• Armored vehicles serve many purposes in the military, including keeping troops safe.tank 1 image by Andrey Rakhmatullin from Fotolia.com
  
  The military uses many different pieces of equipment to keep their soldiers safe, including body armor, helmets and armored vehicles. There are several different types of armored vehicles used by the military, both to protect soldiers and to fight enemies. These vehicles are often used in battles and for transporting troops in dangerous war-torn areas.
  
  

Tanks

• Tanks are one of the most numerous types of armored vehicles. They are heavily armored and heavily armed, typically mounting a cannon-caliber main gun and two or more machine-guns. The weapons can be operated from the relative safety of the tank's interior. Tracks, rather than wheels, are used for mobility, allowing tanks to operate in many different types of terrain.
  
  

Armored Cars

• Armored cars feature bullet-proof plates installed beneath the cars exterior, as well as bullet-proof glass to protect occupants. Armored cars can protect occupants from many types of weapons, from handguns to machine guns to grenades.
  
  Heavier, armed versions of armored cars were more frequently used for battle in World War II. These vehicles were used for military police patrols, scouting missions and as a means of communication between commanders and troops.
  
  

Armored Personnel Carriers

• Armored personnel carriers, or APCs, are used by the military to transport soldiers safely from one place to another. The APCs protect soldiers against sneak attacks along the road, as well as from land mines and roadside bombs. Some of these vehicles run on wheels, while others have tracks similar to tanks.
  
  

Self-Propelled Artillery

• Self-propelled artillery are tracked or wheeled armored vehicles that mount large-caliber artillery pieces. These vehicles are most often used for long-range, indirect fire attacks, as they are not as heavily armored as other vehicles. Self-propelled artillery vehicles are designed to protect the crew and ammunition from small arms fire and shrapnel, and provide artillery with a high degree of mobility.