May 1938

The Department of Mechanization and Motorization of the Commission for Modernization of the Russian Army has issued guidelines for improvements of the army's equipment in the field.

Aircraft

With the implementation of CAS, air designers have seen a need arise for a heavier fighter capable of carrying more ordinance that is also capable of intercepting enemy fighters. A new heavy fighter, the VI-100 had been developed. This new aircraft is capable of a maximum speed of 535 km/h and a range of 1,400 km. Its armament consists of 2 x 20mm ShVAK cannon fixed forward firing in the nose, 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS machine-guns fixed forward firing in the nose, 1 x 7.62mm ShKAS on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit, (only for use with rear cockpit depressurized)and 2 x FAB-100, FAB-200 or FAB-500 bombs on external racks.

Tanks

While our focus has so far been on agile light tanks, the need for heavier tanks capable of withstanding dedicated anti-tank fire and engaging in fortified enemy positions; the design has been named T-35. The mass is 45 tons, with armor ranging from 11-30mm thick. The armament consists of one 76.2mm gun, 2 x 45mm guns, and 5 x 7.62mm machine guns. The engine is 500hp, capable of a top speed of 30km/h.

Infantry Tactics

Taking advantage of Russia's great manpower and the experiences of recent combat, Russian military planners have developed what is being called "Mass Assault" doctrine.

"Perfect" weapons are overrated, a large number of "good enough" weapons is the path to victory!

This doctrine focuses on creating large forces with high morale to overwhelm the defenses of the enemy. This will decrease the time it takes to train units, as they will not be given as rigorous a training regime and part of the training they do receive will focus on boosting morale with propaganda.