10 best armored vehicles from the Discovery Channel
Continuing the “10 Best” rating from the Discovery Channel, I would like to draw attention to one more amusing selection. This time, the experts got into the attention of “Armored Personal Carriers” - a general designation for all types of armored vehicles intended for transporting personnel. The review includes both light armored personnel carriers weighing 5 tons and heavy infantry fighting vehicles. Despite the seeming absurdity, it is quite logical - all this equipment, tracked or wheeled, regardless of its size, performs the same task - transporting people and goods in military conflicts, protecting them with their armor. For example, there are no strict differences, for example, between an APC or a BMP. The only thing that distinguished them in theory is that an infantry fighting vehicle is capable of supporting infantry in combat, when, as an APC, it only delivers them to the battlefield. With the disappearance of a clearly marked front line, namely, it is observed in all local conflicts of the last quarter of the twentieth century, an armored personnel carrier and an infantry fighting vehicle now perform the same functions. Modern armored vehicles, regardless of their mass, often carry the same weapons, and serve as a platform for the creation of specialized military equipment - from command-post and ambulance vehicles to self-propelled howitzers and multiple rocket launchers.
In contrast to the controversial and controversial rating of "10 best tanks according to the Military Channel ", the rating of" 10 best armored vehicles ", in my opinion, is very adequate and actually correct: it contains really decent cars. It would be useful to add that you should not take such ratings seriously - after all, this is an infotainment program. Therefore, dear readers, I recommend that you pay attention not so much to the places in the ranking as to the machines themselves. For example, I myself, not being an expert in the field of armored vehicles, did not suspect the existence of many of them. And yet, in this review there is a serious conclusion - the review shows the most promising directions for the development of armored vehicles, the correct decisions and mistakes of designers. Indeed, if the landing party prefers to move ON armor, rather than UNDER armor, then something is really wrong with the armored vehicles.
Comparison criteria, as always, will be technical excellence, innovative solutions for creating this sample, manufacturability and mass production, and of course, the main judge will be combat experience.
Well, probably this is all that I wanted to add from myself, on this the prelude is over, let's move on to the rating. There are many decent cars in the world, but exactly 10 fit into the top ten.
10 Place - Marder
Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle, combat mass - 33 tons. Year of adoption - 1970. Crew - 3 man + 7 man landing.
Created as a response to the Soviet BMP-1. The armament complex includes the 20 mm Rheinmetall-202 automatic cannon and the ATGM Milan. Speed (up to 75 km / h on the highway), excellent security, German quality - what else do you need a good BMP? The overall picture is slightly spoiled by Marder’s lack of combat experience - with the exception of episodic participation in operations in Afghanistan, this armored vehicle almost did not go beyond the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In total, the Germans assembled their wonder-BMP 2700, including self-propelled SAMs at their base. Good in all respects the car. Tenth place.
9 location - M1114
American armored vehicle. As you can already guess from the pictures, this is the legendary Humvee with a set of armor. By the middle of the 90-x, from the experience of the combat use of the M998 chassis, it became clear that the army needed a light armored personnel carrier on its base, with anti-fragmentation booking and, most importantly, resistant mine protection. The M1114 possessed all these qualities, combining mobility, security and firepower with a total mass of less than 5 tons. A set of detachable weapons for the M1114 includes everything from light machine guns on the roof to remotely controlled 12,7 mm machine gun installations, MANPADS and anti-tank missile systems.
From here you should make a small excursion to history "Humvee" (he - the chassis M998 HMMWV). Adopted by the United States in 1981, as a “highly mobile multi-purpose wheeled vehicle,” the Humvee became one of the symbols of the American army, shining in all the conflicts of the last 30 years. According to General Motors, 200 000 of all Humvee versions has been produced to date. One of the most important properties of this half-face-semi-jeep was the versatility of the design. Here are just some of the machines based on it:
M998 - open cargo car,
M998 Avenger - version with the Stinger anti-aircraft missile system,
M966 - armored jeep with anti-tank complex TOW,
M1097 - Double Pickup,
M997 - sanitary jeep with a four-seater cabin,
M1026 is a variant with a fully closed quadruple body and a winch,
M1035 is a sanitary version with a four-door cab,
M1114 - light armored personnel carrier, one of the most popular versions of the Humvee
Designers of General Motors were able to find the optimal balance between the carrying capacity, allowing to perform all the functions of a universal army vehicle, mount a variety of weapons and armor, and, at the same time, unnecessarily over-heavy the car, while maintaining the size of a large jeep. The Humvee has become a benchmark in its class. Now army off-road vehicles in all countries of the world borrow its technical solutions, layout and appearance.
Army technology a priori can not be successful in the civilian market in conditions of free competition. This axiom always serves as proof of the excuse of exorbitant military spending: “If you don’t want to feed your army, you will feed someone else’s,” etc. in the same vein. In the case of the Hummer, we see the opposite - a stylish army vehicle, retaining the main components (including the liter engine, transmission, suspension) 6, became a successful commercial project - in the 1992, the civilian version of the Hummer H1 with a minimum cosmetic changes, later developing to the iconic luxury class SUV “Hummer H2” with a luxury-salon and automatic transmission.
The armored army version of the Humvee M1114 fought a lot around the world, often came under fire, burned, exploded, stuck in the mud, but nevertheless saved the lives of the soldiers sitting inside. What is required of this army technology.
8 Place - The Universal Carrier
British multi-purpose tractor-hauler - the main assistant to the British soldier. The seemingly unsightly car with a crew of 5 people famously moved at speeds up to 50 km / h on the battlefields of World War II. The Universal Carrier fought on all fronts: from Europe and the Eastern Front to the Sahara and the jungles of Indonesia. Later he managed to take part in the war on the Korean Peninsula and gloriously ended his career in the 1960s.
With a mass of just 4 tons, The Universal Carrier had a decent maneuverability and was protected by 10 mm armor. The armament of the linear armored personnel carriers included an 14 mm anti-tank gun and / or a 7,7 mm Bren machine gun. In addition to the basic version, the flame-throwing machine “Wasp” and self-propelled guns with an 40 mm gun were delivered to the troops.
Total for years of mass production from 1934 to 1960. At the enterprises of Great Britain, the USA, Australia and Canada 113 000 of these small, but such useful cars was made.
7 Place - Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251
A formidable war machine that crushed the European countries, the sands of North Africa, and the icy expanses of Russia with its wheels and tracks.
The half-tracked SdKfz 251 armored personnel carrier fully complied with the strategy of the Blitzkrieg - a fast, spacious and well-protected vehicle with high traffic. The crew - 2 man + 10 man landing, speed on the highway 50 km / h, wheel-tracked propulsion, round-trip booking thickness up to 15 mm. Like any German technology, the armored personnel carrier was equipped with a huge variety of options and equipment to perform any tasks. The German engineering genius sold out in full force, so appreciate the scale: SdKfz 251 was equipped with a variety of surveillance and communication devices, cranes and winches, radio stations of all types and frequencies, assault bridges, sets of removable armor and various weapons, among which were even such exotic as jet rocket launcher systems Wurframen 40 280 caliber mm.
On the SdKfz 251 platform, a great variety of specialized machines were created: in addition to the basic model, ambulance and command-staff vehicles, observation and communication machines, mobile telephone stations, artillery spotter posts, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns with automatic 20 mm MG 151 / 20 guns, flamethrowing machines , mobile firing points with 37 mm and 75 mm anti-tank guns, engineering and engineering ...
Among these constructions were truly unique models of armored vehicles, such as the Schallaufnahmepanzerwagen - a direction finder to determine the position of enemy artillery positions out of sight, or the Infrarotscheinwerfer - a self-propelled infrared searchlight to illuminate the night sights of the Panther tanks.
From myself I can add the following: lovers of revelations and followers of the work of Vladimir Rezun, meticulously counting the number of German armored vehicles, somehow always forget to include in their 15 000 BTRs SdKfz 251, issued by the German industry, although these armored vehicles exceeded many capabilities of the period .
By the way, the SdKfz 251 armored personnel carrier was so good that it was produced in Czechoslovakia before the 1962 year.
6 place - M1126 "Stryker"
The youngest US Army recruit. The Stryker family of wheeled combat vehicles was created specifically for low-intensity conflicts and "colonial wars", when the use of heavy armored vehicles, Abrams tanks or Bradley infantry fighting vehicles is excessive, and light combat brigade groups are not effective enough. The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan confirmed the correctness of such a decision.
The basic version of the M1126 was the first wheeled armored vehicle of this class in the US Army. Due to the exceptional smoothness of the course, the armored personnel carrier received the nickname “Shadow” in the troops. Particular emphasis in creating the M1126 was made to increase the protective properties of the machine. The steel spaced booking is complemented by mounted MEXAS-type armor modules weighing 1700 kg. This type of armor contains a ceramic layer that is bonded with an adhesive bond to a layer of high-strength Kevlar fibers. The purpose of the ceramic layer of aluminum oxide is to destroy the projectile and the distribution of kinetic energy over a larger area of the base. In terms of resistance MEXAS, with the same weight with steel armor, it is twice as high. Much attention was paid to mine protection - double the bottom of the car, depreciation, additional reservation of the most vulnerable places - all this, according to American designers, should reduce the likelihood of destruction of the crew of the armored vehicle.
The armored personnel carrier has a high-tech armament complex, including a remote-controlled installation with a .50 machine gun of caliber and a 40 mm automatic Mark-19 grenade launcher with 448 ammunition ammunition. The detection module and target designation includes a night sight and a laser rangefinder.
The 18 ton armored personnel carrier can reach speeds up to 100 km / h on the highway, and the 8x8 wheel formula and tire pressure reduction system provide sufficient maneuverability. A serious drawback for machines of this type - the Stryker does not know how to swim.
In addition to the armored personnel carrier, the “Stycers” family includes
combat intelligence unit M1127, fire support machine M1128 with 105 mm snc; 120 ”, and the M1129 radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance vehicle.
The “Strikers” have been doing military service in Iraq since 2003.
5 place - אכזרית (Achzarit)
Heavy tracked armored personnel carrier of the Israel Defense Forces. It is the most protected armored vehicle in the world in its class.
The 200 mm armor of the Soviet tank (you won’t believe, but Achzarit is captured Syrian T-54 and T-55 with towers removed) was reinforced with perforated carbon steel sheets, and a set of dynamic protection was installed on top. The total weight of the additional booking was 17 tons, which, combined with the low silhouette of the car, this provided an exceptionally high level of protection for the BTR.
The Soviet engine was replaced by a more compact 8-cylinder diesel engine "General Motors", which allowed equipping the corridor along the starboard side of the tank, leading from the troop compartment to the stern security door. When tilting the stern ramp, part of the roof is lifted hydraulically, facilitating dismounting of the landing. In addition, a partially open aft door is used as an embrasure.
Achzarit is equipped with a remote-controlled machine gun installation OWS (Overhead Weapon Station) of the company 'Raphael'. As an additional weapon, three 7,62-mm machine guns are used: one on the pivot commander hatch and two on the back hatches.
As a result, the 44-ton monster is an excellent tool for fighting in urban environments, where in the opening of each window there may be an RPG launcher. Achzarit is not afraid of fire at all, out of all the means in service with the Hezbollah and Hamas militants, securely covering the crew of his 10 armor.
In fairness it should be noted that the most protected BTR in the world is still Namer (weight over 50 tons) on the chassis of the Merkava tank, only Namers had a symbolic quantity - 60 pieces, in contrast to Achzarit. X-NUMX T-500 / 54 tanks were retooled.
4 place - BMP-1
The armored infantry vehicle (that is, in the opinion of American experts) noticeably increased the offensive power of the infantry units. The brilliant concept of the BMP-1 was to increase the mobility and security of the infantry, acting in conjunction with the tanks. The global public was shown the car during a parade on Red Square in 1967.
The body of the BMP-1 was welded from armor plates of thickness 15 ... 20 mm, according to calculations, this was enough to provide circular protection against bullets fired from a manual rifle weapons, and on course angles protection was provided even from small-caliber cannon shells.
The 13-ton combat vehicle developed up to 65 km / h on the highway and up to 7 km / h afloat (to increase the buoyancy even the track rollers were made hollow). Inside were placed 3 man crew and 8 paratroopers. The armament complex consisted of the 73 mm smoothbore 2А28 "Thunder" grenade launcher, a PKT machine gun and the 9М14М Malyutka anti-tank missile system. For those sitting inside the paratroopers were equipped with separate loopholes. All this, in theory, turned the BMP-1 into a universal machine of the new generation.
Alas, it turned out to be more difficult. The Americans strictly criticized the decisions of the Soviet designers, especially the design of the rear doors of the troop compartment (indeed, very doubtful): “Probably this is thick armor, reliably protecting the crew of the car?” Not! These are fuel tanks! ”With the defeat of the car, such a layout turned the BMP into a fire trap.
As a result of the battles in the Middle East and Afghanistan, it quickly turned out that the designers had nothing to spare on armor - the BMP was confidently amazed at the DShK machine gun. Low protection from mines, small arms and grenade launchers led to the fact that soldiers prefer to move sitting on armor, not venturing to descend into the fighting compartment of the car. The shortcomings of weapons also made themselves felt - in the highlands, the Thunder was useless because of the low elevation angle.
Soviet designers attempted to correct errors in the next-generation machine. The new BMP-2 received an automatic 30 mm gun with an elevation angle of 85 degrees. The next model, the BMP-3, despite the loud calls by the military to increase security, was the apotheosis of the absurdity: possessing almost tank armament, it still has “cardboard” armor.
And yet it is worth paying tribute to the Soviet designers. Infantry fighting vehicle became a fundamentally new class of armored vehicles. Despite its innovation, the BMP-1 went through more than a dozen military conflicts around the world. In addition, it was cheap and massive: just 20 000 machines of this type were released.
3 place - MCV-80 "Warrior"
British infantry fighting vehicle. There is more to her name than just “Warrior”. Combat weight - 25 tons. Speed on the highway - 75 km / h. The MCV-80 armor case is welded from rolled sheets of aluminum-magnesium-zinc alloy and protects from 14,5-mm bullets and from fragments 155-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, and the bottom - from 9 kg of anti-tank mines. Boards and running gear are covered with rubber anti-cumulative screens. The Warrior’s armored hull has an interior backsheet that protects the crew from fragments of armor, which is also soundproof. The space between the backs of the airborne seats and the sides of the hull is used for laying spare parts and property of infantrymen, which creates additional protection for the troop compartment. Outside the armor is enhanced by dynamic protection. Armament: 30 mm automatic gun L21A1 "Rarden", twin machine gun, 94-mm launcher LAW-80. The crew of the car - 3 man. The landing party is 7 man.
The British command had high hopes for its promising infantry fighting vehicles. And “Warrior” did not let down its creators - of the 300 machines that took part in “The Tempest in the Desert”, not one was lost in battle. Notable is the incident in Al Amarah (Iraq) 1 of May 2004 of the year: an 14 RPG grenade got into the “Warrior” patrol. The heavily damaged car managed to fight off and under its own power came out from under the fire, saving the lives of the fighters inside it (the entire crew was burned and injured). BMP commander Johnson Gedeon Biharri was awarded the Victoria Cross.
In 2011, the UK government has allocated 1,6 billion pounds to upgrade MCV-80 under the WCSP program. In particular, it is reported that the BMP will receive a new weapon system with an 40 mm automatic weapon.
This is the MCV-80 “Warrior” - a machine that soldiers trust.
2 Place - M2 "Bradley"
American infantry fighting vehicle. Combat weight - 30 tons. Speed - 65 km / h on the highway, 7 km / h afloat. Crew - 3 person. The landing party is 6 man.
Multi-layer armor made of steel and aluminum 50 mm thick provides all-round protection against small-caliber artillery shells. The hinged dynamic protection system serves as a reliable barrier for RPG jet grenades. The hull has a kevlar lining on the inside, preventing the formation of fragments. In the latest versions, 30 mm steel screens are additionally mounted on the sides.
Armament: 25 mm automatic gun M242 "Bushmaster" with a computerized fire control system, ATGM "TOW" and 6 machine guns M231 FPW. The equipment of the armored vehicle includes such excesses as the tactical navigation system TACNAV, the laser range finder ELRF, the infrared passive protection system against ATGM and the food rations heater MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat).
At the time of its appearance, in 1981, the US military doubted the fighting qualities of the new BMP. But in 1991 during the “Storm in the Desert” all doubts were dispelled: “Bradley”, using shells with depleted uranium cores, destroyed more Iraqi tanks than the main battle tanks M1 “Abrams”. And only 1 BMP was lost from enemy fire.
Honored combat vehicle has become one of the most massive BMP in the world - just released 7000 M2 "Bradley". At its base are also produced: military reconnaissance vehicle M3, self-propelled air defense system M6 and launcher for MLRS and tactical missiles M270 MLRS.
1 place - M113
11 tons floating tracked vehicle. Circular protection is provided by 40 mm aluminum armor. Excellent capacity - 2 crew member and 11 paratroopers. Standard weapons - heavy machine gun M2. Fast (speed on the highway - up to 64 km / h), passable and easy to maintain the car became the most famous in the world of an armored personnel carrier. 85000 М113 of all modifications were in service with 50 countries of the world. The M113 has gone through all the conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Iraq invasion -2003 and as of today, it is still being produced and is the main armored personnel carrier of the US Army.
In addition to the armored personnel carrier, the M113 existed in the form of a command and staff vehicle, a self-propelled 107 mm mortar, an anti-aircraft self-propelled unit (armed with everything from Vulcan six-guns to Chepparel air defense missile system) , machine radiation and chemical reconnaissance and launcher MLRS.
In contrast to the controversial and controversial rating of "10 best tanks according to the Military Channel ", the rating of" 10 best armored vehicles ", in my opinion, is very adequate and actually correct: it contains really decent cars. It would be useful to add that you should not take such ratings seriously - after all, this is an infotainment program. Therefore, dear readers, I recommend that you pay attention not so much to the places in the ranking as to the machines themselves. For example, I myself, not being an expert in the field of armored vehicles, did not suspect the existence of many of them. And yet, in this review there is a serious conclusion - the review shows the most promising directions for the development of armored vehicles, the correct decisions and mistakes of designers. Indeed, if the landing party prefers to move ON armor, rather than UNDER armor, then something is really wrong with the armored vehicles.
Comparison criteria, as always, will be technical excellence, innovative solutions for creating this sample, manufacturability and mass production, and of course, the main judge will be combat experience.
Well, probably this is all that I wanted to add from myself, on this the prelude is over, let's move on to the rating. There are many decent cars in the world, but exactly 10 fit into the top ten.
10 Place - Marder
Bundeswehr infantry fighting vehicle, combat mass - 33 tons. Year of adoption - 1970. Crew - 3 man + 7 man landing.
Created as a response to the Soviet BMP-1. The armament complex includes the 20 mm Rheinmetall-202 automatic cannon and the ATGM Milan. Speed (up to 75 km / h on the highway), excellent security, German quality - what else do you need a good BMP? The overall picture is slightly spoiled by Marder’s lack of combat experience - with the exception of episodic participation in operations in Afghanistan, this armored vehicle almost did not go beyond the borders of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In total, the Germans assembled their wonder-BMP 2700, including self-propelled SAMs at their base. Good in all respects the car. Tenth place.
9 location - M1114
American armored vehicle. As you can already guess from the pictures, this is the legendary Humvee with a set of armor. By the middle of the 90-x, from the experience of the combat use of the M998 chassis, it became clear that the army needed a light armored personnel carrier on its base, with anti-fragmentation booking and, most importantly, resistant mine protection. The M1114 possessed all these qualities, combining mobility, security and firepower with a total mass of less than 5 tons. A set of detachable weapons for the M1114 includes everything from light machine guns on the roof to remotely controlled 12,7 mm machine gun installations, MANPADS and anti-tank missile systems.
From here you should make a small excursion to history "Humvee" (he - the chassis M998 HMMWV). Adopted by the United States in 1981, as a “highly mobile multi-purpose wheeled vehicle,” the Humvee became one of the symbols of the American army, shining in all the conflicts of the last 30 years. According to General Motors, 200 000 of all Humvee versions has been produced to date. One of the most important properties of this half-face-semi-jeep was the versatility of the design. Here are just some of the machines based on it:
M998 - open cargo car,
M998 Avenger - version with the Stinger anti-aircraft missile system,
M966 - armored jeep with anti-tank complex TOW,
M1097 - Double Pickup,
M997 - sanitary jeep with a four-seater cabin,
M1026 is a variant with a fully closed quadruple body and a winch,
M1035 is a sanitary version with a four-door cab,
M1114 - light armored personnel carrier, one of the most popular versions of the Humvee
Designers of General Motors were able to find the optimal balance between the carrying capacity, allowing to perform all the functions of a universal army vehicle, mount a variety of weapons and armor, and, at the same time, unnecessarily over-heavy the car, while maintaining the size of a large jeep. The Humvee has become a benchmark in its class. Now army off-road vehicles in all countries of the world borrow its technical solutions, layout and appearance.
Army technology a priori can not be successful in the civilian market in conditions of free competition. This axiom always serves as proof of the excuse of exorbitant military spending: “If you don’t want to feed your army, you will feed someone else’s,” etc. in the same vein. In the case of the Hummer, we see the opposite - a stylish army vehicle, retaining the main components (including the liter engine, transmission, suspension) 6, became a successful commercial project - in the 1992, the civilian version of the Hummer H1 with a minimum cosmetic changes, later developing to the iconic luxury class SUV “Hummer H2” with a luxury-salon and automatic transmission.
The armored army version of the Humvee M1114 fought a lot around the world, often came under fire, burned, exploded, stuck in the mud, but nevertheless saved the lives of the soldiers sitting inside. What is required of this army technology.
8 Place - The Universal Carrier
British multi-purpose tractor-hauler - the main assistant to the British soldier. The seemingly unsightly car with a crew of 5 people famously moved at speeds up to 50 km / h on the battlefields of World War II. The Universal Carrier fought on all fronts: from Europe and the Eastern Front to the Sahara and the jungles of Indonesia. Later he managed to take part in the war on the Korean Peninsula and gloriously ended his career in the 1960s.
With a mass of just 4 tons, The Universal Carrier had a decent maneuverability and was protected by 10 mm armor. The armament of the linear armored personnel carriers included an 14 mm anti-tank gun and / or a 7,7 mm Bren machine gun. In addition to the basic version, the flame-throwing machine “Wasp” and self-propelled guns with an 40 mm gun were delivered to the troops.
Total for years of mass production from 1934 to 1960. At the enterprises of Great Britain, the USA, Australia and Canada 113 000 of these small, but such useful cars was made.
7 Place - Sonderkraftfahrzeug 251
A formidable war machine that crushed the European countries, the sands of North Africa, and the icy expanses of Russia with its wheels and tracks.
The half-tracked SdKfz 251 armored personnel carrier fully complied with the strategy of the Blitzkrieg - a fast, spacious and well-protected vehicle with high traffic. The crew - 2 man + 10 man landing, speed on the highway 50 km / h, wheel-tracked propulsion, round-trip booking thickness up to 15 mm. Like any German technology, the armored personnel carrier was equipped with a huge variety of options and equipment to perform any tasks. The German engineering genius sold out in full force, so appreciate the scale: SdKfz 251 was equipped with a variety of surveillance and communication devices, cranes and winches, radio stations of all types and frequencies, assault bridges, sets of removable armor and various weapons, among which were even such exotic as jet rocket launcher systems Wurframen 40 280 caliber mm.
On the SdKfz 251 platform, a great variety of specialized machines were created: in addition to the basic model, ambulance and command-staff vehicles, observation and communication machines, mobile telephone stations, artillery spotter posts, self-propelled anti-aircraft guns with automatic 20 mm MG 151 / 20 guns, flamethrowing machines , mobile firing points with 37 mm and 75 mm anti-tank guns, engineering and engineering ...
Among these constructions were truly unique models of armored vehicles, such as the Schallaufnahmepanzerwagen - a direction finder to determine the position of enemy artillery positions out of sight, or the Infrarotscheinwerfer - a self-propelled infrared searchlight to illuminate the night sights of the Panther tanks.
From myself I can add the following: lovers of revelations and followers of the work of Vladimir Rezun, meticulously counting the number of German armored vehicles, somehow always forget to include in their 15 000 BTRs SdKfz 251, issued by the German industry, although these armored vehicles exceeded many capabilities of the period .
By the way, the SdKfz 251 armored personnel carrier was so good that it was produced in Czechoslovakia before the 1962 year.
6 place - M1126 "Stryker"
The youngest US Army recruit. The Stryker family of wheeled combat vehicles was created specifically for low-intensity conflicts and "colonial wars", when the use of heavy armored vehicles, Abrams tanks or Bradley infantry fighting vehicles is excessive, and light combat brigade groups are not effective enough. The fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan confirmed the correctness of such a decision.
The basic version of the M1126 was the first wheeled armored vehicle of this class in the US Army. Due to the exceptional smoothness of the course, the armored personnel carrier received the nickname “Shadow” in the troops. Particular emphasis in creating the M1126 was made to increase the protective properties of the machine. The steel spaced booking is complemented by mounted MEXAS-type armor modules weighing 1700 kg. This type of armor contains a ceramic layer that is bonded with an adhesive bond to a layer of high-strength Kevlar fibers. The purpose of the ceramic layer of aluminum oxide is to destroy the projectile and the distribution of kinetic energy over a larger area of the base. In terms of resistance MEXAS, with the same weight with steel armor, it is twice as high. Much attention was paid to mine protection - double the bottom of the car, depreciation, additional reservation of the most vulnerable places - all this, according to American designers, should reduce the likelihood of destruction of the crew of the armored vehicle.
The armored personnel carrier has a high-tech armament complex, including a remote-controlled installation with a .50 machine gun of caliber and a 40 mm automatic Mark-19 grenade launcher with 448 ammunition ammunition. The detection module and target designation includes a night sight and a laser rangefinder.
The 18 ton armored personnel carrier can reach speeds up to 100 km / h on the highway, and the 8x8 wheel formula and tire pressure reduction system provide sufficient maneuverability. A serious drawback for machines of this type - the Stryker does not know how to swim.
In addition to the armored personnel carrier, the “Stycers” family includes
combat intelligence unit M1127, fire support machine M1128 with 105 mm snc; 120 ”, and the M1129 radiation, chemical and biological reconnaissance vehicle.
The “Strikers” have been doing military service in Iraq since 2003.
5 place - אכזרית (Achzarit)
Heavy tracked armored personnel carrier of the Israel Defense Forces. It is the most protected armored vehicle in the world in its class.
The 200 mm armor of the Soviet tank (you won’t believe, but Achzarit is captured Syrian T-54 and T-55 with towers removed) was reinforced with perforated carbon steel sheets, and a set of dynamic protection was installed on top. The total weight of the additional booking was 17 tons, which, combined with the low silhouette of the car, this provided an exceptionally high level of protection for the BTR.
On the way to the border
The Soviet engine was replaced by a more compact 8-cylinder diesel engine "General Motors", which allowed equipping the corridor along the starboard side of the tank, leading from the troop compartment to the stern security door. When tilting the stern ramp, part of the roof is lifted hydraulically, facilitating dismounting of the landing. In addition, a partially open aft door is used as an embrasure.
Achzarit is equipped with a remote-controlled machine gun installation OWS (Overhead Weapon Station) of the company 'Raphael'. As an additional weapon, three 7,62-mm machine guns are used: one on the pivot commander hatch and two on the back hatches.
As a result, the 44-ton monster is an excellent tool for fighting in urban environments, where in the opening of each window there may be an RPG launcher. Achzarit is not afraid of fire at all, out of all the means in service with the Hezbollah and Hamas militants, securely covering the crew of his 10 armor.
In fairness it should be noted that the most protected BTR in the world is still Namer (weight over 50 tons) on the chassis of the Merkava tank, only Namers had a symbolic quantity - 60 pieces, in contrast to Achzarit. X-NUMX T-500 / 54 tanks were retooled.
4 place - BMP-1
The armored infantry vehicle (that is, in the opinion of American experts) noticeably increased the offensive power of the infantry units. The brilliant concept of the BMP-1 was to increase the mobility and security of the infantry, acting in conjunction with the tanks. The global public was shown the car during a parade on Red Square in 1967.
The body of the BMP-1 was welded from armor plates of thickness 15 ... 20 mm, according to calculations, this was enough to provide circular protection against bullets fired from a manual rifle weapons, and on course angles protection was provided even from small-caliber cannon shells.
The 13-ton combat vehicle developed up to 65 km / h on the highway and up to 7 km / h afloat (to increase the buoyancy even the track rollers were made hollow). Inside were placed 3 man crew and 8 paratroopers. The armament complex consisted of the 73 mm smoothbore 2А28 "Thunder" grenade launcher, a PKT machine gun and the 9М14М Malyutka anti-tank missile system. For those sitting inside the paratroopers were equipped with separate loopholes. All this, in theory, turned the BMP-1 into a universal machine of the new generation.
Alas, it turned out to be more difficult. The Americans strictly criticized the decisions of the Soviet designers, especially the design of the rear doors of the troop compartment (indeed, very doubtful): “Probably this is thick armor, reliably protecting the crew of the car?” Not! These are fuel tanks! ”With the defeat of the car, such a layout turned the BMP into a fire trap.
As a result of the battles in the Middle East and Afghanistan, it quickly turned out that the designers had nothing to spare on armor - the BMP was confidently amazed at the DShK machine gun. Low protection from mines, small arms and grenade launchers led to the fact that soldiers prefer to move sitting on armor, not venturing to descend into the fighting compartment of the car. The shortcomings of weapons also made themselves felt - in the highlands, the Thunder was useless because of the low elevation angle.
Those tanks in the stern hatches
Soviet designers attempted to correct errors in the next-generation machine. The new BMP-2 received an automatic 30 mm gun with an elevation angle of 85 degrees. The next model, the BMP-3, despite the loud calls by the military to increase security, was the apotheosis of the absurdity: possessing almost tank armament, it still has “cardboard” armor.
And yet it is worth paying tribute to the Soviet designers. Infantry fighting vehicle became a fundamentally new class of armored vehicles. Despite its innovation, the BMP-1 went through more than a dozen military conflicts around the world. In addition, it was cheap and massive: just 20 000 machines of this type were released.
3 place - MCV-80 "Warrior"
British infantry fighting vehicle. There is more to her name than just “Warrior”. Combat weight - 25 tons. Speed on the highway - 75 km / h. The MCV-80 armor case is welded from rolled sheets of aluminum-magnesium-zinc alloy and protects from 14,5-mm bullets and from fragments 155-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, and the bottom - from 9 kg of anti-tank mines. Boards and running gear are covered with rubber anti-cumulative screens. The Warrior’s armored hull has an interior backsheet that protects the crew from fragments of armor, which is also soundproof. The space between the backs of the airborne seats and the sides of the hull is used for laying spare parts and property of infantrymen, which creates additional protection for the troop compartment. Outside the armor is enhanced by dynamic protection. Armament: 30 mm automatic gun L21A1 "Rarden", twin machine gun, 94-mm launcher LAW-80. The crew of the car - 3 man. The landing party is 7 man.
The British command had high hopes for its promising infantry fighting vehicles. And “Warrior” did not let down its creators - of the 300 machines that took part in “The Tempest in the Desert”, not one was lost in battle. Notable is the incident in Al Amarah (Iraq) 1 of May 2004 of the year: an 14 RPG grenade got into the “Warrior” patrol. The heavily damaged car managed to fight off and under its own power came out from under the fire, saving the lives of the fighters inside it (the entire crew was burned and injured). BMP commander Johnson Gedeon Biharri was awarded the Victoria Cross.
In 2011, the UK government has allocated 1,6 billion pounds to upgrade MCV-80 under the WCSP program. In particular, it is reported that the BMP will receive a new weapon system with an 40 mm automatic weapon.
This is the MCV-80 “Warrior” - a machine that soldiers trust.
2 Place - M2 "Bradley"
American infantry fighting vehicle. Combat weight - 30 tons. Speed - 65 km / h on the highway, 7 km / h afloat. Crew - 3 person. The landing party is 6 man.
Multi-layer armor made of steel and aluminum 50 mm thick provides all-round protection against small-caliber artillery shells. The hinged dynamic protection system serves as a reliable barrier for RPG jet grenades. The hull has a kevlar lining on the inside, preventing the formation of fragments. In the latest versions, 30 mm steel screens are additionally mounted on the sides.
Armament: 25 mm automatic gun M242 "Bushmaster" with a computerized fire control system, ATGM "TOW" and 6 machine guns M231 FPW. The equipment of the armored vehicle includes such excesses as the tactical navigation system TACNAV, the laser range finder ELRF, the infrared passive protection system against ATGM and the food rations heater MRE (Meal, Ready-to-Eat).
At the time of its appearance, in 1981, the US military doubted the fighting qualities of the new BMP. But in 1991 during the “Storm in the Desert” all doubts were dispelled: “Bradley”, using shells with depleted uranium cores, destroyed more Iraqi tanks than the main battle tanks M1 “Abrams”. And only 1 BMP was lost from enemy fire.
Honored combat vehicle has become one of the most massive BMP in the world - just released 7000 M2 "Bradley". At its base are also produced: military reconnaissance vehicle M3, self-propelled air defense system M6 and launcher for MLRS and tactical missiles M270 MLRS.
1 place - M113
M113 Lithuanian Armed Forces parade in Kaunas
11 tons floating tracked vehicle. Circular protection is provided by 40 mm aluminum armor. Excellent capacity - 2 crew member and 11 paratroopers. Standard weapons - heavy machine gun M2. Fast (speed on the highway - up to 64 km / h), passable and easy to maintain the car became the most famous in the world of an armored personnel carrier. 85000 М113 of all modifications were in service with 50 countries of the world. The M113 has gone through all the conflicts from the Vietnam War to the Iraq invasion -2003 and as of today, it is still being produced and is the main armored personnel carrier of the US Army.
In addition to the armored personnel carrier, the M113 existed in the form of a command and staff vehicle, a self-propelled 107 mm mortar, an anti-aircraft self-propelled unit (armed with everything from Vulcan six-guns to Chepparel air defense missile system) , machine radiation and chemical reconnaissance and launcher MLRS.
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