Tanks have been in service for over 100 years, starting in the trenches of WW1 and still fighting today. While the first designs were slow, massive, and under-armed, they were still revolutionary, introducing an entirely new way to fight wars. Many tank designs from many nations aimed to create the fastest, the toughest, and the strongest tanks. However, one of the most famous of them all is the United States' M1 Abrams. First fielded in the 1980s, it has since fought across the world from Europe to Iraq and it has gone through over 40 years of combat and upgrades. Today, we will explore the history of the Abrams and its impact on American tank design.
The Soviet KV series, most notably the KV‑1 and KV‑2, were among the heaviest tanks of the early war. When they were put to operational use during the midst of Operation Barbarossa, German forces found most of their anti‑tank weapons far too weak against the thick armor; even a single KV could stall an advance and demonstrate capabilities the Germans themselves lacked. That display of strength made captured examples highly prized. Yet the tanks were far from perfect. They consumed fuel at alarming rates, broke down often, and were difficult to supply, and as such many were left behind in retreat or captured intact. The Wehrmacht quickly put these tanks to use, repainting their insignia and assigning them new designations as Beutepanzer (lit. loot tank).
This article examines the history of the MAA-1 Piranha, the first Brazilian domestic air-to-air missile, tracing its conception, development, testings, and the various setbacks and historical contexts that shaped the program. The Piranha was a bold project for its time, that sought to elevate Brazil into the small group of countries that were capable of producing domestic air-to-air missiles, a group which, at the time, consisted of France, the USA, the USSR, Israel, South Africa, the United Kingdom, China, Taiwan, and Japan.
This guide will walk you through the process of installing varying types of War Thunder mods, from user models and locations to user hangar mods. Additionally, this guide includes a troubleshooting section for common issues found when installing mods, which may be updated regularly if necessary.
We’ve already discussed the T14 (more about the T14 here in my article: T14: The Super Heavy Sherman). Now we want to take a closer look at its British counterpart, the Excelsior. Like the American T14, the Excelsior resulted from the same development project, although the Excelsior also never went into serial production; only two prototypes were built.
The T-26-4 was an experimental “artillery tank” designed in the interwar period by the Soviet Union. In War Thunder, this tank can be tricky to play and requires some experience. Its several weaknesses, such as thin armor and slow speed, force the player to maneuver it cautiously in battle. However, it can be fun to play once you master both its drawbacks and advantages.
In addition to playing on monitors, the PC version of War Thunder supports virtual reality (VR) devices. All modes are available with VR devices, but playing aircraft is the best way to play. Pilots have access to hundreds of detailed cockpits, and with the addition of throttle and control stick controllers, you'll have a full-fledged aviation simulator at home!
The Ratel 20 is a South African Light Tank in the British Tech tree, which is typically disliked. With a top speed of 65 mph, and a missile with maximum 530mm of penetration, the Ratel 20 is — on paper at least, a good light tank. However, with a poor acceleration and a rather slow missile, this vehicle does not perform too well when in combat.
The Mirage IIIC is an iconic French single-seat delta-wing jet fighter from the late 1950s. The aircraft is highly maneuverable with excellent flight performance, capable of flying at supersonic speeds at any altitude. Its primary armament consists of two 30mm DEFA cannons and air-to-air missiles, initially carrying only one Matra R530 radar-guided missile while later versions could also carry two AIM-9B or Magic 1 IR-guided missiles. For its time, the Mirage IIIC was equipped with a very modern radar, the Cyrano Ibis. This was the first radar in the world capable of automatically slewing its antenna onto a target, which meant that the pilot simply had to press a button, and the radar would acquire and lock onto the target. This reduced the workload of the pilot drastically, which is always of crucial importance in actual combat engagements.
