History Main / WeaponsUnderstudies

This trope is fading with CGI able to provide any weapons system you need. Furthermore, Soviet equipment like T-34, T-55, and T-72 tanks are increasingly available for discount prices, as well as on loan from US-friendly former East Bloc states such as Poland and the Czech Republic. This can replace German equipment in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII movies also, as the Germans and Soviets extensively studied each others' equipment: if a T-55 with cheap wooden and plastic add-ons is painted to look like a Panther, even many military buffs will be fooled.[[note]]Except when the undercarriage is shown in detail -- the German late WWII-style of interleaved road wheels was rather bothersome in practice, and so it was not copied after the war.[[/note]] But prior to its development it was not uncommon to see German Panzer divisions equipped with repainted American M47 tanks, the Luftwaffe flying P-51 Mustangs or Soviets flying Republic F-84 Thunderjets. Japanese Zeros were often played by North American T-6 Texan planes. One can even occasionally see a VW Type 181 [[MarketBasedTitle Thing/Safari/Trekker]] from TheSeventies subbing for a UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Kuebelwagen, even though the latter are by no means hard to come by. Warships (before CGI) were the most challenging, because they aren't to be found in enthusiasts' garages or even museum collections; filmmakers historically had to rely on models, wartime stock footage (often an AnachronismStew), or, if BackedByThePentagon, wildly inappropriate modern ships.

Somewhat surprisingly, the obvious solution is rarely used: the "enemy" uses "friendly" equipment because they have limited resources and use captured equipment. Militaries do this a lot in real life when at war, particularly during World War II.

* In ''Film/LordOfWar'', many of the Soviet weapons, especially those purported to be the AK-47 or the modernized AK-74, are actually the outdated AKM, the East German AKMS, the Czech Czech SA Vz. 58, or the Chinese Norinco Type 56-1.

* In ''Film/NeverSayNeverAgain'', the underbelly of a Concorde is used to double for a B-1B Lancer.
** However, establishing shots of an actual B-1B Lancer taking off and in flight were used. The underbelly substitute likely had to do with the fact that the Lancer was still in the prototype phase at the time, and the USAF were ''really'' cagey about giving anyone too close a look at the Lancer in detail.

** Reasonably accurate reproduction and restored Spitfires, plus some CGI and restored Heinkels and Messerschmitts for the Battle of Britain scenes. Trope averted.
** Reasonably good reproduction Zeroes, Kates, and Vals for the Japanese aircraft launching from the carrier, and excellent CGI models for the massed aerial formation shots. Trope averted.
** Excellent almost-full-scale models of the battleships used for many scenes, and good CGI models for the wide shots. Trope averted.
** Modern-day missile cruisers and destroyers (sometimes with wooden boxes to hide the missile launchers, sometimes not) play the smaller ships in Pearl Harbor during the attack. Trope played straight.
** A reasonably accurate reproduction of the Japanese carrier Akagi in most shots, save a long shot where a modern nuclear-powered supercarrier was rather inexplicably used instead. Trope played both ways.
** Modern angled-deck aircraft carrier playing the USS ''Hornet'' during the Doolittle's Raid sequence, with reasonably good reproduction and restored B-25s (of a model which didn't exist until a year after the raid) flying off it. Trope played both ways.

* ''Film/IronEagle'' and ''Iron Eagle II'' featured Israeli C2 Kfir jets (modifed French Mirage III's) and American-built F-4 Phantom II fighters as Arab [=MiG's=]. It also used Israeli F-16 variants as American ones, due to lack of backing by the Pentagon.
** The third movie had rebuilt [=WW2=] warbirds playing themselves, with the exception of a [[PropRecycling recycled]] "Zero" T-6 from ''Film/ToraToraTora'' (see below) and weirdly enough a prototype plane called the ARES playing the part of a Me-263.

* ''Film/BattleOfBritain'' used Spanish-built (and Rolls-Royce Merlin-engined!) versions of Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighters and Heinkel He-111 bombers, plus some real Spitfires. Together, they managed to put together the world's 35th largest air force at the time. Some JustPlaneWrong cases though, due to lack of available planes.

** The production tried to get actual Junker Ju 87 dive-bombers for the film, but it was deemed too expensive to make surviving Stukas airworthy.

* The (fictional) [=MiG-28=] fighters in ''Film/TopGun'' were played by American F-5E Tiger II fighters.
** The TOPGUN instructors fly A-4 Skyhawks in order to simulate the performance of Soviet fighters. This makes for something of a zigzagged trope on a meta level: the Skyhawks are portraying Skyhawks... Skyhawks whose role is to portray [=MiGs=].[[note]]As with the [=F-5Es=] that played the [=Mig-28s=], the A-4 Skyhawk was also used in real life as an Aggressor aircraft.[[/note]]

** It's interesting to note that the USN was rabidly against any German/Nazi insignia or equipment on their ship, meaning that a scene showing the "''Graf Spee''" hoisting her battle ensigns had to be filmed aboard one of the British ships, and the German crew were filmed wearing American-style helmets. The producers have been criticised for the latter "mistake", but they had no choice.

* The late 60s/early 70s Soviet ''Osvobozhdenie'' (Liberation) film series features T-44 (a stepping stone between T-34 and T-54/55) as reasonably well done [[http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_179001-KhPZ-T-44.html Tigers]] and IS-2s as [[http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_178972-ChKZ-IS-2-1943.html Panthers.]] Less well done are the use of undisguised [[http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_178998-ChKZ-IS-3-1944.html IS-3s]] during the first film's Kursk battle (two years before the IS-3 entered service), as well as undisguised T-55s, T-62s, and T-10s in some background shots.
*** There also seems to be a habit of documentaries using footage of the fake-Tigers from these films, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa4VMvIMfLg&t=1136s converted to black-and-white to pass it off as real footage.]]

** In a strange case of reality mirroring life, in 1985, North Korea covertly obtained 87 MD 500s... and turned them into gunships. They were publicly unveiled in 2013.

* American-made aircraft stand in for enemy planes in air-to-air combat training programs such as TOPGUN (nowadays replaced by the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, or NSAWC for short). When the ''Film/TopGun'' film was made, F-5E Tiger II fighters and A-4 Skyhawk light attack aircraf were used to play Soviet aircraft. Presently, US Navy aggressor squadrons operate F/A-18 Hornet fighters, with plans to move to the F/A-18F Super Hornet. US Air Force aggressor squadrons flew F-16s and F-15s, and are now setting up an F-35 aggressor squadron to simulate enemy stealth fighters.

** More recently, F/A-18's were used to simulate [=MiG=]-29 fighters.
* The recently-declassified Constant Peg program involved US pilots training with real [=MiGs=], acquired via defectors and other sources.
** The Aggressor Squadrons are an interesting bunch. They fly in the Russian manner, and, according to Creator/FrederickForsyth, speak Russian during their flights. They whipped the rookies, of course. In a bit of dark military humor, their squadron is called the “Red Eagles.”

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_H-19 Sikorsky H-19/S-55 helicopters]] which were used in lieu of Soviet [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-24 Hind helicopters.]] They not only played the part, they were actually [https://ibb.co/4WhYWMZ dressed up for the part as well.]] The final result looks remarkably Hind-like -- the likeness was even better than the dressed up choppers in ''Film/RedDawn1984'', ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and ''Film/RamboIII''.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_H-19 Sikorsky H-19/S-55 helicopters]] which were used in lieu of Soviet [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-24 Hind helicopters.]] They not only played the part, they were actually [https://i.ibb.co/VVfQVDW/download.jpg dressed up for the part as well.]] The final result looks remarkably Hind-like -- the likeness was even better than the dressed up choppers in ''Film/RedDawn1984'', ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and ''Film/RamboIII''.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_H-19 Sikorsky H-19/S-55 helicopters]] which were used in lieu of Soviet [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-24 Hind helicopters.]] They not only played the part, they were actually [[http://www.rotaryaction.com/pages/redawn84.html dressed up for the part as well.]] The final result looks remarkably Hind-like -- the likeness was even better than the dressed up choppers in ''Film/RedDawn1984'', ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and ''Film/RamboIII''.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/800px-Formation_of_three_aggressor_F-5E_aircraft_061006-F-1234S-072.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:We're ready for our close-up.]]

* ''Film/BattleOfTheBulge'' had American M47 Patton tanks (painted in grey - which is completely incorrect for the period of the battle) standing in for German ''Könisgtigers'' and M24 Chaffees standing in for the M4 Sherman. There is exactly ''one'' instance where this trope has been averted regarding the ''Könisgtiger'' (there's only one still in running condition in the world, owned by the Saumur tank museum in France), that being the film ''Film/SnowAndFire'' (and the tank had an engine breakdown on this one, thus discouraging the museum to lent it for further filmings).

* ''Film/BattleOfTheBulge'' had American M47 Patton tanks (painted in grey - which is completely incorrect for the period of the battle) standing in for German King Tigers and M24 Chafees standing in for the M4 Sherman.

** However establishing shots of an actual B-1B Lancer taking off and in flight were used. The underbelly substitute likely had to do with the fact that the Lancer was still in the prototype phase at the time, and the USAF were ''really'' cagey about giving anyone too close a look at the Lancer in detail.

* ''Film/TheGreatRaid'': In order to provide cover for the Rangers as they make the final approach to the camp, an airplane is sent to overfly the area to distract the Japanese, allowing them to get into position without being spotted. This occurred during the historical raid, in which a P-61 Black Widow night fighter[[labelnote:*]]A bit of FridgeLogic with this too. Not only was the P-61 a plane that was designed to operate primarily at night, but it was also a relatively newer plane, meaning your typical Japanese daytime prison guard would likely have never have seen a P-61; essentially, they pulled out ''all the stops'' to make sure that the little airshow would draw as much attention as possible.[[/labelnote]] was sent under orders to perform a few aerobatics and alter his power settings to make it sound from the ground as if he were experiencing an engine failure. However there are no remaining airworthy P-61s, so instead the film utilized a Lockheed Ventura light bomber for this scene.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikorsky_H-19 Sikorsky H-19/S-55 helicopters]] which were used in lieu of Soviet [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Mi-24 Hind helicopters]]. They not only played the part, they were actually [[http://www.rotaryaction.com/pages/redawn84.html dressed up for the part as well]]. The final result looks remarkably Hind-like -- the likeness was even better than the dressed up choppers in ''Film/RedDawn1984'', ''Film/RamboFirstBloodPartII'' and ''Film/RamboIII''.

* ''The Hunters'' had American Republic F-84F Thunderstreaks subbing for North Korean [=MiG=]-15s.
* ''Jet Pilot'' (1957) had Creator/JanetLeigh as a defecting Soviet pilot flying a Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star.

** The Aggressor Squadrons are an interesting bunch. They fly in the Russian manner, and, according to Creator/FrederickForsyth, speak Russian during their flights. They whipped the rookies, of course.

* In ''Film/{{Downfall}}'', a troop of Hitler Youth are using a Soviet-made 85mm M1939 (52-K) air defense gun for the Battle of Berlin. It is likely supposed to represent the ubiquitous German 88mm Flak, but could also be justified that they are so short on weapons that they are being forced to utilize captured equipment, which, as mentioned above, is a rarity for this trope.

* ''Film/TheGreatRaid'': In order to provide cover for the Rangers as they make the final approach to the camp, an airplane is sent to overfly the area to distract the Japanese, allowing them to get into position without being spotted. This occurred during the historical raid, in which a P-61 Black Widow night fighter was sent under orders to alter his power settings to make it sound from the ground as if he were experiencing an engine failure. However there are no remaining airworthy P-61s, so instead the film utilized a Lockheed Ventura light bomber for this scene.

* ''Film/TheGreatRaid'': In order to provide cover for the Rangers as they make the final approach to the camp, an airplane is sent to overfly the area to distract the Japanese, allowing them to get into position without being spotted. This occurred during the historical raid, in which a P-61 Black Widow night fighter was sent under orders to alter his power settings to make it sound from the ground as if he were experiencing an engine failure. However there are no remaining airworthy P-61s, so instead the film utilized a Lockheed Ventura light bomber for this scene.

* ''Film/{{Valkyrie}}'' completely averts this trope. In an extended early scene set in North Africa, the German hero is seen as part of an Afrika Korps army with lots of impeccably period-accurate tanks, including the Pnz III [[note]]there are very, very, few examples preserved anywhere and only two or three are runners[[/note]]. It takes frequent re-viewing to realise all this is extremely good CGI, possibly some of the best ever committed to film.

Granted, most people aren't going to know the difference beyond a few military hardware aficionados.

* The movie ''Film/{{Patton}}'' featured postwar M48 Patton tanks playing German tanks, and M41 Walker-Bulldogs as UsefulNotes/WorldWarII American tanks. Also, the Heinkel He-111s used by the Afrika Korps are played by Spanish-built CASA 2.111s.

* In an episode of ''Series/SonsOfGuns'', the gunsmiths at Red Jacket Firearms are asked by a WWII veteran to build a quad anti-air cannon for a re-enactment as part of an anniversary celebration. They originally planned to stay true to the design, based on the M2 .50cal machine gun, but when it became apparent that each M2 would cost about $100,000 to build, they decided to use far-cheaper MG-42s in their quad-cannon instead. (One of the gunsmiths notices the irony of using the enemy's weapon; cut to a ConfessionCam scene where he apologizes to his WWII veteran grandfather.)