Transporting military troops from base to the battlefield is such a huge task and for this sole purpose, the Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) was invented. APCs are military vehicles that are built to transport military troops and their equipment to the combat zones. High on APC’s design is troop’s protection, fluid mobility – even in harsh terrains, and offensive/defensive capabilities.

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Making its first appearance in World War I, the APC has become a regular feature in war zones, while new technologies and advanced research as led to an improvement in the features and capabilities of these vehicles. Here, we list the 10 most badass Armored Personnel Carriers in the world.

10 VPK-7829 BUMERANG

The Bumerang is a Russian project that was proposed and approved in mid-2011. Hopes of seen this project from being just an idea to reality was heightened in 2012 when Colonel General Alexander Postnikov of the Russian Army in a statement said the Army will be taking deliveries of a Bumerang prototype in 2013.

The 2015 Moscow Victory Day Parade was the first time the Bumerang was seen in public. It’s built to withstand 14.5mm armor-piercing rounds and its v-shaped hull helps it survive mine blasts. It accommodates three crews and nine troops.

9 BOXER

The Boxer APC is an armored fighting vehicle – meaning it can be used primarily to deploy troops into the battlefield but because of its advanced armory, it can also be used both offensively and defensively during battles. The Boxer is a multinational project being developed by both the Germans and Dutch government.

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Boxer is mission-specific; therefore each model has its unique specification. Generally, a Boxer’s front hull can withstand up to 30mm of rounds. It’s fitted with a 12.7mm machine gun or 40mm grenade launcher which are both controlled remotely.

8 PATRIA AMV XP

The Patria AMV XP (Armored Modular Vehicle) is developed by the Finnish defense company Patria – which is partly owned by the Finnish Government. This XP variant is the latest in the Patria series and it comes with a modular ballistic protection while also being able to withstand high-level mine explosion and TNT blasts of up to 10kg.

The Patria AMV XP is protected from armor-piercing rounds that are up to 30mm. It has a remote weapon launcher and an optional 12.7mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher. It sits three crew and ten troops.

7 BTR-82A

The BTR-82A is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled APC that was built as an upgraded version of the BTR-80 which was used during the Soviet-Afghan war. The BTR-82A is fitted with a 300hp KAMAZ 740.14-300 turbo diesel engine with an amazing road speed of 100/h and a maximum range of 600km. The BTR-82A has spall liners for protection against mines and IEDs.

The BTR-82A comes standard with either a 14.5mm KPVT machine gun or 30mm 2A72 automatic cannon, while another 7.62mm PKT machine gun can be fitted as an add-on. It’s designed for three crews and seven troops.

6 PANDUR II 8x8

Another modular APC on this list is the Pandur II 8x8 but this is built as an upgrade on the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armored vehicle. Currently, in production for the Portuguese Armed Forces, the Pandur II is being produced by an Austrian company called Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge.

It’s built with reinforced steel armor which provides considerably high resistance to armor-piercing rounds. Also, the modular system of this vehicle gives it optional add-on armor that protects against 14.5mm armor-piercing missiles. Baseline Pandurs are fitted with 12.7mm machine guns and can accommodate 12 troops.

5 PARS III 8x8

This is the PARS III 8x8 and it’s developed by the Turkish FNSS Defense System in partnership with the GPV of the United States. The PARS III is built with armor covering that protects against significant armor-piercing rounds with an optional armor that can be installed when needed.

The PARS III 8x8 is given a v-shaped hove for better protection against land mine – it can survive a mine explosion of up to 8kg of TNT. It comes standard with a 12.7mm machine gun, has two crews, and can carry a massive 12 troops.

4 TERREX 3 8x8

The newest variant of the Terrex APC family is the Terrex 3. This vehicle is developed in Singapore by ST kinetics and it comes standard with a remotely controlled turret of a 30mm automatic cannon and 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. For an enhanced fire-power, the Terrex 3 is fitted with two anti-tank guided missile launchers on the right of the turret.

Also, for enhanced protection against anti-tank missiles, the hull is fitted with an all-welded steel armor construction that protects against 25mm to 30mm of ammunitions. The Terrex 3 takes two crews and 11 troops.

3 ARMA 8x8

The ARMA 8x8 is an amphibious armored combat vehicle developed by Turkish military vehicles manufacturer, Otokar. The vehicle was unveiled at the 2013 International Defence Industry Fair (IDF). Due to its high hardness monocoque steel hull, this vehicle offers a high level of ballistic and mine protection.

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With its modular functionality, the ARMA 8x8 has a base that can be configured for a variety of functions for different missions. The ARMA APC is provided with a 7.62mm machine gun or a Mizrak-30 medium-caliber or an open cupola with a 20mm cannon that is remotely controlled.

2 PIRANHA V

The Piranha V has been used in Switzerland. It comes standard with an all-welded steel armor hull, while a composite modular armor is added optionally. This APC is built to withstand armor-piercings of up to 25mm, while also been able to survive a 10kg anti-tank mine with any of its various wheels.

Piranha V is a multi-role vehicle and can either be fitted with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher or a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. Also, the Piranha V can mount different caliber of weapons ranging from small to 120mm guns.

1 STRYKER

The Stryker was adopted by the United States as one of its official military vehicles in 2003 and having over 4,000 units currently in its fleet is a testament to how efficient and badass this vehicle is. Designed to accommodate two crews, the Stryker can carry nine troops.

Stryker is built to survive 14.5mm armored piercing rounds through its air-tight protection system. The undercarriage of the Stryker is strengthened enough to make it survive a mine blast and has an optional 12.7 mm machine gun or 40 mm automatic grenade launcher that is both controlled remotely.

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