4. Stryker
The Stryker is the first new armored vehicle to be introduced into U.S. Army service since 1980. This versatile warrior can be used as either an infantry carrier or mobile gun system armed with a 105-mm cannon. With a top speed of 62 mph and the ability to carry nine troops plus crew, this all-terrain vehicle provides both a highly mobile troop transport and a powerful gun in the fluid combat environment of the war against terror. With the ability to be airlifted by the C-130 Hercules, the Stryker can reach a combat zone much faster than the weighty Abrams tank, which has been criticized for being too heavy and unable to cope with off-road situations. The Stryker has seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than 2,400 have been contracted to be built.
3. MCV-80 Warrior
The British MCV-80 Warrior, like the U.S. Bradley, reflected a change in the philosophy of armored personnel carrier design that had come about when the Soviet BMP-1 was introduced. APCs were now infantry fighting vehicles, capable of giving fire support and engaging enemy vehicles. During the recent Iraqi conflict, a Warrior demonstrated its ability to take punishment when, caught in a fierce firefight, its driver managed to get the vehicle out of harm's way and save the lives of his badly wounded troops. For this action the driver was awarded Britain's highest military honor, the Victoria Cross. Self-contained, the Warrior carries sufficient stores and equipment to fight on the battlefield for a sustained period of 48 hours, plus a range of 410 miles, a speed of 47 mph and a 7.62 chain gun. The Warrior earns huge praise from all that have fought with, and against, it. This tough APC is now the standard vehicle of the British armed forces.
2. M-2 Bradley
The shortcomings of armored personnel carriers as battlefield vehicles — thin armor and limited firepower — led to the concept of the infantry-fighting vehicle in the late 1960s. Rather than simply carry an infantry squad to the battlefield, where they would dismount to fight, the IFV would enable infantrymen to fire their weapons from within the vehicle and engage targets while still protected behind armor. Derived from Soviet and German designs, the Bradley IFV went into production in 1981. With laminate spaced armor on top of an aluminium hull, the M-2 provides greater protection for its passengers than the M-113. The Bradley also has greater firepower available in the form of a 25-mm chain gun that can fire depleted uranium rounds. This powerful weapon knocked out more Iraqi armor during Operation Desert Storm than the 120-mm guns of the Abrams tank and is on the U.S. Army's books for the foreseeable future.
1. M-113
After World War II had shown the need for an armored personnel carrier for infantry, it became obvious that a fully tracked vehicle would offer the best combination of speed and all-terrain mobility. The M-113 went into production in the early 1960s. With the ability to carry 10 troops plus crew, an all-terrain speed of 40 mph and a range of 300 miles, it was an immediate winner. Since then over 80,000 have been built, and the M-113 has been exported to nearly 50 countries. Amphibious and air portable, the M-113 has been used in combat in Vietnam, the Middle East and Iraq. Besides fulfilling its basic personnel carrier role, the vehicle has served as a mortar carrier, command, anti-aircraft and flamethrower vehicle. The M-113 is still going strong and will probably be one of the most widely used armored vehicles ever built.
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