Many of us
wonder. Which is the best armored personnel carrier in the
world? Which is the greatest modern APC and why? Our Top 10 analysis is based on the combined score of
protection, firepower, capacity and mobility. All of the armored
vehicles
mentioned here are great, however not all of them have seen combat during military operations yet.
Analysis is based on specifications and available data. Why all APCs
listed here are wheeled? Because currently there is a trend that
tracked vehicles are retired from this role due to their poor
protection against mines. Why all APCs listed here have 8x8
configuration? Because 8x8 configuration offers better overall
mobility, internal volume and payload capacity. This list includes only operational
vehicles, that are currently in production. After exhaustive
research I was surprised with the results.
Currently
top 10 best armored personnel carriers in the world are these:
Nr.1
AMV (Finland)
The Patria
AMV was developed in association with the Finish Defense Force. It
revealed in 2001. This APC has some export
success. Export operators are Croatia, Poland and Slovenia. Some
other countries also ordered this armored vehicle.
With maximum level of
protection the front arc of the AMV withstands 30-mm
armor-piercing rounds. Vehicle also has a top-class mine
protection. It withstands blasts equivalent to 10 kg of TNT. Two uparmored Polish Army
vehicles were hit in Afghanistan by RPG-7 rockets, however armor was
not penetrated and vehicles managed to return to base.
The baseline
version is armed with remotely-controlled
12.7-mm machine gun, or 40-mm automatic grenade launcher.
This APC is
fitted with a powerful engine, developing 490 or 540 hp. The baseline
variant is fully
amphibious.
Nr.2
Piranha V (Switzerland)
The Piranha
V is the latest and most protected vehicle of the MOWAG Piranha
line. The latest Piranha V is actually a wheeled infantry fighting
vehicle. However its APC version is also available. It was revealed
in 2010. The Piranha V is in service with Monaco.
Vehicle has
an all-welded steel armor hull with integrated add-on composite
modular armor. With maximum level of protection the Piranha V
withstands 25-mm armor-piercing rounds
all-round. Vehicle has a double floor with a V-shaped hull
and is well protected against landmines and IED blasts. It
withstands a 10 kg anti-tank mine blast under any wheel. This APC is
also available with active protection system.
In APC
configuration this vehicle is proposed with
12.7-mm machine gun, or 40-mm automatic grenade launcher.
The Piranha
V is fitted with a powerful engine, developing 580 hp. It has good
off-road mobility due to its height-adjustable semi-active hydropneumatic
suspension.
Nr.3
Kodiak (Canada)
The Canadian
LAV III Kodiak is a license-produced version of the Swiss
MOWAG
Piranha IIIH. It entered service with Canada in 1999. The Kodiak has
been exported to New Zealand. Its modified version, the
Stryker,
is in service with the US Army.
A ceramic
add-on armor kit provides all-round protection against
14.5-mm rounds. Some sources claim,
that front arc of the Kodiak with add-on armor withstands
30-mm hits. This armored vehicle has a
strengthened bottom for improved protection against landmines and
IED blasts.
The Kodiak
is armed with a turret-mounted 25-mm
chain gun and coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. Its derivative Stryker is
not that well armed.
Nr.4
Terrex (Singapore)
The
Singaporean Terrex is one of the latest and most advanced armored
personnel carriers. It entered service with Singaporean armed forces
in 2006.
Maximum
level of all-round protection is against
14.5-mm armor-piercing rounds. Vehicle has a double V-shaped
hull, which deflects mine blasts away from the vehicle. The Terrex
can withstand up to 12 kg TNT explosion under the hull and the
vehicle still keep on moving.
The baseline
version is armed with remotely-controlled
40-mm automatic grenade launcher and coaxial 7.62-mm machine
gun. Alternatively it can be fitted with remotely-controlled 12.7-mm
machine gun.
The Terrex
is fitted with a powerful engine, developing 400 hp. The Terrex is exceptionaly
mobile due to its powerful engine and advanced Timoney independent
suspension system. This APC is amphibious.
Nr.5
Boxer (Germany/Netherlands)
The Boxer is
one of the latest and most advanced armored personnel carriers. It
was jointly developed by Germany and Netherlands. As with all German
vehicles it is well engineered and reliable.
It is a
truly modular vehicle with interchangeable snap-in modules. It uses
a single chassis for different purposes, including infantry carrier,
command vehicle, ambulance, supply carrier and so on. Modules can be
replaced in less than an hour. Some other armored vehicles are also
claimed to be modular. However they never really exploit their
modularity.
Modular
armor of the Boxer is made with special ceramic mix. Every mission
module has its own primary safety cell. It is claimed that front
armor withstands 30-mm rounds. All-round protection is against
12.7-mm fire. Damaged armor slabs can be easily replaced in field
condition. The triple hull
floor is shaped for maximum protection against anti-tank mines. Also
this APC has low
radar and acoustic signatures, making it harder to detect.
Despite
being well protected the standard Boxer is armed only with remotely
controlled 12.7-mm machine gun, or 40-mm automatic grenade launcher.
There are some proposed versions with turret-mounted cannons.
Nr.6
Stryker (USA)
The Stryker
APC is being produced in large numbers. It entered service with the
US Army in 2003. Currently US Army operates over 4 000 of these
armored vehicles.
Maximum
level of all-round protection with add-on armor is against
14.5-mm
armor-piercing rounds. Vehicle has a strengthened undercarriage and
can survive mine blasts. It is claimed that Strykers are superior to
other APCs regarding survivability against IEDs.
Strykers in
APC configuration are armed with remotely-controlled 12.7-mm machine
guns or 40-mm automatic grenade launchers.
This APC
takes advantage of high-tech information technologies. It is fitted
with a battlefield information management system. It links up with
other similarly equipped vehicles and command posts.
The Stryker
APCs operate in rapid deployment Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. Each
brigade has more than 300 Strykers of all variants, including APCs,
reconnaissance vehicles, 105-mm fire support vehicles, 120-mm mortar
carriers, command vehicles, engineering vehicles, ambulances, ATGW
carriers and NBC reconnaissance vehicles. These brigades can be
airlifted and deployed anywhere in the world within 96 hours.
Nr.7
Pandur II (Austria)
The Pandur
II is a further development of the previous successful
Pandur APC.
The Pandur II is also a commercial success. It is in service with
Austria, Czech Republic and Portugal. Slovenia produces this APC
under license. The Slovenian version, known as Krpan has some
improvements.
Maximum
level of all-round protection with add-on armor is against
14.5-mm ammunition. The baseline
version has a flat bottom though, which do not protect well against
landmines.
The baseline
version is armed with a 12.7-mm machine gun.
There is a wheeled IFV version, armed with a remotely-controlled
30-mm cannon.
Some
variants of this APC are fully amphibious.
Nr.8
AV8 (Turkey)
The AV8
armored personnel carrier was developed in Turkey by FNSS to meet a
Malaysian Army requirement. It evolved from the Turkish
Pars, which
in turn was developed by American GPV. First vehicles were delivered
to Malaysia in 2013.
Front
arc provides protection against 14.5-mm
armor-piercing rounds. All-round protection is against
7.62-mm armor-piercing rounds. Vehicle
has a V-shaped hull and withstands blasts equivalent to 8 kg of TNT
under any wheel and 6 kg under the hull.
The most
numerous version of this APC is fitted with a
30-mm cannon and coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. Some APCs will
also have anti-tank guided missile launchers.
Vehicle is
fitted with a powerful engine, developing 523 hp. It seems that the
AV8 has the same sophisticated active suspension, used on the GPV
armored vehicles and the Pars.
Nr.9
BTR-4 (Ukraine)
The
Ukrainian BTR-4 gradually evolved from the Soviet
BTR-80.
Ukrainians managed to fix a lot of design flaws of its predecessor.
First APCs were delivered to Ukrainian Army in 2009. The BTR-4 also
received substantial export orders from Iraq, Kazakhstan.
This armored
vehicle has a different layout, comparing with Soviet and Russian
8x8 armored personnel carriers. The main drawback of the Soviet APCs was a rear-mounted
engine. Troops have to leave the vehicle through the side doors, thus
being exposed to enemy fire. The BTR-4 has engine
and transmission mounted in the middle and troop
compartment at the rear. Its layout is similar to that of Western
design.
A baseline
version provides all-round protection against
7.62-mm ball rounds and artillery shell splinters. It seems
that the front arc withstands 12.7-mm rounds.
Add-on armor can be fitted for improved level of protection. Vehicle
also withstands 6 kg anti-tank mine blasts.
This armored
personnel carrier is available with numerous weapon modules, armed
with
23-mm or 30-mm cannons, and often anti-tank guided missiles.
The BTR-4 is
fitted with a powerful engine, developing 500 hp. Vehicle is fully
amphibious.
Nr.10
BTR-82 (Russia)
The BTR-82
is the latest variant of the
BTR-80 series of 8x8 wheeled armored
personnel carrier. It was revealed in 2009 and entered service with
the Russian Army in 2011. It has been exported to Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan.
The previous
BTR-80 offers all-round protection against 7.62-mm rounds. Its front
arc withstands 12.7-mm rounds. It is claimed that protection of the
new BTR-82 is slightly better. However add-on armor kit is not
available. Protection against landmines has been improved over the
predecessor. Overall protection of the BTR-82 is rather poor
comparing with the latest Western APCs.
The baseline
version is armed with externally-mounted
14.5-mm
machine gun. There is also a BTR-82A, armed with a 30-mm cannon.
However the
BTR-82 inherited some design limitations, such as rear-mounted
engine. Because of such layout ambushed troops have to leave the
vehicle via side doors, under direct enemy fire.
Unlike many
Western rivals this APC is fully amphibious. On water it is
propelled by a rear-mounted waterjet.
www.Military-Today.com Top 10 Armored Personnel Carriers
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