Over the years, the military has gathered the best engineers and scientists to create the next, new weapon that will out wit and or out gun the enemy. In order to do this, they must think outside the box. Not all the experiments work, but some of them do work. Others remain a mystery of what their purpose is…..check out this compilation of the strangest military vehicles ever!
Krupp Kugelpanzer
Discovered by the Russians, next to nothing is known about the Krupp Kugelpanzer. The single person tank is thought to be a dummy, created to confuse the enemy. It has a two stroke engine, seats one person, and has no onboard weapons.
Progvev-T Gasdynamic Trawler
Created by the Russians, the Progvev-T Gasdynamic Trawler is a t-34 tank, with a MiG-15 jet engine on top. The engine was not used to power the vehicle, but was to be used as a weapon. Attached backwards, the engine was supposed to clear mines by blasting them with heat. The trawler wasn’t as efficient as the Russians had hoped, due to the fact that it consumed a lot of fuel and was very noisy, making it an easy target.
Tsar Tank
The Tsar Tank was an experimental tank created by the Russians, which is the largest tank ever built. It looked like a tricycle, with two 27’ wheels in the front, and one 5’ wheel in the back, with each wheel having its own engine. It was equipped with a canon and the weight of the vehicle proved to be too much, as it would sink into the ground and become immobile.
Zil-2906 Screw Drive Tank
Designed by the Russians for covering rough terrain like snow and ice or mud and swamp, the ZIL-2906 was an amphibious vehicle, created for rescues. Only a few of these tanks were produced before the entire project was discarded.
Object 279
Another experimental vehicle designed by Russian, Object 279 was created to withstand a nuclear explosion. It had four-track running gear and its armor had CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear) protection.
Antonov A-40 Krylya Tank
Russians created this prototype by taking a t-60 tank and attaching a Tupolev TB-3 to the top. Even after stripping down the tank, including its ammunition, it was deemed too heavy to fly and therefore, unworkable.
Japanese Flamethrower Tank
The Japanese Flamethrower tanks, were equipped with horn-like forks over its tracks on each side. These were presumably used for uprooting mines and tearing down barbed wire in the tanks path. While most of these tanks had two flamethrowers attached, some had as many as five.
The Venezuelan Tortuga Tank
This converted 6×4 Ford truck, was built by Venezuela to scare its Colombian neighbors. The vehicle had to be manned in a standing position, was equipped with a 7mm machine gun and was never in active service.
Carden-Loyd Tankettes
Built in Great Britain, Carden-Loyd Tankettes were the foundation of a new breed of tracked vehicles in Europe and Asia. These pre-World War II vehicles were single rider and weighed only 3000 lbs.
Fox Armored Car
The Fox Armored Car was created by the Canadians in World War II. There were 1,506 manufactured, seated 4 men and were equipped with .303 and 050 machine guns.