A pneumatic or air-filled tire consists of an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the vehicle's weight resting on it, as the pressure of the air within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The air pressure inside the tire provides resistance against forces which attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand exactly how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will result in a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a dangerous car crash. Military planners should take into account tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these kind of issues and thus, could be more suitable in some applications.
Pneumatic tires have another problem involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure can create improved traction and increased comfort. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, reduced air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other issues with air pressure. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires which have wrong air pressure can result in unsafe situations. It is very essential to bear in mind that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, that could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is vital to consider the kind of settings you would be requiring your equipment to operate in so that you could check the tires regularly and keep the machine as safe as possible.