Cadillac Gage V 100 Commando 196071

Destined to become one of the most influential postwar armored cars, the V-100 Commando was developed by the Cadillac Gage Company in 1962 as a private venture, and the first prototype was completed in the same year. It was designed as a multi-purpose vehicle and could function as an 11-man personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, convoy escort, command or patrol car and a riot vehicle. The V-100 was tested and evaluated in Vietnam before full-scale production began in 1964. It saw widespread use in Vietnam by both US and South Vietnamese forces. This title describes the design, development and operational use of the V-100 Commando, including their continued deployment around the world.

The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle is the newest land warfare system in the United States Army and Marine Corps inventory. Designed to meet the challenges of operating in a counterinsurgency environment, the MRAP has taken survivability to a new level. MRAPs are currently manufactured by three companies: BAE Systems, Navistar International Military Group, and Force Protection Inc. Each company manufactures an MRAP according to one of three classifications set by the US Department of Defense: Category I, Category II, or Category III. The Category I MRAPs are designed for urban combat. Category II covers the MRAPs designed for convoy security, medical evacuation, and explosive ordnance disposal. The Category III MRAP performs the same function as Category II but is designed to carry more personnel. Since their introduction in 2007, MRAPs have performed remarkably in the asymmetric warfare environment. Their unique design and survivability characteristics have saved the lives hundreds of soldiers who otherwise would have been lost to landmines or IED attacks. As with any combat system, however, the MRAP is not without its drawbacks.

The Russo-Japanese war saw the first defeat of a major European imperialist power by an Asian country. When Japanese and Russian expansionist interests collided over Manchuria and Korea, the Tsar assumed Japan would never dare to fight. However, after years of planning, Japan launched a surprise attack on the Russian Port Arthur, on the Liaoyang Peninsula in 1904 and the war that followed saw Japan win major battles against Russia. This book explains the background and outbreak of the war, then follows the course of the fighting at Yalu River, Sha-ho, and finally Mukden, the largest battle anywhere in the world before the First World War.

This volume contains descriptions and photographs of U.S. armored gun trucks used in the Vietnam War and the crews who manned them.

The armored car has played a major role in American military operations since the relatively early days of the 20th Century. In 1989 Col. Royal P. Davidson arranged for the installation of a .30 caliber Colt machine gun on a Duryea light three-wheeled car. In doing so, he jump-started the development and production of armored fighting vehicles that have served in the American military ever since. Although the very first armored cars were merely outfitted with a gunshield, they were soon fully protected by armor plating. In this installment of R. P. Hunnicutt's 10-volume series on the history of American armored vehicles he details their early development through WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Beginning with the development of armored cars on American soil at the outbreak of WWI-although none were ever shipped overseas-Hunnicutt goes on to describe the production of armored cars based on commercial car and truck chassis in the 1920s. These vehicles eventually reached limited production as the armored car M4. With detailed drawings and photographs to illustrate the history, Hunnicutt describes the development of the armored car T3, which was also designated as scout car T1. The development of these lightweight scout cars, which met the needs of the cavalry, made the armored car unnecessary by 1937. Although production of armored cars stopped for the American military, American development continued on armored cars intended for British use. However, in 1942 as the Palmer Board decided to limit the weight of reconnaissance vehicles, the light armored car T22E2 was standardized as the M8 and put into production. The M8 and a variation, the M20, served in the U.S. Army until after the Korean War, with new models developed for use in Vietnam. Spanning the history of American wheeled combat vehicles, Hunnicutt's "Armored Car" is a must have for anyone with a keen interest in the history of American military operations and equipment.

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.