Although armoured tanks started to appear towards the end of the First World War, advances in technology meant they came into their own during the Second World War. One of the main challenges for these vehicles is to provide strong enough armour to survive in the battlefield, but also maintain a good degree of manoeuvrability, versatility, and firepower. 

Tracks give strong all-terrain ability, while rotating gun turrets allow them to fire on the move. Tanks were quickly adopted by armies all over the world and still play a big part in modern warfare, however increasingly clever and powerful anti-tank weapons, from missles to kamikaze drones, can limit the role the tank plays in combat.