Panzer IV

The Panzer IV (Panzerkampfwagen IV) was the most powerful armored vehicle of the Wehrmacht’s armored divisions in the first three years of World War II. It successfully took part in the Polish Campaign, the invasion of France, and the first stage of Operation Barbarossa. At the end of 1941, however, the emergence of the Russian T-34 tank, in the Battle of Moscow, forced Krupp’s engineers to upgrade the Panzer IV with a more powerful gun and extra armor protection. Thus, Panzer IV Ausf F2, G, H, and J versions would be designed and manufactured.

These new variants of the PzKpfw IV were able to confront and destroy the Soviet T-34 tank; it was thanks to the new, long-barreled, high-velocity guns, the 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/43 and L/48, which replaced the 75mm KwK 37 L/24 short-barreled gun. The Panzer IV was in service throughout the entire war, from 1939 to 1945, being deployed on every Front. By 1944, it made up 37 % of the German Army total tank strength.

This German medium tank was developed in the 1930s and used extensively in every military campaign. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161. It had been conceived by Krupp’s engineers in 1936 as an infantry support tank, but, by mid 1939, it had been assigned to armored divisions as it assumed a tank-fighting role, replacing the Panzer III. And when WW2 broke out, it constituted the core of the Wehrmacht’s armored forces in the Blitzkrieg war. If the Third Reich had massively produced the Panzer IV Ausf G and H, fitted with the lethal 7.5 cm KwK 40 L/48 long-barreled gun, from 1939, in large numbers, Germany would surely have won the Battle of Moscow and WW2.

Technical characteristics

The Panzerkampfwagen IV was manufactured by Krupp and Steyr-Daimler-Puch from 1938 until 1945, entering service with the German Army in 1939. The Panzer IV Ausf B weighed 24 tons and was powered by a 12-cylinder, 300 hp, Maybach HL 120TRM engine, capable of reaching a maximum speed of 42 km/h on road and 20 km/h across country. The Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausf H had a 80mm-thick armor on the turret and front hull, and 30mm on the sides, and was armed with a 75 mm KwK 40 L/48 gun and a 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun.

Below, the Pzkpfw IV, Ausf G, featuring the new 75-mm, L/43 gun, in North Africa

Specifications for the Panzer IV Ausf H

Type: medium tank
Weight: 25 tons
Hull length: 5.9 m
Width: 3.29 m
Height: 2.68 m
Armor: 88mm-thick at the front
Weapons: 7.5-cm KwK 40 L/48 gun, with a muzzle velocity of 930 m/s (using armor-piercing rounds) and maximum effective range 2000 m; two 7.92mm MG 34 machine guns
Crew: 5

Below, PzKpfw IV, Ausf D at Smolensk in July 1941, during Operation Barbarossa. You can see the 75-mm short-barreled L/24 gun

Below, the Panzer IV, Ausf H, fitted out with an 80-mm-thick glacis armor plate and Zimmerit (anti-magnetic) paste.

IS-2 Tank

The IS-2 tank was designed and developed by the Soviet Union in 1943. It was fielded by the Red Army in March 1944, taking part in the last battles of World War II. It first saw combat action with the 11th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment during the Spring of 1944. Along with its derivative, the IS-3, it was the most powerful armored vehicle in that armed conflict.

The IS-2 heavy tank was not only superior to the German Panzer VI (Tiger I) but also to the M26 Pershing as the Russian tank featured a 122-mm gun, more powerful than the 88mm and the 90mm cannon on the turret of the German and American tank respectively. It was massively produced and, by the end of the war, more than 3,500 units had rolled out from the Soviet industrial plants in the East. “IS” stood for “Iosif Stalin”.

Below, a column of IS-2 heavy tanks in Berlin at the end of the WW2

The original name of the IS-2 was the IS-85; a prototype which had first been fitted with an 85-mm gun, but later it would finally be replaced by the 122-mm gun and redesignated IS-122 in September 1943. However, when it entered mass production at the end of that year, it was renamed again as the IS-2. It officially entered service with the Red Army in late March 1944 and it would first see combat action the following month, April. It would play an important role, as part of the Soviet armored divisions, in Operation Bagration, which began on June 23, 1944. During the Battle of Berlin, the IS-2, IS-3, and the T-34 tank made up the spearheads of the Soviet armored divisions that entered the capital of the Third Reich.

Specifications

Type: Heavy Tank

Length: 9.9 m (32 ft, 5.8 in)

Width: 3 m (10 ft, 1.5 in)

Height: 2.7 m (8 ft, 11.5 in)

Armor: 160-mm-thick on the turret front, and 110-mm on the turret side; 120-mm thick on the hull glacis.

Power Plant: One V-2-IS, V-12 diesel engine, developing 600 HP.

Maximum Speed: 37 km/h (on road)

Range: 250 km

Armament: one 122-mm gun; one 12.7-mm machine gun; one 7.62-mm machine gun.

Crew: 4 men.

Below, side view of the plan drawing of the IS-2m version.

 

Su-57 vs F-22

The Su-57 vs F-22 comparison leads us to conclude that the multirole fighter manufactured by Sukhoi has five clear advantages over the combat aircraft produced by Lockheed Martin. These five technical and combat characteristics, which give the Su-57 the upper hand over the American fighter, have to do with the power plant and, perhaps, with its layout and shape.

Although the Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines that propel the F-22 Raptor are slightly more powerful than the Su-57's in terms of lbf dry thrust, the Russian aircraft power plant is more efficient, especially at reaching higher speed and maintaining it for longer distances. This means that the Sukhoi aircraft's Saturn AL-41F1 turbofan engines are more efficient in fuel consumption, for it has a longer ferry range than the American warplane. Thus, having more advanced jet engines render the Su-57 capable of carrying a heavier bomb-load than the Raptor.

However, the Lockheed Martin F-22A apparently has better stealth design and material than the Russian aircraft. The Sukhoi Su-57 has a layout and design (shape) better for higher speed, resigning somewhat to a fully stealth mode. In the chart/diagram below, you will see that the Russian plane can comfortably fly at the supercruiser speed of 2,100 km an hour (Mach 2), whereas the American aircraft's supercruiser speed is 1,963 km per hour (Mach 1.82) at high altitude.

The Su-57 armament payload amount to 9,000 kg, with an internal bay for smart bombs or air-to-surface missiles, plus six external hardpoints. Thus, it is able to carry the Kh-22 anti-ship missile, plus bombs. The F-22, on the other hand, has a bombload of 4,500 kg.

Below, the Su-57 vs F-22 comparison chart.

 Below, the Sukhoi Su-57 in flight, in 2019.

T-28 Trojan

The T-28 Trojan was a trainer and counter-insurgency aircraft developed and produced by North American Aviation. It played an important role in air 'Commando' operations over Vietnam, until it was replaced by the A-1 Skyraider. The T-28D version flew many sorties, carrying out ground-attack operations against the Vietcong guerrilla. It was very versatile and resembled a World War II monoplane.

The prototype of the North American T-28 Trojan, the XT-28, first flew on September 24, 1949. The first version, the T-28A, entered service with the US Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in 1950. It was completely retired from the military in 1994. The French variant, known as Fennec, would be employed in Algeria against the insurgency that fought for independence in the 1950s and 1960s. North American and Fairchild built more than 1800 Trojans.

Fatigue problems led the US Air Force to withdraw it from Vietnam. These problems were detected after the constant stresses of combat operations caused several aircraft to shed wings. The Nationalist China (Taiwan) Air Force received a batch of T-28As, which were subjected to local modifications, which included the upgrade with a more powerful engine.

Technical Characteristics

The T-28 Trojan was a two-seat, single-engine monoplane. It was equipped with straight low wings. The tail fin had a rather large rudder. The fuselage was all-metal. The cockpit was fitted with tandem seats, with full dual controls and blind flying equipment. The T-28D variant featured ejection seats. Its powerful radial engine gave it a distinctive drooped profile.

Specifications

Type: piston-engine trainer and counter-insurgency aircraft

Length: 10 m (33 ft)

Wingspan: 12.22 m (40 ft, 1 in)

Wing Area: 24.90 square meters (268 sq. ft)

Height: 3.86 m (12 ft, 8 in)

Power Plant (T-28D): one 1,425-HP, Wright R-820-86 Cyclone, 14-cylinder, radial piston engine.

Maximum Speed: 552 km/h (342 mph)

Range: 1,706 km (1,060 miles)

Armament: up to 1,814 kg of bombs; rockets.

Below, the US Navy T-28 in early 1960s.

Below, the T-28D ground-attack aircraft.

Below, the US Air Force T-28A trainer in the 1950s

McDonnell F-101 Voodoo

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was an American supersonic fighter-bomber. It was used by the US Air Force in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It was the second combat aircraft to break the sound barrier on its first flight, which took place on September 29, 1954. It entered service in May 1957 and it would be phased out in 1972. It could be armed with two MB-1 Genie nuclear rockets or an Mk-28 nuclear bomb.

The McDonnell Air Corporation built a total of 808 F-101 Voodoos. The most massively produced version was the F-101B, with 480 aircraft. Other variants included the F-101A, F-101C, and RF-101A and RF-101C. The latter ones were a reconnaissance aircraft, which were fitted with up to six photographic cameras. The combat versions, on the other hand, were equipped with the Hughes MA-7 fire control radar, which was used for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat situations.

Below, you can see the belly of the Voodoo as it flies over. This picture was taken in 1959.

The only version of the Voodoo to see combat action in Vietnam was the RF-101C. It did an outstanding job of spying on the enemy, using its aerial cameras. It flew more than 37,000 daylight sorties, exceeding the Mach 1.8 speed. Although it was a very fast aircraft, with the MiG combat planes having a hard time to intercept it, it had suffered 50 losses to Soviet-made North Vietnamese SAMs (surface-to-air missiles) by the end of 1968. Most of these losses took place when the RF-101C flew reconnaissance missions in the skies over North Vietnam.

Technical Characteristics

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was a single-seat, twin-engine aircraft, which was fitted with swept wings and an all-metal fuselage. The wings featured large split flaps, which gave the plane good handling at low air speed. Their leading edges had 'fences', which reduced the induced drag by limiting the outward flow of air over the upper surface of wing. The Voodoo held most of its fuel in the fuselage, in nine internal tanks, running down the spine of the aircraft, from the cockpit to the fin.

Despite its supersonic speed and long range capacity, the F-101 Voodoo had a dangerous tendency to pitch-up, which was a longitudinal instability that increased the angle of attack even further than acceptable. Thus, it was one of the hardest to fly aircraft in the history of the US Air Force. However, once the pilot got the hang of it, the Voodoo was a great performer at high speed.

Specifications (F-101A)

Type: tactical fighter-bomber

Longth: 20.54 m (67 ft, 5 in)

Wingspan: 12.09 m (39 ft, 8 in)

Wing Area: 34.19 square meters (368 sq. ft)

Height: 5.48 m (18 ft)

Power Plant: two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-13 turbojet engines, with afterburner.

Maximum Speed: Mach 1.9 or 1,982 km/h (1,232 mph).

Range: 3,040 km (1890 miles).

Ceiling: 15,850 m of altitude (52,000 ft).

Crew: 1

Armament: four 20mm cannons; 3,100-kg of bombs, or two MB-1 Genie tactical nuclear rockets.

Below, the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo parked on the tarmac of a US Air Force base in 1959.

The F-101B version frontal view. Photo taken around 1960.

The F-101C variant in flight. Notice the wide split flaps of its wings.

F-105 Thunderchief

The F-105 Thunderchief was a fighter-bomber in service with the US Air Force during the Cold War years. It was designed, developed and built by Republic Aviation. Its prototype, the YF-105A, performed its maiden flight on October 22, 1955, being introduced on May 27, 1958. It first saw combat action in 1964, in Southeast Asia, during the Vietnam War. It was known as the 'Thud' by the American pilots.

The F-105B was the first version that went into mass production. The main feature of this aircraft was its all-weather bombing system. It was the Weapons System 606A, which included the AN/APN-105 Doppler all-weather navigation system, the General Electric FC5 flight control system, the MA-8 fire control system, and the Bendix central air data computer.

Below, the F-105B in 1959.

  

However, the most important variant would be the F-105D, which had an enlarged nose to make room for the new bombing navigation system; the AN/ASG-19 radar. 650 F-105D aircraft were made from a total of 845 Thunderchiefs. The F-105F version would also be built; it was a two-seat trainer. Meanwhile the EF-105F Wild Weasel was a specialized version designed to suppress enemy air defenses.

Having overcome many technical problems, which caused a series of crashes, the Republic F-105D Thunderchief would become the main fighter-bomber during the first years of the Vietnam War. In the ground-attack role, it was more effective than the F-100 Super Sabre, due to its bomb-load capacity. It carried out air raids not only in South Vietnam but also in Laos and North Vietnam, taking part in Operation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968). However, this aircraft suffered heavy losses due to North Vietnamese Army's SAMs.

Technical Characteristics

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief was a single-seat, single-engine, jet aircraft. It was able to fly at supersonic speeds at very low altitude; this was its main capability. It had a swept, mid-wing configuration. Its tailplane was also a swept back design. Fuselage was all-metal and cylindrical, with the engine air intakes set up on the sides. It had additional fuel tanks, which extended its ferry range to almost 3,000 km.

Specifications

Type: fighter-bomber

Length: 20 m (64 ft, 3 in)

Wingspan: 10.65 m (34 ft, 11 in)

Wing Area: 35.76 square meters (385 sq. ft)

Height: 6 m (19 ft, 8 in)

Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney J75-P-19W axial turbojet engine, delivering almost 118 kilonewtons of thrust with afterburner.

Maximum Speed: Mach 2.1 (2,230 km/h - 1,385 mph) at 11,000 m of altude; Mach 1.2 at low level.

Combat Range: 1,500 km.

Ceiling: 15,800 m.

Armament: one 20mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon; bomb-load 6,700 kg (eight 340-kg bombs).

Below, two Republic F-105 Thunderchief fighter-bombers in flight in the skies over Vietnam, in late 1964.

Drawing of the F-105D version

Below, the F-105D variant in 1963.

Convair F-102 Delta Dagger

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a single-seat, jet-engine interceptor in service with the US Air Force during the Cold War. It was introduced in 1956 and was retired in 1979. It was the first supersonic warplane with a delta wing configuration. With more than 1,000 aircraft built, it would be further developed into the F-106 Delta Dart.

The F-102A version of the Delta Dagger first saw combat action on November 27, 1964, in the skies over Vietnam, with the 509th Interceptor Squadron. Since then, it carried out many sorties, being successful against the Soviet MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters. Equipped with 70mm rockets, it would also be used as a ground attack aircraft, but with little success, in this armed conflict. By the end of 1968, all Delta Daggers had been withdrawn from Vietnam.

Technical Characteristics

The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger was a single-seat, single-engine jet aircraft. It was fitted with delta-wings mounted low on fuselage, which was alloy metal and 'area rule' shaped. The engine air intakes were on sides of fuselage. The tail consisted of only the vertical stabilizer, with rudder, as it had no horizontal stabilizer (tailplane). The aircraft featured the Hughes MG-10 fire-control system, which was set up in the nose.

Specifications

Type: interceptor/fighter

Length: 20.84 m (68 ft, 4 inches)

Wingspan: 11.62 m (38 ft, 1 inch)

Wing Area: 61.45 square meters (662 sq. ft)

Height: 6.46 m (21 ft, 2 inches)

Power Plant: one Pratt & Whitney J57-P-23 turbojet engine.

Maximum Speed: 1,328 km/h (825 mph)

Combat Range: 870 km (540 miles), with weapons.

Below, the Convair F-102 in 1960

The Delta Dagger parked on the tarmac of a US Air Force in 1957

Below, the F-102A in flight in 1959, firing its missiles during training

Sukhoi Su-35

The Sukhoi Su-35, known as Flanker-E, is a Russian all-weather fighter aircraft. It is based on the Soviet Su-27 Flanker, which was developed furing the Cold War. When this fighter was upgraded into the Su-27M in 1987, it would be called Su-35 from 1995. The difference between the two jet aircraft is that Su-35 has more powerful engines, which gives it twice the payload capacity of its predecessor. The Flanker-E has also more advanced avionics and more hard-points to carry more missiles and bombs.

The Su-35 was introduced into service on February 20, 2014. Produced by Sukhoi Design Bureau, approximately 150 aircraft have been delivered to the Russian Air Force so far, as of 2023, most of them in the Su-35S variant, which has a new weapons control system. Its N035 Irbis-e passive electronically scanned array radar, with pulse Doppler tracker, empowers it to detect enemy targets beyond the horizon as it has a range of about 600 km. Its tailboom is fitted with a Phazotron NIIR defense radar. Meanwhile, its fuselage has an increase in titanium and aluminum alloys.

Specifications

Type: Multi-role fighter
Length: 21.9 m (71 ft, 10 inch)
Wingspan: 15.3 m (50 ft, 2 inch)
Wing Area: 62 square meters
Height: 5.9 m (19 ft, 4inch)
Power Plant: two Saturn AL-41F1S afterburning turbofan engines
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.25 at high altitudes; Mach 1.2 at low levels.
Ceiling: 18,000 m (59,000 ft)
Crew: 1.

Below, the Sukhoi Su-27M, now officially known as Su-35, on a Russian military base.

The Su-35, Flanker-E, taking off from the runway of airbase in the Ural region.

 

Sukhoi Su-34

The Sukhoi Su-34 'Fullback' is a Russian multi-role fighter aircraft. It was developed from the Su-27 Flanker, entering service in 2014. Compared to the original model, the Fullback had more powerful engines and more advanced avionic. It could also carry three times the bomb-load of the Su-27.

Its latest version is the Su-34M, which is able to carry the Kalibr supersonic cruise missile and FAB-500 laser guided bombs as it is fitted with new hard-points. This variant also has improved radar, sighting and communication systems. So far, about 160 Su-34 aircraft have been built and delivered to the Russian Air Force. It has already seen combat action in Syria and Ukraine.

Technical Characteristics

This Russian aircraft is a two-seat, twin-engine supersonic monoplane. It is fitted with cropped swept-back aircraft. For better maneuverability and flight stability, the Su-34 is fitted with canards, which are mid-mounted before the wings. The jet engines air intakes are located on belly of aircraft. The nose of this plane resembles a duck bill. The tail section is equipped with twin fins and rudders.

Specifications

Length: 23.34 m

Wingspan: 14.7 m

Wing Area: 62.04 square meters

Height: 6 m

Power Plant: two Saturn AL-31FM1 turbofan engines.

Maximum Speed: Mach 1.8 at high altitude

Combat Range: 1,100 km.

Bomb-load: 14,000-kg (missiles and bombs)

Below, front view of the Sukhoi Su-34

The Fullback carrying a Kalibre missile as it takes off.

 

Three Su-34M fighters on the tarmac of an air base near Saint Petersburg. Notice the 500-kg bomb they carry.

 

Su-34 in action (video)

 

Beech T-34 Mentor

The Beech T-34 Mentor is a military trainer still in service in several countries around the world. It was America's flying school for young cadet pilots in the 1950s and 1960s. It was developed in the United States by Beechcraft, which is a branch of the Beech Aircraft Company. It performed its maiden flight in 1948, entering service in 1953, both with the US Air Force and US Navy.

The version Beech T-34A was used by the US Air Force as its first post war primary trainer. Meanwhile the T-34C would become the US Navy's main trainer for many years. The Spanish and Canadian air forces also employed this trainer during the Cold War years. It has also been used by the Uruguayan, Ecuadorian, and Colombian air forces.

Piston Engine and Turboprop variants

The Beech T-34 Mentor had a simple design as it was very reliable, safe, and easy to fly. The T-34A was powered by a 500-HP piston engine, while the T-34C by a 715-HP turboprop engine. The turboprop version (Turbo Mentor) trained the US Navy's pilots until it was replaced by the Raytheon T-6A in 2004. This turboprop variant was also exported world-wide.

Technical Characteristics

The Beech T-34 Mentor is a two-seat, single-engine monoplane, which is fitted with straight low wing. Fuselage is all-metal alloy, with a semi-monocoque structure, which allows it higher speeds, aerobatics and a longer fatigue life. The aircraft is equipped with retractable tricycle-type landing gear. The tail unit is of light alloy cantilever structure, having a fixed incidence tailplane and manually-operated trim tabs on the elevators and rudder.

Specification (T-34C)

Type: trainer aircraft

Length: 8.75 m (28 ft, 8 inch)

Wingspan: 10.16 m (33 ft, 4 inch)

Wing Area: 16.71 square meters (180 sq. ft)

Height: 3.02 m (9 ft, 7 inch)

Power Plant: one 715-HP, Pratt & Whitney PTCA-25 turboprop engine.

Maximum Speed: 414 km/h (257 mph)

Range: 1,205 km (745 miles)

Crew: two

Below, the Beech T-34A in service with the Spanish Air Force in the 1970s

 The US Air Force's T-34 Mentor in flight in the 1950s

Below, three T-34C turboprop Mentors in the 1980s

Polikarpov Po-2

The Polikarpov Po-2 was a military trainer aircraft. It was produced in the Soviet Union from 1928 to 1944. It was developed to replace the U-1, which was the Soviet-built version of the Avro 504. Although production of the Po-2 was stopped in 1944, it was resumed after World War II, with thousands more being produced in Poland. It was also used in the Korean War as a reconnaissance and ground attack aircraft.

The first variant of this biplane had been designated U-2 in 1928. However, from 1944 onward, it was called Po-2 in recognition of Polikarpov's efforts in its development. Although it looked obsolete, like a WW1 aircraft, its simple structure and design made it maneuverable and very reliable. Deliveries of the Po-2 began in 1928, and by the time Germany launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941, 13,000 aircraft had been manufactured. Among them, there was also a series of float-plane versions, which were fitted with the 720-HP Wright Cyclone engine.

Technical Characteristics

The Polikarpov Po-2 was a two-seat, single-engine biplane. It had a staggered wing layout, with the upper and lower wing being joined with inverted N-shaped struts. The lower wing was set up backwards, which allowed the pilot to have a better view of the ground at the moment of landing. It had a large tail rudder of broad chord, which linked to the cockpit controls by a series of cable. The fuselage was made of plywood and canvas. Landing gear was fixed. It was powered by one M-11, 5-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine, which delivered 125 HP.

Specifications

Type: trainer/multi-purpose

Length: 8.17 m

Wingspan: 11.40 m

Wing Area: 33.13 sq. meters

Height: 3.10 m

Maximum Speed: 156 km/h

Range: 400 km

Armament: one backward-firing 7.7mm machine gun mounted over the rear cockpit. 125-kg of bombs.

Below, the Polikarpov Po-2 in flight in 1933.

Below, the Polish version of this Soviet biplane.

Stridsvagn 103

The Stridsvagn 103 (Strv-103) was the main battle tank of the Swedish Army during the Cold War. Popularly known as the S-Tank, it had two distinctive characteristics: it did not have a turret, as traditional tanks usually do, and it was fitted with two engines to drive it either forwards or backwards. The main rationale for not fitting it with one was to endow this chariot of war with a very low profile so that it could blend in and hide in the geographical features of the battlefield terrain. There were three versions of the tank; Strv-103A/B/and C.

The S-Tank was designed by Sven Berge, who was the chief of the Swedish Army Ordnance. After observing conventional tanks of that time, he had realized that their silhouettes protruded upwards to much from the horizon line, especially at the moment of firing their guns. He had noticed, too, that the French AMX-13 light tank, whose small turret was set up at the rear of its compact hull, exposed itself the least to the enemy’s eyes. This Swedish tank mass production began in 1967, and it entered service at the end of that year.

Technical Characteristics

As mentioned above, the main feature of the Stridsvagn 103 was its low profile, due to a lack of turret. Thus, its 105-mm rifled gun was mounted directly in its hull, which was manned by a crew of three. It was fitted with hydro-pneumatic suspension system, with four road wheels on each side of the chassis. This allowed the tank driver/gunner to change the pitch (degree of inclination) of the hull and, hence, of the gun at the commander’s order.

The Strv-103 had yet another distinctive peculiarity; it was the fact that its power plant was equipped with two engines instead of one: one Caterpillar 553 gas turbine, delivering 490 HP, for driving forwards, and one Rolls-Royce 6-cylinder 2-stroke diesel engine, capable of generating 240 HP, to reverse it. The gas turbine was very convenient for the Swedish winter, when temperatures can drop to -20 or -30° C. The Rolls-Royce engine was coupled to a hydro-kenetic, torque-converter automatic transmission, with its output being combined with that of the gas turbine to drive the track.

Specifications

Weight: 39 tons (loaded)

Hull length: 7 m

Width: 3.6 m

Height: 2.1 m

Armor: steel

Armament: one Bofors L/62 105mm; two 7.62mm axial machine guns; one 7.62mm external machine gun.

Below, the Stridsvagn 103B tank in 1971

A frontal view of the S-Tank as it drives through a small Swedish town

Below, side view of the Strv-103 in winter time

T-72B3M Tank

The T-72B3M tank is the latest upgrade of the T-72, which has become a third generation main battle tank. The modernization includes greatly improved armor (composite and reactive) as well as a new thermal sight and ballistic equipment. The new version is also known as the T-72B4 and it has the same crew of three men, commander, gunner, and driver. It is still powered by the same V-92S2F 1,130 HP engine, which had proved to be a reliable power plant in the civil war in Syria.

The reason to resuscitate this Cold War era main battle tank is due to the huge number of T-72s which Russia has in store, with more than 8,000 of them. 3,000 of them are still in service, with about 1,500 being the T-72B3 variant. With much stronger armor, new 125mm gun, with new fire-control system, sensors, and computer, it is almost to the level of the T-90M and the T-80BVM ‘Arctic’ main battle tank.

Below, the T-72B3M out of factory, on exhibition

Also referred to as the T-72B4, the T-72B3M can cope with the most modern armored vehicle on the battlefield, such as the Abrams M1A1 tank. (Video)

 

Wiesel 1

The Wiesel 1 is a light armored fighting vehicle in service with the Bundeswehr since 1988. Being air-transportable, it is used by the German paratroopers (Fallschirmjäger) and infantry for fire support, anti-tank, and reconnaissance missions. The Wiesel was developed by the German firm Porsche and was classified as an AWC (Armored Weapons Carrier) because it can be modified to carry different types of weapons. Since it is a tracked vehicle, it can drives through wet land and muddy terrain.

In the fire support role, the Wiesel 1 is armed with a MK 20 Rh-202, a gas-operated, 20mm automatic gun that is capable of firing accurately conventional and armor-piercing ammunition to a distance of 2,000 m away. Light and versatile, it is an excellent armored vehicle to be utilized in support of infantry units both in the field and urban environments. In this configuration, it was deployed both in Somalia (1993) and in Afghanistan (2005) by the Budeswehr.

In the tank-destroyer role, the Wiesel 1 is equipped with TOW anti-tank missiles and radar. For reconnaissance missions, it features two machine guns. The first and third variants are operated by a crew of two: driver and gunner/commander. The anti-tank version has a crew of three. Although it is air-transportable, which means it can be transported by both planes and helicopters, it is not air-borne, that is to say, it is not dropped by parachute.

Specifications

Type: Armored Weapons Carrier/Infantry armored fighting vehicle

Length: 11.6 ft (3.55 m)

Width: 6 ft (1.82 m)

Height: 6 ft (1.82 m)

Weight: 2.75 tons

Armor: Steel

Power plant: one 64 kW, 2.1-liter diesel engine

Maximum speed: 43 mph (70 km/h)

Range: 120 miles

Below, the Wiesel 1 in the armored fighting vehicle role, armed with the 20mm gun

Below, the Wiesel in the anti-tank configuration

 

T-72 Tank

The T-72 tank is a Russian main battle tank which saw combat action in several armed conflicts during the Cold War and during the first decades that followed the fall of the Soviet Union, such as the Chechen Wars and the Syrian Civil War.  Along its production history, it has been updated and improved several times, giving rise to different variants, such as the T-72A, T-72B, T-72M (export version), T-72B3, and the T-72B3M.

It was designed and developed by the State-run tractor vehicles manufacturer Uralvagonzavod in the mid 1960s during the Soviet Union era, as a replacement for the T-64, reducing the size of the hull and crew, but fitting it with a more powerful gun (a 125-mm 2A46m gun) and with an auto-loader. From the hull of the T-72 the BMPT Terminator 2 would be developed, being used as a tank support vehicle.

After the T-54/55, the T-72 was the second most widely manufactured tank in the Soviet Union arsenal as it is a lower cost basic tank. In order to reduce the production cost, Uralvagonzavod reduced the size of the hull and equipped its powerful gun with a horizontal ammunition auto-loader. It also features an infrared search light, which is located on the right side of gun barrel, rather than on the left side as was the case with the T-64. In its layout, the commander sits to the right, while the gunner sits to the left. Not only is it a low-cost tank, but it is also reliable, from a mechanical point of view. Today, the Russian Army has more than 4,500 T-72 tanks, which have been updated to fight against NATO tanks. Right now, they are being used in the Russian-Ukrainian War.

Specifications

Weight: 44 tons

Hull Length: 6.67 m

Width: 3.59 m

Height: 2.23 m

Armor: steel and reactive armor (Relikt explosive reactive armor on T-72B3 version)

Weapons: 125 mm gun; 7.62 mm PKT coaxial machine gun; 12.7 mm machine gun on roof.

Power plant: V-12 diesel, 1,130 hp for T-72B3 and T-72SIM-1 variants.

Maximum speed: 60 km/h

Crew: 3

Number Built: 26,000

Below, frontal view of the the T-72B version in the 1970s

Below, the T-72B, which was the standard production model of this Soviet tank. Here, you can see it in a 1977 parade in the Red Square during the Cold War.

Below, the T-72B during a Warsaw Pact military exercise in 1977

Below, the T-72B3 equipped with reactive armor bricks

 

BMPT Terminator

The BMPT Terminator is a tank support combat vehicle, which was developed from the hull of the T-72 tank. Although, technically, it has all the characteristics of an infantry fighting vehicle, it was conceived to provide fire support to tanks in urban battles. Its design and development arose out of the combat experience in the Chechen Wars, during which many Russian tanks were destroyed in the narrow streets of Grozny, the capital of Chechnya. It has been manufactured by Uralvagonzavod in two variants: the Terminator 1, and the Terminator 2.

Being in service with the Russian Ground Forces since 2011, the Terminator is a fast and adaptable military vehicle as it is also used in the reconnaissance role, always being at the spearhead of an offensive. Its deployment in the war in Ukraine has shown that it is very useful when there is a need to eliminate machine gun nests and RPG rocket and snipers outposts as it is equipped with high-tech sensors and has an excellent armor protection. It supplied a lot of fire power in the streets of Mariupol.

Weapons

The main armament of the BMPT is one 2A42 30mm auto-cannon, which is mounted in a weapon station. The Terminator 2 version has two 30mm guns instead of one. It is also equipped with four 130mm ATAKA-T GWS anti-tank missiles, plus AG-7 30mm grenade launchers,  a 7.62mm machine gun.

Specifications

Weight: 48 tons

Length: 7.2 m

Width: 3.37 m

Height: 3.40 m

Armor: steel, composite, and explosive reactive armor.

Power plant: one V-92-S2 diesel engine that generates 1,000 HP.

Maximum speed: 65 km/h

Below, the BMPT 2 in the 2020 military parade. Front view

Below, the BMPT second and modern variant: the Terminator 2, showing its two 30mm autocannons. It is even better protected than the T-80 and T-90 tanks

BMPT-72 Terminator 2 in action in Ukraine.

 

T-14 Armata

The T-14 Armata is a new generation main battle tank in service with the Russian Ground Forces since 2017. It was developed by the Uralvagonzavod Factory between 2009 and 2014, and it was first seen in public in 2015. As for 2023, it is still being manufactured by the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, which has yet to deliver the next three batches. It was developed to replace the T-80 and T-90.

The Armata is a completely new design as it was not developed from any previous tank already in service. The new hull of the T-14 is used as the base for other Russian armored combat vehicles, such as the Boomerang armored personnel carrier and the Kurganets infantry fighting vehicle. In other words, it has a universal chassis system. This Russian tank also features all the high-tech equipment you can see in the German Leopard 2A7, such as infrared thermal imaging sensor and laser rangefinder.

The Armata has a unique design, which consists of three compartments: the fore cab, which is located in front of the hull, where the driver, gunner, and commander sit; the turret in the center, which is completely automatic and unmanned, holding the  auto-loader and ammunition, and the rear compartment for the power plant. The turret is fitted with a new powerful 125mm smooth bore gun; the 2A82-1M, which can fire all types of ammunition as well as anti-tank guided missiles. The T-14 is protected by advanced composite armor, whose exact composition is unknown.

Specifications

Weight: 48 tons

Combat Weight: 55 tons

Length: 10.8 m

Width: 3.5 m

Height: 3.3 m

Weapons: one 125-mm, smooth bore gun; two 7.62-mm machine guns.

Armor: composite

Power Plant: a 1,500 HP, A-85-3 turbocharged, diesel engine

Transmission: 12 speed automatic.

Maximum Speed: 80 km/h

Operational Range: 700 km

Crew: 3

Above, the T-14 Armata in May 2021 during the Victory Parade

WW2 Japanese Tanks

The WW2 Japanese tanks were not as advanced as their German and Russian counterparts. They were undergunned and they did not offer enough armor protection against anti-tank rounds. Their engines and suspension systems also lagged behind the Russian, German, and American ones. However, they were the best tanks in the Far East until the arrival of the M4 Sherman in the Pacific Theater of Operation of WW2.

Although the Imperial Japanese Army fielded satisfactory medium tanks during World War II, about 80% of armored vehicles production in Japan consisted of light tanks and tankettes, whose total number rose to approximately 18,000 units until 1945. Like the Italian, all the Japanese tank turrets and hulls were not cast in one piece, but they were built with riveted steel plates. Some of them were mechanically reliable military vehicles. However, they were lightly protected, with thin-skinned armor plates, and fitted with underpowered guns.

Japanese tanks first saw combat action in the second half of the 1930s, in China, during the Sino-Japanese War. Although they performed well, fighting against the poorly-armed and badly equipped Chinese Army, they were no match for the superior Allied tanks, especially the Sherman M4, which they met in the battlefields of the Pacific Theater of operations of World War II. They were easily destroyed also by the Bazooka and anti-tank guns used by the US Army Infantry and Marines.

Since China and the other neighboring countries in Southeast Asia were poorly equipped and underdeveloped, at the beginning the Imperial Japanese Army had not seen the need for medium and heavy tanks until they met the “strong” M4 Sherman, which, ironically, was an inferior tank in the European Theater of Operation. As a result, tankettes and light tanks, like the Type 4 Ke-Nu, Type 95 Ha-Go, and Type 98 Ke-Ni, were massively manufactured, while the only reliable medium tanks, which were also built in large numbers, were the Type 89 and the Type 4 Chi-To tank.

List of WW2 Japanese tanks

Tankettes

-Type 94 tankette: 2.65 tons, equipped with machine guns; and a 37mm gun in the improved version.
-Type 97 tankette: it weighed 3.5 tons and was fitted with a 37mm gun and 7.7mm machine gun.

Light Tanks

-Type 4 Ke-Nu: an 8.4-ton light tank, armed with a 57mm gun and a 7.7 mm machine gun.
-Type 5 Ke-HO: a 10-ton model that featured a 37mm gun.
-Type 95 Ha-Go: a 6.5-ton light tank, fitted with a 37mm gun
-Type 97 Te-Ke: a 5.2-ton tank, fitted with a 37mm gun.
-Type 98-A Ke-Ni: it was a 7.2-ton light tank also armed with a 37mm gun
-Type 3 Chi-Nu: a 12.5-ton tank, fitted with a 75mm gun.
-Type 2 Ho-I

Medium Tanks

-Type 89 Yi-Go: it weighed 28 tons as it was fitted with a 57mm gun and a 7.7mm machine gun, sharing the same turret.
-Type 97 Chi-Ha: a 32-ton tank armed with a 57mm, short-barrel gun.
-Type 4 Chi-To: a 30-ton medium tank. Armament: 75mm gun.

Below, the massively built Type 94 tankette; improved variant with the 37 mm gun in a rotating turret

Below, Type 95 Ha-Go

Below, Type 89, medium tank. In the first versions, the 57mm gun and the machine gun were mounted in the same turret but aiming in the opposite direction

The Typ 4 Chi-To medium tank was one of the latest tank development of the war. You can see the long-barrel 75 mm gun being inspected by a US soldier.