Vehicle records

Command & Conquer is a strategy game featuring numerous military technologies that have never existed in reality. However, some of the vehicles in the game have actually existed or are inspired by real-life vehicles. This short feature invites you to identify these vehicles and briefly compare them with the originals.

Note: As the events depicted in Command & Conquer: Renegade are set in the same universe as those of Command & Conquer, this feature also highlights similarities between the units from the first game and those in Renegade.

Brotherhood of Nod

In the first Command & Conquer game, the forces of Nod possess light, fast equipment and rely primarily on speed and High Technology to achieve their aims. They also use several vehicles that actually exist in real life.

Note: Vehicles not mentioned, such as the Stealth Tank, simply do not exist and are therefore not included here. Others have not been formally identified and are not listed here either.

Artillery In Command & Conquer, Nod has a slow and fragile self-propelled artillery howitzer which, however, inflicts heavy damage by firing over obstacles. In reality, this vehicle appears to be an exact replica of the genuine American-designed 175 mm ‘M-110’ self-propelled howitzer used by several armies around the world.

The game’s Artillery compared to a real M-110:

It should be noted, however, that in C&C: Renegade, Nod’s self-propelled artillery is more akin to a G-6 Rhino, an artillery vehicle designed and used by South Africa.

Nod artillery in C&C Renegade compared to the South African G-6 Rhino:

Buggy The Nod’s arsenal includes a vehicle that is, to say the least, original: a fast, lightweight buggy that proves excellent as a reconnaissance vehicle. This buggy is almost certainly inspired by the ‘DPV’ (Desert Patrol Vehicle), an American-designed buggy. This vehicle was first deployed during the Gulf War in 1991, as the sand of the Iraqi desert posed major problems for American vehicles, which often became bogged down there. This vehicle is therefore very well suited to desert terrain such as that found in the Nod countryside. Today, this vehicle is still used by the Americans, particularly by the SEAL special forces.

A Nod Buggy from a cutscene in the game and a US Army DPV Buggy.

Light Tank This fast but fragile and underpowered tank is almost certainly the virtual counterpart of the real US ‘M2 Bradley’ tank. There is no doubt about this, both from the in-game icons and the cutscenes, which clearly show that the Nod’s Light Tank is an M2 Bradley. It should be noted, however, that in reality the vehicle, equipped with a modest 25 mm gun, is not really considered a tank but rather an armoured infantry fighting vehicle.

Nod’s Light Tank appearing in a cutscene compared to a real M2 Bradley.

Apache The Nod helicopter is easily recognisable thanks to its distinctive, unmistakable shape. It is the American ‘AH-64D Apache’. It is an all-weather Attack Helicopter that excels in air-to-ground and anti-tank missions, which does not quite correspond to its role in the game, where it is used primarily for anti-personnel purposes.

Real-life AH-64 Apache:

It is worth noting that Apaches also feature in C&C: Renegade, but Sakura uses an RAH-66 Comanche, which is a far more advanced aircraft than the Apache, although it must be assumed that Nod possesses only a very limited number of them.

Sakura’s helicopter compared to a real RAH-66:

Chinook Transport Both sides possess this unit. This helicopter does indeed exist in reality under the name ‘CH-47 Chinook Transport’; it is of American design and has also enjoyed great success as an export. It is a heavy-lift Transport Helicopter renowned for its ability to carry a large number of people as well as cargo.

A Chinook Transport in the game and an American CH-47 Chinook in real life:

Hovercraft In Command & Conquer, units from both sides often land on dry land from landing hovercrafts. Such craft do indeed exist in reality, although their use remains very limited. It is, moreover, difficult to identify it definitively, but logic would suggest that the Hovercraft in the game is based on a US military Hovercraft known as the ‘LCAC　’. It is, in fact, the craft that most closely resembles the one in the game in terms of shape and use.

3D rendering of the game’s Hovercraft compared to a real LCAC:

Cargo Plane The cargo plane is not a unit in the strict sense of the word. It is often claimed that the cargo plane in Command & Conquer is an An-22 manufactured by the aircraft manufacturer Antonov. Below is an Antonov An-22:


However, it is far more likely that the aircraft in question is in fact a C-17 Globemaster III, manufactured by Boeing and therefore of American design. Although its design is relatively recent, it is still not widely used. This is the aircraft whose external appearance most closely resembles the Cargo Plane that can be seen in certain cutscenes.

Images of the Cargo Plane as it appears in the game’s cutscenes:

In fact, the external profile of the An-22 does not match that shown in the cutscenes, particularly in one respect: the Cargo Plane in the game has a single T-tail, whereas the An-22 has twin tails – a feature shared by the C-17.

Photograph of a real C-17 Globemaster III:

It is also worth noting that in C&C: Renegade, the Cargo Plane used by the Nod forces is none other than a C-130 Hercules, which is one of the most widely used transport aircraft by the US armed forces but is also very common throughout the world.

C&C Renegade Cargo Plane compared to the C-130 Hercules:

F-22 In some of the game’s cutscenes, it can be seen that Nod uses an F-22 Raptor, a state-of-the-art (and exorbitantly expensive) American Stealth Fighter. However, this unit is not playable in the game, so we can assume that its use by Nod forces remains very limited.

The F-22 as depicted in the game compared to its real-life counterpart:

GDI

In the first instalment of Command & Conquer, the GDI forces possess heavy equipment suited to an aggressive strategy employing slow but powerful and sturdy units. Nevertheless, the GDI has numerous units that are directly derived from or inspired by the real world.

Note: vehicles not mentioned, such as the ADAV, simply do not exist and are therefore not featured here.Humvee This fast, lightweight GDI vehicle is ideal for reconnaissance or infantry support. The Humvee is an American all-terrain vehicle equipped with a .50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine gun, which actually exists in real life. Its official designation is ‘M-998 HMMWV’ (an acronym standing for High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle), but the term ‘Humvee’　’, which is much shorter and easier to pronounce.

A Humvee from the game compared to a real-life Humvee:

VBT The Armoured Personnel Carrier is also a faithful reproduction of an existing vehicle: the American ‘M-113’, developed in the 1960s, capable of transporting 10 people quickly. It was also a huge success on the export market.

The game’s VBT compared to an original M-113:

Mobile Rocket Launcher Judging by the vehicle’s appearance, the MRL in the game corresponds to the American M-270 MLRS in real life. It is an Artillery vehicle capable of firing 12 heavy rockets over long distances. It is, moreover, in service with many armies around the world, particularly those of NATO member states. These vehicles generally operate in batteries to bombard the enemy’s fixed positions. This corresponds to the way they are used in the game.

Below is a real M-270 MLRS in action:

Medium Tank You don’t have to look far – the resemblance is striking. The medium tank used by the GDI is undoubtedly an ‘M1A1 Abrams’, the standard American main battle tank, still in service with the US Army.

The game’s Medium Tank alongside the real-life M1A1 Abrams:

Mammoth Tank Did the Mammoth actually exist in real life? Sorry, but the answer is no! But don’t despair just yet, as it could well have existed. Throughout history, there have been several prototypes of military vehicles fitted with twin guns, as well as prototypes of very heavy, heavily armoured tanks. The Germans were undoubtedly the leading experts in ultra-heavy tanks during the Second World War. They fielded the heaviest Heavy Tanks of the war and had devised a veritable 1,000-tonne steel monster, heavily armoured and heavily armed: the ‘Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte’. This project never saw the light of day and remained on the drawing board, largely due to the vehicle’s excessive weight – which made it unsuitable for crossing any type of bridge – and its excessive fuel consumption. One might, however, speculate that it was this monster that inspired the Mammoth.

The GDI Mammoth in the game and an artist’s impression of what the ‘Landkreuser P.1000 Ratte’ might have looked like ’.

Hovercraft In Command & Conquer, units from both sides often land on dry land using landing Hovercraft. Such craft do indeed exist in reality, although their use remains very limited. It is also difficult to identify it definitively, but logic would suggest that the Hovercraft in the game is based on an American military Hovercraft known as the ‘LCAC　’. It is, in fact, the craft that most closely resembles the one in the game in terms of shape and use.

3D rendering of the in-game Hovercraft compared to a real LCAC:

Chinook Transport Both sides possess this unit. This helicopter does indeed exist in real life under the name ‘CH-47 Chinook Transport’; it is of American design and has also enjoyed great success as an export. It is a heavy-lift Transport Helicopter renowned for its ability to carry a large number of people as well as cargo.

A Chinook Transport in the game and an American CH-47 Chinook in real life:

A-10 The GDI uses A-10 ground-attack aircraft to bomb Nod positions. This aircraft actually exists. It is an American-designed ground-attack and close air support aircraft, primarily used in anti-tank missions. It can carry a large quantity of weapons, but its low speed makes it particularly vulnerable to enemy anti-aircraft fire. This fits perfectly with the situations one might encounter in the game.

Below, left: a formation of GDI A-10s in the game; right: a real-life A-10.

F/A-18 In some of the game’s cutscenes, the GDI can be seen using an F/A-18 Hornet. This is an American-designed multi-role fighter aircraft built to operate from an Aircraft Carrier. This aircraft has also enjoyed great success on the export market. However, this unit is not playable in the game, so it can be assumed that its use by GDI forces remains limited.

The F/A-18 from the game compared to its real-life counterpart:


Blackhawk

In some of the game’s cutscenes, the GDI can be seen using a Transport Helicopter. This helicopter is almost certainly an American UH-60 Black Hawk. The presence of two large sliding doors on either side of the fuselage allows for rapid loading and unloading of the aircraft. The Black Hawk is a capable tactical helicopter with excellent flight characteristics and good manoeuvrability.

The Black Hawk in the game and its real-life counterpart: