#france
After WW2, most French vessels were armed with 5” guns, similar to the American 5"/38 Mk.12 cannon, and Bofors 57 mm guns. However, in 1953, a new gun was developed that would replace both of them and deal with anti-air and anti-surface duties. This led to the development of the 100 mm/55, a cannon that would equip all French vessels, from frigates to aircraft carriers, all the way to the modern day. In game, the 100 mm/55 is among the best French naval guns, combining an excellent fire-rate, great damage, and both anti-air and anti-ship capabilities. Found in both the German and French tech trees, it is the ultimate reward for coastal forces and offers great success in your engagements.
After World War II, the Marine Nationale urgently needed to rebuild its fleet with domestic ships. By 1950, it still relied on pre-war vessels and Allied loans, pushing France to restore naval independence. Alongside major ships like the T 47-class destroyers, smaller patrol vessels such as the Fougueux and Adroit classes were designed. Intrépide, one of eleven Adroit-class ships, stood out for testing an experimental stern-mounted torpedo launcher. Introduced in the Tusk Force update, the Intrépide brings a unique coastal asset to France with a mix between the size of large frigates like the Marne and the armament of smaller patrol boats like the VLT-1.
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.
The Somua SM is a magnificent French heavy tank, which brings together a mix of agility, firepower, and armor that is rarely seen at where it lies in the tech tree. This tank plays more like a medium tank with its agility and high top speed, but its armor is strong enough to bounce many shells. The main feature of this tank though, is the 100mm L/58 cannon, which has a reload of only four seconds. The Somua’s autoloader allows for this but it is also able to keep the formidable ballistics of the 100mm L/58 cannon. This article will go over the Somua in detail and describe its strengths and weaknesses.
The Great French Revolution shook the entire world, and one of the first and most important events of that time was the storming of the Bastille prison-fortress on July 14th, 1789. This date was not celebrated for almost a hundred years until 1880, when July 14th became a National Holiday. For this day, a large military parade on the Champs Elysees was established one hundred years later in 1980.
The S.O. 4050 Vautour (vultur) IIN late is a second-generation two seat French interceptor fighter aircraft with all-weather capabilities that entered service in 1956. During its service, it participated in several conflicts in Israel, shooting down two Jordanian Hawker Hunter fighters. In France, it served as a launching platform for the first French radar-guided missiles. However, it was soon replaced by the much more advanced Dassault Mirage III, which was capable of supersonic flight.
The Rafale, developed by Dassault Aviation, is the centerpiece of the French Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace (Air and Space Force), and is arguably one of the best multirole aircraft in service today. However, developing such an advanced machine was no easy task. France chose to create a combat aircraft that could replace a wide array of legacy platforms, from reconnaissance and nuclear deterrence to air superiority and naval operations. The Rafale embodies the concept of, as Dassault calls it, an “omnirôle” aircraft, designed to excel in every mission, performing multiple roles in a single flight, and doing so without requiring major modifications to the aircraft itself. In this article, I will explore the history of its development, from the prototypes to the pre-production models.
The VBCI-2 (MCT-30) is the premium variant of the VBCI family of wheeled IFVs, equipped with the 30mm Bushmaster Mk. II in a crewless turret. Despite being armored enough to withstand light autocannons, at least from the front, it is one of the most mobile wheeled IFVs in the game and when paired with the 150 rounds of Mk.258 APFSDS, it can take out almost any tank from its side within seconds.
French 203 mm/50 model 1924 was used by the French heavy cruisers during the Second World War, most notably Colbert and Dupleix. It came equipped with SAP and HE shells, with the latter having a very large explosive filler compared to the SAP shell but poor penetration, while the former having just slightly larger explosive filler than SAP but offering a contact fuse, which might be preferable under some circumstances. Lacking a dedicated AP shell, it struggles to deal with heavily armoured cruisers.
