Armored Personnel Carrier

Armored Personnel Carriers (APC) are armored combat vehicles designed to transport infantry into battle, protecting them from enemy fire and shrapnel. Modern APCs can have either tracks or wheels with tires. Most APCs have some variety of armament, ranging from machine guns to cannons to missile launchers (although heavier armament typically reduces transport capacity).

The concept of the Armored Personnel Carrier was experimented with during the Great War with the British Mark IX tank. During the Second World War, several types of tracked and half-tracked APCs were built, most of which were open-topped. Many of these were large glorified trucks rather then dedicated infantry transports. Specialized APCs came into their own during the Cold War, as more protection for carried troops was emphasized. Two of the best examples are the US M-113 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the Soviet BMP-1.

Armored Personnel Carriers in science fiction

• Tau Devilfish (Warhammer 40,000)
• AT-AT (Star Wars)
• Colonial Marine APC (Alien)