An armoured fighting vehicle or armored fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, assault guns, self-propelled artilleries, infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), and armoured personnel carriers (APC).
Self-propelled artillery is artillery equipped with its own propulsion system to move toward its firing position. Within the terminology are the self-propelled gun, self-propelled howitzer, self-propelled mortar, and rocket artillery. They are high mobility vehicles, usually based on continuous tracks carrying either a large field gun, howitzer, mortar, or some form of rocket/missile launcher. They are usually used for long-range indirect bombardment support on the battlefield.
Airborne guns are airborne artillery pieces, designed for use by paratroopers. They are generally specific or specialised types of infantry support guns, being in the traditional sense capable of being broken down into smaller loads for transport by aircraft and soldiers, thus also suitable as mountain guns. The historical concept of the "airborne guns" is to some degree outdated, their role being filled by mortars, wire-guided missiles, and/or light anti-tank weapons. As it has been many decades since two industrialized great powers engaged directly in warfare, the concept of the "airborne gun" allowing paratroopers to maintain an airhead against an armored force is in that sense non-functional, but currently, all three of the U.S. Army's howitzers, are air-mobile.
A mortar is usually a simple, lightweight, man-portable, muzzle-loaded weapon, consisting of a smooth-bore metal tube fixed to a base plate with a lightweight bipod mount and a sight. They launch explosive shells in high-arcing ballistic trajectories. Mortars are typically used as indirect fire weapons for close fire support with a variety of ammunition.
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
The Soltam K6 is a 120 mm mortar that was developed by Soltam Systems of Israel. It is the long-range version of the Soltam K5 and has replaced older systems, such as the 107-millimetre (4.2 in) M30, in several armies including the United States Army. It is much lighter than the M30, has a greater range, and can sustain a rate of fire of four rounds per minute, while the M30 could sustain only three.
The M1129 Mortar Carrier (MCV_B) is an 8×8 wheeled armored mortar carrier of the Stryker family of combat vehicles produced by General Dynamics Land Systems. It is in use with the United States Army. Models with the double V-hull upgrade are known as the M1252 MCVV.
The 2S31 Vena is a Russian amphibious self-propelled 120 mm mortar system. "2S31" is its GRAU designation.
The 8 cm Granatwerfer 34 was the standard German infantry mortar throughout World War II. It was noted for its accuracy and rapid rate of fire.
The 2S9 NONA is a self-propelled and air-droppable 120 mm mortar designed in the Soviet Union, which entered service in 1981. The 2S9 chassis is designated the S-120 and based on the aluminium hull of the BTR-D airborne multi-purpose tracked armoured personnel carrier. More generally, the 120 mm mortar is referred to as the Nona, with the 2S9 also known as the Nona-S. Although no figures have been released, it is estimated that well over 1,000 2S9 were built.
MLVM is a Romanian armoured personnel carrier. The vehicle was designed and used as an infantry fighting vehicle for the vânători de munte of the Romanian Army, though technically it is a tracked armoured personnel carrier according to UN classification because of its light armor and armament.
The Type 85 is a tracked armoured fighting vehicle produced by Chinese company Norinco. It is an improved version of the Type 63 armoured personnel carrier. The vehicle is bigger, has additional firing ports and periscopes, a longer chassis with an additional road wheel on each side, and is equipped with an NBC protection system.
The M6 Mortar is a 60 mm lightweight infantry mortar made by Hirtenberger AG of Austria.
The M1064 mortar carrier is an American vehicle, consisting of the M121 mortar – a version of the M120 mortar – mounted on an M113 chassis. The M1287 Mortar Carrier Vehicle will replace the M1064 in U.S. Army service.
The M106 mortar carrier was a tracked, self-propelled artillery vehicle in service with the United States Army. It was designed to provide artillery support to mechanized infantry battalions. It was replaced with the M1064 mortar carrier.
The 2B9 Vasilek is an automatic 82 mm gun-mortar developed in the Soviet Union in 1967 and fielded with the Soviet Army in 1970. It was based on the F-82 automatic mortar. Unlike conventional mortars, the 2B9 can fire in single and automatic mode using four-round clips. Rounds can be loaded from either the muzzle or the breech. Because of its wheeled carriage, the 2B9 resembles a light artillery piece more than a conventional mortar.
The PLL-05 is a Chinese self-propelled gun-mortar in use by Chinese mechanised infantry formations. Conceptually it is similar to the Russian 2S23 "Nona-SVK" three of which China purchased for evaluation; at one time it was reported that China would purchase 100 of the Russian vehicles however this failed to occur, nor does it appear that there was a formal transfer of technology to China. The Chinese system features a longer barreled weapon mounted on the Type 92 variant of the WZ551 armored personnel carrier.
