The A-26 Invader was one of the few aircraft that were developed, built and used by the USA in World War II. Development began in 1940. Equipped with two Pratt & Whitney engines delivering 2000 hp each, the A-26 reached a top speed of 580 km/h and was therefore 128 km/h faster that the B-25. In October/November 1944 the USAAF 415th BG was the first unit to be completely equipped with the A-26 Invader. This unit also received a larger number of the A-26B with a fixed nose cannon. The Korean War that began in June 1950 caused to the transfer to Korea of the only (A)B-26 unit, the 3rd Bomb Group, still stationed in Asia, where the Invader also proved its worth. During the Vietnam War the French air force received 112 Invaders from stocks of machines that were no longer needed by the USAF.