Infantry fighting vehicle

Not to be confused with Improvised fighting vehicle.
"IFV" redirects here. For the Institut Français, see Institut français de Vienne.

A M2 Bradley tracked infantry fighting vehicle in US service during the Second Battle of Fallujah (2004)
A Russian BMP-3 with embarked infantry

An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV),[1] is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support.[2] The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe defines an infantry fighting vehicle as "an armoured combat vehicle which is designed and equipped primarily to transport a combat infantry squad, and which is armed with an integral or organic cannon of at least 20 millimeters calibre and sometimes an antitank missile launcher".[3] IFVs often serve both as the principal weapons system and as the mode of transport for a mechanized infantry unit.[3]

Infantry fighting vehicles are distinct from armored personnel carriers (APCs), which are transport vehicles armed only for self-defense and not specifically engineered to fight on their own.[1] IFVs are designed to be more mobile than tanks and are equipped with a rapid-firing autocannon or a large conventional gun; they may include side ports for infantrymen to fire their personal weapons while on board.[4]

The IFV rapidly gained popularity with armies worldwide due to a demand for vehicles with higher firepower than APCs that were less expensive and easier to maintain than tanks.[4] Nevertheless, it did not supersede the APC concept altogether, due to the latter's continued usefulness in specialized roles.[1] Some armies continue to maintain fleets of both IFVs and APCs.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d Foss, Christopher (1991). "Versatile roles of the APC and MICV". Jane's Defence Weekly. 4: 271.
  2. ^ Martin J. Dougherty, Chris McNab (2010). Combat Techniques: An Elite Forces Guide to Modern Infantry Tactics. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-36824-1. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  3. ^ a b Viotti, Paul (2010). Arms Control and Global Security: A Document Guide, Volume 2. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, Publishers. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-313-35430-4.
  4. ^ a b "International Issues Review (June 1984)" (PDF). Langley: Central Intelligence Agency. June 1984. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.