Playing Grand Theft Auto 5 is all about wanton destruction.
Once you’re done with the main campaign, it’s time to paint the town red in every crazy way you can think of – and the first thing that comes to mind is military equipment.
There’s nothing quite as destructive as driving an armored tank or combat helicopter around residential areas, blowing up Priuses and Tesla Model 3s like there’s no tomorrow.
If the police want to stop you, they’re welcome to try.
In this list, we’ll look at some high-quality mods bringing historical and contemporary military vehicles and equipment from all over the world into Los Santos.
Crime in the State of San Andreas has gotten out of hand.
Organized crime bands in Los Santos have gotten their hands on assault rifles, rocket launchers, tanks, and jet fighters – and the list keeps growing.
At this point, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if the armed forces had to be called in.
The best way to survive an anti-crime occupation of Los Santos is by blending in among the troops with this GTA 5 mod, offering a perfectly realistic US Army uniform to Michael, Franklin, and Trevor.
Now that you’re dressed like a freedom fighter, you need a worthy opponent.
After all, it would be a little uncomfortable if videos of US Army officers beating up old ladies and disrupting low-income communities around Los Santos started going around.
This mod lets you quickly replace the SWAT element of the LSPD for heavily armed Nazi soldiers from Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017).
You may disagree with them ideologically, but damn, do these soldiers look bad-ass. If there was ever anything worth shooting with a rocket launcher in Los Santos, it’s these guys.
Another great setting for your military adventure could be a zombie apocalypse.
Movies like World War Z (2019) regularly show the army failing miserably at containing zombie outbreaks. It’s like they never played Dead Rising (2006)!
Now is your opportunity to set the record straight and use all of your firepower and preparation to defend this Military Zombie Base from the growing zombie horde.
Of course, you’ll need to install something like the Simple Zombies mod first.
The Patriot is a well-known four-door luxury SUV in the GTA universe.
Much like a Hummer, the Patriot was initially designed as a military vehicle, then updated to serve as a street-safe SUV for customers who like feeling like they’re on patrol in Afghanistan whenever they leave the house.
While there’s already a Patriot in vanilla GTA 5, this mod adds a “Classic” model reminiscent of the Patriot in GTA: San Andreas or a real-life Hummer H1.
Painted in camouflage and with the right attachments – like a top-mounted turret – the Patriot Classic is the perfect “casual” military vehicle you don’t need to be a soldier to appreciate.
Once you’ve conquered the urban environments of Los Santos with your turret-mounted Patriot, it’s time to take control of the city’s coasts and harbors.
This convenient US Navy Vehicle Pack introduces 12 flashy new military naval vessels collected from Brazil, Germany, France, and – of course – the US.
Some names you might recognize include the iconic KMS Bismarck used by WW2 Germany’s Kriegsmarine and the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier from around the same time.
Another iconic US battleship not included in the previous pack is the USS Missouri, an Iowa-class battleship whose first deployment took her deep into the Pacific.
The USS Missouri played a vital role in taking the Japanese islands of Iwo Jima and Okinawa in 1945. It was put back into action five years later during the Korean War.
This colossal battleship was a symbol of US military might back in the day, and it remains a glorious sight in the slightly more peaceful waters of San Andreas state.
Sure, controlling the waters is important, but you can’t prevail on a modern battlefield without establishing firm aerial superiority.
This is why aerial technology advanced so much between 1939 and 1945. It was a fierce battle for faster, more durable, and more powerful airplanes that left us with a wealth of iconic fighters and bombers.
The WW2 Airplanes Pack will help you light up the skies over Los Santos with a deadly fireworks display. It features celebrated planes like the Japanese A6M5 Zero fighter, the British Spitfire MK. II, and the American B-29A Superfortress.
In total, you’re getting 14 pieces of warplane history!
If you’re not swayed by the historical significance of WW2-era fighters, maybe you’ll like the futuristic appeal of the SF VTOL A50.
Contrasting with most entries on the list, the SF VTOL A50 isn’t based on any specific real-world military equipment. Instead, it’s a fictional Vertical Take-Off and Landing craft created by 3D artist Sketchfab with the only objective of looking bad-ass.
It has a lot in common with the Pelicans from the Halo universe but features a more realistic design that would look right at home next to real-life military aircraft.
This is the kind of thing you hope to ride one day when you sign up for the army.
9. Military Vehicles World: Airplanes & Helicopters
The SF VTOL A50 is a kick-ass work of art anyone would like to pilot – but modern real-life military aircraft is plenty bad-ass as well.
If you’re interested in traversing the open skies over Los Santos and Blaine County at breakneck speeds, check out this modern airplane and helicopter collection.
Whether it’s a classic American F-16, a sleek-looking NATO Typhoon Eurofighter, or any of the other ten aircraft, you’ll find your ideal warplane (or helicopter) in this mod.
Admittedly, you won’t see much action in the skies of Grand Theft Auto 5.
This isn’t Blazing Angels or Ace Combat.
That said, the game does feature a wealth of potential enemies on ground level, including rival gangs, the police, and even the army if you know where to look.
If you start rolling around town with any of this mod’s 16 different US Army vehicles – maybe let some shells loose on residential areas – you’ll attract an army of foes in no time.
Recent geopolitical events have reminded the world that war is always around the corner.
This reminder came riding on a T-72B3 MBT, which makes up the majority of Russia’s forces in their Ukrainian offensive. If you’ve seen any tanks in the news, you were looking at this model.
They were developed by the Soviet Union to improve on the T-62, and they’d seen extensive use in conflicts like the Chechen Wars and the Russo-Georgian War before turning up in the Donbas.
Bringing this specific tank to Los Santos might seem a bit macabre, but you can’t deny the added realism.
Along with Russia and the United States, China is one of the world’s major military players.
The People’s Liberation Army has been a central pillar of the People’s Republic of China since its inception, and strengthening its military power has remained a primary focus of the country throughout its history.
If you want a taste of what the Chinese are packing, check out this China Military Forces Pack, which features 14 military vehicles, including fighter jets, helicopters, and tanks.
Realism might not be something you’re interested in.
After all, war is only fun when there’s a screen and several degrees of romantic filters between us and the fighting.
In that case, don’t overlook these Blue Umbrella Soldiers mod based on Chris’ team in Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – though you wouldn’t be able to tell just from looking at them.
It’s high-quality dark-colored military gear any specialized military force could wear.
Fans of the run-and-gun franchise Metal Slug will immediately recognize the SV-001 – also known as the Metal Slug.
This sleek and compact-looking tank is the main armored vehicle seen in most of the Metal Slug series. Finding one is always cause for celebration, as they provide excellent protection and fearsome firepower.
Its stylized design looks surprisingly good in 3D, and this GTA 5 mod makes gunning down your enemies with its oddly short cannon an absolute pleasure thanks to smooth controls and detailed animations.
One moment you’re drinking a Margarita and eating chilaquiles, and the next, there’s a convoy of heavily-armed cartel members raiding your location.
The Mexican police forces need specialized vehicles to respond to these contingencies as fast as possible.
Enter the Black Mamba QRV.
Developed by TPS Armoring, the Black Mamba provides protection against most weapon systems, lots of mobility in urban and off-road conditions, and a lot of firepower.
Nelson Chitty is a Venezuelan expat living in Argentina. He’s a writer and translator passionate about history and foreign cultures. His ideal weekend is spent between leisurely playing games of Civilization VI and looking for the next seinen anime to marathon.
