Infantry fighting vehicle
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An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them.
IFVs are similar to armoured personnel carriers (APCs), designed to transport five to ten infantrymen and their equipment. They are differentiated from APCs ("battle taxis") by their enhanced armament, allowing them to give direct-fire support during an assault, firing ports, allowing the infantry to fire personal weapons while mounted, and usually improved armour. They are typically armed with an autocannon of 20 to 30 mm caliber, and possibly with ATGMs. IFVs are usually tracked, but some wheeled vehicles fall into this category, too. IFVs are much less heavily armed and armoured than Main Battle Tanks (MBTs), but they sometimes carry heavy missiles which offer a significant threat to tanks.
Western powers were rudely surprised when the Soviet Union paraded the first IFV, the BMP-1, in 1967. The BMP was a very low-profiled IFV with 73 mm smoothbore gun and mounting an ATGM. Its steeply-sloped front armour was proof against NATO's standard .50-calibre machine gun, while its smoothbore gun and ATGM were a threat to NATO personnel carriers and even main battle tanks.
Since then, all major military powers have developed or adopted IFVs. Examples include the British Warrior, the American M2, M3 and the new Stryker, the Italian Dardo, the German Marder, the South African Ratel.
See also
de:Schützenpanzer nl:Infanteriegevechtsvoertuig ja:歩兵戦闘車 pl:Bojowy wóz piechoty sl:Pehotno bojno vozilo zh:步兵战车