Infantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle designed both to transport infantry into battle and to provide direct fire support, combining the function of an armoured personnel carrier (APC) with that of an assault gun/light tank. 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". IFVs often serve both as the principal weapons system and as the mode of transport for a mechanized infantry unit.
Infantry fighting vehicles are distinct from conventional APCs, which are primarily used for infantry transportation and armed only for self-defense, and not specifically engineered to fight as independent combat vehicles. IFVs are designed to be more mobile than tanks and are equipped with a rapid-firing autocannon or a conventional tank gun, often complemented by externally mounted missile launchers for anti-tank and anti-aircraft warfare; they may include side embrasures for infantrymen to fire their small arms while on board.
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. Nevertheless, it did not supersede the APC concept altogether, due to the latter's continued usefulness in specialized roles. Some armies continue to maintain fleets of both IFVs and APCs.