During World War II, the United States was dubbed the “arsenal of democracy” due to its unmatched industrial capabilities. Throughout the conflict, 86,000 tanks, 96,000 bombers, and 2.4 million trucks rolled off American assembly lines. This ushered in a new era of mechanized warfare.
Prior to the U.S. formally declaring war on Japan and Germany in December 1941, the federal government issued a request for proposal for auto manufacturers to design a go-anywhere, do-anything vehicle to supplant horses and mules in the Army. The original prototype was developed by Bantam and designed in just 18 hours by a freelance auto designer named Karl Probst. Due to manufacturing concerns, the US government eventually went with Ford and Willys-Overland. The result was the now iconic vehicle nicknamed “Jeep,” short for GP, or general-purpose vehicle.
Ford and Willys-Overland produced over 600,000 Jeeps during the war. Since then, the U.S. has continuously developed and improved its fleet of overland military vehicles. (Here is a look at the U.S. military’s 15 future weapons.) 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a range of government websites and military publications, including militaryfactory.com, to identify each overland vehicle most widely used by the U.S. military. Vehicles are listed alphabetically.
This list of every US military armored vehicle from oldest to newest is comprised of material and personnel carriers, tanks, and other assault vehicles. Some are highly specialized for certain environments and purposes. Others, like the Humvee, serve more general-purpose functions, and like the Jeeps of World War II, have themselves become iconic. (These are the newest guns to see everyday U.S. military use.)
Here is every US armored vehicle from oldest to youngest.
1. AAV-7 (LVTP-7)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Amphibious assault vehicle (AAV)
- First Entered service: 1972
- Crew size: 3
2. Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV)
- Vehicle type: Amphibious assault vehicle (AAV)
- First Entered service: 2019
- Crew size: 3
3. Buffalo H
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP)
- First Entered service: 2004
- Crew size: 2
4. Cougar
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Troop transport
- First Entered service: 2002
- Crew size: 2
5. Flyer-72 ALSV (Advanced Light Strike Vehicle)
Source: Courtesy of General Dynamics
- Vehicle type: Special operations vehicle
- First Entered service: 2014
- Crew size: 3
6. FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles)
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Military truck
- First Entered service: 1996
- Crew size: 1
7. Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck
Source: viper-zero / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Military truck
- First Entered service: 1982
- Crew size: 2
8. HMMWV (Humvee)
Source: Rockfinder / E+ via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Multi-purpose wheeled vehicle
- First Entered service: 1985
- Crew size: 1
9. Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Light utility vehicle
- First Entered service: 2021
- Crew size: 2
10. LAV-25
Source: tfoxfoto / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Light armored vehicle (LAV)
- First Entered service: 1983
- Crew size: 3-9
11. M1 Abrams
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Main battle tank
- First Entered service: 1980
- Crew size: 4
12. M104 Wolverine
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB)
- First Entered service: 2003
- Crew size: 2
13. M109 (Paladin)
Source: Jesse Stephens / iStock via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Self-propelled artillery
- First Entered service: 1963
- Crew size: 4
14. M1117 Guardian ASV
Source: Rawf8 / iStock via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Armored security vehicle
- First Entered service: 1999
- Crew size: 3
15. M113 APC
Source: mtcurado / iStock via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Armored personnel carrier
- First Entered service: 1960
- Crew size: 2
16. M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle
- Vehicle type: Battlefield engineering vehicle
- First Entered service: 2008
- Crew size: 2
17. M1161 Growler
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Fast attack vehicle
- First Entered service: 2009
- Crew size: 3
18. M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS)
- Vehicle type: Multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
- First Entered service: 2005
- Crew size: 3
19. M2 Bradley
Source: upsidedowndog / iStock via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Infantry fighting vehicle (IFV)
- First Entered service: 1981
- Crew size: 3
20. M270
Source: Maikel de Vaan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
- First Entered service: 1983
- Crew size: 3
21. M60 AVLB
Source: mtcurado / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Armored vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB)
- First Entered service: 1967
- Crew size: 2
22. M88 Hercules
- Vehicle type: Armored recovery vehicle (ARV)
- First Entered service: 1961
- Crew size: 3
23. M9 ACE (Armored Combat Earthmover)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Military bulldozer
- First Entered service: 1986
- Crew size: 1
24. M915A5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Military tractor
- First Entered service: 2000
- Crew size: 2
25. M93 Fox
Source: Public Domain / The U.S. National Archives / Picryl
- Vehicle type: Reconnaissance vehicle
- First Entered service: 1990
- Crew size: 3
26. M939 Truck
Source: Roberto Galan / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Military truck
- First Entered service: 1982
- Crew size: 1
27. M-ATV
Source: Stocktrek Images / Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP)
- First Entered service: 2009
- Crew size: 5
28. MaxxPro
- Vehicle type: Mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP)
- First Entered service: 2007
- Crew size: 2
29. MIM-104 Patriot
Source: VanderWolf-Images / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
- Vehicle type: Surface-to-air missile (SAM)
- First Entered service: 1981
- Crew size: 12
30. RG-31 Nyala
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Infantry mobility vehicle (IMV)
- First Entered service: 2006
- Crew size: 2-8
31. RG-33
- Vehicle type: Infantry mobility vehicle (IMV)
- First Entered service: 2007
- Crew size: 2
32. Scorpion DPV (Desert Patrol Vehicle)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Lightweight all-terrain
- First Entered service: 1987
- Crew size: 3
33. Special Operations Vehicle (SOV)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Vehicle type: Light attack vehicle (LAV)
- First Entered service: 1992
- Crew size: 3
34. Stryker
Source: scguard / Flickr
- Vehicle type: Armored fighting vehicle (AFV)
- First Entered service: 2002
- Crew size: 3
Methodology
24/7 Wall St. reviewed a variety of military tech resources to identify the tracked and wheeled land vehicles in use by the U.S. military. This list does not include a number of utility vehicles, unmanned land vehicles, prototypes, or other miscellaneous vehicles that have not yet entered widespread military use. The majority of the vehicles on this list came from the military research site militaryfactory.com, and crew counts and the year the vehicle first entered service are from that source. 24/7 Wall St. narrowed militaryfactory’s list to reflect, whenever possible, vehicles being phased out or new vehicles being introduced. However, there are some facts for which conclusive information was not publicly available. We excluded variants of the same vehicle, such as the HMMWV, better known as the Humvee, of which there are several unique configurations in use by the armed forces.
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