured such vehicles , ever since the introduction of the first automobiles 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 car s , and other such vehicles . Later , despite the advent of 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 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 developing countries , where various armies and 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 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 forces . " Narco tank s " , used by Mexican drug cartels in the Mexican Drug War , are built from such trucks , which combines operational mobility , tactical offensive , and defensive capabilities . Troop Carriers . Troop - carrying AFVs are divided into two main types - armoured personnel carriers ( APCs ) and infantry fighting vehicles ( IFVs ) . The main difference between the two is down to 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 fire support to the infantry it carries . 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 support . The first example of an IFV was the West German Schützenpanzer Lang HS . 30 which served in the Bundeswehr from 1958 until the early 1980s . . IFVs are similar to armoured personnel carrier s ( APCs ) and infantry carrier vehicle s ( ICVs ) , designed to transport a section or squad of infantry ( generally between five and ten men ) and their equipment . They are differentiated from APCs — which are purely " troop - transport " vehicles armed only for self - defense — 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 armour and some have firing ports ( allowing the infantry to fire personal weapons while mounted ) . They are typically armed with an autocannon of 20 to 40mm calibre , 7 . 62mm machine guns , anti - tank missile s ( ATGMs ) and / or surface - to - air missile s ( SAGMs ) . IFVs are usually 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 TOW missile and Soviet 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 . Armoured personnel carrier . Armoured personnel carrier s are intended to carry infantry quickly and relatively safely to point where they are deployed . In 1918 , the British Mk V tank was capable of carrying a small number of troops . In the US the term " Infantry Carrier Vehicle ( ICV ) " is used . In 1944 , the Canadian general Guy Simonds ordered the conversion of redundant armoured vehicles to carry troops ( generically named " Kangaroo s " ) . 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 . Infantry mobility vehicle . An infantry mobility vehicle ( IMV ) or protected patrol vehicle ( PPV ) is a wheeled armored 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 counter insurgency warfare , with an emphasis on Ambush Protection and Mine - Resistance . Similar vehicles existed long before the term IMV was coined , such as the French 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 . Amphibious vehicles . Many modern military vehicles , ranging from light wheeled command and reconnaissance , through armoured personnel carrier s 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 4x4 all - terrain vehicle that is fully amphibious and can swim at 5 . 4 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 and BTR - 94 8x8 armoured personnel carriers and the BTR - 90 infantry fighting vehicle . The United States started developing a long line of Landing Vehicle Tracked ( LVT ) designs from ca . 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 km / h . The EFV project has been cancelled . A significant amount of tracked armoured vehicles that are primarily intended for land - use , have some amphibious cability , 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 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 . Armoured engineering vehicle . Typically based on the platform of a main battle tank , these vehicles go by different names depending upon the country of use or manufacture . In the US the term " combat engineer vehicle ( CEV ) " is used , in the UK 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 . These vehicles are designed to directly conduct obstacle breaching operations and to conduct other earth - moving and engineering work on the battlefield . Good examples of this type of vehicle include the UK Trojan AVRE , the Russian IMR , and the US M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle . It should be noted that while 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 . Assault breacher vehicle . An assault breacher vehicle ( ABV ) , also known as a explosive ordnance disposal vehicle ( EODV ) , or simply Breacher , is especially designed to clear pathways for troops and other vehicles through minefields and along roadside bomb s and Improvised Explosive Device s . These vehicles are based on a tank - chassis with 1 , 500 + horsepower engines , but fitted with a 50 - caliber machine gun and a front - mounted 5 - meter - wide plow , supported by metallic skis that glide on the dirt and typically equipped with at least 7 , 000 pounds ( 3 , 175 kilograms ) of Mine Clearing Line Charge s : rockets carrying C - 4 explosives up to 100 – 150 meters forward , detonating hidden bombs at a safe distance , so that troops and vehicles can pass through safely . They were called " " the answer " " to the deadliest threat facing NATO troops in modern asymmetrical conflict . Armoured bulldozer . The armored bulldozer is a basic tool of combat engineering . These combat engineering vehicle s combine the earth moving capabilities of the bulldozer with armor which protects the vehicle and its operator in or near combat . Most are civilian bulldozers modified by addition of vehicle armor / 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 armored bulldozers as such , because combat remains the primary role — earth moving is a secondary task . Armoured recovery vehicle . An armoured recovery vehicle ( ARV ) is a type of 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 carrier s ( 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 . 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 60 feet ( 19 metres ) or greater in length . By using a tank chassis , the bridge layer is able to cover the same terrain as main battle tank s , 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 . Combat engineer section carriers . The combat engineer section carriers are used to transport sapper s ( combat engineer s ) and can be fitted with a bulldozer ' s blade 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 APC , IDF Puma , Nagmachon , Husky , and U . S . M1132 ESV ( a Stryker variant ) . Self - propelled anti - aircraft weapon . An anti - aircraft vehicle , also known as a self - propelled anti - aircraft weapon ( SPAA ) or self - propelled air defense system ( SPAD ) , is a mobile vehicle with a dedicated anti - aircraft capability . The Russian equivalent of SPAAG is ZSU ( from " zenitnaya samokhodnaya ustanovka " - " anti - aircraft self - propelled mount " ) . Specific weapon systems used include machine guns , autocannons , larger guns , or missiles , and some mount both guns and longer - ranged missiles . Platforms used include both trucks and heavier combat vehicles such as APCs 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 . Today , missiles ( generally mounted on similar turrets ) have largely supplanted anti - aircraft guns . Self - propelled artillery . 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 or some form of rocket or missile launcher . They are usually used for long - range indirect bombardment support on the battlefield . In the past , self - propelled artillery has included direct fire 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 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 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 the towed artillery can be used , it has to stop , unlimber and set up the guns . 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 . Assault gun carriage . 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 armored 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 , 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 . The increased space and reduced weight of the turretless design also allowed for the mounting of a larger weapon and heavier frontal armour on any given chassis . In most cases , these turretless vehicles also presented a lower profile as a target for the enemy . Mortar carrier . A mortar carrier is a self - propelled artillery vehicle carrying a 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 120mm mortar platoons reorganized from six M1064 mortar carrier s and two M577 fire direction centers ( FDC ) to four M1064 and one FDC . 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 guns . Multiple rocket launcher . A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system . Like other 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 Korean Hwacha is an example of an early weapon system with a resemblance to the modern - day multiple rocket launcher . The first modern multiple rocket launcher was the German " Nebelwerfer " of the 1930s , a small towed artillery piece . Only later in World War II did the Allies deploy similar weapons in the form of the Land Mattress . The first self - propelled multiple rocket launchers — and arguably the most famous — were the Soviet BM - 13 Katyusha s , 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 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 . Tank destroyer . Tank destroyers are armed with an anti - tank gun or 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 work . The resurgence of expeditionary warfare after the Cold War 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 reconnaissance car , the British FV438 Swingfire and FV102 Striker and the German Raketenjagdpanzer series built on the chassis of the HS 30 and Marder IFV . Armoured train . An armoured train is a railway train protected with armour . They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine gun s . They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 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 as well as attacks from the air . However , the Russian Federation used improvised armoured trains in the Second Chechen War in the late 1990s and 2000s . The railroad cars on an armoured train were designed for many tasks such as carrying guns and machine guns , infantry units , anti - aircraft guns . During World War II , the Germans would sometimes put a " Fremdgerät " ( such as a captured French Somua S - 35 or Czech PzKpfw 38 ( t ) light tank , or Panzer II light tank ) on a flatbed car which could be quickly offloaded by means of a ramp and used away from the range of the main railway line to chase down enemy partisan s Different types of armour were used to protect from attack by tanks . In addition to various metal plates , concrete and sandbags were used in some cases for improvised armoured trains . Armoured trains were sometimes escorted by a kind of rail - tank called a draisine . One such example was the ' 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 MG13 machine gun turrets from Panzer I light tanks .