Stanislav Petrov, a man who prevented nuclear war.

The year was 1983, a time when the world was held in the grip of the Cold War's icy fingers. On 26 September, Petrov was on duty at the command center of the Oko nuclear early-warning system when the system reported the launch of five missiles from the United States, a moment that could have plunged us into the abyss of nuclear war.

Instead of immediately relaying the warning up the chain of command, Petrov made a crucial decision to wait for corroborating evidence on these attacks, which never arrived. His reasoning was that if the United States truly intended to start a nuclear war, it would do

so with more than five missiles.

His intuition turned out to be true, as later investigation determined that the satellite warning system had malfunctioned. This malfunction, if not for Petrov's decision, could have led to a nuclear war, a stark reminder of the potential risks we face in the nuclear age.

Two men of 1st Battalion 4th Marines prep their M2A1-7 flamethrowers during Operation Kentucky - December 4, 1967.

Operation Kentucky was a multi-battalion operation conducted by the Marines in the area south of the DMZ in Quảng Trị Province. Its aim was to secure the Con Thien area from the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN). The operation ran from 1 November 1967 until 28 February 1969.

The M2A1-7 was the standard flamethrower used by American troops during the Vietnam War. It is the updated version of the M2A1-2 unit used during The Korean War, which was itself an updated version of the WWII M2 flamethrower. The M2A1-7 has four controls, a firing safety catch on the back of the rear grip and a firing trigger on the front of the rear grip. On top of the front part is the igniter safety catch and underneath the igniter trigger. The M9A1-7 was the most common model used in Vietnam and is much lighter and easier to use. Tanks for this weapon are commonly found, but most wands were destroyed after the war.

The “Spear” ( or Parus) combat module seen on this BMP-1 was developed between 2014 and 2021 by then Ukrainian ??company Promintex.

It is supposed to significantly improve the combat capabilities of the old BMP-1s and of the several older BTR models (60 and 70) still in service with the armed forces of Ukraine??. The same system also is utilized on the BTR-3 and BTR-4.

The Parus weapon station includes:

- A 30mm ZTM Autocannon

- A 7.62 mm Machinegun

- A 30mm KBA-117 Grenade launcher

- The possibility to include the Ukrainian?? “Barrier” ATGM

- A panoramic sight

It is over! Internet archive has lost its legal battle regarding the copyright of their scanned books.