Category Archives: Technology

Vehicle I-D M47: Dummies, Orphans, Targets & Gate Guards

Image May 19, 2021 Hutchins AAron

A photo from sometime in the early 1970s, an inflatable decoy (dummy) M47.

White Sands Missile Range photo by Warren Weaver.

December 1977, a M47 about to get taken-out by an M198 artillery fired M712 Copperhead on the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

WSMR photo by Tom Moore.

February 1984, another M47 about to bite the dust as an artillery fired Copperhead zeros-in, on the White Sands Missile Range.

WSMR photo by Tom Moore.

‘On the way!’

WSMR photo by Tom Moore.

‘Target, cease fire!’

U.S. Navy photo by Master Chief Petty Officer Terry Mitchell.

January(?) 1993, U.S. Marines discover an orphaned M47 in Somalia, during Operation Restore Hope. They removed the live ammo.

USN photo by Master Chief Petty Officer Terry Mitchell.

U.S. Army video still by Specialist S. Paine.

December(?) 1993, U.S. Army troops found more orphaned/destroyed M47s during Op Restore Hope.

On 01AUG2012, personnel on Fort Carson, Colorado, moved a M47 gate guard from its spot on the Kit Carson ‘tank’ Park to a new location in front of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division’s headquarters building.

USA photo by Specialist Shardesia Washington, 14MAY2015.

In May 2015, U.S. Army personnel on Hohenfels, Germany, used a shot-up M47 target to practice their heavy lifting.

USA photo by Specialist Shardesia Washington, 14MAY2015.

Towards the end of August 2015, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, on Fort Riley, Kansas, got two M47s to perform guard duty in front of the unit’s motorpool headquarters.

USA photo by Specialist Courtney Hubbard.

Czech soldiers of the 74th Light Motorized Battalion, 7th Mechanized Brigade, reassemble a shot-up M47 target tank during exercise Allied Spirit-2, at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, 09AUG2015.

New Jersey Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sergeant Andrew J. Moseley.

Shot-up M47 on New Jersey Air National Guard’s Warren Grove Bombing Range, April 2019.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sergeant Rachel Simones.

M47 target on the Edwards Air Force Base Precision Impact Range Area, August 2019.

White Sands Missile Range crazies: FAKE NEWS T-72, WORLD’S BIGGEST R/C TOY?

Iraq 2003: ARMOR BATTLE DAMAGE

Kit Bashing, Technology

Fake News T-72, world’s biggest R/C toy?

Video May 18, 2021 Hutchins AAron

In April of 2013, crazy guys at White Sands Missile Range, in New Mexico, tried to turn a little ATV into a big bad T-72 battle tank!

White Sands Missile Range photo by John Hamilton.

It was an attempt to create a cheap OpFor (Opposition Forces tank), to try and save taxpayer funding that is used on actual T-72s, or converting M113-based armored vehicles into Russian looking tanks.

WSMR photo by John Hamilton.

Also, this is actually for the U.S. Air Force, to test the ability of new aircraft targeting systems to identify enemy tanks. The crazy guys were ordered to create a Fake-News BTR, BMP and T-72.

WSMR photo by John Hamilton.

The test run was made on the Condron Army Airfield. Whoa, slow down there plastic tank, five miles per hour please!

The crazy-guys took what was once a static (stationary) corrugated plastic target, used for radar acquisition, and adapted it to fit over a small utility all terrain vehicle (ATV). They then altered the ATV to be remote controlled, in other words, they created a giant R/C toy.

Video by John Hamilton of highly paid engineers playing with their giant R/C tank:

It also has tactically placed metal strips and heat generators to simulate the radar and heat signatures of a real tank. The experimental giant R/C tanks went to Edwards Air Force Base, California. I have not been able to find any info on what happened to the corrugated R/C tanks, but I suspect they were used to test the F-35’s ability to identify and attack ground vehicles, that is because the F-35’s ground attack testing (at Edwards AFB) began about the same time that the fake-news tanks were created.

IDAHO’S 1:1 SCALE FAKE NEWS RUSSIAN RADAR TANK

Technology

Vehicle I-D: T-84/T-80/T-64 Украина Ukrania

Video May 16, 2021 Hutchins AAron

MorozovKMDB photo.

The latest T-84, the BM Oplot. Although it has a large exhaust port that would indicate a turbine engine, it actually has a complicated turbo-supercharged 6-cylinder ‘double-stroke’ piston (meaning each cylinder actually has two pistons) engine.

MorozovKMDB photo.

This tank is called by several names, it was developed for militaries that use the NATO 120mm ammo originally developed for the 120mm Reinmetall gun. It is known as Yatagan, KERN2-120, or T-84-120.

MorozovKMDB photo.

This MorozovKMDB promo video is called Oplot, but it shows the T-84 and the Yatagan. The visual difference is that the Yatagan’s turret extends over the engine deck:

https://youtu.be/IRpoVsaYPhk

Ukrainian Ministry of Defence video from 2014 showing Oplot and Bulat:

Photo via MorozovKMDB.

T-80UD.

Photo via MorozovKMDB.

Self-entrenching tool in use.

Photo via MorozovKMDB.

The upgraded/up-armored T-64 known as BM Bulat, looks very much like the T-80UD. The visual give-aways are the position of the smoke grenade launchers, and the type of roadwheels .

Photo via MorozovKMDB.

Canadian Forces photo by Aviator Stéphanie Labossière.

T-64B at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, Ukraine, 11APR2019.

Canadian Forces photo by Aviator Stéphanie Labossière.

Canadian Forces photo.

An old T-64, International Peacekeeping and Security Center, Ukraine, 07DEC2018.

Canadian Forces photo.

T-80BV at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center, Ukraine, during Canadian sponsored Operation Unifier, 29NOV2018.

Canadian Forces photo.

Ukraine’s 36th Naval Infantry Battalion Tactical Group conduct a night-shoot, 25OCT2018.

U.S. Army (USA) Photo by Kevin S. Abel.

T-84s at the Strong Europe Tank Challenge at the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, May-June 2018.

USA photo by Markus Rauchenberger, 06JUN2018.

USA photo by Kevin S. Abel.

Size comparison, T-84 versus Leopard 2A6.

USA photo by Markus Rauchenberger, 06JUN2018.

USA video by Christian Marquardt, Ukraine’s T-84 joins NATO tanks from Austria, France, Germany, Poland, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States, in a shoot-out. It is hard to see because of the smoke, but the T-84 is the small one:

USA video by Kevin S. Abel, new track pad installation on T-84:

New York Army National Guard (ANG) photo by First Lieutenant Derrick Garner.

March 2018, T-64BV at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center.

New York ANG photo by First Lieutenant Derrick Garner.

New York ANG video, I had to edit out the extremely boring narration (no audio), and edit just to show the T-64BV:

USA photo by Specialist Javon Spence.

Leclerc versus T-64BV at Strong Europe Tank Challenge, May 2017. The USA photographer incorrectly identified this T-64BV as a T-64BM (Bulat upgrade).

Ukrainian Defence Ministry video about the evolution of the T-64:

New Cold War: RUSSIA STOCKS-UP ON VEHICLES FOR NAVAL GROUND FORCES

Vehicle I-D: EVEN MORE UKRAINSKAYA TANKI УКРАИНСКАЯ ТАНКИ

Vehicle I-D: UKRAINIAN ARMOR

New Cold War: Idaho based Snake River militia deploy M1A2 SEP to Ukrainian border!

Vehicle I-D: Don’t confuse T-84 with M84, SLOVENIJA M84A4 SNIPER, 2021

Technology

New Cold War: Russia stocks-up on Vehicles for Naval Ground Forces

Video May 14, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation, Southern Military District, video posted 12MAY2021, 152mm self propelled artillery in North Ossetia:

BMP-3 seen in this year’s Victory Day Parade.

Since the beginning of the year, Russia has been upgrading its naval land forces (army corps-marines) with new armored vehicles, including the latest BMP-3. On 11MAY2021, more than 30 BMP-3s were delivered to the new mechanized infantry division of the Baltic Fleet, stationed in Kaliningrad.

Quick video, posted 29MAR2021, of assembly of Russia’s current armored vehicles:

In December 2020, it was announced that Russian Baltic Fleet forces would be bolstered due to NATO’s build-up of forces near Kaliningrad, including a new mechanized infantry division: “In response to this threat, the Armed Forces’ command has to take measures in response. As one of such measures, a full-strength motorized infantry division will be formed to make part of the Baltic Fleet’s army corps. The new formation will comprise motor rifle and artillery regiments and a separate tank regiment.”-Admiral Alexander Nosatov

TASS photo by Vitaly Nevar.

The December 2020 announcement stated that several new units within the Baltic Fleet would be created in 2021. On 13MAY2021, its was announced that the new 18th army corps division, of the 79th Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, would be ready by the end of the year. It was also revealed that the expansion and upgrade of the Baltic Fleet is based on what was observed during recent NATO wargames.

TASS photo by Valery Matytsin.

Expansion of the Baltic Fleet’s army corps was also conducted during 2019-20.

In April 2021, forty new BMP-3s were delivered to Russia’s Pacific Fleet army corps. Here’s video of those BMP-3s being off-loaded in Primorye:

Eastern Military District photo.

On top of that, additional BTR-82A armored cars and T-80BV tanks had been delivered.

Southern Military District photo.

Also in April 2021, the Black Sea Fleet conducted launchings of Zvezda Kh-35 ‘Bal’ anti-ship missiles from Crimea.

Southern Military District photo.

In Crimea, on 24MAR2021, the Black Sea Fleet held wargames for its army corps.

Northern Fleet photo.

Also, at the beginning of March 2021, the Northern Fleet held wargames in the Russian Arctic, specifically to increase proficiency of S-400 anti-aircraft crews. Here’s video from April 2021 of a S-400 Pantsir-S demonstration to foreign military officials:

Southern Military District photo.

In January and February 2021, the Caspian Flotilla conducted training for its army corps (marines) officially in preparation for the International Army Games. This included BTR-82A armored cars.

Northern Fleet photo.

Also in February 2021, the Northern Fleet conducted arctic training in the Pechengsky district of the Murmansk region, using Aleut tracked ‘snow-cats’.

Northern Fleet photo.

New Cold War: RUSSIA INVADES FLORIDA?

New Cold War: IDAHO’S FAKE-NEWS RUSSIAN RADAR TANK

New Cold War 2016: TINY LITHUANIA BUYS RECORD $437-MILLION OF TANKS FROM GERMANY AND ISRAEL!

Vehicle I-D: ARMURA MOLDOVAN, IN A COLD WAR CREATED COUNTRY THAT COULD GO HOT ANY SECOND!

Cold War 1961: BERLIN KRISE, ‘GAME OF CHICKEN’ M48A1 VS. T-54/55!

Technology

Cold War Finale: Soviet Helix boards U.S. aircraft carrier!

Image May 14, 2021 Hutchins AAron

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Mark Therien, 14OCT1992.

On the 14th and 15th of October 1992, as the Soviet Union fell apart, two Kamov 27s (Red 46 and Red 53) made history by becoming the first Russian helicopters to land on not one, but two U.S. Navy (USN) ships.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke.

The NATO reporting name Helix was from the destroyer Admiral Vinogradov, it landed on the USS Ranger (CV-61), the ships were taking part in the same multinational wargame (Operation Southern Watch) in the Arabian Sea.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke.

USN personnel got to check-out the ‘enemy’ helicopter.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke.

This USN officer seems very happy about sitting in a ‘enemy’ helicopter (or maybe he just played a nasty joke and crapped in the pilot’s seat?).

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke, 15OCT1992.

There were lots of group photos taken with USN personnel and the crew of Red 46. This one shows the happy Captain of the USS Ranger (bald guy giving the thumbs-up sign) with the Soviet, I mean Russian crew of Red 46.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Mark Therien, 14OCT1992.

Red 46 also paid a visit to the USS Kinkade (DD-965). USN helicopters also visited the former Soviet ship.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Mark Therien, 14OCT1992.

Red 46 back home on the Admiral Vinogradov, after its visit to USS Kinkade.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Mark Therien.

Kamov hanger onboard Admiral Vinogradov.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke.

Red 53 onboard USS Ranger, 15OCT1992.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke.

USN photo by Petty Officer Second Class Steven Cooke, 15OCT1992.

Red 53 leaving USS Ranger.

USN photo by Petty Officer First Class Mark Therien.

“For the Long Voyage.”

Mil 24:

MAINTAINING SATAN’S CHARIOT

Cold War 1961: BERLIN KRISE, ‘GAME OF CHICKEN’ M48A1 VS. T-54/55!

Technology

WW1 Vehicle I-D: U.S. Mark-8, last of the Liberty tanks

Image May 13, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Apparently the Mark VIII (aka Mark 8) was a joint effort by the United States and United Kingdom. It was referred to as the Liberty or The International, and was intended to fight in World War One (The Great War), but production delays prevented that.

U.S. Army Ordinance Department.

Images are dated February 1919. Notice the access door has a large porthole type window.

USA Ordinance Department.

There is also a large porthole window on the back of the castle tower (turret).

USA Ordinance photo, February 1919.

U.S. Mark VIIIs were assembled in factories in Connecticut (Locomobile Company of America), Ohio (Parish and Bingham Company) and Illinois (Rock Island Arsenal). They were also built in the U.K., by the North British Locomotive Company, William Beardmore and Company, and Metropolitan.

USA Ordinance Department photo.

These photos are dated 1918, and show the first Locomobile built Mark-8 undergoing testing (like mowing down trees).

USA Ordinance Department photo.

USA Ordinance Department photo by N. Nazarnick.

This photo was taken towards the end of 1918, it is marked as being received by the USA Ordinance Department on 24JAN1919, a water crossing test just outside Bridgeport, Connecticut.

USA Ordinance Department photo by N. Nazarnick.

Locomobile Mark-8 completing a successful hill climb. The open hatches reveal the location of the driver.

USA Ordinance Department photo by N. Nazarnick.

10MAY2021:

REBUILDING LIBERTY

Technology

WW1 Vehicle I-D: Rebuilding Liberty

Image May 12, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Army photo by Staci-Jill Burnley, 10MAY2021.

On 10MAY2021, a Liberty Mark VIII (8) tank returned to its birthplace; Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois: “Rock Island Arsenal was designated to produce one hundred of these tanks in January of 1919 at a cost of $35-thousand each. The first tank was completed on January 5, 1920 and the 100th was completed on June 5, 1920.”-Patrick Allie, Rock Island Arsenal Museum

USA photo by Staci-Jill Burnley, 10MAY2021.

The Mark-8 tanks were retired in 1932. In 1940, 90 were shipped to Canada. Reportedly there are only three Mark-8 tanks still around; one in United Kingdom and two in the United States.

USA photo by Staci-Jill Burnley, 10MAY2021.

This Mark-8 came from the Armor and Cavalry collection at Fort Benning, Georgia. It will be restored and then displayed at the Rock Island Arsenal.

USA photo by Debralee Best.

An old photo of the Mark 8 on outdoor museum ‘gate guard’ duty.

Liberty Mark 8 when it was brand new, USA photo.

This photo is dated October 1921. The information that came with it states the Mark-8 (no mention of ‘Liberty’, probably because previous U.S. tanks were also called Liberty, as well as U.K. tanks which were sent to the U.S. to sell Liberty Bonds) weighs 35 short-tons (U.S./Canadian ton), required a crew of 12 to operate, had four machine guns and two cannons, and even had a wireless communication system. Mark-8 tanks were built at several locations, such as factories in Ohio and Connecticut.

HOW TO MOVE YOUR 1:1 SCALE WHIRLWIND FLAKPANZER, IN CANADA!

Technology

Drone Wars: QF-100 Super Sabre

Image May 12, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Air Force photo.

First flight of the YQF-100D over Tyndall Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, was in January 1981. In 1983, just over two hundred F-100 D & F model Super Sabers were pulled from the ‘boneyard’ at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and converted to QF-100 target drones. The target drones were meant to last about ten missions before being destroyed. Missiles fired at the QF-100s were programed to barely miss the Super Sabers, allowing reuse of the drones.

U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Edward Boyce.

A QF-100 and its mobile control van, Tyndall AFB, William Tell aerial gunnery competition October 1984.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Edward Boyce.

U.S. Air Force photo by Technical Sergeant Guido Locati.

A QF-100 over Tyndall AFB.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Lou Hernandez.

Are these enough QF-100s for you?

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Lou Hernandez.

Damage to the wing-tip of one QF-100. No information about how it happened.

USAF photo by Technical Sergeant Lou Hernandez.

The damaged QF-100 gets a place next to the William Tell ’86 scoreboard.

USAF photo Staff Sergeant Dave McLeod.

The ‘pilot’ of the QF-100 sits behind a computer desk, with its own joystick. Supposedly the control van’s telemetry system allowed the QF-100 to be controlled from the ground within a 15 miles radius.

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Bill Thompson.

In January 1988, testing was done on the QF-100 Gulf Drone Control Upgrade System during the Combat Archer wargame over Tyndall AFB.

USAF photo by Staff Sergeant Charles Taylor.

QF-100s at the October 1988 William Tell aerial gunnery competition, Tyndall AFB. Notice the painted canopies and the red stars on the fuselages.

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Boyd Belcher.

The four 20mm gun ports are covered over.

USAF photo by Master Sergeant Boyd Belcher.

Inside the Mobile Control System van for the QF-100s during William Tell ’88.

USAF photo Staff Sergeant Russ Pollanen.

More QF-100s await destruction over Tyndall AFB. The QF-100 program officially ended in 1998. Some QF-100s escaped destruction and became museum pieces. Accurate data about F-100s are hard to find, even museum researchers admit they come across conflicting data concerning the specific Super Sabre they are trying to document for their respective museums.

2019: F-100 SUPER SABER GATE GUARDS

Kit Bashing: 1:72 F-100 SUPER SABER KIT KLASH, OR MORE REASONS WHY YOU CAN’T TRUST SCALE DRAWINGS

Drone Wars: QF-16

USAF ADMITS IT MUST MAKE ITS OWN DRONE PARTS!

Technology

Cold War Helicopters: Sikorsky Dragonfly

Video May 10, 2021 Hutchins AAron

U.S. Navy photo.

In researching this helicopter on the inter-web I discovered many sites give conflicting information as to when this helicopter first flew, some say 1943, another says 1946, the Sikorsky S-51 Archives gives no dates. This U.S. Navy photo is dated 05DEC1945, Sikorsky S-51 lands on the deck of United States Ship (USS) Princeton.

Sikorsky Aviation Corporation’s S-51 was developed from the S-48. The U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) called it R-5, later becoming the H-5/SH-5 by the new U.S. Air Force (USAF). U.S. Navy(USN)/Marine Corps(USMC)/Coast Guard(USCG) called it HO3S. The British called their versions WS-51 (silly-vilian) and Dragonfly HR (Royal Navy)/HC (Royal Air Force).

Photo via James Andrews.

U.S. Marine Corps HMX-1 was established in December 1947, on Quantico in Virginia, to help test and evaluate the HO3S-1.

Silent USMC film of HO3S med-evac (medical evacuation) operation during Korean conflict, 27MAY1951:

Silent USA (U.S. Army) film, during naval wargames General Dwight D. Eisenhower meets Admiral Robert B. Carney and Vice Admiral Matthias B. Gardner, on heavy cruiser USS Des Moines (CA-134) and aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt (CVB-42/CVA-42/CV-42) via an HO3S, 16-17OCT1951. Notice staff cars parked on deck of CA-134:

Silent USA film, by Rex Peterson, of H-5 delivering USA and USN officers to first peace talks during Korean conflict (referred to as ‘police action’ by United Nations), 27NOV1951, Panmunjom:

U.S. Air Force photo.

Date and location (assumed to be Korea) not given, USAF maintainers work on the rotor-hub of the H-5G.

USAF photo.

Somewhere in Korea, USAF H-5G undergoing what could be called phased maintenance.

USAF photo.

In this photo you can better see the wooden blades of the tail-rotor.

USAF photo.

Aerial photo of USN HO3S on Korean farm field.

USAF photo.

USAF H-5 with wounded person litter.

USAF photo.

You can see the air cooled rotary engine.

USAF photo.

Litter/stretcher used on H-5.

USAF photo.

First Lieutenant caught laying down on the job!

Silent USN film dated 30JUN1953, by last name Benton, showing Royal Navy Dragonfly HR onboard USS Antietam (CV/CVA/CVS-36):

Silent USN film dated 09JAN1954 (the film slates are dated 09JAN1954 [1-9-54], but news media articles date the event as 10JAN1954), by last names Peterson and Happius (interesting, on one of the slates with Peterson’s name it appears somebody ‘flips the bird’ at the camera), HO3S shuttling officials from Nationalist China (Republic of China/Taiwan) onboard USS Wasp (LHD-1) for some sort of official visit (it included Chiang Kai-Shek who came onboard on a different type of helicopter, but I edited to focus on the HO3S):

Vehicle I-D: Lockheed-Martin-Sikorsky’s new HH-60W

East Idaho wildfires 2012: SIKORSKY & USMC IN TOWN

SIKORSKY SKYCRANE LEAVES POCATELLO AIRPORT FOR COX’S WELL FIRE

Technology

Vehicle I-D: Intoxicated Jolly Green the Second

Video May 8, 2021 Hutchins AAron

Lockheed-Martin-Sikorsky photo.

The U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) HH-60W is based on the U.S. Army’s UH-60M BlackHawk. In 2014, the USAF ordered ten HH-60Ws. Since then a total of 113 HH-60Ws are now on order.

U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Junior.

On 06NOV2019, two of the three new Pave Hawks arrived on Duke Field (Eglin AFB) in Florida. They are super-upgraded HH-60Ws. However, their upgrades weren’t complete and the crew had to fly the ‘copters from the Sikorsky Developmental Flight Center via VFR (Visual Flight Rules, by sight and the seat of their pants only).