#france
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 F-84G is often one of the first jets for many players. It can be used for both air combat and ground attack, making it a solid multi-role aircraft. Although it is a bit older compared to jets like the MiG-15 or F-86, it can still hold its own and compete well against these more modern aircraft.
The AMX-50 (TO90/930) is one of the many, many vehicles in the AMX-50 family—however, this tank has a dark secret: it's not like the others! For one, it stole its turret straight off the Char 25t, meaning it shares the same turret characteristics—including the ability to fire APHE shells, a sort of black magic for domestic French vehicles of this tier. The TO90 also shares the excellent 4-second reload with its brothers and can zoom around the map almost uncontested with its unparalleled mobility, although it can't take much fire because of its thin armor. Let's dive into the TO90's intricacies to see how it stacks up against its peers and adversaries!
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.
Contrary to public belief, the 330 mm OPf Mle 1935 shell was not classified as a Semi-Armor Piercing type of ammunition. Historically, the Dunkerque class was designed to counter ships like the Graf Spee, which were lightly armored compared to other capital ships. One theory suggests that the 330 mm OPf shell was designed as SAP to fulfill this purpose. There are currently two claims that attempt to support the classification of the 330 mm OPf shell as SAP: the burster cavity was too large and the hardened cap was too thin compared to typical AP shells. However, additional historical and technical context disproves these claims and instead suggests that the 330 mm OPf shell was designed as AP. The historical context will be first established before addressing each of these claims.
Dunkerque's history was not filled with epic victories in combat or spectacular achievements; nonetheless, she participated in two major historic events that changed the balance of power in the Mediterranean, making her an important vessel from an historical perspective, even if she did not sink any hostile vessels in anger.
The AMX-50 Surbaissé is the last modification of the AMX-50, built to be a lighter version of the Surblindé, it is an accumulation of several years of design and prototyping to create a French tank killer. Offering the 120mm SA46, a six second reload, decent armor, and good mobility, playing the Surbaissé is an experience you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else in War Thunder.
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 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.
