AMR-June-July-2013
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I N F A N T R Y<br />
F I G H T I N G<br />
V E H I C L E S<br />
TRACKING<br />
PROGRESS:<br />
APCS AND IFVS<br />
IN THE ASIA<br />
PACIFIC<br />
Traditionally Armoured Personnel Carriers<br />
(APCs), tracked and wheeled alike, have been<br />
used to transport infantry as near to their<br />
objective as possible where they dismount and<br />
fight on foot. APCs are still used by many<br />
countries, but they are now being supplemented<br />
by Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs).<br />
by Christopher F Foss<br />
Usually an APC is armed<br />
with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm<br />
Machine Gun (MG) which<br />
was initially in an unprotected<br />
mount but later provided<br />
with protection, such as a cupola or turret.<br />
Ballistic protection was normally against<br />
small arms fire and shell splinters. APCs<br />
can be tracked or wheeled with the latter<br />
being normally in the 8x8 configuration<br />
which have greater volume and mobility<br />
than older 6x6 vehicles.<br />
The latest IFVs have a higher level of<br />
ballistic protection as well as increased<br />
protection against mines and Improvised<br />
Explosive Devices (IED). They are also<br />
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army ZBD-04<br />
Infantry Fighting Vehicle during a parade in<br />
Beijing. The export version of this vehicle is<br />
known as the VN11 on the international market<br />
© Wikimedia commons<br />
14<br />
l ASIAN MILITARY REVIEW<br />
l
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