Cold War Armored Fighting Vehicles

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

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.

What is Armoured Fighting Vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle or armored fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured cars, assault guns, self-propelled artilleries, infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), and armoured personnel carriers (APC). How you will benefit (I) Insights, and validations about the following topics: Chapter 1: Armoured fighting vehicle Chapter 2: Tank destroyer Chapter 3: Infantry fighting vehicle Chapter 4: Mechanized infantry Chapter 5: Self-propelled artillery Chapter 6: Warrior tracked armoured vehicle Chapter 7: Panzergrenadier Chapter 8: Armoured warfare Chapter 9: List of military vehicles Chapter 10: List of modern armoured fighting vehicles (II) Answering the public top questions about armoured fighting vehicle. Who this book is for Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Armoured Fighting Vehicle.

While tanks were the most recognized armored vehicles during the Cold War, NATO and Warsaw Pact (WP) armies fielded a wide array of armored fighting vehicles (AFVs). These included armored cars, armored personnel carriers (APCs), anti-aircraft vehicles and self propelled artillery. Over the Cold War years nations both progressively developed series of AFVs and introduced entirely new ranges. APCs, vital to all frontline units, evolved from machine gun-armed battlefield taxis such as the US M113 and Soviet BTR-60 series into sophisticated infantry fighting vehicles. The Soviet BMP-1, US Bradley M2/M3, West German Marder and British Warrior and CVR series were classic examples of the latter, with numerous variants. The Soviet BRDM-2 series was the most numerous armored car. The British Army fielded the Saladin, Ferret and Fox and the German Army introduced the eight-wheeled Luchs and tracked SPZ11-2 Kurz. Early anti-aircraft vehicles, such as the American M42 with two 40mm Bofors, were superseded by the formidable Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka and the West German Geopard with radar-guided guns. This authoritative and superbly illustrated book covers the full range of AFVs in service with NATO and WP armies over the four decades of the Cold War. It will be an invaluable addition to the libraries of the expert and layman alike.

An illustrated history of the world's most important tanks and AFVs from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, updated and expanded.

This volume of scale drawings of military vehicles covers the Cold War, from the end of World War II through 1990. Included here are the armored fighting vehicles that fought in Korea and Vietnam, in the Arab-Israeli wars, and in other conflicts around the globe, as well as those that never saw combat. Vehicles include: Centurion main battle tank (Britain) Leopard 2 main battle tank (Germany) Magach 6 tank (Israel) T-55 main battle tank (Soviet Union) M47 Patton medium tank (United States) And dozens more.

A guide blending the history behind a U.S. battle tank used in the late twentieth century with resources for military vehicle modeling enthusiasts. The M60 was a second-generation American main battle tank, the last in the line of Patton tanks that had first been developed at the end of World War II. It entered operational service with the United States Army in 1960 and some 15,000 M60s were manufactured by Chrysler at the Detroit Tank Arsenal Plant between then and when production ceased in 1983. It served with both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps and was the principal tank deployed in Europe in the sixties, seventies and early eighties, providing NATO’s main armored force at the height of the Cold War. It became one of the most widely used armored fighting vehicles of the twentieth century, serving in the armies of over twenty-five countries. It continued to serve alongside the M1 Abrams into the 1990s before this venerable Cold War warrior was finally retired from active service with the U.S. military in 1997. This volume charts the development of the M60 from its origins in World War II to the Cold War. It focuses on its service with the U.S. military and other NATO armies, examining its combat service in the First Gulf War and also with other armies in the Middle East. The book gives a full account of the wide range of kits and accessories available in all the popular scales and a modeling gallery features builds covering a range of M60s in service with various armed forces. Detailed color profiles provide both reference and inspiration for modelers and military enthusiasts alike. “Another marvelous Craft series profile – this time on the M-60. For all you gamers getting into ‘WWIII,’ here’s the tank that was a US mainstay during the Cold War.” —Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

The T-54, T-62 and T-72 main battle tanks along with the personnel carriers, assault guns, self-propelled guns and anti-tank missiles that are illustrated in this photographic history represent the high point in the design and manufacture of armoured vehicles by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Although the superpowers never came to blows, the 'Cold War' was far from cold, as numerous 'hot' proxy wars were fought in Africa and the Middle East, and these conflicts employed the Soviet weaponry that is shown in action in the colour and black-and-white photographs selected for this book.Between the 1950s and 1980s Soviet and Warsaw Pact countries produced thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles ready for the Third World War. They embarked on a technological arms race with the NATO allies in an attempt to counter each new piece of equipment as it appeared in service. Much of this Soviet weaponry has achieved almost iconic status and, despite its age, remains in service with armies, guerrilla forces and terrorist organizations around the world today. It is also of enduring interest to collectors, re-enactors and modellers who are fascinated by the military equipment of the late twentieth century.

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