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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♆ 07/10/2026
Type 91/95 heavy tank Prototypes (1931-35)
During the 1930s, nations generally believed a new war will develop in the same lines as WWI and feared a new stalemate. So from 1930 there was a new fad, of multi-turret tanks as a possible solution, combining all types of artillery to deal with any threats along the way, at slow pace and protecting infantry to break the deadlock. Japan looked at the A1E1 Independent, Großtraktor and Neubaufahrzeug, Soviet T-35 of even the M2 Medium and in 1934 worked on the Type 95 Heavy Tank (Taipu 95-jū tanku) which went back to the Experimental Tank No.1 (Jikken tanku bangō wən) or Type 87 Chi-I Medium from 1927. In 1931 was built a more mature design, the Type 91, perfected into the Type 95. In total four of the second were built and evaluated but never given greenlight for production as in between more mobile, promising tanks were built instead.
♆ 29/09/2026
M3 Bradley (1984)
Although virtually similar to the M2 Bradley, sharing most of its components, the M3 CFV (Cavalry Fighting Vehicle) was defined as the cavalry version planned since the beginning of the program. This armored reconnaissance and scout vehicle. Also only a small specialized crew is carried, so there are no firing ports, and more space is spared for ammunitions, notably the TOW missiles, 25mm and 7.62mm rounds. It was produced by BAE Systems Land and Armaments. Fuel capacity was c175–197 gal (662–746 L), operational range 250–300 mi (400–480 km), for a weight of 25–30.5 short tons (23–28 tonnes).
♆ 22/09/2026
MT-LB (1968)
Major Update of the MT-LB. The post just received the proper coverage, with far more information, a hundred photos and a dozen extra illustrations. The MT-LB with perhaps 55,000 vehicles since 1968 all types combined, including those produced by Poland and Bulgaria, had been exported also to about 60 nations and since 1971, saw lot of action. There are perhaps 5,000 still operated today across the globe and hundreds had been lost between Russia and Ukraine since 2022 in the present war. The rigged tracked APC, destined from 1955 to replace older tractors in USSR had a long development and swpaned more than a hundred variants, from SPAAML vehicles to tank hunters, mortar vehicles, ambulances, NBC reconnaissance, sensor carriers, special service, and everything in between. It is also quite useful in the Arctic and in Siberia thanks to its low ground pressure.
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 2026are 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.
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.
03/08.2026 
MBV D-2 (1931)
A total of 31 production-model D-2 armored railcars were manufactured (plus one D3 and one D6) in 1932-39. During the fighting in the summer of 1941, NKVD railway security troops lost seven D-2 units; after repairs, the Germans incorporated them into their own armored trains. The remaining D-2s continued to be used by NKVD units until the end of the war and were decommissioned in the late 1940s. Full story.
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.
Raupenschlepper Ost (1942)
28.09.2026 In short, the Raupenschlepper Ost (lit. "Caterpillar Tractor East") abbreviated as RSO) was a fully tracked, lightweight cargo vehicle intended for Wehrmacht, designed by Austrian manufacturer Steyr after the poor performances of the German logistic train on the mud and snow of the 1941–1942 Eastern Front winter. The Rasputitsa and heavy winter snows, the absence of good roads was a nightmare leading to the adoption of more half-tracks, and conversion or existing trucks (Maultier). Steyr in response designed a very simple and rugged, small and cost effective tractor based on elements of the Steyr 1500A, but with full tracks. It drew inspiraton notably from Soviert tractors such as the STZ-5 and had a modest payload of 1,500 kg and equivalent towing capability but only at 14–17 km/h.Over 23,000 were manufactured across all versions by 1945 with production changes and simplifications over time. The most lethal was the RSO/PaK 40An improvised tank destroyer, albeit a handful were made.
2026 Entries:
Kamaz RB-341V Leer 3 (2015) * M76 Otter (1955) * Schwerer Wehrmachtschlepper * Brossel 780B TAL * Bedford OX (1939) * M116 Husky * Kasukha 4 (2010) * MAZ-630308-224 ("KN-13") * Leyland Hippo Mark II (1943) * LARC LX (1952) * Panhard K125 * GAZ-53 (1946) * Radschlepper Ost (1942) * PZInz-222 (1938) * AT-T (1946) * Fordson WOT * Renault AHR * 5P85TE2 TEL and S-400 Triumf (2007) * Henschel Type 33 (1928) * Kaiser Jeep M715 (1965) * Hotchkiss M201 (1954) * Kamaz Palantin-K Truck (2002) * SG-10 (1949) * Isuzu Type 94 (1934) * BAZ-6909 (1990) * White 704S (1939) * Morris Tilly (1939) * Kamaz Murmansk BN (2014) * UNIC P107 * DOK-M Heavy Dozer (1967) * 9A82 TELAR (1983) * M548 (1959) * Jackal (2007) *
The Antitank-Encyclopedia.
All the means to destroy a Tank.
From early antitank cannons and rifles to missiles, mines and RPGs.
Ansaldo 149/40 Mod. 1935
➾ Field Artillery, 180 manufactured.
The Ansaldo 149/40 Mod. 1935 was developed quickly and production followed in several batches, a first order of 48, a second of 132 plus 52 spare barrels. However production ended late 1941 as the general command wanted to focus instead on high velocity AA guns and anti-tank ordnance. Capable of a range of 23,700 m with a 800 m/s HE round, the Ansaldo 179/40 Mod.35 was also used in North Africa and on the Eastern front in direct fire in some occasion, giving good results thanks to the specialized granata perforante 149/35.
It could defeat tanks by sheer concussion rather than penetration, limited to an average muzzle velocity. Ansaldo try to recycle the gun after a 3rd order for 590 was cancelled, into a self-propelled anti-tank or support vehicle based on the M40 tank chassis, creating the Semovente M42 da 149/40 tested at Turin in 1942 but never approved for production.
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), M3 HT in IDF service, M50 AGM launcher, 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: BTR-60M Khorunzhy APC , BTR4 MV1
And also: LAV-6, M120 Rak, Archer, RODEF-4, Pereh-tank-destroyer, T34-D30-SPH, Iranian Rakhsh-APC, Patria II AMV, Light Tank Mark II, Mark III, Spanish AFVs interwar, TAB 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, Renault FT command, 370-Recoiless-GunsSPG, TC5000XYB
XMas Special !
Fill your basket, offer and delight your friends/family with brand new posters* of iconic tanks of WW2 to this day:
First of this new serie: All Tiger tanks liveries. See the free web version (10x smaller) and the Panther poster available here
More to come soon !
*Also available: Photo print, metal and canvas prints, postcards, mugs, bucket or dad hats, desk mat, baseball cap, t-shirts, tops, latptop or ipad/iphone skin, sleeves, cases, snap cases, but also acrylic blocks and wood mounted prints, taperstry, clocks, coasters, comforter, duvet, shower curtain, throw blanket, pillow, drawstring bag, tote or duffle bag, backpack, pin, scarf, socks, zipper pouch, hardcover journal and spiral notebook, apron and this Xmas 2023 novelty: A Jigsaw puzzle...
