When infantry carriers first appeared, rattling and clanking over the muddy and shell-cratered battlefields just before World War II, they were crude, clumsy and unreliable, and driven and handled by soldiers inexperienced in them. These tractor-like monsters created an impression of invincibility when seen for the first time. Today's formidable Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicles (AIFV) bear no resemblance to these early models. They have very strong frontal armour, tough enough to withstand all but the most sophisticated anti-tank (AT) weapons, and are armed with anything from 120mm cannons to machine guns. Developed using state-of-the-art technologies, the modern AIFV is specifically tailored to provide land forces with the fighting edge for tomorrow's operational environments. Modern armoured forces are a combined team, with tanks and infantry fighting in close cooperation. The AIFV is designed to keep up with main battle tanks (MBT) and, therefore, is better armoured, armed and powered compared to past armoured personnel carrier (APC) designs. It can give fire support to infantry and attack enemy AIFVs and lighter vehicles. AIFVs now come in "families" of role specialised variants, which determines, among other things, the degree of armour and calibre of weaponry carried, and, in some cases, powerplant used. Some AIFVs are close to being light tanks, which also transport troops. This merging of capabilities has also resulted in the concept of the basic family of armoured combat vehicles, which is currently in vogue.
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