What military equipment have you actually seen?

S

Sargon

New Member
I've seen so many U.S. planes from all eras at museums and air shows. The local Air National Guard flies their F-16s often and create sonic booms that can be heard all over town. I've not seen too many military guns except for M-16, M-1 Garand, M-60, and probably more a few others from museums.

When I was in Boy Scouts for our Summer trip we went to the Carolinas and Virginia. For some reason I remember little from that trip but I remember visiting the Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. All I really remember is touring a docked frigate (I think it was a frigate)and looking off the port side of the ship and seeing a parked Aircraft Carrier. I remember it being HUGE. However I can't recall what the names of the ships were. It seems like a long time ago to me but I was probably about 13 and I'm 21 now so I suppose it wasn't so long ago.

I want to see more Soviet military equipment someday, like a Mi-24, Tu-95, or any Warsaw-Pact tank.
 
Last edited:
Gollevainen

Gollevainen

Colonel
VIP Professional
Registered Member
Well museums sure are nice places to see military hardware. Now that I go back to thwe memorylane, there are ofcourse quite nice stuff that I've seen in museums (atop of the stuff that I've listed earlier). In my hometown there is a artillery museum and near by a armourmuseum. In there I've seen basicly all the artillery pieces that have ever been operated by our army and of course all the tanks from Vickers and T-26 to Leopard II and all in the between.
One of the fanciest stuff was FROG-7 artillery rocket, ex-NVA piece that was displayed in both of the museums (got a good luck to see it in both occasions)
 
B

Bosun CLC

Just Hatched
Registered Member
:coffee:popeye, although you were smiling in your photograph, you looked just a bit tired before you went up for the FOD walkdown. I think you were on the Kennedy the same time I was on the Oriskany, although being a modified Essex class carrier the largest fighter we could carry was the F-8J Crusader. While in the Tonkin Gulf we also had the A-7A Corsair, SH-3 Sea King, EKA-3 Skywarrior & E1B Tracers. Ironically I didn't work on a flight(helo)deck until I served on board the George Philip FFG-12. I have to admit it was a bit of a rush being an LSE during heavy seas while bracing against the rotor down-wash of the SH-2 Seasprite. Like yourself, I've seen just about everthing in the USN/ USMC inventory. Regretfully however, I was too tall to serve onboard submarines.
While in the Beachmasters at Coronado, we worked hand in hand with the Amphibious Seabees, Amphibious Craft Unit-1 with their LCU-1616 class & ACU-5 headquartered at Camp Pendleton with their LCAC's. While in the Beachmasters 91-94 as we worked closely with the Marines Landing Shore Battalion, we went through school of infantry training at Pendleton and became proficient with the M-60, M203, M-16 and M-2. Thankfully our unit kept our match grade 45's as our side-arms.
While conducting joint "humanitarian" operations with the Russian Navy at their operation areas around Vladivostok, I was lucky enough to tour and practice loading several Ropucha class LST's with both USMC & Russian Naval Infantry equipment. I'm going to have to scan some of those photo's for you. Back in port at Vladivostok I was lucky to be invited to tour on several Udaloy class destroyers. A very interesting vessel.
While stationed aboard the USS Blue Ridge, we were invited by the PLAN to visit the port and city of Qingdao as well as tour several destroyers and frigates. Of special interest to me was the Qingdao DDG-113 and the Jaingwei class frigate. The Qingdao was spotless although curiously I noticed that "she" had false overheads (ceilings) covering the cable-runs and pipes normally exposed for damage control purposes in USN vessels. That being said, I was impressed by the professionalism of the PLAN sailor and the pride and care they took in their ships.
Ship's I would like to see in person is the PLAN type 71 LPD, the Japanese "DDH" 145 and the Osumi LST 4001. My last five years and some months of active duty 1994-2000 was spent being home ported in Japan, primarily Yokosuka at Port Operations and the Blue Ridge. That gave me the oportunity of also getting to know the ships and aircraft of the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force,
 
bd popeye

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
BOSUN, my son who served on active duty for nine years and is now a drilling reservist. His first ship, USS Paul F Foster, visited Qingdao in 2002. He said it was the best port of the deployment. And he echoed what you stated.

I too served on a modified Essex class. The USS Hancock CVA-19 in '74 & '75.
 
Last edited:
bd popeye

bd popeye

The Last Jedi
VIP Professional
Since it's over a year since the last post and we have a number of new members..Let's get things going again..

Just what military gear have you guys actually seen with your own eyes??
 
Semi-Lobster

Semi-Lobster

Junior Member
I see military hardwardware every other day. Mostly CF-18s flying around. Near the DND building its not unusual to seek flatbed trucks with M113s and other military logistics vehicles going in and out as well. Unfortunately, the Ottawa river is a tad too shallow for any naval craft! Also downtown there are army, air force and naval people in uniform everywhere giong about their daily buisness.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top