Military vehicle
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Military vehicle indicates any vehicle for land-based military transport and activity, including combat vehicles; both specifically designed for, or significantly used by military and armed forces.[1] Most military vehicles require off-road capabilities and/or vehicle armour (plate),[1] making them heavy, therefore some have vehicle tracks instead of being wheeled vehicles; and half-tracks have both. Furthermore, some military vehicles are amphibious, constructed for use on land and water, and sometimes also intermediate surfaces.
Military vehicles are almost always camouflaged, or at least painted in inconspicuous color(s). In contrast, under the Geneva Conventions, all non-combatant military vehicles, such as field ambulances and mobile first aid stations, must be properly and clearly marked as such. Under the conventions, when respected, such vehicles are legally immune from deliberate attack by all combatants.
Historically, militaries explored the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) trucks and vehicles, both to gain experience with commercially available products and technology, and to try and save time in development, and money in procurement. A subtype that has become increasingly prominent since the late 20th century is the improvised fighting vehicle, often seen in irregular warfare.
Military trucks[]
A military truck is a vehicle designed to transport troops, fuel and military supplies to the battlefield, through asphalted roads and unpaved dirt roads. Several countries have manufactured their own models of military trucks, each of which has its own technical characteristics. These vehicles are adapted to the needs of the different armies on the ground. In general, these trucks are composed of a chassis, a motor, a transmission, a cabin, an area for the placement of the load and the equipment, axles of transmission, suspensions, direction, tires, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, engine cooling systems, and brakes. They can be operated with a gasoline engine or with a diesel engine, there are four-wheel drive (4x4) vehicles, six wheeled (6x6), eight wheeled (8x8), ten wheeled (10x10) and even twelve wheeled vehicles (12x12).
Types of military vehicles[]
Land combat and military transport vehicles include:
- Military ambulances (category)
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- amphibious vehicles
- Amphibious military vehicles {category)
- Armo(u)red fighting vehicles
- Military bicycles
- Electronic warfare vehicles
- Military engineering vehicles
- improvised fighting vehicles
- Joint Light Tactical Vehicle
- Military light utility vehicles
- Military motorcycles (category)
- Off-road military vehicles
- Military railways
- Armo(u)red trains
- Military draisines
- Reconnaissance vehicles
- Recovery vehicles
- Tanks
- Tracked military vehicles
- Military trailers {category)
- Military trucks (category)
- Wheeled military vehicles (category)
See also[]
- Military transport (equipment) not primarily used on land:
- Military aircraft
- Military spacecraft
- Warships
- Camouflage
- List of military vehicles
References[]
- Military vehicles
- Military vehicle stubs