INTRODUCTION
Earlier this year, we released a blogpost detailing how new players could expand their Arma 3 experience with mods. After nearly 11 years, Arma 3 has been a major platform for mod developers and content creators, and close to 150,000 mods have been uploaded to the Steam Workshop. This could be a daunting amount for our new recruits to search through - so to help, we compiled a list of longstanding mods we believe greatly enhance and expand the sandbox for limitless hours of immersive milsim action.
We decided to expand on that initial blogpost with a series of themed entries that focus on different types of mods. Written for both new and veteran players alike, these blogposts will hopefully showcase not only mods that you have heard of and have used, but maybe some hidden gems that will give you some new content to try out. The first article in this extended series focused on weapon mods, while the second focused on equipment, and the third on aircraft.
Now we are featuring vehicle mods!
The mods featured below are purely vehicle mods. CUP, CFP, RHS, 3CB Factions, Project OPFOR, and Aegis all have excellent vehicles from around the world as part of their overall packages, and have been featured in previous articles in this series. There are many other mods that include vehicles as an element of their content as well - but they will not be featured here.
This list isn't exhaustive or comprehensive, and we may very well have missed a favorite mod of yours. Even still, what has been curated here will add an exceptional amount of variety to your motor pool.
3CB BAF VEHICLES
Developed by 3 Commando Brigade Realism Unit, this mod is the foremost pack for vehicles used by the British Royal Marines Commandos and other elements of the British Armed Forces. This highly detailed and feature-rich set of vehicles includes:
- Bulldog Armoured Personnel Carrier
- Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle
- Husky Tactical Support Vehicle
- Jackal 2 Light Patrol / Fire-Support Vehicle
- Land Rovers Soft Vehicle (including Panama ROV)
- HX (MAN) Truck Logistics Support Vehicle
- Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle
- Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle
The mod also includes some excellent helicopters and boats!
For full details, including user and admin guides, you can visit the 3CB BAF page on the 3CB website here. For any technical support, you can visit the mods BI Forums thread here.
GLOBAL MOBILIZATION - DEMO VEHICLE
Before they developed Arma 3 Creator DLC: Global Mobilization - Cold War Germany, Vertexmacht released a Mercedes Benz U1300L 2 ton truck, utilized by various military and civilian organizations. Three variants are available: a NATO version painted a solid green color, an Altis Armed Forces (AAF) version painted in their unique digital camo, and an International Development & Aid Project (IDAP) version.
The features of this mod include:
- High detail exterior model
- High detail interior model
- Virtual Garage support
- 12 FFV positions
- Custom crew animations
- Removable cargo cover
- Swappable textures
- Realistic PhysX configuration
- Light Support Group placeable in Eden Editor
Download this high quality truck mod today to get a glimpse at Vertexmacht's early work, and compare it with the swath of content now available in version 1.5 of their Global Mobilization CDLC.
POOK VEHICLES
Over the years, acpookie has released a number of mods for the Arma series. A majority of them have been of various vehicles:
- The POOK AFV Pack includes BRDM-2, Pandur II, BTR-60, BTR-80, and BPM-97 vehicle mods in a number of variants. You can also get CUP compatible and Foes & Allies Pack compatible versions of the mod.
- The POOK Artillery Pack adds five conventional Soviet artillery pieces, ten Soviet rocket artillery vehicles, the NATO M777 howitzer, and BGM-109 land-based cruise missile to Arma 3. The mod is also available as a CUP compatible version.
- The POOK FAV Pack adds two Fast Attack Vehicles to Arma 3; the M1161 in multiple configurations, as well as a Chenowth-style patrol vehicle in several variations. Both of these vehicles include usable spare tires and fuel cans, as well as a "flip vehicle" functionality for the times you decide to overdo it testing their speed and agility! You can also get CUP compatible and Foes & Allies Pack compatible versions of the mod.
- The POOK HHEMTT Pack adds a cargo (vehicle-in-vehicle transport), refuel, repair, ammo, and gun truck variants of the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) to the game. Each has a functional spare wheel that can be used by the player if the vehicle takes damage.
- The POOK UGV Pack adds the Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System (MAARS) in AA-12 and M240 models, MRK-27 Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), and the Adunok-M in PKT, AGS-30, and DShK modelsto the game.
6 x 6 ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE
The 6x6 All Terrain Vehicle mod adds a unique six wheel Special Operations Forces (SOF) ATV to Arma 3. Highly mobile and versatile, this vehicle is perfect for smaller recon teams that need to cover large chunks of terrain at a high speed, but while also keeping a low profile.
The mod's key features include:
- Three unique models
- Three different paint schemes (camo, desert, and arctic)
- Visible changes to cargo space when items added to the vehicle's inventory
- Onboard fuel containers for refuelling
- Deployable camo net
- Bonus M224 60mm Handheld Mortar system included
You can read more about the vehicle and its capabilities with the mod's included User Manual, located in its installation folder.
VURTUAL'S VEHICLES
Vurtual's Vehicle Mods definitely pack an impressive level of functionality and practicality. Some key features Vurtual's vehicles have include high beam, turn signal, and blackout light capability; windows that can be rolled down and fired out of; vehicle-in-vehicle cargo capacity to transport smaller vehicles; numerous weapon and armor plating variants; and the ability to fully customize individual parts of each vehicle in the Eden Editor and Virtual Garage.
Vurtual's vehicles are split into four different downloads, each depicting a real-world vehicle platform and a myriad of variants for each:
BURNES ARMORIES VEHICLES
Despite having last received updates in March of 2017, and being labelled prominently as "DISCONTINUED," the Burnes Armories Collection of vehicle mods are some of the highest quality and most detailed to have ever graced Arma 3. This collection, developed by Katie Byrnes, includes both up-armoured wheeled vehicles, and tanks.
- The British Foxhound Light Protected Patrol Vehicle (LPPV)
- The British Husky Tactical Support Vehicle (TSV)
- The British Panther Command Liason Vehicle (CLV)
- The American M1A1 AIM and M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks (MBT)
- The British FV4034 Challenger Main Battle Tank (MBT)
The tanks were designed to be as immersive as possible, giving an experience closer to a dedicated armored simulator. The Abrams and Challenger both feature fully modelled interiors (before we introduced interiors to vanilla armored vehicles with Update 1.82) and functional PiP screens and detailed systems for crew members. Although these mods are older now and full compatibility with Arma 3's current build is unlikely at this stage, these vehicles are all still available on the Steam Workshop, and definitely worth downloading and checking out. You will get a sense of what the modding community was capable of even way back in 2017.
CONCLUSION
Though the mods featured above are far from an exhaustive or comprehensive list, we feel they are an excellent starting point for any player, new or old, wishing to expand their Arma 3 motor pool. We encourage you to look through the close to 3,000 vehicle mods on the Steam Workshop - there might well be one you have previously overlooked waiting to become a new favorite of yours.
If you feel there are any vehicle mods that we missed out on and should have included in this list, contact Arma Community Manager LeClair on X,Discord, or our forums. You can also let him know of any suggestions you have for future articles on faction, terrain, function, and total conversion mods.
Thank you for reading!
For more information about Arma 3, please visit www.arma3.com. To keep track of all the latest news, be sure to follow @ArmaPlatform on Facebook, X, YouTube, and Steam.