The Type 59 main battle tank was the most common tank of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) – the unified armed force of Communist China – until the start of the 21st century. It is based on the Soviet Union’s T-54 main battle tank. In the early 1950s, the Soviet Union gave China some T-54 tanks. The Chinese used the …
Author Archives: M Malory
PT-76 Light Amphibious Tank
The PT-76 light amphibious tank is a fully amphibious tank that was developed in the Soviet Union after the World War II. It has been used by countries all over the world. During the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) used the PT-76. It could easily travel through rice paddies and traverse bridges that …
T-54/T-55 Main Battle Tank
T-54 and T-55 main battle tanks have been among the most widely used tanks in the world. The USSR supplied the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong with T-54 and T-55 tanks during the Vietnam War. In1947, the Soviets built the first prototype of the T-54 main battle tank. This was based on the T-44 medium tank, a …
Sweden – Carl Gustav 84mm Recoilless Rifle
The Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle is a shoulder fired, reusable anti-tank weapon. It can fire HEAT, HEDP, HE, illumination and smoke rounds. Two men are needed to fire the Carl Gustav 84mm recoilless rifle – a firer and a loader. With good training, a two-man crew can load and fire the Carl Gustav in seconds. …
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Spain – C90 Anti-Tank Weapons Systems
Spain’s C90 anti-tank weapons systems are a group of disposable, shoulder fired grenade launchers built by the Spanish company Instalaza. All consist of a preloaded launch tube with a pyrotechnic firing mechanism. This means that they do not need batteries or any other type of electrical charging system. They all have an optical sight with …
A41 Centurion Mark 13 Main Battle Tank
The A41 Centurion Mark 13 Main Battle Tank was built by the British at the end of World War II. It was used by the Australian Army during the Vietnam War. The AEC Company in Middlesex began developing the Centurion Mark 13 main battle tank in 1944. Six prototypes were finished before World War II ended, …
Spain – 106mm Recoilless Rifle
The 106mm recoilless rifle is a Spanish version of the American M40A1, built under license by General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas for use by the military of Spain. It is 11.15 feet (3.4m) long and weighs 482.8lbs (219kg). Spain’s 106mm recoilless rifle can be mounted on a tripod and fired from the ground. It has …
Spain – Alcotán-100 Weapon System
The Alcotán-100 weapon system is a shoulder-fired, disposable anti-tank rocket launcher that was built by Instalaza, a Spanish weapons company, for use by the Spanish Army It has an electronic firing control unit, known as Vosel, which gives the weapon a very high level of accuracy. The Alcotán-100 has a sight unit, which can be …
South Africa – FT5 Light Anti-Tank Weapon System
The FT5 light anti-tank weapon system is a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that is used by the South African National Defence Force. It consists of a disposable, preloaded launch tube, a sight unit and a firing mechanism. The launch tube is preloaded with a subsonic rocket. The launch tube is 41.3 inches (1,050mm) long. It weighs …
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Spain – M65 Anti-Tank Rocket Launcher
The M65 anti-tank rocket launcher is a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that was developed by the Spanish company Instalaza for use by the Spanish Army. It has an unusual caliber of 3.5inches (88.9mm). The M65 is 64.6inches (1640mm) long when it is being operated, but it can be collapsed telescopically to a length of 33.5inches (850mm) when …
Russia – AT-14 Spriggan Anti-Tank Guided Missile
The AT-14 Spriggan anti-tank guided missile is a third-generation anti-tank missile that was designed by Russia’s KPB Instrument Design Bureau and introduced at a defense exhibition in 1994. It was designed to replace the AT-5 Spandrel, which had been built in the 1970s. The AT-14 Spriggan missile system consists of a missile with a launch tube, …
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M551 Sheridan Light Tank
The M551 Sheridan light tank was designed to replace the M41 light tank and the M56 self-propelled anti-tank gun, thus fulfilling both reconnaissance and anti-tank roles. The M551 was supposed to be an amphibious tank, like the Soviet PT-76 light tank, which had entered service in the 1950s. The Sheridan was also supposed to be …