初看,轻型战斗车辆的重量、尺寸和轻型越野车辆相似,而它的火力和所担负的战斗任务又与战斗全重为8—12吨的装甲车辆相近,因此,很难把轻型战斗车辆归入某种车型范畴。近来,人们重新燃起发展轻型战斗车辆的兴趣,其主要原因是,许多国家建立了快速部署部队,这类部队有时需要空运甚至用直升飞机运输。现代轻型战斗车辆主要是从第二次世界大战时期的巡逻车演变而来,它必须具备火力强,速度高,机动灵活的特点,并用其易于隐蔽的特点来弥补其防护的弱点。 At first glance, light-weight vehicles are similar in weight and size to light-duty off-road vehicles, and their firepower and combat load are similar to those of armored vehicles weighing 8 to 12 tons. Therefore, it is difficult to classify light-duty vehicles Into a car category. Recently, the renewed interest in the development of light-combat vehicles has come largely from the fact that many countries have established rapidly deployed forces, which sometimes need to be transported by air or even by helicopter. Modern light combat vehicles evolved mainly from patrol vehicles during World War II. They had to be powerful, fast and flexible, and used their easy-to-hide features to make up for their weaknesses.