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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♆ 05/11/2024
ShM vz.85 PRÁM-S (1985)
A self-loaded mortar system (SPM-85 PRAM) mounted on an elongated BVP-1 chassis was studied from 1981 as SVT in Czechoslovakia, produced in 1985-90. It is designed to provide permanent fire support for a mechanised battalion thanks to a high rate of fire and fast deployment. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and separation, then split of Czechoslovakia, the 12 production vehicles were distributed equally between Slovakia and the Czech Republic after agreement in 1992, just enough to fill a single battery each. Both also retained a vehicle for training. The vehicle is still in inventory, but never modernized, nor exported abroad.
♆ 31/10/2024
AMX-30 TME Pluton (1981)
This AMX 30 derivative was a tactical missile erector launcher vehicle, part of a new 1962 study for a new French tactical nuclear strike system, fully armoured, to succeed to the "Honest John" in service. From the tactical missile which range intersected West Germany it became in 1981 a "last warning" of the nuclear deterrence policy of France. 44 vehicles based on the AMX-30 EBG ARV were built in 1972-74, deployed in six units and retired in 1993, replaced by the truck based Hades missile system with much longer range.
♆ 27/10/2024
M19 MGMC (1945)
The M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage was a late WW2 self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle based on the M24 light tank chassis, sporting two Bofors 40 mm guns and produced by Cadillac and Massey Ferguson Canada from late 1944. It was fielded too late to see action in WW2 but saw first combat in Korea in 1950 against North Korean forces. It was gradually replaced by the M42 Duster iand completely phased out in 1953 but still active in other armies, notably the Netherlands until 1978. In Korea it was used in several high profile battles such as Chosin reservoir and around the Pusan perimeter against Chinese forces in ground fire, especially efficient against massed Chinese PLA infantry charges.
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 , 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: 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.
25/10/2024 
Leichte Schienenpanzer le.SP (1943)
Update on the German Panzer Draisines of WW2. This one is for the Panzersicherungswagen Le.Sp light reconnaissance armored railcar. This model was based on a Steyr K2670 draisine covered with light armored plates (resistant to small arms fire and up to 14.5 mm against 20 mm rounds) and weighting 7.5 t, and 9.5 tons fully loaded. These were draisines in the sense they were fully motorized and considered like proper "armored cars" on rails. They were produced from 1943, and able to operate independently or in series 300 armored trains, they were crewed by 4 to 8 men, with four MG.34 machine guns. Around 40 were made, they soldiered mostly between the Balkans and East Europe, mostly in anti-partisan missions and later eastern front evacuations.
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.
FSC Lublin 51 (1951)
04/11/2024 The FSC Lublin-51 was a Polish small-capacity licensed version of the Soviet GAZ-51. Production started at FSC Lublin Automotive Factory on 7 November 1951 and ended in June 1959, replaced by the FSC Żuk. A grand total of 17,479 were produced until 1959, providing the Polish Army its main supply truck. It was found not satisfactory between its low payload and high fuel consumption.
Older Entries:
Ford G8T (1942) * SU-12 * Mercedes Benz 250 GD & G class (1978) * Guy Quad Ant (1939) * Autocarro Leggero SPA 36R (1934) * BM-14 * Dodge D-15 (1941) * Laffly S 35 T (1937) * ZIL-157 * Scammell Pioneer TRCU * AT-L *
Type 94 Mountain Gun