T-72: The Soviet-Era Tank That Continues to Serve the Russian Armed Forces
Written by Lis Edwards and Clare Fitzgerald. During the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union was looking to develop a better tank, as…
The History of the US Navy’s TOPGUN School
The popular Tom Cruise movie Top Gun debuted in theaters in 1986, and features Cruise and his co-stars attending the US Navy’s TOPGUN school –…
The Titanium Used to Construct the SR-71 Blackbird Came from the Soviet Union
Aviation technology rapidly advanced during the 20th century, but as the aircraft advanced, so too did the machines and technology designed to detect them. In…
The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal of 1941-43
The Mark 14 Torpedo Scandal occurred during the period of 1941-43, with problems related to the weapon dating back almost 25 years. It was among…
Atomic Annie: The Cold War-Era Cannon Capable of Firing a Nuclear Warhead
Toward the start of the Cold War, the United States government looked into developing atomic weapons capable of launching an attack on the Soviet Union,…
PzH 2000: One of the Most Powerful Artillery Systems Ever Developed
In 1998, the German Army adopted the Panzerhaubitze (PzH) 2000, an incredibly powerful artillery system that remains in use to this day. It made a…
Close Air-to-Air Combat Made MiG Alley One of the Deadliest Places of the Korean War
For many US Air Force pilots, one of the most deadly places to battle the enemy during the Korean War was MiG Alley. The site…
USS Barb (SS-220): The Gato-Class Submarine That ‘Sunk’ a Train In Japan
The USS Barb (SS-220) was a US Navy submarine that became highly decorated after successfully sinking 96,628 tons of enemy shipping during her service in World…
Lockheed AC-130: The Gunship That Provided Much-Needed Support in Vietnam
The Lockheed AC-130 is a special operations gunship that can trace its history back to the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Over its nearly 60 years of…
The USS Midway’s Aircraft Were Credited with the First MiG Kills in Vietnam
Air battles became very common during World War II. As a result, the leading powers in the world had to build more aircraft carriers. The…
A-12 Spy Plane: Why Lockheed’s CIA Spy Plane Only Flew 29 Missions
The Lockheed A-12 spy plane was developed for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for service during Project Oxcart. While it had the potential for a…
Lahti L-39: The Anti-Tank Weapon the Finnish Nicknamed the “Elephant Gun”
When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in November 1939, its military was largely unprepared. In fact, the vast majority of men who signed up to…