Leonardo da Vinci’s armored tank design was a conical, covered vehicle fitted with multiple cannons around its perimeter.
Leonardo sketched the fighting vehicle around 1487–1489 while developing military proposals for the Duke of Milan. Its sloping shell was intended to deflect incoming projectiles, and a platform inside would allow several soldiers to operate weapons. The vehicle was meant to move using cranks connected to wheels and gears.
The design is often called a tank, but that name belongs to modern armored fighting vehicles. Leonardo’s machine would have been powered by people rather than an engine, and its practical mobility is debated. One famous reconstruction issue is that the apparent gear arrangement seems difficult to operate as drawn; some historians think this may have been deliberate or may reflect an incomplete sketch.
Its historical significance is conceptual. It combines armored protection, all-around firepower, and mobile movement centuries before motorized tanks appeared in warfare.