Infantry Fighting Vehicle

An Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) is a fast, heavily-armed, well-armored vehicle suitable for fighting alongside Infantry. It complements the firepower of the infantry against tougher targets, and can also provide transportation for them when necessary. IFVs are tougher and deadlier than APCs, but are not as tough as Tanks.

Most IFVs are fitted with either a powerful Autocannon or a light Cannon, and may also carry ATGMs. These weapons allow an IFV to rip through enemy infantry and lighter vehicles with ease, and to pose at least some threat to enemy tanks.

IFVs are reasonably well-armored, and should have little to fear from any weapon of .50 caliber and below. Nevertheless, they are still vulnerable to anti-tank weapons, and may occasionally be knocked out with only one or two rocket strikes. They can also be defeated with sufficiently relentless autocannon fire, such as from another IFV. In a head-on shooting match, a Main Battle Tank has a clear advantage over any IFV, especially if it gets to fire the first shot.

IFVs can and do sometimes carry troops around the battlefield like APCs, though they aren't typically required to do so. More often they will escort the infantry, tackling any threat that is too large or too distant for the infantry to handle. The degree of autonomy given to IFVs is often substantial, on par with that of Tanks.

IFVs mostly appear as part of a Mechanized Infantry unit, usually as a separate Vehicle Section subordinated directly to Command. In this setup, the IFVs are usually given the callsign "Mike". They are also very commonly found in ShackTac's all-Armor units, as part of Tank Platoons.

By far the most common IFV type seen in ShackTac are the soviet BMPs, of which there are multiple distinct models including the lighter BMDs. The American M2 Bradley and its variants come in at a distant second. Other models, such as the British Warrior, are much rarer. One interesting vehicle that was sometimes seen in ArmA 2 is the Stryker, which is a hybrid design halfway between an IFV and an APC.

Specifications and Design
Infantry Fighting Vehicles were developed after World War II when military designers attempted to make heavier, tougher, and more dangerous Armored Personnel Carriers. As IFV designs got heavier and heavier they also became more and more effective. Eventually the personnel-carrying ability became secondary, and IFVs ended up turning into the modern-day equivalent of the Light Tank.

In a nutshell, an IFV is a fast combat vehicle with significant firepower and some troop-carrying capability, but with less protective armor than a Main Battle Tank. IFVs are similar in overall design to tanks: They are tracked vehicles with an armored hull and a turret fitted with a cannon or other heavy weapon; However they are somewhat smaller than tanks, and their main gun is markedly shorter and narrower.

Most IFVs are equipped with a heavy Autocannon as their primary weapon, though OPFOR has several models equipped with a low-velocity (smoothbore) Cannon of roughly 75mm diameter. Both these weapons are extremely dangerous to Infantry as well as any vehicle that is lighter than a proper Tank. Autocannons are also quite dangerous to Helicopters, as only a few hits are necessary to shoot one down. Some IFVs carry secondary weapons such as HMGs, Automatic Grenade Launchers, or ATGMs. The first two are primarily anti-infantry weapons, while the latter allows an IFV to engage enemy Tanks effectively.

Owing to the origins of their design, IFVs retain the ability to carry a small number of troops in a secure passenger compartment at the rear - typically no more than a Fireteam. They may indeed be required to carry passengers from time to time, however IFVs are not primarily troop-carriers; They are designed to provide fire support. Transportation is their secondary ability, to be used only in specific circumstances.

IFVs are generally faster and more maneuverable than Tanks, being able to flank enemies with ease and move rapidly from one firing position to another. To achieve this speed the IFV gives up quite a bit of protection; IFVs are significantly less survivable than Tanks. While they are generally impervious to any Small Arms fire, HMGs and even Grenades, IFVs can often be destroyed with only a single Anti-Tank Rocket hit to the side or rear. A single shot from a Tank cannon or Field Gun will likely destroy an IFV or at least disable it. As a result, IFVs will only engage enemy tanks when they have the element of surprise on their side, and prefer to avoid prolonged shooting matches with both tanks and other IFVs. They generally back away from any anti-tank fire - including Light Anti-Tank - unless they can neutralize the source of fire immediately.

Models
IFVs are very commonly seen in ShackTac missions, though some models are significantly more common than others.

The Soviet BMPs are by far the most commonly-seen IFVs. They come in three different varieties, conveniently named the BMP-1, BMP-2, and BMP-3. These three models differ from each other mostly by their main weapon: equipped (respectively) with a smoothbore Cannon, a heavy Autocannon, or both. Most BMPs also carry ATGMs for anti-tank combat. A BMP is easily recognizable by its low, flat, sharply-angled hull, with a small round turret on top. BMPs are amphibious - capable of crossing deep water (albeit at a very slow speed). BMPs appear in most missions as some of the most dangerous AI-controlled vehicles encountered by the players. Very few missions have featured BMPs being used by the players themselves.

The BMD is a Soviet variant of the BMP. BMDs have roughly the same shape as BMPs, but are significantly smaller and lighter; They were originally designed to be airlifted by Helicopters to the front lines. BMDs carry main-guns similar to the BMPs on which they are based. A good way to tell a BMD from a BMP is by looking at the position of the turret on the hull: BMDs have their turret very close to the front of the vehicle, whereas BMPs have it further back. BMDs are significantly rarer in ShackTac than BMPs, and were more often encountered in ArmA 2. Nevertheless, there is at least one mission featuring players driving BMDs.

The primary American IFV is the Bradley. This IFV is a high-tech weapons platform, carrying accurate ATGMs as well as a rapid-firing 25mm Autocannon. While faster and more maneuverable than a BMP, it is also more vulnerable. There are several variants of the Bradley, though the M2 and M3 (which are almost identical) are the most common. Another less-common variant is the Linebacker, which is equipped with SAMs. Bradleys are more often used by players rather than AI-controlled opponents, though that trend shifts from time to time.

Another IFV model that is more rarely seen in ShackTac is the British-made Warrior. Functionally similar to the American Bradley, the Warriors seen in ShackTac videos do not seem to have any Anti-Tank launchers, and are used strictly for anti-infantry and anti-vehicle combat.

Organization
IFVs are used for fire-support to either Infantry or Tank units. IFVs are organized depending on the type of units they escort:


 * Infantry Support: IFVs are grouped into Vehicle Sections or operate on their own. They move to the best possible position to provide fire-support against any infantry or vehicular threats, with infantry typically arrayed next to or even in front of the IFV to screen against enemy Anti-Tank infantry.
 * Armor Support: IFVs are placed in the Tank Platoons, together with the Tanks. They travel with the tanks to provide ATGM fire against far or difficult-to-hit targets, while also providing anti-infantry fire to screen the tanks from enemy infantry.

Whichever method is used also affects the Callsign of the IFVs, as well as the chain of of command and level of autonomy of each IFV.

Infantry Support
In this setup, the primary role of the IFV is to mutually support friendly Infantry. The IFV will likely be the heaviest asset on the players' side, capable of engaging enemy vehicles (up to and including enemy Tanks). However, due to the vulnerability of IFVs to enemy Light Anti-Tank weaponry, IFVs will typically stay close to the infantry and rely on them to screen it against such threats.

When acting as infantry support, IFVs are typically split into their own Vehicle Platoon of up to 4 IFVs under a single callsign - usually "Mike". Each individual IFV is given an additional number at the end of its callsign, e.g. "Mike-1", "Mike-2", etc. When assigned to protect a specific infantry squad, the IFVs may instead receive the callsign of that squad, followed by "Victor" -- e.g. "Bravo Victor" when supporting Bravo squad.

Infantry Support IFVs can travel in a group to protect one another, or split up to defend multiple flanks simultaneously. They can shift between these two options as necessary. When grouped up, the first vehicle in the platoon (usu. "Mike-1") has nominal command of the entire platoon. When separated, each vehicle's commander has plenty of leeway to maneuver on its own as necessary, with little coordination between them.

In both cases, the IFVs must maintain close coordination with whatever Infantry they are mutually supporting. When grouped up, the platoon commander ("Mike-1") will keep contact with Command (on Command Net) for orders and target identification. When separated, each IFV will likely keep direct contact with the nearest infantry Squad(s) on the squad's dedicated 343 close-range radio channel in order to coordinate their actions effectively.

Armor Support
In this setup, the IFVs are an integral part of the Tank Platoons, complementing the firepower of the tanks and protecting them from enemy infantry.

The IFVs are likely to be the third and fourth vehicles in each platoon (e.g. "Alpha-3" and "Alpha-4" if the tank platoon's callsign is "Alpha"). As part of the platoon, they are subordinated to the Platoon Leader, who is usually the first tank in the platoon (in this example, "Alpha-1"). They do not have as much leeway to maneuver as in the Infantry Support role (see above), as tank platoons often maintain close proximity and a predetermined formation.

Notable Appearances
The list below includes all notable appearances of player-controlled IFVs. IFVs appear fairly-commonly, and should only be cited here when the video answers one of the following criteria:


 * The video is shown from the perspective of a crew-member on one of the IFVs, or features substantial action by a passenger.
 * The video features IFVs in an uncommon role, especially as part of a Tank Platoon
 * The video features rare models of IFVs, particularly on the players' side.
 * The video is shown from the perspective of infantry, but features IFVs performing special tactics or taking a substantial part in the action.

IFVs appear very commonly as enemy AI-controlled assets, and such appearances should not be mentioned here.


 *  by Dslyecxi is seen from the perspective of the commander of a Bradley M2A2ODS, in the Infantry Support role.
 *  by Dslyecxi features two BMP-2 platoons (Russian configuration, 3 vehicles in each platoon) with air support. Both platoons use the now-obsolete callsign "Victor".
 *  by Dslyecxi is a long, two-part mission viewed from the perspective of a BMD commander, who is also commanding a platoon of BMDs in support of infantry.
 *  by Dslyecxi is seen from the perspective of a BMD commander in a Vehicle Section directly supporting one specific infantry Squad during an assault on an airfield. The BMDs have the callsign "Bravo Victor", as they work alongside Bravo Squad.