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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♆ 23/07/2024
MT-55 AVLB (1962)
The MT-55 based on the Czech-built T-55 Main Battle Tankunder licence and was designed and produced by ZŤS Martin from 1962, with the development phase going on until 1967 followed by five pre-series vehicles. The MT-55A (Base T-55A) series production started in 1969 and went on until 1982 with a total of 1,762 vehicles in four variants, including 183 export MT-55KS and 458 East German BLG-60. It was also exported to Belarus, Egypt, Croatia, Georgia, India, Iraq, Myanmar, North Korea, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Syria, and Ukraine.
♆ 15/07/2024
M48 Chaparral (1969)
The first US SPAAML: The M48 Chaparral was quite unique in the long list of M113 armored personal carrier's variants: This was the combination of the M48 utility/cabin flatbed variant, fitted with MIM-72A missile manned launcher. It was intended to give an organic SAM defence to mounted infantry regiments, designed in 1965, produced from 1967 until 1981, in service at the end of the Vietnam war and retired in 1992 with circa 1,100 vehicles converted. The M48 Chaparral system was a quick solution after a failed purely army project, based on the AIM-9 Sidewinder, mounted on the M730 tractor, which entered service in 1969 and had it last hurrah in the Gulf War.
♆ 08/07/2024
1S91 radar vehicle (1967)
The 2K12 "Kub" became the mainstream Soviet mobile SAM and one of the key system fielded by the Warsaw Pact in the 1975-85 decade. Each 2K12 battery is seconded by a 1S91 (SURN vehicle, NATO "Straight Flush") 25 kW G/H band radar with a range of 75 km (47 mi). The vehicle was equipped with a continuous wave illuminator in addition to an optical sight. The TEL does note share the same chassis, the 1S91 being based on the GM-568 chassis developed and produced by MMZ. It is estimated that circa 100+ were made until 1985. It was also exported to some extent.
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 2024are 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 II, 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 , 160mm-Makmat, M2310 shilem
Britain: FV 433/438 swingfire, Lloyd carrier, 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, M136 VADS, M108 SPG, LAV-300, M113 FIST, M106 MortarCarrier, M577 Command, M730 MIM-72 Chaparral, M103, M110 howitzer
USSR/Russia: 9P148 Konkurs, 2S7M Malka, 9M317 BUK-M2, 9K330 Tor, 1S91-kvardat, 9K37M1 buk-M (SA-17-Grizzly), 2S35 Koalitsiya, Kamaz Typhoon, 9P148, BTT-1, MT-55, 9P157-2_Khrizantema-S, 9P163M-1-Kornet, 2S23-Nona-SVK, 9P148-Konkurs, 9K31-Strela-10, BMO-T, BMP-2M, BPM-97-Vystrel, BTR-T, Ural Typhoon, VPK7829 Bumerang, R-381T-Taran, R-145BM, PTS-II, 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, GAZ-3937 'Vodnik', M120 Rak (base Rosomak), ShKH vz. 77 DANA, RCH-155, AHS Krab, ShKH Zuzana, 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
2024 Announcement
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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.
24/07/2024 
Draisine K (1933)
With the poor performances of the Tatra T-18, Polish Colonel and engineer T. Kossakowski suggested to put FT tanks into tank-propelled draisines, prototypes being made in 1931-33, production was approved in 1936, 23 "drezyna pancerna Typu R" bing made. Alongside, the same idea was applied to more recent TK3 and TKS tankettes (600+ available). The Draisine TK was born. Circa 50 were manufactured to 1936 to 1939 and they often operated in TK-R-TK units, with the Renault FT tank in between, one on either side of the armoured train for reconnaissance on both direction of the tracks, some having radios. They were quick to detach while being cheaper, simpler to manufacture.
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.
Scamell Pioneer SV1S/T
21.07.2024 From 1936, the British Army started to receive 43 Pioneers SV1S heavy recovery vehicles. Many of these SV1S and R100 vehicles were lost in France in June 1940, destroyed by withdrawing troops or captured by the Germans. The SV2S version had a redesigned crane with greater lifting height, introduced in 1938. A total of 1,975 SV2S were built. Delivery of a tank transporter began in 1937. This variant was fitted with a longer chassis for an extended cabin to accommodate the tank's crew and 459 of this sub-variant were produced...
Older Entries:
Borgward B3000 (1938) * 9K720 Iskander * Scammell Pioneer * Renault TRC-36R * Voroshilovets (1939) * Austin K2/Y * SPA AS.37 * Type 95 Kurogane * ZIL-135 * Land Rover 2a LWB SAS * F.N. AS 24 "tricar/trike" * BM-27(9P140) Uragan * Berliet GBC 8 TK (1965) * Ford Taunus (1963) * Fiat 634NM (1933) * Chance vought M561 1+1/4-ton 6x6 "Gama Goat" (1969) * Mercedes L3000 (1938) * BM-13 Katyusha * Fiat SPA CL-39 (1939) * GMC 353 Bofors * Scania T112 (1981) * Isuzu TSD-45 and HTS 11/12 (1960-80) * 9K33 OSA * Caterpillar D7 * Fiat 508 CM * Komintern Tractor * Morris CS8 * M35 series * Krupp Protze * SPA Dovunque 35 * Citroën-Kégresse P17 * Magirus-Deutz Jupiter * GAZ-51 * M274 Mule * CMP Chevrolet C60S * Toyota Land Cruiser Prado * Autocarreta OM * OTR-21 Tochka * Leyland Retriever * Studebaker US6 * Breda TP 32 * R380 Hades TEL * JSDGF Trucks * Sd.Kfz.7 * GAZ 63
Mauser Tankgewehr 1918
