A General Approach to Chassis Types
A single chassis design for a multitude of services is just good business.

Understanding military-devised designations can be a daunting task. Couple that with the many variants that a defense contractor produces for their own marketing or at the behest of their military customers and it is easy to see how the casual observer may become lost in the ocean of armored vehicle types. To increase a product's longevity, defense contractors often times will reuse the chassis and components of a base model in order to provide a 'family' of similarly-based products that may be able to accomplish very differing roles in today's highly-mobile and high tech militaries.

This guide serves to provide a basic understanding of what certain military vehicle designations mean and to what purpose the individual vehicles serve in a military force. By example, several past main systems have had their chassis utilized in other forms. Among them were the M113 Gavin Armored Personnel Carrier (serving as APC, anti-tank, ambulance and anti-air among others), the T-72 Main Battle Tank (seeing fitted as an engineering vehicle) and the M60 Main Battle Tank (chassis utilized for the bridgelayer variant). The M1126 Stryker armored personnel carrier chassis will serve as the base example for this particular exercise. Images presented are courtesy of the United States Army.

Infantry Carrier Infantry carriers are designated as so in that they offer limited protection and battlefield mobility, allowing soldiers to dismount an armored vehicle during a ground assault. This type of mobility is highly regarded in today's modern and fast-moving battlefield. Typically, infantry carriers are armed with a basic array of weapon for enemy suppression such as a .30 or .50 caliber machine gun either pintle-mounted or placed in a powered turret system. These powered systems could offer the crew added protection by provided the ability to fire the turret from the safety of the vehicle. Wheeled infantry carriers might also feature off-road capabilities in the form of 4x4 access.	Infantry Carrier
Reconnaissance Vehicle Reconnaissance vehicles provide the battlefield commander with real-time surveillance tracking on enemy and friendly movement. These systems are typically lightly armed in that they reserve space for a limited crew and specialized reconnaissance equipment. Situational awareness plays a pivotal role in the modern battlefield, and reconnaissance vehicles offer this and much more.	Reconnaissance Vehicle
Mobile Gun Platform Mobile gun platforms, as their name might suggest, provide firepower in a supportive or auxiliary role to advancing infantrymen. Usually used in conjunction with such units, mobile gun platforms might be called upon to lay down suppressive fire zones, attack enemy strong points and occupy key zones or checkpoints on the battlefield. These types of roles require the chassis to be completely adaptable, allowing the turret to be fitted with an array of weaponry including 105mm main guns, .50 caliber machine guns, .30 caliber machine guns and smoke grenade launchers.	Mobile Gun Platform
Mortar Carrier Mortar carriers provide infantrymen with indirect fire support - meaning that the unit does not effectively see the oncoming enemy, but instead engages them through the coordinates as supplied to the crew by the advancing infantrymen. Mortar carriers are fitted with various caliber mortar types as need (this differs based on country of origin) and the main weapon can fire a variety of known and specialized munitions including high explosive (HE), illumination, smoke and conventional projectiles.	Mortar Carrier
Commander's Vehicle Commander's vehicles play a limited, albeit important, role on the modern battlefield. This role consists of surveying enemy and friendly movements and dictating the next group of actions to the advancing infantry squads. In all essence, the commander's vehicle becomes a mobile operational platform, fitted with specialized communications, transceiving and receiving equipment. This vehicle allows the modern commander to make decisions on the move utilizing real-time data and communications with other allied battlefield forces. The ability to synchronize firepower is integral in the dismantling of any enemy advance of foothold. Commander's vehicles are usually not armed in any way to make room for on-board equipment.	Commander's Vehicle
Fire Support Vehicle Fire support vehicles provide the ability to acquire, identify and designate targets as needed. Specialized onboard systems provide other battlefield units the information needed to engage the target. As might be inferred, mobility and precision equipment in this type of model is key, and modern fire support vehicles reflect as such. Armament on fire support vehicles is generally restricted to a few suppression weapons as the needed space for specialized targeting and acquisition equipment is vital.	Fire Support Vehicle
Engineering Vehicle Engineering vehicles a generally the backbone to any mobile army. Engineering vehicles provide the advancing forces the ability to remove obstacles such as mines and debris. Engineering vehicles can also be required to remove or assist in the loading of heavy battlefield equipment and parts by use of heavy duty winch systems. Engineering vehicles are usually not armed (perhaps troop suppression weapons in the form of .30 or .50 caliber machine guns) in any way but can be called upon to provide smoke cover in defensive situations. These vehicles are commonly fitted with a noticeable dozer-blade mounted either fore or aft on the hull. Other specialized tools might also be carried externally or internally to assist in battlefield repairs.	Engineering Vehicle
Battlefield Ambulance If the engineering vehicle is the backbone of the mobile army then the battlefield ambulance would have to be the heart and soul. Battlefield ambulances have been used since the days of the horse-draw wagon, collecting the wounded and the dead from the battlefield, often times when under fire. The modern ambulance provides armored protection from enemy fire, off-road mobility and the latest in portable medical technologies to assist the field surgeon in stabilizing the wounded before transport to off-field facilities. Ambulances are rarely armed and are most often times obviously marked by the universal red cross symbol.	Battlefield Ambulance
Anti-Tank Vehicle Ant-tank vehicles provide the ability to destroy enemy armor at distance. Much like the fire support vehicle, the anti-tank variant is a supplementary vehicle designed to aid and protect the infantrymen from enemy armor and unarmored vehicles. These "tank killing" systems are fitted with state of the art ranging and targeting systems that allow their anti-tank missile payloads to travel impressive distances and still strike with a fair amount of accuracy. Launchers may feature multiple shot tubes or automatic reloading to provide a constant supply of anti-tank support. Used in conjunction with the other reconnaissance and commander vehicles, the anti-tank vehicle is a potent adversary when enemy armor makes an appearance.	Anti-Tank Vehicle
NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle Since the advent of chemical warfare (known more for it's use in the First World War), NBC (Nuclear, Biological and Chemical) vehicles have become a vital part of today's mobile military. The NBC Reconnaissance designation is reserved for vehicles that fill the strict role of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons damage control (as the NBC designation suggests). The role of the NBC Reconnaissance vehicle to to collect and analyze airborne, waterborne or earthborn elements for real time detection and surveillance of contaminated areas due to the use of weapons containing the aforementioned capabilities. Modern variants of the NBC Reconnaissance vehicle will often maintain many integrated systems that supply the crew with an enormous amount of transmittable data whilst providing protection for that crew in the field from the harmful effects of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. With GPS navigation and tracking systems, a modern NBC system can flag potential danger zones on the battlefield.	NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle

FURTHER FUNCTIONS

Other functions of reusable chassis not covered in this guide can include the air defense derivative of the anti-tank model. These chassis are fitted to counter aircraft, either through the use of surface-to-air missile technologies or radar-tracked exploding projectiles. Bridgelayers can also form a component of the modern battlefield, utilizing a foldable bridge that can be laid in advance of the formation, allowing traversal across rivers, trenched and other battlefield-related obstacles.