Armoured Personnel Carrier - Design

Design

Most armoured personnel carriers use a diesel engine comparable to that used in a large truck or in a typical city bus. The M113 for instance used the same engine as the standard General Motors urban bus.

Many APCs are amphibious. Usually tracked APCs are powered by their tracks in the water, and wheeled APCs have propellors or water jets. Preparations for amphibious operations usually comprises checking the integrity of the hull and folding down a trim vane in front. Swimming requires fairly still waters, and good entry and exit points. Speed in water is typically 3–6 km/h.

Armour on APCs are usually composed of simple steel or aluminium, sufficient for protection against small fire arms and most shell fragments. Just about any type of anti-tank weapon can defeat the armour of an APC. Some APCs also come with NBC protection, which would protect its crew from radioactive fallout or the like.

The usual armament for an APC can vary from a 12.7 (.50") or 14.5 mm heavy machine gun to a 30 mm automatic cannon (though an autocannon is usually enough to consider it an IFV). This is mounted on top of the vehicle, either on a simple pintle mount, sometimes with a gun shield, or a small turret or Remote Weapon System (as on the Stryker). Sometimes an automatic grenade launcher is used instead. APCs such as the BTR-90 also have the capability to launch ATGM, which gives it an anti-tank capability.