Leander Jobse | Published 2026-07-04 10:32 | 5 Comments
Over the years, the small Carden-Loyd Mark VI armored machine gun carrier has achieved an almost legendary status in armored historiography. This was not because of its performance, as its combat effectiveness was highly limited, but because it was such a commercial success, seeing worldwide exports and becoming the basis of many other mass-produced designs. Especially thanks to its international usage, few armored vehicles portray the challenges, opportunities, flaws, and quirks of Interwar design as well as the Carden-Loyd Mark VI. Through the design, military thinking of the time was carved and defined, both in tactical and technical perspectives. Despite this key position, the vehicle itself is still easily overlooked…
Leander Jobse | Published 2026-07-01 07:20 | 0 Comments
Since the 2000s, India has increased its efforts to become a self-reliant state. especially in the defense sector. Steps have been taken as almost half of the Indian Military’s existing equipment is of Soviet or Russian origin. An important factor in increasing self-reliance is the domestic development and production of armored vehicles. However, it is not easy to develop a versatile vehicle from scratch that performs as well or better than foreign developed options, which came about from teams with years of experience. For this reason, the Ashok Leyland company, already a big player in the production of military logistical vehicles, decided to acquire technology from abroad to be able…
MarkoPantelic | Published 2026-06-29 07:57 | 2 Comments
The Minenräumwagen B I was the first in a series of remotely controlled vehicles employed by the German Army during the Second World War. It served as a starting point from which the Germans hoped to develop a small and inexpensive remote-controlled vehicle that would allow the clearing of minefields more effectively without endangering the lives of specially trained men of mine-clearing units. Development began in late 1939, and by May 1940, a small experimental series of 50 vehicles had been built. These underwent extensive testing in the occupied territories in France. The Minenräumwagen B I was the first remotely controlled vehicle procured by the German…
The Challenger, later known as the Challenger 1, initially started as a project for Iran, which was going to hold up a significant portion of the British defence industry. However, when the Iranian Revolution occurred and the orders were cancelled, the British defence industry was thrown into turmoil. After scrambling to make foreign sales to take up the slack, the UK Government decided to adapt the Iranian tank to meet British requirements. This became the Challenger, which combined the strongest features of the Chieftain with the technological advancements made since the Chieftain had been designed. After somewhat of a false start, this tank would go on to serve with the…
MarkoPantelic | Published 2026-06-24 08:40 | 1 Comments
The history of armored vehicle use during the Second World War is often full of surprises and mysteries. Information that was long believed to be true has, at times, proven to be misidentification or simply incorrect. Occasionally, armored vehicles with origins that remain shrouded in uncertainty also appear. One such case is that of the Lorraine 37L Chasseur de Char, also referred to in some sources incorrectly as the 4.7 cm Pak 181 or 183(f) auf Panzerjäger Lorraine Schlepper(f). Essentially, this was a self-propelled anti-tank vehicle armed with a 47 mm gun, believed to have been built either by the Germans or the French sometime in late May or early…
MarkoPantelic | Published 2026-07-15 08:34 | 2 Comments
Despite its reputation as a highly trained and well-equipped elite force, the German Waffen-SS (Nazi political combat forces) often faced significant logistical challenges. In reality, it frequently had to scavenge leftover weapons and equipment from the Wehrmacht (Eng. German Army). This meant that the Waffen-SS often relied on captured weapons and vehicles from other nations, leading to tensions with the Wehrmacht’s high command over the acquisition and prioritization of military resources. One notable point of conflict between the two forces involved captured Soviet 82 mm rockets. The Soviet multiple rocket launcher, famously known for its devastating effect, caused chaos among German forces from the beginning of Operation Barbarossa to the…
MarkoPantelic | Published 2026-07-13 08:27 | 2 Comments
The SO-122 was a Yugoslav attempt to create a tank hunter capable of taking on most modern tanks of the 1950s by utilizing existing components that were readily available. Following the conclusion of the Second World War in Europe, a new Socialist Yugoslavia emerged from the shattered remains of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia under the rule of a communist party. Despite its new political system, over the following decades, Yugoslavia found itself in a rather unique political and military position. It maintained relatively good relations with both the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, while at the same time, not formally belonging to either bloc. This situation was also…
MarkoPantelic | Published 2026-07-08 08:04 | 2 Comments
The SU-76 (not to be confused with the later T-70 based vehicle that shared the same designation) was developed out of the need to improve the mobility of towed artillery intended to support the more mobile elements of the Red Army. The concept was fairly simple: mount a 76.2 mm gun onto a modified T-27 tankette chassis. Although this was a relatively straightforward and inexpensive conversion, only three prototypes were built. The T-27 ultimately proved unsuitable for this modification, as it was too lightly built and underpowered to effectively carry the weapon. The first SU-76 was nothing more than a modified T-27 tankette armed with a…
Javier Sánchez | Published 2026-07-06 08:43 | 0 Comments
“When one door closes, another opens” is a phrase often used to convey that when misfortune strikes or an opportunity is missed, new possibilities will eventually emerge and positive outcomes may follow. This concept sums up the story of the URO VAMTAC ST5 Dual EIMOS. The EIMOS is an 81 mm vehicle-mounted mortar system originally developed in Spain around 2010. Its development was driven by an urgent operational requirement of the Spanish Army, which at the time faced the obsolescence of its existing mortar systems during deployments in Afghanistan. Despite its promising capabilities, the EIMOS was ultimately not selected for service, a decision that could have marked the end of…
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The United Kingdom and France started development of tanks in order to break through enemy lines. However, many pioneers had envisioned the use of armored vehicles in the decades prior to the Great War. Soon after its introduction, the tank quickly became a killing machine integrated into combined arms operations.
The Interwar period saw the tank go on a worldwide tour, from Bolivia to China, every corner of the globe and all seven continents felt the tread of heavy armor. Even so, many were unconvinced by this new weapon of war. World War Two would change these perceptions, and see tanks used in unprecedented numbers across all theaters of war.
In a period dominated by nuclear weapons, two opposing superpowers led to the splitting of the world into East and West. Although the USA and USSR never fought each other directly, almost all proxy wars of the period saw extensive usage of their tanks.
Despite numerous prophets heralding the demise of the tank, armor is still an important part of all the world’s militaries. The modern battlefield shows no signs of this changing soon, with the development of tanks continuing to adapt to it.
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