Infantry Fighting Vehicle Challenge

[heuhen]

I was going to draw a joke drawing again, just for fun. But instead I'll describe it.

"The advance, unbeatable infantry vehicle"
The Spider-tracked-bucket infantry vehicle with a Carl Gustaf!

[dalamace]

Krudila CoSP Infantry Breaching Vehicle

The Krudila did not start life as an infantry fighting vehicle, or indeed even an armoured personnel carrier. Instead, it was an ambitious conversion plan devised by the Corps of Sapper-Pioneers (CoSP) to create an effective vehicle able to clear out minefields even under harsh small-arms and autocannon fire. Throughout its troubled lifetime, the Krudila evolved, often at the insistence of several commanders which very rarely agreed with one another, from a simple turretless version of the Frusta tank to a battle taxi carrying sapper-pioneers to finally a somewhat ludicrously armed infantry fighting vehicle. Armament included a 20mm autocannon bought from the State of Lyonesse with a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, two Voketic 7.62mm GPMGs on a flexible mount, a 13.2mm HMG mounted on top of a commander periscope, and four firing ports each equipped with specially made open-bolt version of the AR-10. It also carried a box of 20 mine-clearing rockets that has been reported to also be used on enemy positions.

Only around 20 Krudilas were produced, and all saw service only in the War of Ishtar Pass where it would be used as a battering ram to clear out enemy positions. Its effectiveness is still debated to this day by armchair historians and military enthusiasts alike, especially after its inclusion in a recent wargame, spawning endless silly debates.

[Charguizard]

The Infantry tank returns.

The Gladiator is a 35 ton Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle family that features excellent all terrain mobility to keep up with Imperial Battle Tanks. It is powered by a Leyland L60 producing 650 brake horsepower. It features heavy armour compared to other nations' MICVs and can be upgraded with Burlington armour packages to stop even the most fearsome anti-vehicle threats. It is armed with a 76.2mm L23A1 gun firing HESH, HE, smoke and canister rounds, and is backed up by a coaxial .669 BESA machinegun. Dismounts have access to two demi-turrets at the rear, armed with a single 7.92mm BESA Mk.IV machinegun for covering disembarking personnel. It sits up to eight fully equipped dismounts in the rear compartment and has increased mine protection over previous infantry carrying vehicles. Commander, gunner and driver have access to passive image-intensifier optics, and the vehicle's fire control is directed by a digital FC computer. The vehicle also features a boiling vessel as mandated by the War Office.

[Panzerfaust]

The Abkinesian A.I.CR/49-1 (Armoured Infantry Carrier 1949 Model 1) was the first model of craft in the kingdom in the attempt to create a vehicle capable of transporting troops, then remaining on the battlefield to support them. Usually working in groups of 3 vehicles to transport 2 mechanized infantry squads, the AICR, or Acer as it's been come to be affectionately known, has some peculiar and notable details about it.

Starting with the peculiar, along the side of the vehicle are 4 characters of the Abkinesian phonetic alphabet. Given the context, we know that these a representative symbols, giving us details about this vehicle in particular. The first Character represents vehicle class, a hard a given it's an armored vehicle. The second represents the section the vehicle belongs to, this case is a soft a since it belongs to the alpha section. The 3rd letter is representative of the vehicle position within the section, presented here as the hard o for one/1st position. The last symbol represents seniority/vehicle commander's rank status. This is not necessarily present on all vehicles, but in this case, it's a soft o for officers.

Looking at one of its more notable features would be the various forms of the entrance to the vehicle. The driver and squad commander enter through the right-most hatch present on the side of the vehicle near the engine compartment, mirrored reflective to the respective sides. the hatch to the left is actually for stowage of materials that need to be kept dry, as well as some smaller pieces of equipment. The two turret crewmembers and dismounts start off entering the same, each entering the rear hatches that are flush to the body, with the gunner and loader entering through a hatch present in the turret basket. As for normal and emergency exits, the gunner and loader can exit through the cupola in the case a rear troop compartment is no longer an option. In the case of the squad commander and driver, the front panel can be flipped horizontally and rested on pegs so the respective occupants can exit the vehicle.

As for Vehicular statistics, It has a hull armor measure of 10-15mm of riveted cast armor and a turret measure of 15-25mm of fully cast armor. It has a top speed of 35 MPH with a Neagi M49-09 105 HP diesel engine. The total vehicle weighs 9.7 Tons on its own, not counting the 3 crewmembers and up to 7 dismounts it can potentially carry. Within the Turret is mounted an Abbers 37/46 20mm High Velocity 20mm automatic cannon, fed by 10 round magazines. The relatively quick reload speed of 2.5 seconds and empty speed of roughly 3.5 seconds give the cannon a rate of fire of roughly 100 RPM.

As for the introduction of the vehicle, it came about as a result of 'the 4th war of the coalition for representation' after the army realized it needed to develop and strengthen its doctrine of mobile defense. This led to several minor companies merging into the Korkrin Defence Works (KDW), which took several forms of armored transports used by Abkinesia and her enemies and merged not just concepts, but entire sections of abandoned vehicles to create their prototype, the X.A.CR/47-1. This project would be the first stepping stone to the above presented A.I.CR/49-1.

[Aloysius]

The Infantry tank returns.

The Gladiator is a 35 ton Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle family that features excellent all terrain mobility to keep up with Imperial Battle Tanks. It is powered by a Leyland L60 producing 650 brake horsepower. It features heavy armour compared to other nations' MICVs and can be upgraded with Burlington armour packages to stop even the most fearsome anti-vehicle threats. It is armed with a 76.2mm L23A1 gun firing HESH, HE, smoke and canister rounds, and is backed up by a coaxial .669 BESA machinegun. Dismounts have access to two demi-turrets at the rear, armed with a single 7.92mm BESA Mk.IV machinegun for covering disembarking personnel. It sits up to eight fully equipped dismounts in the rear compartment and has increased mine protection over previous infantry carrying vehicles. Commander, gunner and driver have access to passive image-intensifier optics, and the vehicle's fire control is directed by a digital FC computer. The vehicle also features a boiling vessel as mandated by the War Office.

Not that I would put it past the MOD, but the BESA? Really? Wouldn't that design be ancient by '88? I would think the TADEN gun might be a better fit, but that's just me.
Otherwise I love the idea of Scorpion and Warrior's illegitimate lovechild!

[Charguizard]

Not that I would put it past the MOD, but the BESA? Really? Wouldn't that design be ancient by '88?

You are aware of how old the fiddy cal is right? Regardless these BESAs are not '40's vintage, they're newer marks fired by an electrical solenoid, a feed cover that can open from either side, a bolt with dual tracks that could feed from either side, and a reversible belt feed pawl, ejector, and feed chute. They're still BESAs on account of having the same action, and the Royal Armoured Corps sticking to 7.92x57. The infantry does operate the TADEN as a GPMG firing .280 British, same as their rifles.

Thanks for the positive comments tho!

[rundrewrun99]

An American HIFV using a lengthened Abrams chassis.
Weight: 60t
1500hp Honeywell AGT1500 Turbine Engine
Three Crewmen: Driver, Gunner and VC
8 Dismounts
75mm ARES autocannon
Coaxial 7.62, Roof Mounted 12.7, Two 40mm AGS
4x Vertical Launch NLOS Missiles

[Soode]

The BSCh-8 (Pal-ho Bundae Susong Janggabcha, No.8 Squad Transporting Armored Vehicle) is the main infantry fighting vehicle currently produced in Menghe. Its earliest variant, the BSCh-8G, entered service in 2010, and since then it has been produced in three major generations, each featuring a completely redesigned turret. The BSCh-8D is the newest variant, entering service in 2018. It features an all-new loading system for the 35mm autocannon, a less cramped turret, and a hardkill active protection system. Compared with the Menghean Army's previous IFVs, the BSCh-3 and BSCh-5, the BSCh-8 sacrifices amphibious capability in return for superior protection, withstanding 30mm APFSDS fire over the 60-degree frontal arc and 14.5mm fire over the 270-degree frontal arc. With the ERA kit pictured here, it can also withstand most man-portable anti-tank rocket projectiles.

The main armament of the BSCh-8D is the GP-3550 Type 110 autocannon, which has a caliber of 35mm by default but can be upgraded to a 50mm weapon by swapping out the barrel and a few other small components. This autocannon has a dual linkless feed, with 76 high-explosive rounds in the ready box on the right side and 76 anti-armor rounds in the ready box on the left. These ready boxes are fixed to the gun and elevate and depress alongside it, greatly improving reliability compared to the feeding system used on the BSCh-8N. An additional 112 high-explosive and 56 anti-armor rounds are stored in a separate linkless feed unit below the turret ring, which can automatically replenish the in-turret linkless feed boxes from below armor while the gun is fixed at a 0-degree elevation. The ready ammunition boxes and trunnion are actually located behind the heads of the turret crew, with the autocannon sitting in a deep "trench" down the middle of the turret. The 35mm APFSDS round is able to defeat all known IFV threats over the frontal arc, and the 35mm PABM (Programmable Air Burst Munition) automatically detonates at a range set by the gunner, making it effective against enemy infantry behind cover.

A typical "Gen 4" Menghean infantry squad, mechanized-type, consists of seven dismounts: a two-man GPMG team, a two-man anti-tank team, and a three-man assault team. The AT gunner carries a launch unit, and the AT assistant carries an optional night vision sight to attach to it; both carry two rocket tubes, typically with one tandem high explosive and one thermobaric round each. The MG gunner carries a GCh-96R, the lightened, short-barreled version of the GPMG used by the IFV's coaxial and RWS mounts, and is aided by an assistant. Menghean infantry doctrine regards the machine gun as the squad's main long-range anti-infantry weapon, and the Gen 4 squad shifted from using a long-barreled SAW mod of the JS-103 assault rifle to a dedicated GPMG chambered in 7.5x54mm ammunition. The remaining soldiers in the squad all use variants of the newly-issued JS-21 rifle, better known by its original designation, Hwasŏng H35. This weapon was developed in the 2010s and features a single upper section, a polymer lower receiver, and better rails and slots for customization, but it is still chambered in 7.62x39mm and can even accept original-model AKM magazines. This squad has been issued the clear semi-polymer magazines introduced alongside the H35. All three teams are coordinated from within the vehicle by the squad commander, though the assault team leader may also take charge of the other two teams. Despite the otherwise technically advanced nature of the unit, only the lead soldier in each team has access to a wireless radio.

This particular BSCh-8D is part of the 48th Kimsŏng Mechanized Division, the Menghean analogue to a Guards Motor Rifle Division. It is depicted on 10 April 2022 at the start of Operation Napalsu, the 4th Army's surprise offensive into Northwest Argentstan. The symbols hastily painted on the hull and turret are invasion markings, and were added to help Menghean tank crews keep track of friendly units and avoid friendly fire incidents. This vehicle, No.127 of the 481st Mechanized Regiment, is marked with the Sinmun vowel ㅏ (A); the other two vehicles in its platoon would be marked with ㅗ (O) and ㅜ (U). As the lead vehicle in the platoon, No. 127 "A" contains the Platoon LT and an infantry squad, with the squad sergeant serving as vehicle commander and commanding while mounted. The 1st Battalion of the 481st Mechanized Regiment fought effectively during Operation Napalsu, but sustained heavy losses during the 24th Corps's defense against elements of 15. Armee, only to regroup and mount a repeat offensive on the 2nd of May. During that breakthrough effort, No. 127 "A" was disabled by an anti-tank rocket and abandoned. Of the eleven personnel who made up her crew and dismount team, only Sgt. Chae In-jung, Pvt. Ri Sang, Cpl. Meng Ji-hae, and Pvt. An Hong-gi lived to see the end of the four-week war, the last of the four having been evacuated to a rear-area hospital on April 17th.

[Kiwi Imperialist]

The C11 'Cossack' was the first true infantry fighting vehicle to serve with New Holland's armed forces. It was a development of the earlier C10 'Hereford' armoured personnel carrier, a product of 1950s thinking which favoured the so-called 'battle taxi' concept. The Hereford was not expected to support infantry directly in combat. However, during the Vietnam War, New Holland emphatically discarded this doctrine. Herefords were deployed in battle alongside infantry where availability and terrain allowed. They were valuable fire support platforms, especially against poorly equipped National Liberation Front elements which New Holland confronted in earlier phases of the conflict. Unfortunately, the Hereford was poorly suited for this role when deployed against the better equipped North Vietnamese Army. Its armament, a single 7.62 mm machine gun, was limited. So too was its armour, designed to resist small arms fire and little else. On the battlefields of World War III, New Holland's strategists considered the Hereford suitable only for second-rate formations, those expected to simply hold the line.

A new vehicle was required for the battlefields of tomorrow. The Cossack emerged during constrained defence budgets of the 1970s. As a consequence, it was less radical than what could have otherwise been achieved. At its core, the Cossack was a lengthened Hereford. It had six road wheels instead of five, permitting the addition of a two-man turret at the cost of only two passengers (the Hereford carried 10 infantrymen while the Cossack moved 8). The turret was fitted with an 25 mm Oerlikon KBA cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm M60 machine gun. In addition to this, the commander had another M60 and there were four firing ports in the rear of the vehicle through which infantry could fire their rifles. Initially, the side and rear armour protection of the Cossack was no different to that of the Hereford. Only its frontal armour, rated to defeat 14.5 mm rounds, was improved. This allowed the Cossack to retain the Hereford's amphibious capability. However, the C11A2 model increased this protection at the expense of amphibious capability. The C11A2 provided side and rear protection against 14.5 mm projectiles and frontal protection against some 30 mm rounds. While the Cossack's engine was superior to that of the Hereford, these armour changes mean that it is in fact slower.

The Cossack first entered operational service with the Hyde Mounted Rifles in 1981. Armoured infantry formations deployed against New Holland's border with Roheraki were given first priority. When more examples of the Cossack became available, they dispatched to units forward deployed in South China before regiments stationed elsewhere finally received them. As of 1989, the original C11A1 was still the most common variant with the better protected C11A2 only available in limited numbers. A nominal C11A3 fitted with the Swingfire missile had been proposed, but not ordered. The Cossack was offered for export, but no international customers were forthcoming.

[Aiseus]

The VI1 Infantry Breakthrough Vehicle "Lancer"



Design
The VI1, known locally as the "Lancer" or "Gagarom" in Zahiran, was a Zahiran infantry fighting vehicle designed in 1967 by the Odari Concern. The first locally designed armored fighting vehicle since the Great War of the 1930s and 40s, it was part of an ambitious plan to revive Zahiran armored capabilities under a significantly reduced budget. Designed using innovations borrowed from post-war Aufzenian armored vehicles, it was built primarily of Charehar Zahari (Magic Silver) composite armor. It was one of the first armored vehicles designed from the ground up with composite armor in mind, thus making it relatively well protected for a vehicle of its type. It was proof to 25 mm autocannon fire from the front, and machine gun fire from all angles. It was armed with a 25 mm autocannon, effective against lightly armored vehicles and infantry, as well as a wire-guided ATGM on a rail above the gun.

It was powered by a license built copy of the 550 HP Trionir HL58 diesel engine, giving it a top speed of approximately 67 km/h on trials. This exceeded expectations given the vehicle's hefty weight of 29.3 tons. The vehicle had three crew members, a driver, gunner, and commander, and carried 8 dismounts in line with Zahiran 8 man squads.

700 vehicles were produced between 1969 and 1980, most of which continue to see service in modernized forms with the Zahiran Territorial Defense Force as of present.

History
The VI1 was the first armored fighting vehicle designed in Zahira since the Great War. Given the Territorial Defense Force's limited budget and scale, armored vehicles had been generally neglected apart from about a hundred Aufzenian medium tanks of Great War stock which were kept in reserve. As the Zahiran economy, particularly heavy industry, recovered from the war, Zahiran General Staff sought to rebuild the armored force which had been so feared in the Imperial era. Ultimately, they settled on a compromise: rather than build a tank force, they would mechanize their infantry force. Zahiran strategy assumed that they would be working alongside allied nations, and thus concerns such as air superiority were seen as a given. The resultant vehicle was the VI1, a powerful, if expensive, IFV that was intended to work in tandem with wheeled fire support vehicles as a breakthrough force that could safely and quickly deliver infantry to strike at an enemy's vulnerable points.

The VI1 would be first tested in 1974 with Zahira's entrance into the Vonerian Civil War, which had been raging since the early 1960s. While Zahira had taken an interest in the situation and provided political and humanitarian aid to a number of factions, 1973 would mark the first time Zahiran military forces had operated on foreign soil since the end of the Great War in 1950. While Zahiran forces were nominally present to act as a policing force as opposed to being directly involved, they would nonetheless take part in a number of major operations, including countering the Korigian Transitional Government's assault on the separatist Republic of Isvania during Operation In the Delta. The vehicle proved to be effective against the poorly equipped, if motivated, forces of the Korigian Transitional Government, though the end of the Operation would see 7 combat losses of the vehicle, primarily to rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Zahiran, and other coalition nation, intervention in the conflict would prompt the Korigian Transitional Government to seek a settlement, which would be reached in 1978, though Zahiran forces would continue to remain in limited numbers until 1990.

The VI1 would see several modifications over the next two decades, mostly aimed at improving its survivability in combat through the addition of hard-kill active protection systems and improved composite armor. It would be superseded in its role as the primary armored fighting vehicle of the Territorial Defense Force in 1987 by the indigenously designed Gidan (North Star) Main Battle Tank, though about 400 continue to see Zahiran service as of 2022.

This particular example is shown on the eve of Operation In the Delta in late 1974, commanded by Arkus Marian Vokina and located in the city of Tifnjaq'a in Eastern Isvania. The vehicle would see active combat against Korigian Transitional Government auxiliaries and Shia militants on and off during the 8-month operation as part of the 3rd Zahiran Armored Company, but would suffer no significant damage. With the withdrawal of coalition forces in 1978, the vehicle would return to Zahira and be reassigned to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Regiment after being pulled from front-line service. The pinup drawn on the side of the turret would become a point of some controversy after being photographed by a civilian reporter in 1980 and would ultimately end up being erased at some time in the early 1980s as part of a Zahiran effort to improve military discipline. The vehicle would be sold to Sub-Nieron in 1997 and continues to see service with the Federal Army as part of the Council Guard Armored Company, a largely ceremonial unit which is attached to the Federal Council of Sub-Nieron.