Military Power

Please list your thoughts on the top 10 Infantry Fighting Vehicles of all time. Please tell what criterion you used in the determining of your top 10.

Ok, this is the way I think I'm going to have to go...

10) M-3 Halftrack
9) BMP-1
8) WZ551
7) M-113
6) Bradley IFV
5) Puma IFV
4) Sd.Kfz. 251
3) Humvee
2) MCV-80 Warrior
1) Stryker

I have to agree with you on most of the IFVs you have (maybe not the order you have them though). How did you come up with that order? Here is mine.

10) BMP-1 - First IFV with a roof and the first to actually be a fighting vehicle instead of just a carrier with a gun. However, it is very cramped and a death trap if shot in the back.

9) Bradley IFV - Jack of all trades, master of none.

8) M113 - It has thick armor but it is aluminum not steel and if hit by RPGs causes a jet of molten, toxic liquid inside.

7) Sd.Kfz. 251 - Basis of design for most contemporary IFVs of the era. Involved in all of the major WWII battles, but very expensive and high maintenance.

6) LVT MK-4 - Low mobility and only really used in WWII but excellent for it's innovation of being able to exit a beach landing from the rear of the vehicle.

5) Stridsfordon 90 - Though untested in actual combat until 2007, all engagements have been great successes.

4) Mowag Piranha - Many generations with many variants used by many countries around the world.

3) M3 Halftrack - robust and versatile, still in use by the IDF.

2) MCV-80 Warrior - During the recent Iraqi conflict, a Warrior demonstrated its ability to take punishment when, caught in a fierce firefight, its driver managed to get the vehicle out of harm's way and save the lives of his badly wounded troops. Self-contained, the Warrior carries sufficient stores and equipment to fight on the battlefield for a sustained period of 48 hours

1) Stryker - Very capable of protecting crew and passengers, good carrying capacity, fast enough to keep up with the armor. Wheels are a liability but can still go over 40 mph on 8 flat tires.

Here is my list. I'm going to have to disagree in several places.

10) Humvee - Designed to replace the much-loved and ubiquitous jeep, the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee, was an exceptional vehicle. It first appeared in 1980 and a contract was awarded to makers AM General for nearly 60,000 vehicles. This figure has now risen to over 160,000, with Humvees sold to more than 36 countries. Its low center of gravity and strong frame make the Humvee a very dependable transport in over 12 different configurations. From armored carrier to special operations, from missile platform to recoilless rifle vehicle. Though the Humvee has been criticized by some for its vulnerability, the sheer usefulness of this vehicle has led to its service in situations that normally call for much more heavily armed and armored vehicles leading to the questioning of it's future usefulness. Even though it is being used in situations it was not designed for (it was designed for post war and peacekeeping not insurgencies) I think that the fact they are using it in those rolls is a statement to it's usefulness and thus it deserves to make it into the top ten.

9) LVT MK-4 - Known as amphibious tractors, or amtracks for short, the LVTs were the backbone of all the Marine landings during the long and bloody campaign of the Pacific War.Introduced in 1944, the innovative LVT MK-4 had a rear door so that either a jeep or gun could be unloaded. This new door also saved the lives of countless Marines, as they did not have to clamber over the side as in previous LVTs. Also, it did not have to stop at the water's edge. Propelled by tracks instead of a propeller, this LVT was just as at home on water, sand or jungle mud as it was on hard roads or grass. It was also used by the British forces in river crossings, particularly the Rhine, during the war in Europe. So respected was the LVT, that Navy leader Vice Adm. Edward L. Cochrane wrote: "There is not the slightest shadow of doubt that the overwhelming victories of our forces at Tarawa, Kwajalein, Saipan, Tinian, Guam, Palau and Iwo Jima would not have been possible without the Amtracks." Even though it only served a short time I think that the impression it made makes it deserving of number nine in the list.

8) M-3 Halftrack - By the end of World War II, more than 40,000 M-3 halftracks had been produced in a wide variety of configurations, including personnel carrier, artillery tractor and communications vehicle. Because of the drive to its front axle, the M-3 was easier to maneuver than its counterpart, the German Sd.Kfz. 251. However, it lacked all-terrain usage. The M-3 served around the world during World War II, as well as for many years afterward. Although production stopped in 1945, the M-3 was still going into combat with the Israeli Defense Force in the 1980s.

7) Universal Bren Gun Carrier - The British Universal Carrier, or Bren Carrier as it was popularly known, was the most widely used of all armored fighting vehicles during World War II. Able to carry between four and 14 troops, the Bren Carrier came in several versions, including machine gun, flamethrower, mortar platform, troop carrier, medi-vac and gun tractor. It was also capable of being glider borne and airlifted with a 6-pound anti-tank gun. From the battlefields of Europe to the jungles of the Far East, this vehicle was involved in every theater of action during World War II. Many of these carriers were captured by the Germans, who modified them to carry a 37-mm anti-tank gun and called them Panzerjaeger Bren. In fact, the Bren was the only carrier used by soldiers from every nation involved in the conflict of 1939-45. With a service record second to none, and with more than 200,000 built, this World War II vehicle richly deserves its accolades. The Universal Carrier is a key example of British Ingenuity.

6) BMP-1 - Once the armored personnel carrier had shown its worth in World War II, wheeled and tracked vehicles entered service with all the world's armies. The Soviet Red Army was the first to move the idea of a personnel carrier forward so that infantrymen would be able to fight from it, rather than have to dismount and lose the protection of the vehicle's armor. The first sight the West had of the brand-new vehicle was at a parade in Red Square in 1967. It had firing ports and vision blocks to enable its passengers to fire from within the vehicle. Though the BMP revolutionized armored warfare, it was not without drawbacks. The armor was thin and the low silhouette made it cramped for crew and passengers, but it was still used by many of the worlds' armies. It's biggest drawback was that due to it's cramped quarters space was at a premium, so fuel was stored in the back doors, meaning, if a round, especially an incendiary round, hit the back, the crew was sprayed with burning fuel and the BMP became a death trap for it's occupants.

5) Sd.Kfz. 251 - When Nazi Germany began developing its new theory of blitzkrieg in the 1930s, it became obvious that its infantry and artillery would need a new type of cross-country vehicle if they were to keep up with the tanks of the Panzer divisions. The result was one of the most important fighting vehicles of its time. First issued in 1938, the Sd.Kfz. 251 halftracks proved their worth during the fighting in Poland and showed that they were the ideal partners for the fast-moving German armor. Used initially as either armored personnel carriers or towing vehicles for artillery, the halftracks soon took on many other roles - such as anti-tank, anti-aircraft vehicle, ambulance, command vehicle and even a rocket launcher variant known as the "infantry Stuka". The halftracks' outstanding cross-country ability was due to the unique sophisticated track system, though the lack of power to the front wheels made them harder to maneuver than their American equivalent. Employed in every major battle fought by the German army in World War II, the Sd.Kfz. 251 was constantly in demand. It was kept in service for another 10 years after the war by the Czech army.

4) Stryker - The Stryker is the first new armored vehicle to be introduced into U.S. Army service since 1980. This versatile warrior can be used as either an infantry carrier or mobile gun system armed with a 105-mm cannon. The Stryker is very well armored with ceramic armor over kevlar reinforced steel. It also has slat armor to help protect it. With a top speed of 62 mph and the ability to carry nine troops plus crew, this all-terrain vehicle provides both a highly mobile troop transport and a powerful gun in the fluid combat environment of the war against terror. With the ability to be airlifted by the C-130 Hercules, the Stryker can reach a combat zone much faster than the weighty Abrams tank, which has been criticized for being too heavy and unable to cope with off-road situations. The Stryker has seen action in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than 2,400 have been contracted to be built.

3) MCV-80 Warrior - The British MCV-80 Warrior, like the U.S. Bradley, reflected a change in the philosophy of armored personnel carrier design that had come about when the Soviet BMP-1 was introduced. APCs were now infantry fighting vehicles, capable of giving fire support and engaging enemy vehicles. As mentioned by Luther, the Warrior carries sufficient stores and equipment to fight on the battlefield for a sustained period of 48 hours, plus a range of 410 miles, a speed of 47 mph and a 7.62 chain gun. The Warrior earns huge praise from all that have fought with, and against, it. This tough APC is now the standard vehicle of the British armed forces.

2) M-2 Bradley - Derived from Soviet and German designs, the Bradley IFV went into production in 1981. With laminate spaced armor on top of an aluminum hull, the M-2 provides greater protection for its passengers than the M-113. The Bradley also has greater firepower available in the form of a 25-mm chain gun that can fire depleted uranium rounds. This powerful weapon knocked out more Iraqi armor during Operation Desert Storm than the 120-mm guns of the Abrams tank and is on the U.S. Army's books for the foreseeable future. In Iraq, Bradley's received over 1000 hits with only one casualty, and that one was hit twice in the same location, after the reactive armor was used.

1) M-113 - After World War II had shown the need for an armored personnel carrier for infantry, it became obvious that a fully tracked vehicle would offer the best combination of speed and all-terrain mobility. The M-113 went into production in the early 1960s. With the ability to carry 10 troops plus crew, an all-terrain speed of 40 mph and a range of 300 miles, it was an immediate winner. Since then over 80,000 have been built, and the M-113 has been exported to nearly 50 countries. Amphibious and air portable, the M-113 has been used in combat in Vietnam, the Middle East and Iraq. Besides fulfilling its basic personnel carrier role, the vehicle has served as a mortar carrier, command, anti-aircraft and flamethrower vehicle. The M-113 is still going strong and will probably be one of the most widely used armored vehicles ever built.

WOW, you have got all the ones covered and then some