Armored Vehicle Chassis Types
Many primary armored vehicle designs - when properly modified - can serve in other useful battlefield roles.
To increase a product's longevity and fulfill an army's requirement, defense contractors will often times reconstitute the chassis a basic production model in order to provide a "family" of vehicles to accomplish different roles on the battlefield. The list below serves to provide a basic understanding of certain military vehicle categories and their associated purpose within the military body. The American Army M1126 Stryker armored personnel carrier chassis will serve as the example for this exercise.
Intended to deliver or extract infantry as a mobile platform with armor protection. Generally designed with easy-entry/-access to allow for quick insertion/extraction of troops. Armament is usually a general purpose- or heavy-caliber machine gun with/or grenade launchers set on a pintle mount or powered turret. Wheeled infantry carriers (as opposed to tracked) also feature off-road capabilities through 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 wheel arrangements.
Provides the army with real-time surveillance tracking of enemy forces at range. These vehicles are lightly armed and armored for the role, reserving internal volume for specialized reconnaissance equipment. As situational awareness plays a critical role on the modern battlefield, reconnaissance vehicles provide this capability.
As their name suggests, these vehicles provide mobile firepower in a support role. Mobile gun platforms can be called to lay down suppressive fire, attack enemy strong points or occupy key areas of the battlefield. These types of roles require an adaptable chassis that, allows the fitting of a powered turret with large-caliber, tank-killing main gun.
Provide infantry with indirect fire support, meaning engagement of the enemy without line-of-sight. Mortar carriers are outfitted with various-caliber mortars (based on operator and mission scope) and can fire a variety of conventional and specialized munitions including high explosive (HE), illumination and smoke.
Command Vehicles are used to survey friendly and enemy movements and positions while dictating next actions. This unit becomes a mobile operations platform and is outfitted with specialized communications, transceiving and receiving equipment. This allows the commander to make decisions on-the-fly with real-time data and communications. Command Vehicles are generally unarmed due to the space require of specialized equipment.
Provide the ability to acquire, identify and designate targets to allied elements. Specialized systems provide other battlefield units information required to engage the target. As might be inferred, mobility and precision equipment in this model are of key importance. Armament is generally restricted to anti-infantry weapons for space reserved for the required targeting and acquisition equipment.
Engineering Vehicles provide mechanized forces with the ability to remove obstacles (landmines, debris) and can assist in the hauling of heavy battlefield equipment. Such vehicles sport dozers and heavy-duty winch systems and are not typically armed but may carry a machine gun. Additionally, vehicles may also be rigged to provide their own smoke cover. Other specialized tools may be installed.
Battlefield ambulances collect wounded and dead from the battlefield, possibly under enemy fire. Modern battlefield ambulance provides its own armored protection, off-road mobility and the latest in portable medical technologies to assist the field surgeon in stabilizing the wounded. Ambulances are rarely armed and usually marked by the universal "red cross" symbol.
Provides a mobile missile-launching platform from which to engage and destroy enemy armor at range. The AT Vehicle is a supplementary system designed to aid and protect infantry from enemy armor. Fitted with ranging and targeting systems allowing their missiles to travel impressive distances and strike with accuracy. Launchers may feature multiple-shot tubes or automatic reloading. Can be used in conjunction with the Reconnaissance and Command Vehicles.
The NBC Reconnaissance designation is reserved for vehicles that fill the strict role of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical weapons "damage control and assessment". The role of the NBC Vehicle is to collect and analyze airborne, waterborne and earthborn elements for real-time detection and surveillance to determine contamination levels. Variants often maintain many integrated systems that supply the crew within with enormous amounts of transmittable data whilst providing protection for the crew itself.
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