Scout car

[3] The term "scout car" first entered widespread use in the 1930s as an official United States Army designation for any wheeled armored vehicle developed specifically for reconnaissance.

[1] Following the US entry into World War II, US Army staff clarified that the term would not extend to heavier wheeled reconnaissance vehicles fitted with turreted weapons, such as the M8 Greyhound.

[5] This was not considered practical in the long run and US reconnaissance units eventually replaced all their scout cars with unarmored utility vehicles such as the jeep (and subsequently, the Humvee).

[9] Armored vehicles were evaluated negatively because their hulls reduced situational awareness, and increased the temptation for the crew to remain mounted or engage in combat with the enemy, contrary to Danish reconnaissance doctrine.

[10] During the early 1940s, Red Army doctrine did not recognize a unique niche for the scout car, and the Soviets were likelier to favor heavier, six-wheeled vehicles such as the BA-20 for reconnaissance.

[12] The scout cars were complemented in Soviet reconnaissance battalions by specialized variants of the BMP-1 or BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, which were able to reconnoiter much more aggressively and engage hostile armor as needed.