After the defeat in World War 2, Japan was in no position to develop or acquire new military aircraft. After the end of the official Allied occupation of the islands, the country adopted a strict policy of non-involvement, vowing never to take part in foreign conflicts and banning all forms of military export. At the same time, given the reality of living in a world divided between two superpowers, Japan also started rebuilding its armed forces for self-defense purposes.
On December 1st, Portugal celebrates Restoration of Independence Day! It was on this date in 1640 that the Portuguese revolted against Spain, which had controlled the country for several decades at the time, and declared independence. Join in with a new video from our Moments of Valor series, dedicated to Portugal!
The heavy tank T-10 entered service with the Soviet Army at a time when heavy tanks were already becoming a thing of the past. Armies around the world — the Soviet Union included — were shifting toward a new ideal: a single, universal tank design that combined speed, protection, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Yet it was during this very transition — as the era of heavy tanks was drawing to a close — that the T-10 entered mass production and went on to serve for decades.
With the Spearhead update, Britain’s aviation tree picked up two interesting additions: two aircraft that share a name and a look but differ in key details. Meet the twin Hawk 200 light multirole fighters! Today we’ll fly both birds in a range of modes. But first, a little history.
From the earliest days of armored warfare, British tank designers earned a reputation for thinking differently. The Chieftain MBT was no exception: it diverged so sharply from its European contemporaries that at home and abroad it was regarded not merely as original, but decidedly controversial. Its 120-mm gun had the headroom to remain relevant for decades. Its powerpack and several other systems, however, drew justified criticism from the start. Bit by bit, the makers worked through the Chieftain’s many issues and, along the way, created what was essentially a new tank on the same foundations — testing ideas that ranged from modest and practical to sweeping and ambitious.
Some aircraft in military history look so strange it’s hard to believe they ever existed. Just think of this: a disc-shaped fuselage that looks somewhere between a pancake and a UFO, two enormous propellers, and landing gear so tall that the aircraft sits on the runway at nearly a 20-degree nose-up angle. And just to make things even more interesting, it was meant to operate from aircraft carriers. Sounds like a fever dream, right? Well, it isn’t. Meet the American experimental fighter XF5U-1!
In the aftermath of the Second World War, France raced to rebuild its defense industry and restore its former prestige. In the name of speed, officials sometimes green-lit projects that were odd and even controversial — anything to field a “modern” domestic weapon and make up for lost time. That is how the ARL-44 tank, with roots reaching back to rhomboid forebears, entered service. Likewise, the battleship Jean Bart joined the fleet only to serve little more than a decade.
It’s time to take a closer look at the new vehicles of the Spearhead update! For the first feature, we’ve picked one of the most striking ground additions. Please welcome the French EBRC Jaguar! Its futuristic design is hard to miss, and it has several undeniable advantages over its peers. Let’s see what makes this armored scout so special!
The long-awaited November vehicles are already on the horizon, but before they arrive, we’ve got one more chance to revisit a gem from the Tusk Force update. Or... is it really new? That silhouette looks awfully familiar. If you’re feeling déjà vu, don’t worry — your instincts are right. Meet the Swedish light tank CV 90105 TML. Once a premium vehicle, it evolved into a more capable variant with the XC-8 turret back in September 2022. Now, the original version has returned to the tech tree slightly reworked and rebalanced for today’s War Thunder. Let’s see how it performs in its new form.