Cold War Armored Fighting Vehicles


Book Description

Technical artist and military historian George Bradford covers the Cold War, from the end of World War II through 1990.




US Cold War Tanks and Armoured Fighting Vehicles


Book Description

This expert study of the U.S. military’s armored vehicles deployed during the Cold War features rare photographs from the wartime archives. To counter the Soviet threat and that of their client States during the Cold War years 1949-1991, the American military deployed an impressive range of main battle tanks and armored fighting vehicles. Expert author Michael Green presents a detailed study of these vehicles and their variants in this informative volume of stunning wartime photographs. The Patton series of medium main battle tanks—including the M46, M47 and M48—supplemented by the M103s Heavy Tank initially formed the core of the US tank fleet. In 1960 the M60 MBT entered service and, in turn, was replaced by the M1 Abrams in 1980. In support were armored reconnaissance vehicles, progressively the M41 bull dog (1951); the M114 (1961), the M551 Sheridan (1967) and M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle (1981). The armored personnel carrier range included the ubiquitous M113 and its replacement the M2 Bradley, cousin of the M3. All of these vehicles are covered in this highly detailed volume in the Images of War series.




BMP Infantry Fighting Vehicle 1967–94


Book Description

The Russian BMP infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was one of the most significant innovations in infantry tactics in the latter half of the 20th century. Built in response to the threat of nuclear warfare, it was the world's first IFV, providing the infantry squad with unprecedented firepower, mobility and protection. With over 55,000 manufactured since 1966, the BMP is also numerically one of the most important armoured vehicles ever built. This richly illustrated book examines the development and design of the BMP, detailing its armaments, performance in combat and variants.




Red Steel


Book Description

The Cold War never heated up, but if it had, the Soviet Union was ready. This reference work details 73 major Soviet war machines, from the 2P26 "Baby Carriage" - a deceptively light, Jeep-like vehicle mounting four anti-tank missiles - to the T-80U main battle tank with its advanced armour and electronic countermeasures. Sixty-one photographs and drawings illustrate the work, and access to a web gallery with even more illustrations is included in the purchase. With Shilka Publishing's "Digital Reinforcements," buy the print edition, and get the ebook FREE. Details at www.shilka.co.uk/dr




South African Armoured Fighting Vehicles


Book Description

A history of necessity and innovation, takes an in-depth look at 22 iconic South African armoured vehicles. The development of each vehicle is rolled out in the form of a breakdown of their main features, layout and design, equipment, capabilities, variants and service experiences. Illustrated by over 100 authentic photographs and more than two doz




Tank


Book Description

Military historian Michael E. Haskew profiles the entire history of the mechanized juggernaut that changed the face of military engagement 100 years ago.




Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Warsaw Pact


Book Description

When East and West survived on a knife-edge between peace and war, both sides were busy preparing themselves for military action. But what exactly would NATO's troops have faced if the Cold War had suddenly turned hot? Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Warsaw Pact is a fascinating reference book looking at the wide variety of combat vehicles which were poised and ready for action throughout the long years of military stand-off. Led by the Soviet Union, the nations which formed the Warsaw Pact were as innovative as they were prepared and these deadly war machines had the potential to change the course of world history forever. Find out more about these combat vehicles from how they worked to what they would have been capable of if they had been used in military action against NATO. Tanks and Combat Vehicles of the Warsaw Pact details more than 100 military vehicles from the 2P26 "Baby Carriage" - a compact Soviet off-road vehicle mounted with anti-tank missiles – to the T-80U main battle tank, in service from 1985 onwards.




Tank Battles of the Cold War, 1948–1991


Book Description

As Anthony Tucker-Jones shows in this highly illustrated, wide-ranging history, for most of the Cold War the tank retained its pre-eminence on the battlefield. The Arab-Israeli wars witnessed some of the biggest tank battles of all time, and tanks played key roles in conflicts in Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan as well as in the Iran-Iraq War and the wars fought between India and Pakistan. But then in the mid-1960s anti-tank weapons became ever deadlier and the Mechanised Infantry Fighting Vehicle (MIFV), which was designed to support infantry and fight tanks, emerged and the heyday of the tank was over. Chapters cover each major phase in the evolution of the tank and of tank warfare during the period, from the battles fought in the late 1940s and 1950s with Second World War armoured vehicles like the T-34 and the Sherman, through to the designs common in the 1960s and 1970s like the T-55, Centurion, Challenger and M60 Patton, to the confrontation between the M1 Abrams and the T-72 during the Gulf War in 1991. Technical and design developments are important elements throughout the story, but so are dramatic changes in tactics and armaments which mean the tank has an increasingly uncertain role in modern warfare.







Bradley Fighting Vehicle


Book Description

8 pages of full color illustrations depicting 14 different vehicles. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle was developed in the 1970s to counter the new Infantry Fighting Vehicles of the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies. Designed to survive the imagined high-intensity, Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) battlefield of the Cold War, it became, alongside the M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank, the mainstay of US armoured forces during the 1980s. As the Cold War ended, however, it would go on to prove its worth on other battlefields. During the First Gulf War the Bradley would destroy more Iraqi AFVs than the Abrams, while during the 1990s it would prove itself an effective weapons system in the missions to Bosnia and Kosovo. During the 2003 invasion of the Iraq and the fighting that followed it confirmed its reputation as a versatile and deadly AFV. This volumes examines the development and service history of both the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the M3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle. The various modifications and improvements over its long service history are described, as is the experience of the soldiers who have fought alongside and in it during the past three decades. The book also gives a full account of the wide range of kits and accessories available in all the popular scales and includes a modelling gallery covering the most important Bradley variants. Detailed color profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modellers and military enthusiasts alike.