During the 1990s, following the end of the non-declared/non-official Cold War, the United States held a yearly massive NATO wargame called Roving Sands, in New Mexico.

U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Marv Lynchard, 23APR1995.

One of the many oddities that made an appearance at these war games was the U.S. military’s “The Dud Scud”; a 5-ton dump-truck (some of the info says duce-n-a-half, other info says 5-ton) with ballistic missile looking things mounted on top of the dump-bed.  Scud is the NATO reporting name for a Soviet tactical ballistic missile launcher system.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Marv Lynchard, 23APR1995.

Of course the Dud Scud doesn’t look anything like a real Scud, they were just meant to simulate a generic ballistic missile launcher.

The Dud Scuds were positioned at various locations across Fort Sumner, New Mexico. USAF photo by Sergeant Nicole Snell, 29APR1995.

Because of the experience of having to hunt down Iraqi Scuds during Desert Storm, NATO exercise Roving Sands incorporated such a scenario into the yearly wargame.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Marv Lynchard, 23APR1995.

Cold War Vehicle I-D:

Photo attributed to Bernd Hartmann, Germany 1978.

FAKE NEWS ZSU-23-4 INTO THE J-A-W-S OF DEATH!