Tank Encyclopedia's Archives
A sub of Tank Encyclopedia. This is the new archive section, with all former entries, and a search engine. ➀ All single vehicles are accessible by nations and eras in a more consistent and logical way than previously. ADS are needed due to finance better server performances as audience grows. But you can support also it through merchandise here.
➁ New posts weekly. These are mere "entry into matter", for vehicles scheduled on tank-encyclopedia.com, that will be seen in the latter in much more detail. A link from the archive entry will point to the new article when up. There are still circa 2,000 serial armored vehicles to be treated over the years excluding prototypes and paper projects, so tank-afv.com will continue to run until all are treated, and follow the news of armoured vehicles around the world.
☄ About the site name: If a "Tank" is obvious to anyone in this context, "AFV" is an acronym which stands for "Armoured Fighting Vehicle". It is a catch-all definition for all military vehicles armoured (and armed), tracked or wheeled. For soft-skinned vehicles please visit truck-encyclopedia.com. See also The 2015 archive.
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Ris (1995)
06.08.2025 The Ris (Lynx) is a rare 4x4 Serbian armoured personal carrier, based on the Slovenian-built TAM-110 just seen on truck encyclopedia. It was developed for the needs of the Military Police of the Yugoslav Army and the Special Police Units of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs but production was short, at TAM until the company ceased activities in 1996.
♆ 31/07/2025
Type 99 155 mm self-propelled howitzer (1999)
The Type 99 is a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force, developed as the successor to the Type 75 155 mm self-propelled howitzer, which dated back from 1985. Its bovelties were a longer barrel of 52 cal. versus 30 cal. for twice the range and latest fire control system. Japan Steel Works became primary contractor for manufacturing the main gun and turret under a R&D contract of 5 B Yen completed in 1992 and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the chassis. 117 were built, with production shutting down in 2022. It is in service with the Fuji Artillery School Unit, Northern Army 2nd Division, 5th Brigade, 7th Artillery Regiment(Mechanized) and 11th art. Brigade (Mechanized) and the Northern Army Combined Brigade, 1st Sergeant Training Unit.
♆ 21/07/2025
Heavy Tank T34
The program of the heavy tank T34 was started in May 1945 when the US Ordnance bureau, which liked the performances of the 120 mm M1 AA gun, suggested its adaptation as a tank gun. This registered with developments following the T26E1 or "super-pershing" before a new heavy tank design capable of defeating any German tanks in the inventory. These were the T29 and T30 programs, respectively armed with a new 105 mm and a 155 mm tank guns. The T34 used the T53E1 tank gun derived from the 120 mm M1, with some improvements like a new muzzle brake and fume extractor, but was judged in the end, too heavy for the US Army needs and terminated in 1948. It still paved the way for the heavy tank T43, later standardized as the M103.
WW1 Tanks & Armored Cars
Born in the Trenches, when the front became static, the idea of the tank was a resurgence of ...science fiction, when some looked at HG Wells' "land battleships" novel. In UK, development was stirred by Wintson Churchill and the Navy. In France, by an artillery officer, J.B. Estienne. And soon the world took notice. Tanks were rare and few in between still, with grand plans in 1918 that never were realized. When the front was not static, armored cars reigned supreme.
WW2 Tanks & Armored Cars
In 1939, thanks had nearly two decades to evolve at peacetime rate, though the boiling of new ideas of tactics and combined arms, with some armies more acute of these than any others. Ground combat proved absolute masters of these new ideas, the Wehrmacht, with luck and opposite incompetence. After moving to USSR, the fight moved to Africa, then to Italy and back to Western Europe at large, driving fast-paced innovation in a deadly food chain contest.
Cold War Armoured Fighting Vehicles
The atomic age started with the opposition of two superpowers, which developed deterrence but at the same time, always considered conventional warfare. Far from peaceful, this second half century, until 1991, saw gradual improvement, with a gap of twenty years before generations, towards 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation main battle tanks and a cohort of armoured personal carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and many specialized variants, wheeled and tracked.
Modern Armoured Fighting Vehicles
As the recent conflict in Ukraine shows us, the tank is still useful in the frame of a conventional war. However drones unexpectedly showed deadlier as well as artillery. Between 1991 and 2025are we really seeing a radical transformation of ground warfare ? One thing is sure through for all generals: The main battle tank is still king of the battlefield, when well used and accompanied. From city scapes to desert, steppe, rolly hills and mountains, even coming from the sea, the tank adapted and is there to stay.
Upcoming:
South Africa: Bosvark, MRAP Samil-50 Kwevoel RV, Ribbok, Hippo
Israel: Merkava, III, IV, M109A5 Doher/Rochev, Magach 5 Golan, M113 Golan/Zelda Toga (IDF service), MAR 290/90, M3 HT in IDF service, M50 AGM launcher, Haviv MLR, Eshel HaYarden, M2310 shilem
Britain: Vickers Mk.I MBT, Centurion AVRE, Light Mk.IV Colonial Pattern, Light Tank Mk.II, Wasp Carrier, Bren Carrier (update), FV430 Bulldog, FV105 Sultan, FV103 Spartan
USA: M548, M728 CRV, M40 155mm HMC, T12E1 CGMC, M15 Combination GMC, M13 MGMC, M12 155mm SPG, M14 MGMC, M17 MGMC, M39 Carrier, T1 Cunningham, M22 Locust, M3 HMC-75mm, M4 sherman flail, Marmon CTLS, Sherman-MkV-Crocodile, M108 SPG, LAV-300, M113 FIST, M106 MortarCarrier, M577 Command, M103, M110 howitzer
USSR/Russia: 9M317 BUK-M2, 9K330 Tor, 1S91-kvardat, 9K37M1 buk-M (SA-17-Grizzly), 2S35 Koalitsiya, BTT-1, MT-55, 9P157-2 Khrizantema-S, 9P163M-1-Kornet, 2S23 Nona SVK, BMO-T, BMP-2M, BMP-97 Vystrel, BTR-T, Ural Typhoon, R-381T-Taran, R-145BM, STZ-5 tractor/BM-13-16(Ni tank), Pioneer(Komomolets), T26T/BNSP reco vehicle/TP26, Ya12 tractor(T60/70), GT-MU soviet airborne APC, GAZ-2330 Tigr
China: Type 63G mod. light tank, VT4, Yitian-SPAAML, PLZ-07, PLZ-52, PGZ-07, PTL-02, Type 63C APC amphib Ukraine ready: BMP-1U, Varta MRAP, BTR-60M Khorunzhy APC , BTR4 MV1, 2S22 Bohdana
And also: TAB-77, LAV-6, M120 Rak, Archer, T-155 Fırtına, RODEF-4, Pereh-tank-destroyer, T34-D30-SPH, Iranian Rakhsh-APC, Patria II AMV, Light Tank Mark II, Mark III, Spanish AFVs interwar, TAB 77+ B33 Zimbru, Ford Lynx, Rhodesian Crocodile, Serge CDS, Jordan Khalid MBT, Jordan Al Hussein, Leonardo-M60 , wasserwerfer-SK2, BTR-152 vz53 SPAAG, MT-55, BTS-4A, BTS-2, M47M_AVLB, Renault FT command, 370-Recoiless-GunsSPG, TC5000XYB
2025 Announcement
Centennial.
Hundreds of pages, for free
The full catalog: All AFVs of the world by country and eras, 2017 Edition.
Armored Trains.
The New section in development
The same database as for tanks: Railroad networks developed in the XIXth soon found a military use. Before even WWI, train attacks led to armed and armored trains. This had going on for more than a century now. This will cover all WW1, WW2, but also cold war and even recent armoured trains on the long run.
30/07/2025 
BP-42 (1943)
BP.42: Rendition of the Full Train. The BP 42 (long form: "Behelfsmäßiger Panzerzug 1942" where Behelfsmäßiger means "makeshift") was a German armored train class in the Second World War, used by the Wehrmacht. It represented several armored trains produced to be used mosty on the eastern front at the end of December 1942 and replaced by the BP-44. The history, composition, design, organization, tactics, and specific elements of the train will be seen here over the next months with regular updates. In order: Panzerträgerwagen BP 42, Kanonen- und Flakwagen BP 42, Kommandowagen BP 42, Haubitzwagen BP 42 and the Panzelok BR.57, repeat.
Trucks
Military Trucks and staff cars.
A dedicated section for softskin vehicles, from WWI to this day: Trucks, staff cars, reconnaissance vehicles, and artillery tractors: Truck-Encyclopedia.com.
TAM-110 (1976)
03.08.2025 The TAM 110 is a military truck developed in the former Yugoslavia and used primarily by the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) and later by the armed forces of the successor states (Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc.). Manufactured by TAM (Tovarna Avtomobilov Maribor) in Slovenia its production Period was between the 1970s and 1990s. This 1.5-ton 4x4 military transport truck was a 4x4 (All-wheel drive) powered by a Deutz air-cooled diesel engine such as the F6L 413 rated for 120 hp (varies), combined with a manual, 5-speed gearbox...
Older Entries:
Land Rover Serie II FC * UAZ 469 (1972) * Type 95 Mini Truck * FAP-13 (1962) *
The Antitank-Encyclopedia.
All the means to destroy a Tank.
From early antitank cannons and rifles to missiles, mines and RPGs.
76 mm divisional gun M1939 USV
➾ Field Gun produced 1939-41.
The 76 mm divisional gun M1939 (USV) was a Soviet field gun used during World War II, designed to serve as a general-purpose divisional artillery piece. Developed by the No. 92 Plant Design Bureau under V. G. Grabin and introduced in 1939, it was intended to replace the older 76 mm M1902/30 and M1936 (F-22) guns. It could be used in anti-tank roles in direct fire with some success with the APHE-T BR-350A/B, AP-T BR-350BSP, Subcaliber BR-354P and HEAT rounds. No self-propelled gun was designed around it, it only existed in towed forms, either by the ZIS-5 or GAZ-AA trucks.