Special Purpose Vehicles
Specially-designed army machines.

1 7TP The 7TP series was of a Polish design, based on the British Vickers-Armstrong 6-ton light tank (Mark E). When war with Germany was rolling about the horizon, the Polish government saw a need to replace their diminutive tanket... 1936

2 AAVP7 / LVTP7 The LVTP7 was designed as a for the LVTP5 series of amphibious vehicles. The LVTP7 offered up performance benefits and an increased range all the while transporting 25 combat-ready marines from landing ships inland. The syste... 1972

3 Alvis FV104 Samaritan The FV104 Samaritan is the Armored Battlefield Ambulance of the Scorpion CVRT family. Built upon the same chassis, the Samaritan is equipped to take on up to two litters of wounded for transport back to safety. The FV104 Sama... 1976

4 Boston Dynamics BigDog BigDog robots operate on commands via remote control. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is considering plans such as weaponizing the BigDog robots and using them to carry extra gear to free Marines of the burden o... 2010

5 Chenowth Scorpion Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) / Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) The Scorpion DPV (Desert Patrol Vehicle) is a three-man on-road/off-road vehicle used for many long-range desert operations including close-air support or combat search and rescue missions. Originally designated as the FAV (F... 1987

6 CIO Centauro B1 The Centauro B1 8x8 tank killer is in the same family line of Italian Army vehicles that include the Ariete Main Battle Tank (MBT) and Dardo Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). The Centauro represents a joint development effort ... 1991

7 Dodge WC-54 3/4 Ton Ambulance The Model WC-54 3/4 Ton Ambulance was manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation (Dodge Brothers Division) from the years 1942 through 1945. The body work for the chassis was completed by the Wayne company. The system itself wa... 1942

8 FPI Cougar (MRAP) The Cougar has since expanded into a full line of militarized armored vehicles. This began with the base 4x4 and 6x6 series Cougar systems being offered in 2004 by FPI to the United States Marine Corps. The Badger ILAV (Iraqi... 2002

9 GMC CCKW 353 (Jimmy / Deuce-and-a-Half) Before America's involvement in World War 2 began in late 1941, the US Army sent out a requirement to interested American manufacturers that it was in need of a new transport vehicle to fulfill some direct specifications. T... 1941

10 Half-Track Personnel Carrier M3 No image of the American Army effort in world war two is complete with the appearance of a half-track series vehicle. The system appeared in large numbers and was very similar in role to the German SdKfz 251 half-track, servi... 1941

11 HMMWV (High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle) / (Humvee) Aside from the M1 Abrams, perhaps no other American armored vehicle has represented the American Army more than the venerable Humvee series of four-wheeled vehicles. Since its inception, the Humvee has become a staple of mili... 1985

12 HMMWV M1114 UAH (Up-Armored Humvee) The M1114 UAH (Up-Armored Humvee) was a purpose-built version of the Humvee family line intended to provide better protection for crew and systems alike. Based on the successes of the up-armored M1109 HMMWV vehicle, the M1114... 1994

13 iRobot PackBot EOD The iRobot PackBot is a rugged and lightweight battlefield robot in service with the United States Marines. The system can conduct EOD, reconnaissance and other search-and-surveillance tasks. It utilizes a manipulator arm tha...

14 Jackal (MWMIK / EmWimmick) ... 2003

15 Kaiser JEEP M530 6x6 The Kaiser Jeep Model 530 6X6 was a firefighting truck that first saw production 1966. She was an important vehicle, oft-overlooked, but earned her keep by way of responding to the most dangerous and sometimes deadly mission... 1966

16 Little David In 1944, the United States War Department was planning for the invasion of the Japanese mainland and expecting to encounter very strong fortifications. As such, the Army wuld need a heavy weapon to combat such structures. Spe... 1944

17 M1068 SICPS The M1068 SICPS was designed from the M113A2 Gavin armored personnel carrier chassis and was a further modification of the M577A2 design. The M1068 SICPS variant was a mobile battlefield system complete with an expanded commu... 1962

18 M114 The M114 was originally designed as a battlefield recon vehicle. Poor off-road performance kept it from fulfilling the role successfully and thusly the system was entirely removed from service by the early 1980's. The extende... 1962

19 M270 MLRS The M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) is a battlefield support weapon produced buy the Lockheed Martin Vought firm. The system yields an impressive assault armament of 12 tactical battlefield rockets and missiles with... 1983

20 M551 General Sheridan / Sheridan The M551 General Sheridan (or simply "Sheridan") was a light-armored and heavily-armed portable tank system utilized by the United States Army. The system evolved from the need to counter a similar Soviet design of the time a... 1968

21 M60A1 AVLB The M60A1 AVLB (Armored Vehicle Launched Bridge) is a battlefield engineering vehicle used for launching and retrieving a 60-foot scissors-type bridge. As with most combat engineering vehicles such as this, they are often jus... 1989

22 M727 Guided Missile Equipment Carrier (SP-Hawk) The M727 is a tracked carrier vehicle designed to transport the Hawk guided missile system (known collectively under the designation of "SP-Hawk". The tractor, essentially a modified version of the M548 series tracked vehicle... 1969

23 M9 ACE The M9 ACE is an armored Earthmover used to dig firing positions for various weapons systems. It is also used in the following battlefield functions: Minefield Breaching, Obstacle Removal, Trench Breaching, Bulldozing, Gradin... 1990

24 M93 Fox The M93 was based on the German Rheinmetall product TPz 1 Fuchs system and is designated as the M93 Fox in the US Army inventory. The system's primary mission is to survey, collect and process battlefield samples for traces o... 1998

25 Oshkosh M-ATV The Oshkosh M-ATV is a 4x4 armored vehicle now in service with the United States Army. Years of combat actions shown light-armored vehicles to be exceedingly vulnerable to enemy IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attacks, part... 2009

26 Rocket Launcher, T34 (Sherman Calliope) The attempt to mate a multiple rocket launching system to a vehicle was nothing new by 1944. The Soviets were already finding successes with their Katyusha launchers against the Germans, who in turn had been fielding their Ne... 1944

27 Rodman 20-Inch The 20-inch Rodman was the largest muzzle loading cannon ever forged in the United States. The ability to forge cannon of that size required new technology that was developed by Thomas Jackson Rodman. This new casting process... 1864

28 Saxon AT105 APC ... 1983

29 Sd.Kfz. 205 Panzerkampfwagen VIII (Pz.Kpf.W VIII) / Maus The Panzerkampfwagen Pz.Kpf.W. VIII (Sd.Kfz. 205) "Maus" (ironically named the "Mouse") was a "superheavy" tank development undertaken by the Third Reich during World War 2. This monster creation was fitted with a large and p... 1943

30 SdKfz 2 kleines Kettenrad ... 1941

31 SdKfz 251 mittlerer Schutzenpanzerwagen A 1932 directive set about to provide German infantry with a versatile vehicle able to keep pace with the mobile Panzer tank units while fulfilling other roles in the process. The resulting 1935 design of the Gp MTW appeared ... 1939

32 Shillelagh ...

33 SLU-FAE The SLU-FAE was an ill-fated attempt at producing a mine and obstacle-breaching system for the United States Marine Corps. The SLU-FAE prototype weapon system featured five road wheels on a track with a multiple launching ro... 1976

34 SS-1 SCUD The SCUD missile system was the Soviet military long-range missile mainstay throughout the 70's and 80's. The system gained notoriety during the first Gulf War in 1991, where Saddam Hussein launched attacks against Israel and... 1957

35 Type 653 ARV The Type 653 ARV is a basic battlefield Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) that is based on the Type 69 production MBT (Main Battle Tank - detailed elsewhere on this site) combat chassis. Unlike the Type 69, the Type 653 is field... 1969

36 Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E) The Vickers 6-Ton (Mark E) was a light tank evaluated by the British Army but ultimately rejected. When the British Army passed on the system, the tank was marketed (with success) to operators around the globe. The system wen... 1928

37 Vickers Medium Mark I The Vickers Medium Mark I series of tanks was one of the few mass-produced tank systems to be found in the 1920s. With a war-weary world cutting back much in the way of military production, the Medium Mark I managed a relativ... 1923