Vespas may now be known as decaf motorcycles of Europe, but back in the 1950s the French military rigged vespas to perform anti-guerilla military operations and transport artillery.

The Troupes Aéro Portées (TAP) Vespa was designed to be airdropped into the battlefield and immediately ready for use. Each Vespa came equipped with an M20 recoilless rifle, which specialized in taking out tanks. It’s explosive warheads could penetrate 100mm of armor from distances as far as 7,000 yards away. Moreover, the mobility of the Vespa allowed drivers to quickly react to the appearance of guerilla fighters.

Ultimately, TAP wanted to use Vespas as a frame for heavy artillery. Rather than firing any weapon while the military Vespa was in motion, the vehicle transported weapons to a specific location where it would be unloaded and set up with an external frame.

As nifty as they are, the French only made 500 TAP Vespas before the vehicle fell out of use. Watch someone ride an authentic military Vespa below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07GXqdsdE6M