Vehicle ID basics

This guide will help you roughly identify and categorise enemy vehicles based on features and capabilities without even knowing what it is.

Introduction

As Sun Tzu said, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." But how can you know the enemy if you don't know what you're looking at?

The battlefield can be chaotic at the best of times, so let's not add a game of broken telephone on top of that. Each soldier is a sensor. They can see and hear things around them and should relay that information up the chain of command where that intel should be forwarded to whoever needs it. But for this information to be useful it should be as accurate and rapid as possible.

If you've been watching the news in the past year you've seen so-called journalists call every armoured car a "tank". Don't be a journalist.

Visualisation of the chain of intel from infantryman to SL to other squads and friendly armour

Experienced armor squads know the enemy's vehicles inside out, they know how many there are, they know where their engine is located, they know where to hit their ammo rack and they know what weaponry they have. All you need to do is let them know where they are. For this information to be accurate, only communicate on what you see and hear. No guesswork, no "probably", no "I think". You could call out "Vehicle 100m east of us, it has tracks and a 30mm cannon" if you don't know what it is, but vehicles can be categorised into 6 rough categories based on features and capabilities to ease communication. This gives your teammates enough information to work with and minimises the risk of miscommunication.

There is also a way to figure out what vehicles the enemies have available before you even spawn into the game. If you press Caps Lock and hover your mouse over the vehicle icon at the top right edge of the map you have a list of all the vehicles available on the map. So don't call out a tank to your squadmates if you all know the enemies only have access to APCs at best.


Note that I will only be covering ground vehicles, since in the current build of the game helicopters and boats don't have enough variety to warrant mention here.

MBT

MBTs or main battle tanks are the heaviest vehicles on the map. They are easily identified visually by the large turret and main gun. Tanks are always tracked to evenly distribute the vehicle's large weight across uneven or soft terrain. Metal treads make a distinct clanking sound compared to wheeled vehicles, letting you recognise them by audio alone. But keep in mind that not all tracked vehicles are necessarily tanks. MBTs can only carry 3-4 crewmen and can take no other passengers. They are highly armored and are most effective at destroying vehicles, though they can also provide effective direct fire support against infantry from long range, especially if they carry specialised fragmentation or high explosive shells like with the T-72 and ZTZ-99.

M1A2 Abrams MBT

Tanks are simply too heavy to be able to float on water, though in real life tanks can be modified to cross bodies of water while submerged.
These are the only vehicles that should ever be called "tanks".

Challenger 2 MBT

Tanks are a valuable asset, so call them out immediately when you see one. They are the apex predator, so making their location known to your team is top priority.


in-game MBT map marker

IFV

IFV stands for Infantry Fighting Vehicle. Their role on the battlefield is to transport infantry to the frontlines and then stay in the area to provide fire support. To fulfil this role they have high mobility, enough space to accommodate a squad of infantry and a direct fire weapon, typically an autocannon with a caliber of 25mm-40mm though some, like the ZBD-04A can go up to 100mm.

Chinese ZBD-04A with 100mm main gun and 30mm coaxial cannon. Not a tank.

IFVs can also carry ATGMs or Anti Tank Guided Missiles, which makes them a serious threat for even MBTs. These vehicles trade the thick armor of the MBT for added mobility, most can even be penetrated and taken out by HMG fire. Arguably they are even more effective against infantry than MBTs thanks to their higher volume of fire.

Canadian LAV 6

IFVs can be wheeled like the LAV 6, or tracked like the ZBD-04A. This may sometimes cause misidentification of tracked IFVs being called out as tanks, but just having tracks doesn't make a vehicle a tank. For a distinct trait pay attention to the vehicle's turret and its general shape. The turret and main gun will be noticeably smaller than on a tank, and the hull will be taller and box-shaped for troop carrying capacity.

Comparison of M2 Bradley IFV and M1A2 Abrams MBT

Another notable oddity of this class is the BMP-1. It was designed in the 1960's as the first vehicle in the world to fulfil the role of an IFV, (BMP even stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty, or literally Infantry Fighting Vehicle in Russian) which explains some of its design quirks. Instead of a smaller caliber main gun it features a large, slow firing 73mm low pressure cannon which in addition to its treads makes it the easiest IFV to mistake with a tank, along with the ZBD-04A.

BMP-1, still not a tank

In addition, most IFVs are amphibious to further boost their mobility. To check for this, look at their rear and the shape of their hull. Amphibious vehicles will have a upward pointing leading edge or motorised flap to keep it above the water and propellers, water jets or similar means of propulsion at the rear.

Amphibious LAV 25, note the propellers

Wheeled IFV marker, left and tracked IFV marker, right

APC

Continuing with the downward trend of armour and firepower we have APCs or Armored Personnel Carriers. Like the IFVs, they provide infantry with armoured transport to the frontlines, but the notable difference lies in their armaments. Where IFVs typically have autocannons, APCs only carry weapons with a caliber under 20mm (usually HMGs) and are thus less threatening and less capable at providing fire support.

Stryker APC with CROWS M2 turret

They are used as "battle taxis", where they drive the infantry onto a point and then retreat instead of sticking around to provide support due to their underwhelming firepower. Excluding the weaponry, they share many structural similarities with IFVs. They can also be wheeled or tracked, and they have a large, box-shaped hull to carry infantry. Examples include the Stryker, FV-430 Bulldog and the MT-LB.

MT-LB troop transport

The USMC and Russian factions also have logistical APC variants. The USMC AAVC can be
recognised by the lack of any weapons compared to the AAVP with its dual Mk19 and M2 turret.

AAVP on the left, AAVC on the right

and the Russian logistic MT-LB has an enclosed turret at the front of the vehicle, as opposed to the MT-LBM 6MA which has an enclosed turret at the rear and the MT-LB VMK which has an exposed NSVT HMG at the front.

Logistic MT-LB variants

left, MT-LBM 6MA, right, MT-LB VMK

If you're playing on a naval invasion layer focus on these vehicles when possible or keep tabs on them to deny enemies the supplies and possible FOB.

Wheeled APC marker, left and tracked APC marker, right. Note that there are no designated logistical APC markers in the game yet.

Light Vehicles

This class has a fancy acronym as well (IMV, Infantry Mobility Vehicle), but in-game they are universally known as just light vehicles. They are also sometimes called MRAPs, but this is a misnomer. MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) is a specific family of vehicles, which aren't even featured in the game. They were produced for the US military from 2007 to 2012 before being phased out in favor of the M-ATV.

Maxxpro MRAP

Light vehicles feature enough armour to stop small arms fire and shrapnel, but are extremely vulnerable to AT weapons and HMGs. An important note is that from here on vehicles have passengers who can be injured inside of the vehicle*. Player models seem to not exist inside IFVs and APCs, which means even if the armor gets penetrated you don't take any damage until the vehicle starts burning or gets destroyed. In a light vehicle, however, you can get shot out if the armor gets penetrated, like in logis. Light vehicles are always wheeled and have extremely high mobility, most being able to top 100km/h on paved, straight roads. Open top vehicles are often more hazardous to their occupants than their enemies, but remotely controlled weapon systems pose a real threat thanks to stabilisation, powerful optics and protection for the gunner.

M-ATV with CROWS turret

Light vehicles can also be armed with wire-guided missiles, turning them into a glass cannon capable of taking out even MBTs in a few shots. Don't let their lack of armor fool you, they can be a real threat. Keep an eye on them to help keep friendly armor alive.

HMMWV with BGM-71 TOW


*The one exception is again a Russian design, the BRDM-2 scout car. It combines features from APCs such as impervious passengers, a 14.5mm KPVT main gun and welded steel armor with features from light vehicles, namely high mobility, low crew count and wheels. For this reason I don't feel this vehicle fits under either umbrella, so I like to call it out as a "scout car" and/or "BRDM-2" whenever I spot one.

BRDM-2 scout car

Regular light vehicle, left and AT light vehicle, right.

Technicals

A technical is simply an improvised fighting vehicle usually composed of a civilian vehicle with a mounted weapon. The very nature of technicals is non-standard, so additional information is appreciated so friendlies know whether they're facing a rusty DShK or 64 S-5 rockets.

A "typical" technical, a machine gun on a pickup truck

In the game the weapons on technicals can vary from machine guns to anti-air cannons, salvaged rocket pods and even an entire turret from a BMP-1. The only limit is the ingenuity or insanity of whatever engineer decided this would be a good idea.

A flatbed technical armed with an 18th century cannon

These vehicles have no armour whatsoever, but instead they provide probably the best mobility of all ground vehicles, being able to quickly climb hills heavier vehicles would struggle with.

Truck with ZU-23 AA cannon mounted on the back

Most technicals share map markers with light vehicles, with two exceptions. Insurgents have a unarmed transport pick-up truck that shares the same chassis as most of their technicals and logistics pick-up trucks, and the ZU-23 SPAA, specifically the one mounted on the hull of an MT-LB.


Transport light vehicle, left and SPAA, right.

Trucks

Dwight D. Eisenhower credited the 2.5 ton logistics truck as one of the most important vehicles of WW2. Logistics are what ultimately win wars. Fighting spirit and special force ninjas who can throw knives while doing backflips can only take you so far without food and ammunition. Logistics vehicles are also the lifeblood of a successful game of Squad. Logi trucks in themselves don't pose much of a threat, but they can be used to build an FOB to summon an entire team to its location. Where there's logi trucks, there are FOBs.

Ural 4320 utility truck

Not all trucks are logis though. In-game transport trucks share the same model with their logi counterparts. They can be told apart by the lack of supply crates in the back of transport trucks. No crates = no FOB.

Logi truck on the left, transport on the right

In addition to the transport variant, the insurgent faction also has access to a technical with the same chassis. It may look similar from a distance, so use binoculars to check.

ZU-23 AA technical

Logistics truck, left and transport truck, right

Motorbikes

You know what motorbikes look like. If you spot one on the side of a road keep your eyes open for mines or AT gunners.

Minsk 400 motorcycle

I also know I said there'd only be 6 categories, don't @ me

bike

Conclusion

Now that we're all on the same page, I don't ever want to chase down a tank mark on the map only to find an APC again.

There's no need to memorise all of the vehicles by name (though it'd be cool if you did), just keep these categories in mind.

If you have any questions don't be shy to ask them in the comments.

[santino]

great

[Greensybeensy]

Played since everything was called a BTR, a heli flies by "Enemy BTR landing NW"

[Cauld]

MFW infantry telling us where enemy tank is, we show up to take it out, turns out its a disabled tracked apc. Meanwhile the actual enemy tank is watching from across the field and gets us in the side.

[Heads up Huntz]

Thanks. Need to know the complex mechanics of this game

[Moleman]

Thanks for the comment.
This guide isn't supposed to be an exhaustive list of all vehicles in the game, it's just supposed to introduce the reader to the concept and criteria of broad vehicle classes for the purpose of clarity in communications.
BTR actually stands for 'bronetransportyor', which is Russian for "armoured [personnel] carrier". Therefore it is classed as an APC. Granted, the BTR-82A, which is basically a modified and upgunned BTR-80 crosses over into the 'wheeled IFV' -classification thanks to its 30mm 2A72 gun.
Hope this helps.

[Nath]

Missing BTR's in this guide, good guide though

[The]

Pretty good guide considering i can't see the vehicles in my training because of my graphic settings