List of author's articles

The KS-19 100mm anti-aircraft gun is a Soviet anti-aircraft gun that also features good capabilities against ground targets

The 76 mm Mountain Gun Model 1909 was a rapid-fire mountain gun based on the Schneider-Danglis mountain gun that was used by the Imperial Russian Army during World War I and the Red Army during World War II.

S-60 is a Soviet towed, road-transportable, short- to medium-range, single-barrel anti-aircraft gun from the 1950s. The gun was extensively used in Warsaw Pact, Middle Eastern and South-East Asian countries.

Automated command system of an anti-aircraft missile regiment / brigade.

6-inch (152 mm) siege gun vz. 1910 was developed for the Russian Army by the French firm Schneider following a 1906 competition for the supply of heavy guns. In addition to Schneider, the competition also attracted entries from Russian firms - Obukhov Steel Works, Putilov Plant and Perm Plant, British Armstrong and Vickers, Austro-Hungarian Skoda, German Krupp, Swedish Bofors and French Saint-Chammond. Despite the strong competition, French Schneider was the favourite from the start, closely followed by German Krupp. In mid 1909, a prototype 152 mm cannon from Schneider arrived in Russia, and in October of the same year, a 152 mm prototype heavy cannon from Krupp arrived as well.

Tank destroyer on the chassis of a half-track vehicle M3 armed with a 75 mm cannon M1897A.

The 9K38 Igla (needle) is a Russian/Soviet man-portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. A simplified, earlier version is known as the 9K310 Igla-1, and the latest variant is the 9K338 Igla-S.
The Igla-1 entered service in 1981, the Igla in 1983, and the Igla-S in 2004. The Igla has been supplemented by the 9K333 Verba since 2014.

The self-guiding warhead of the 9M3xx series missile alone without data from the 9V385 missile launcher can not detect whether it has caught the target or interference. In the case of the S-10, a signal on the position of the optical sensor relative to the missile axis is fed to the operator's optical sight.

Al-Fao was a project for a self-propelled artillery system designed for the former Iraqi Army by the Canadian weapons engineer Gerald Bull. It would have been one of the world's most powerful artillery pieces, with a 53-caliber, 210 mm (8.3 in) gun firing 109-kilogram shells over a range of 57 km (35 mi). The Al-Fao system was to weigh 44 tonnes, and its 550 hp engine was to give it a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) on roads, and 60–70 km/h (37–43 mph) cross-country. The Al-Fao's autoloader was to provide it with a rate of fire of four rounds a minute.

The Al Majnun (also referred to as Al Majnoon in some sources) is a self-propelled howitzer of 155 mm calibre, capable of using NATO-compatible ammunition.

13.02.2020 a Soviet intelligence officer, Polish teacher and active participant in the fight against Nazism, but also an active participant in the suppression of democracy in several Central European countries - Major Vichr - died in Moscow at the age of 103.

French main battle tank developed by AMX and APX during the late 1970s as an export tank to fit in a specific market niche of nations with smaller defence budgets. While six prototypes were built, it failed to garner interest for foreign sales.

Turboprop cargo aircraft

In 1938, Bantam completed the development of a multi-purpose light off-road vehicle for military purposes, but encountered a lack of interest from military units. It was only after the outbreak of a military conflict in Europe in 1939 that those responsible decided that the army needed a similar vehicle, and in July 1940 they issued requests for a new off-road vehicle.

Unmanned reconnaissance aerial vehicle (URAV), a reverse engineered Chinese copy of the American unmanned aerial vehicle AQM-34N "Firebee".

AeroVironment Blackwing is an unarmed variant of the Switchblade 300 with similar weight and dimensions. It was developed for the United States Navy to provide rapid ISR (Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) as well as command and control relay operations among surface and undersea manned and unmanned vessels. The Blackwing can be deployed from a submerged submarine, surface ship, or mobile ground launcher.

Twin-engine airborne early warning and control aircraft based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation design. It is lighter than the 707-based Boeing E-3 Sentry, and has a fixed, active electronically scanned array radar antenna instead of a rotating one. It was designed for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) under "Project Wedgetail" and designated E-7A Wedgetail.

Missile destroyer class Type 052C, whose primary role is air and anti-submarine defense of the group. The Type 052C class was created by further development of the Type 051B class, and China compares this class to American destroyers equipped with the AEGIS system.

Challenger 3 is the designation of the radical upgrade of the Challenger 2 tank, introduced in 2019 by the Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land consortium (a joint project of BAE Systems and Rheinmetal). The project is a response to the UK Ministry of Defence's December 2015 effort to modernize Challenger 2 tanks through the Life Extension Project (LEP). This upgrade was to replace most of the turret subsystems (fire control system, communications and data systems, targeting systems) with new ones using the most advanced technologies without replacing the tank's own main armament.

Two-seat trainer version of the MiG-17, designated the Chengdu JJ-5 (Jianjiji Jiaolianji - Fighter Trainer - FT-5), from 1968, by combining the two-seat cockpit of the MiG-15UTI, the VK-1A engine of the J-5, and the fuselage of the J-5A. All internal armament was deleted and a single Nudelman-Richter NR-23 23 mm cannon was carried in a ventral pack. Production of the JJ-5 reached 1,061 when it ceased in 1986, with the type exported to a number of countries.

The Combat Car M2 is a tracked combat vehicle designed to support the cavalry of american ground forces. The designation of "combat vehicle" has been used because of legislative restrictions adopted in the USA after World War 1, on the basis of which could only infantry to refer to the armored tracked vehicles like a tank.

The Dongfeng EQ2050 is a Chinese-made armored vehicle based on the Humvee, manufactured for government use by the Dongfeng Motor Group. The vehicle was created after People's Liberation Army (PLA) officials saw the Humvee deployed in the Gulf War. While it is used in the PLA, it has also been exported to friendly countries for military use.

The code name Würzburg was used for the mobile radio measuring device developed by Telefunken in the decimeter wave range (designation: Funk-Sende-Empfangsgerät FuSE 62 or Funk-Messgerät FuMG 62; initially also FMG 39; Flak-Messgerät), which was used extensively by the Wehrmacht air force during the Second World War to guide night fighters and anti-aircraft guns.
The FuMG 62 was one of the first impulse radars to use decimeter waves at a frequency of 560 MHz (wavelength 53.6 cm) to accurately detect the range and altitude of enemy aircraft. Development began at the end of the 1930s and the first devices were deployed in 1940. In total, more than 4000 devices of various model series were probably manufactured. It was named after the city of Würzburg, as the head of Telefunken radar development, Wilhelm Runge, preferred cities as code names (see also Lichtenstein radar).

Soviet truck with a payload of 2.5 tons, one of the most widely used trucks in the USSR in the 1950s to 1970s.

Biography of a British general. A general who took an active part in two world wars in various command positions, but also served as a military instructor or commander of the British militia.

Biography of a British general of Scottish origin and Member of the British Parliament

The Z-9C helicopters, along with AS-565 Panther helicopters, provide anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search and rescue (SAR) operations for the Chinese Navy at sea.

The Kenworth 10-ton 6x6 heavy wrecking truck (G116) (officially Heavy Wrecking Truck M1) was the standard heavy wrecker of the US Army during World War II. It was replaced in the 1950s by 5-ton wreckers.

Israeli Kfir aircraft used by the US NAVY and the US Marine Corps to train pilots in maneuver air combat.

Ilyushin Il-76 is a Soviet four-engine transport aircraft from the early 70s of the 20th century, which was developed as a replacement for the turboprop Anton's An-12. Production of the modernized aircraft continues today, in 2012 for the first time took off a deeply modernized version of the Il-76MD-90A (Il-476).

He was sentenced to five years of forced labour in a labour camp for alleged espionage. First he was in a manganese ore mine near the town of Marhanec. In May 1940 he was transferred to the Pechora camp (PechorLag) in the autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Komi. Here, in Camp No. 19, about 700 prisoners participated in the construction of the Pechora-Vorkuta railway. His sentence was extended for another ten years in 1941 after a revolt in the camp. Imrich Gablech lost about 30 kilograms during his stay in the gulag and became temporarily blind as a result of malnutrition.

The IT-1 was a Soviet cold war missile tank based on the hull of the T-62. The tank fired specially designed 3M7 Drakon missiles from a pop-up launcher. It saw a very limited service between 1968 and 1970. The large deadzone around the tank created by the missiles' minimum range combined with the limited amount of ammunition carried made it unpopular with the military. Also, the 520 kg of guidance equipment needed for the missile was impractical. Eventually, the tanks were converted into recovery vehicles. A turbine-powered version was also developed named the IT-1T.

Jericho is a general designation given to a loosely-related family of deployed ballistic missiles developed by Israel starting in the 1960s. The name is taken from the first development contract for the Jericho I signed between Israel and Dassault in 1963, with the codename as a reference to the Biblical city of Jericho. As with most Israeli unconventional weapons systems, exact details are classified, though there are observed test data, public statements by government officials, and details in open literature especially about the Shavit satellite launch vehicle.

KRI Nanggala (402), also known as Nanggala II, was one of two Cakra-class Type 209/1300 diesel-electric attack submarines of the Indonesian Navy.
Ordered in 1977, Nanggala was launched in 1980 and commissioned in 1981. It conducted intelligence gathering operations in the Indian Ocean and around East Timor and North Kalimantan. It was a participant of the international Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training naval exercise and conducted a passing exercise with USS Oklahoma City. The vessel underwent major refits by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) in 2012 and Indonesian state-owned shipyard PT PAL in 2020.

Export version of the Leclerc adapted to the wishes of the UAE. This version uses the more reliable MTU-883 diesel engine which resulted in a longer hull and higher fuel capacity. The UAE model also has a remotely operated 7.62mm machine gun and higher level of turret automation.

The life story of an American fighter ace of Slovak origin, which shot down five Japanese planes in three days.

A staunch supporter of Stalin, who launched a campaign to repress and discredit members of the highest military command. As a result, the upper and middle command cadres of the Red Army were virtually destroyed.

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is an American single-engine supersonic multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,600 aircraft have been built since production was approved in 1976. Although no longer being purchased by the U.S. Air Force, improved versions are being built for export customers. In 1993, General Dynamics sold its aircraft manufacturing business to the Lockheed Corporation, which in turn became part of Lockheed Martin after a 1995 merger with Martin Marietta.
The F-16 was given its name of "Fighting Falcon" on 21 July 1980. Its pilots and crews often use the name "Viper" instead, because of a perceived resemblance to a viper snake as well as to the fictional Colonial Viper starfighter from the television program Battlestar Galactica, which aired at the time the F-16 entered service.

In March 2021, selected US Army units received the first training sets of LRHW Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles. Lieutenant General Leon Neil Thurgood, Director of the RCCTO, said that this Lockheed Martin missile system had been under development since 2019 and was expected to be operational in 2023. Dark Eagle missiles have a range of over 2,775 km (1,725 mi). Dark Eagle rocket batteries will be equipped with M870 trailers and M983A4 tractors.

The M109A5Ö (some sources use the designation М109А5Öе, or М109А5O) is an Austrian modernization of the M109A2/M109A3/M109A5 self-propelled howitzers first introduced in 1994 using the M109A2 howitzer chassis.
The modernization mainly includes the installation of the Austrian NORA (Navigations-, Orientierungs- und Richtanlage) inertial navigation system, a new automated fire control system EAFLS (Elektronische Artillerie Feuerleitsystem) also of Austrian origin, a mechanical charging system and hydraulic breech actuator developed by the Austrian company Intertechnik Linz, a new wiring system (originally from Switzerland) and a number of other modifications. These changes made it possible to increase the rate of fire to 3 shots per 15 seconds, or 10 shots per minute, and also allowed the use of new ammunition designed for the M109A6 Paladin howitzers.

The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s for the United States Army and mounted on a standard U.S. Army M1140 truck frame.
The M142 carries one pod with either six GMLRS rockets or one ATACMS missile on the U.S. Army's new Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) five-ton truck and can launch the entire Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions (MFOM). M142 ammunition pods are interchangeable with the M270 MLRS; however, it is able to carry only one pod rather than the standard two for the M270 and its variants.

The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Commonwealth service, the tank was called by two names: tanks employing US pattern turrets were called "Lee", named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, while those with British pattern turrets were known as "Grant", named after Union general Ulysses S. Grant.

Lightly armored tracked anti-tank vehicle armed with 6 pieces of recoilless cannons M40A1C externally mounted on a turret. The vehicle was developed at the request of the Marines. The combat or pseudonym "Ontos" comes from Greek and means "thing".

The M5A1 Stuart, introduced in late 1942, was the final Stuart version. (The British used their Stuart VI designation for this version as well, not distinguishing it from the original M5.) The M5A1 was a modified M5 with the same extended turret as on the M3A3. This turret had an anti-aircraft machine-gun mount on its right side, rather than on the rear as on previous Stuarts. On late versions of the M5A1 there is a curved shield covering this mount.

The MiG-29MU1 is a Ukrainian upgrade of the MiG-29 aircraft (Isdelije 9-13), which aimed to extend the technical life of the aircraft to 35-40 years, increase the ability to detect air targets in the forward and rear hemisphere, increase the accuracy of target acquisition and positioning (implementation of a satellite navigation system) and, last but not least, to implement the monitoring of the current technical parameters of the aircraft, engine and other on-board systems, which will allow to change the way they are maintained. The modernisation also includes changes in the communication system so that the aircraft complies with ICAO requirements.

The International 7000-MV GTT is ideal for off-road missions as a hauler of heavy-duty material or converted to heavily armored personnel carrier. Based on Navistar’s versatile commercial platform, these trucks offer high commonality among variants and are easily adapted to suit the mission. The 7000-MV GTT offers a 5-ton off-road capacity and a weapon station that can handle up to .5 caliber weapons. The GTT has removable seating to transport up to 20 soldiers or cargo – including ISO containers.

Medium range mobile radar with 3D imaging installed in the vehicle set: Tatra 815 8×8 carrying the system antenna, Tatra 6×6 carrying the air-conditioned operator's cabin. In newer versions of the system, the carrier is a Jelcz 882 8×8 truck.

The Object 268 was a prototype Soviet tank destroyer developed from 1952 to 1956 by the Kirov factory, Leningrad, on the basis of the T-10 heavy tank. This tank destroyer was heavily armoured and featured a 152 mm M64 gun, derived from the 152mm M53 mounted on the SU-152G. One prototype was produced by autumn 1956, and began factory trials soon after, followed by successful gunnery trials at Kubinka. However, the vehicle never progressed past this stage, and all development was cancelled by 1957.

Modernization of anti-aircraft missile complexes S-125 Pechora (export designation PLRK S-125 Neva) used for air defense of important military and administrative facilities before the strikes of aircraft, helicopters and missiles with a flat flight path.

A short-range, single-person anti-aircraft weapon, known in NATO as the SA-14 Gremlin. Developed as a replacement for the Strela-2 and Strela-2M complex in the 1970s and deployed in several armed conflicts at the turn of the century. In the early 1980s it was considered for licensed production in the Czechoslovakia.

Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). From 1998 until his assassination in 2020, he was the commander of the Quds Force, an IRGC division primarily responsible for extraterritorial and clandestine military operations. In his later years, he was considered by some analysts to be the right-hand man of the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, as well as the second-most powerful person in Iran behind him.

RBS 70 (Robotsystem 70) is a man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) designed for anti-aircraft warfare in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. Originally designed and manufactured by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence (now Saab Bofors Dynamics, since 2000). It uses the RB 70 missile which is also in use in a number of other Swedish missile systems.

A heavy military truck designed to transport tanks and other heavy equipment on roads out of contact with the enemy.

The RPG-32 Barkas is a reusable Russian shoulder-launched, unguided anti-tank rocket system.

The S-125 Neva/Pechora is a Soviet surface-to-air missile system that was designed by Aleksei Isaev to complement the S-25 and S-75. It has a shorter effective range and lower engagement altitude than either of its predecessors and also flies slower, but due to its two-stage design it is more effective against more maneuverable targets. It is also able to engage lower flying targets than the previous systems, and being more modern it is much more resistant to ECM than the S-75. 

The S-400 anti-aircraft missile system is to gradually replace the S-50 anti-aircraft system defending the Moscow region and at the same time the capital of the Russian Federation, Moscow, in the near future. The system is structurally based on the S-300P system with several changes, including in particular new electronic, hardware and software equipment, a new automated command system and the use of chassis exclusively of Russian (Belarusian) origin.

The Sperwer unmanned reconnaissance system was developed by order of the Royal Netherlands Army as a successor to the SAGEM Crécerelle. Compared to its predecessor, the Sperwer had to provide a higher range, longer endurance and higher load capacity. The development was completed in the late 90s of the 20th century.

The HESA Shahed 136, or Geran-2 in Russian service, is an Iranian loitering munition in the form of an autonomous pusher-prop drone. It is designed and manufactured by Shahed Aviation Industries.
The munition is designed to attack ground targets from a distance, fired in multiples from a launch rack (in batches of five upwards) to overwhelm air defenses by consuming their resources during the attack. The first public footage of the drone was released in December 2021.

Early airborne warning aircraft

The Slammer (Sholef) is a 155mm self-propelled howitzer variant of the Merkava with automatic loading system. The gun has a range of 40+ km with ERFB-BB. Two prototypes appeared in 1984 and 1986 but didn't entered production.

The Sojka III/TVM 3.12 light tactical unmanned aerial vehicle is designed to conduct aerial optronic battlefield reconnaissance. It can provide electronic warfare tasks to a limited extent.

SPEAR is a fully autonomous, vehicle-mounted 120mm soft recoil mortar system for high-mobility platforms. SPEAR delivers effective fire support by combining the flexibility and effectiveness of accurate mortar firepower with exceptional tactical mobility. The mortar is a derivative of the CARDOM battle proven mortar system – more than 1,000 systems extensively used by the US Army, NATO, Israeli Defense Forces and others.

After experience with the first serial tanks T-54 model 1946, work began in 1948 to improve the design of the medium tank (this work was accelerated by the decision to stop further serial production of T-54-1 tanks in January 1949 until the shortcomings were eliminated ). The individual elements of the design, which were to solve the problems of the T-54 model 1946, were tested on five prototypes built during 1948 and serial production of the new model began during 1949.

The T-64BM Bulat is a heavily modified variant of the T-64B main battle tank. The upgraded T-64B has been designed by the Ukrainian defense Company Morozov Machine Design Bureau of Kharkiv with more advanced combat performance capabilities and technical characteristics. Enhancements include more powerful weapons, improved mobility performance, and higher protection levels. The tank BULAT has entered service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In terms of its main combat performance capabilities, the BULAT tank is similar to the Russian-made T-90 and is coming very close to the Ukrainian T-84 OPLOT.

The Mark IX tank was a British armoured fighting vehicle from the First World War. It was the world's first specialised armoured personnel carrier (APC).

Highly mobile medium tactical truck Tatra 815-7B0R42 14 202 4x4.1 is designed for heavy-duty operation, belongs to the family of military trucks designed for heavy-duty operation in difficult terrain and in harsh climatic conditions. Due to its specific design features, it is particularly suitable for expeditionary forces and for deployment overseas.

Brigade (regiment)-level combined AAA/SAM air defence system.

It was used by anti-tank units assigned to infantry units, from the armament of the Japanese self-defense forces.

The latest devChinese second generation main battle tank (MBT). The final evolution of the Type 88 design, the Type 96 entered service with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 1997. The later variants of the Type 96 are currently in PLA service together with China's third generation MBT, the Type 99.elopment variant of the second-generation Chinese MBT

The Typhoon is a group of MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) armoured vehicles developed by design bureaus in the Russian Federation in the late first decade of the 21st century. More than 120 companies and design bureaus were involved in the research and development, and the first prototypes were unveiled in 2011.