Random Russian and American military vehicles etc.

[Mark Szeman]

Hi guys, 

 

I posted a handfull of these pics in the russian armor thread but i thought I'd put up all I had here as there is some nice American stuff in here (including a nice HH-60  )

 

These were taken between September 7-12 2001, with the ominous date in between being quite an event, I was in the 25th Infantry Brigade - 57th Garrison Support Battalion, in communications.

We were on a joint training exercise with the 1st Armored division or as they are known, Old Ironsides. An amazing bunch of chaps.

 

I though I had more, but alas the years and several moves in between and these are the ones with vehicles that I could find. 

 

A BTR-80 front and center, with a GAZ-66 to the left, I had more of this but they are among the lost photos  Our staff sergeant (not the guy in the pic) would scare the living poo out of us by closing the window armor and drive at break neck speeds through only the night vision periscope, in the dark and the rain.  (good times ) 

 

 

Cable dogs - (not a slur before people come for me , and they have) infront of their communications setup.  The main HumVee has a box on the back which contains all their main gear for satellite and radio communications.  That one box was the main hub for all their coms.

 

 

(Not so) Trusty HumVee

 

 

One of the turtleback versions

 

 

 

An M969 in the motorpool

 

 

HH-60 , medevac variant of the trusty UH-60 Black Hawk, got to fly in that very one, had quite the grin on my face for a solid week afterwards  

 

 

 

A little fun   could find these all around the camp.  Flash quiz : Who knows what the spoon machine is  ?  

 

 

And just for a little more fun, I think everyone can recognise these even though they were at least a mile away as the crow flies. 

 

 

That's it for the US stuff and just a sprinkling of monsters from Mother Russia. 

 

T-52's put out to pasture, used as targets in live fire exercises (that's me on the barrel, many moons ago).  Fun fact  while walking the area used in the live fire exercise, which was done routinely to look for shell casings and most importantly un-exploded ordinance and rounds.  We were amazed to see the T-52's and T-72's in the field to have been turned into sieves by the depleted uranium rounds the apaches were clicking off from the M230 chain gun.  

 

 

 

Little ducks in a row   literally, these were referred to as "kacsa" or ducks in Hungarian, the amphibious BRDM-2 

 

 

 

That's all folks.  (for now )  There is an artillery range but a few clicks from where I live and they have open days a few times a year, I haven't been to one lately, but I will be putting it on the calendar and make an effort to get out and take some pics.  If anyone has something in particular they would like closer reference of (Russian AFV) I'll try and find it and get some pics of it, interiors included. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2019 by Mark Szeman
Mis-labeling

[Mark Szeman]

I couldn't believe the phone conversation I just had with the owner of this place  :

 

http://pintermuvek.hu/hadtechnikai-park/#!

 

I called them up to ask a few questions, thinking I'll make a day of it, go down there, take a bunch of walkaround pics of as much as i can get to see in a day ( they have 3 hectares with russian AFV on display).  I wanted to know what kind of restrictions they have on getting up close and personal with the monsters on display.  He asked why and I told him and he was very receptive to the whole thing, aaaand, said that they are looking for someone to make a diorama of the entire park complete with all the vehicles and aircraft they have on display.  That's when my jaw hit the floor, why oh why did I give up on modelling ? ... Of course I just got back into this hobby , nowhere near good enough to make something like that. Just thought Id put it out there, I did a bit of a googleing on professional modelers in my country (Hungary) and couldn't find anyone to connect the dots with, it would be a shame to let an opportunity like this to pass by  

 

In any case, I have been meaning to get out and about more lately and will make a nice little day trip of it one weekend.  If anyone sees anything in the gallery on their website that they would like  some more detailed up close and personal pics of for reference just let me know what you need, when I go down I'll keep a list of that on hand and try to get everything you need. 

 

From what I can tell they have a number of things outside of AFV, fighter jets, helicopters and the like. So feel free to put it in the thread or send me a PM if there's anything that catches your fancy and I'll snap some pics of it. This is going to be one to dust off the DSLR for, no iphone jobby photos here..  

[spruecutter96]

That looks like a really amazing museum. Would love to visit it one day (maybe not in this lifetime, though!)

 

Thanks for sharing with us.

 

Chris.