Armoured Personnel Carrier: Modern Warfare's Backbone and Tactical Mobility Evolution

By Fouad Sabry

What is Armoured Personnel Carrier

An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Armoured personnel carrier

Chapter 2: Armoured fighting vehicle

Chapter 3: Infantry fighting vehicle

Chapter 4: Mechanized infantry

Chapter 5: BMD-1

Chapter 6: IDF Achzarit

Chapter 7: List of modern armoured fighting vehicles

Chapter 8: List of armoured fighting vehicles by country

Chapter 9: BTR-90

Chapter 10: Boragh

(II) Answering the public top questions about armoured personnel carrier.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Armoured Personnel Carrier.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 20, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Armoured personnel carrier

Armoured personnel carriers, sometimes known as APCs, are a broad category of armored military vehicles that are manufactured for the purpose of transporting soldiers and equipment in areas of conflict. Around the world, armored personnel carriers (APCs) have become an extremely ubiquitous component of military equipment ever since World War I.

An armored personnel carrier (APC) is defined as an armoured combat vehicle that is designed and equipped to transport a combat infantry squad and which, as a rule, is armed with an integral or organic weapon of less than 20 millimeters calibre. This definition can be found in the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Armed personnel carriers (APCs) have a less amount of armament than infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), which are also used to transport infantry into battle. Additionally, APCs are not intended to provide direct fire support during combat. The term mechanized infantry refers to infantry troops that are transported on armored personnel carriers (APCs). There are also certain militaries that differentiate between infantry units that utilize armored personnel carriers (APCs) and infantry units that use infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), with the latter being referred to as armoured infantry in these militaries.

One of the first armored vehicles to be used in combat was the Spanish Schneider-Brillié which saw action in Morocco.

In principle, it was constructed using the chassis of a Schneider P2-4000 bus, and it had the capacity to transport twelve passengers.

The Western Front of World War I was the place where the concept of the armored personnel carrier was first conceived. In the later stages of the battle, Allied tanks were able to break through hostile trenches; but, the infantry that followed, which was required to consolidate the ground that had been captured, continued to face artillery and small arms fire. Because there was no help from infantry, the tanks were left alone, making it easier to destroy them. As a response, the British conducted experiments in which they attempted to transport machine-gun crews inside the Mark V tank. However, it was discovered that the circumstances within the tanks left the men unfit for war.

Half-tracks, such as the American M3 and the German Sd.Kfz. 251, had a purpose that was comparable to that of armored personnel carriers (APCs) after World War II. The full-tracked Universal Carrier was an essential resource for the British Commonwealth troops. During the course of the conflict, armored personnel carriers (APCs) progressed from being straightforward armored cars with the capability to transport troops to becoming purpose-built vehicles. The many Kangaroos that were converted from M7 Priest self-propelled guns and from Churchill, M3 Stuart, and Ram tanks were included in the category of armored personnel carriers (APCs) that were repurposed from obsolete armored vehicles.

More specialized armored personnel carriers were created during the Cold War. However, the M113 armored personnel carrier was the most frequent of these vehicles, with more than 80,000 of them being manufactured. The United States of America launched a succession of these vehicles, including successors to the Landing Vehicle Tracked that was used during the war. Since then, Western nations have retired the majority of their M113s and replaced them with more modern armored personnel carriers, many of which are wheeled. The heavily armored Israeli Achzarit, which was modified from captured T-55 tanks, is an example of a Kangaroo that was used during the cold war. The Namer prototype was the culmination of this concept.

Meanwhile, Within the Warsaw Pact, their very own variants of the APC were developed.

The Soviet Union termed theirs the Bronetransporter (Russian: бронетранспортер), more commonly referred to as the BTR series.

Specifically, it was the BTR-40, MT-152 BTR, A BTR-60, 70th BTR, A BTR-80, an additional BTR-90, when taken as a whole, were manufactured in a significant quantity.

A universal amphibious vehicle known as the OT-64 SKOT was jointly developed by Czechoslovakia and Poland.

As infantry fighting vehicles, the BMP series is referred to by that name, Nevertheless, it is intended to serve the purpose of transporting troops to the battlefield.

It is the BMP-1, 2, and 3 are all able to transport troops in their respective capacities.

Conventionally speaking, armoured personnel carriers are not designed to engage in direct-fire combat; rather, they are armed for the purpose of self-defense and armored to offer protection against shrapnel and small weapons fire.

An armored personnel carrier (APC) can be wheeled or tracked, or it can sometimes be a combination of the two, such as a half-track.

However, wheeled vehicles have higher ground pressure, which reduces their mobility off-road and makes them more prone to become stuck in soft terrains such as mud, snow, or sand. Wheeled cars are often faster on the road and less expensive than other types of vehicles. approximately 10% of its road speed, while the AAVP-7 is capable of swimming at 8.2 miles per hour (13.2 kilometers per hour).

Generally speaking, armored personnel carriers are specifically built to provide protection against artillery fire and small weapons fire. The Israeli Defense Forces Namer has the same amount of armor as the Merkava main combat tank. Some variants have more protection than others. In most cases, steel or aluminum are the materials that make up armor. Moreover, they will make use of bulletproof glass.

The CBRN protection system, which is installed on a significant number of armored personnel carriers, is designed to offer protection against weapons of mass destruction such as poison gas and radioactive and nuclear weapons.

As a general rule, armored personnel carriers (APCs) will be lighter and less armored than infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or tanks. Many APCs will have open tops and doors and windows, similar to the French VAB.

Armoured personnel carriers are primarily intended for transportation and are equipped with a limited amount of weapons. Both unarmed and armed with a variety of machine guns, including light, medium, and heavy machine guns, as well as automatic grenade launchers, are possible for them.

The M2 Browning machine gun, the 7.62mm FN MAG, and the 40mm Mk 19 grenade launcher are common types of weapons that are used to equip armored personnel carriers (APCs) in Western nations. Machine guns such as the KPV, PKT, and NSV are frequently used in countries that were formerly part of the Eastern bloc.

During open top mounts, the gunner is able to operate a gun that is mounted on a pintle or ring. This mount allows the gunner to leave the vehicle. In contrast to a pintle mount, which has a restricted field of fire, a ring mount enables the cannon to rotate through a full 360 degrees. In some cases, it is preferable than having an enclosed gunner since it enables a wider field of view and allows for communication through the use of yells and hand signals. The gunner, on the other hand, is not adequately shielded and runs the risk of being injured in the case that the vehicle rolls over. In the course of the Vietnam War, M113 gunners frequently endured significant fatalities.

It is possible for the crew of an enclosed vehicle to control the weapons system while being shielded by the armor of the vehicle since enclosed vehicles are equipped with turrets. The Soviet BTR-60 is equipped with a heavy machine gun that is located on an enclosed turret and a coaxial machine gun that is mounted on a PKT. Among the machine guns that are mounted aboard the United States Assault Amphibious Vehicle, Personnel (AAVP7) are an M2, a.50 caliber MG, and a Mk 19 grenade launcher. These machine guns are housed in fully enclosed turrets, which are often equipped with optics that enhance their accuracy.

Recently, armored personnel carriers have been outfitted with remote weapon systems. One of the standard Strykers is equipped with a Protector remote weapons system and an M2 machine gun.

It is possible to utilize armored personnel carriers (APCs) as armoured ambulances in order to transport injured soldiers. Stretchers and other medical items are included in the provision of these vehicles.

The Geneva Conventions state that mobile medical units of the Medical Service may in no circumstances be attacked, but shall at all times be respected and protected by the Parties to the conflict. This provision is found in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These individuals are often unarmed, despite the fact that article 22 permits them to carry defensive weaponry. Following the provisions of Article 39, the symbol of the medical service shall be displayed... on all equipment employed in the Medical Service. As a result, armoured ambulances are branded with emblems that are recognized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The armored personnel carrier (APC) is the ancestor of the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). Alongside armored personnel carriers and armored personnel carriers, various kinds of infantry fighting vehicles may be deployed in armoured and mechanized troops. The primary distinction between an armored personnel carrier (APC) and an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is the function that each vehicle is intended to fulfill. It is stipulated in the CFE treaty that an infantry fighting vehicle is an armored personnel carrier (APC) that possesses a gun that is more than 20 millimeters. This higher firepower allows the vehicle to get more involved in combat, providing fire support to dismounted soldiers.

With an emphasis on mine resistance, the notion of an armored automobile has been given a new name: Infantry mobility vehicle (IMV). This is a term that was previously used. It is primarily for the purpose of protecting passengers in unconventional theaters of battle that they are utilized.

In the late 1970s, the South African Casspir was constructed for the very first time. As the 21st century progressed, they became more popular in the geopolitical environment that followed the Cold War. The uparmoured M1114 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) is a clear example of this, as it is identical to prior High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) designs and functions. The incorporation of armour affords passengers the opportunity to be protected. M1114s have been primarily replaced by Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, which were specifically designed for the purpose.

IMVs often have a v-shaped underbelly that is designed to deflect my blasts outwards. Additionally, they have additional