This article is about armoured fighting vehicles. For other meanings, see Tank (disambiguation).
A tank is a trackedarmored fighting vehicle, designed primarily to engage enemy forces by the use of direct fire. A tank is characterised by heavy weapons and armor, as well as by a high degree of mobility that allows it to cross rough terrain at relatively high speeds. While tanks are expensive to operate and logistically demanding, they are among the most formidable and versatile weapons of the modern battlefield, both for their ability to engage other ground targets and their shock value against infantry.
While tanks are powerful fighting machines, they seldom operate alone, being organised into armoured units in combined arms forces. Without such support, tanks, despite their armour and mobility, are vulnerable to infantry, mines, artillery, and air power. Tanks are also at a disadvantage in wooded terrain and urban environments, which cancel the advantages of the tank's long-range firepower, limit the crew's ability to detect potential threats, and can even limit the turret's ability to traverse.