What is armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) ?

M1128 Mobile Gun System

An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with tactical offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Tanks, armoured cars, armoured self-propelled guns, and armoured personnel carriers are all examples of AFVs. It is not uncommon for AFVs in general to be simply referred to as "armour".

The concept of a highly mobile and protected fighting unit has been around for centuries; from Hannibal's war elephants to Leonardo's war machines, military strategists endeavoured to maximize the mobility and survivability of their soldiers. 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 carriers were generally replaced by infantry fighting vehicles 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 105 mm gun normally used in tank destroyers and tanks, 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

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 paradoxical needs of mobility, firepower and protection.

sources: wikipedia