Then and Now
1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), U.S. Army, the huge Sky Crane CH-54A helicopter which can lift tremendous loads. Viet Nam Pho
Still in use today. The M113 has an aluminuim body and diesel powered. Early versions used a gasoline engine. Basic weapon, the M2 .50cal. Versions included: ambulance, command vehicles, mortar carriers.
Stealth plus 40000lb payload, what more could you ask for?.
The B52 is still around and will be for years to come. A 70000lb payload and a range of over 8000 miles without midair refueling.
The M151 was a replacement for the WWII Jeep. Used for decades, it was replaced by the HMMWV. Considered so unsafe for civilians, they were destroyed when retired to prevent anyone from using them.
The Chinook was a break through in helecopter lift technology. Sling loading equipment, carrying a platoon, and heavy cargo made this helecopter a game changer.
UH-1 Iroquois. The icon of the Vietnam war. This helecopter defined airmobile operations. Variants included, medivac ("Dust off"), cargo, gun ships besides the mission of carrying troops into battle. Still used by the USMC.
The Skyraider was the A10 of it's day. Carrying an array of bombs, napalm and missles it was used by theNavy, Marines and Air Force for close air support.
HMMWV (hummer or humvee) has many configurations, cargo, troop, ambulance, weapons platform and communications versions are some of the uses. Fairly lightweight and diesel powered it can out perform any commercial vehicle in rough terrain.
The Blackhawk can sling load 8000lbs or carry over a ton interior. Can carry 11 troops. It can cruise over 170mph and a ceiling of 19,000ft. "When the last Blackhawk is retired, the crew will be flown home in a Huey"
The A10 has more than proved it's worth in close air support. It's 30mm gun with depleted uranium rounds can destroy any armored vehicle. Quiet, subsonic, and unbelievably agile, it's a "must have" for ground troops
.
The Stryker is the latest in armored personnel and weapons platforms. With "Blue Force" tracking to keep tabs on all friendly troops and avoiding friendly fire incidents. It can be equipped with an array of machine guns, cannons, and missiles.
The Chinook airframe is basically the same with enhanced avionics and engines, it will be around for a while. Capable of carrying artillery pieces, vehicles, troops and cargo it is essential in air mobile operations.
Basically unchanged, the CEV is the main engineer vehicle for armored and mechanized units doing work as a bulldozer and boom work.
Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV) Pictured in the first Gulf War laying smoke to protect an M113 towing another. Equipped with a blade and boom for work. M2 .50 cal, 7.62 coaxial MG, and 165mm Demolition gun for protection and demolition work.
Navy Seals have a vast array of fast boats
and configurations. This one travels at
45 knots, seats 8 or carries 3200 lbs
payload.
Navy Seals used whatever was
available to get the job done, and they
got it done. Several different river
boats were used.
Today's communications carry, telephone,
internet, and video to anywhere in the
world. Satellite systems can use commercial
or military satellites. Set up time - 2 minutes
High tech communications were usually limited
to a few phone conversations up to a few
hundred miles. Manual switchboards transferred
calls. To call home you used MARS (ask
a vet what it was). The military has, however
provided the majority of innovations for
communications, like the internet.
The F18SH is only used by the U.S. Navy
but is the latest. It can be equipped for
many roles, even fuel tanker. Speed 1190 mph,
ceiling 50,000, can carry 17,750 lbs of weapons.
Designed to carry nuclear weapons at high
speed rather than aerial combat it could
fly up to 1368mph and up to 50,000ft. It
could carry 8000lbs of weapons. Pictured
shooting down a Mig.
The M1 is the undisputed best tank in the
world. 120mm main gun. Almost 70 tons, 1500hp,
extremely sophisticated and deadly.
The M48 was the main battle tank. It had
a 90mm main gun, .50 cal M2 MG and coaxial
7.62 machine guns. It weighed 52 tons and
could travel up to 40mph.
Numerous versions of unmanned aerial
vehicles are in use today, relaying
real time video and other information
to anywhere in the world. From
small hand launched to the Global Hawk
as large as a B17.
The OH6 is still around today. The concept
was simple, fly low and when they shoot at you,
you know where the enemy is.
The AT4 (84) replaced the LAW and is effective
to 300 meters and 15 inches of hard rolled plate.
Same concept as the LAW, fire and throw away the tube.
Currently used effectively in urban fighting.
The M24 is a highly modified M700 Remington
with a 10x42 scope and maximum effective
range of 875 yards. The M110 is a derivative
of the AR10 but much better. It is effective
to 1000 yards and well received. Both are in
extensive use.
The M72 LAW (Light Antitank Weapon) replaced the
aging bazookas WWII and Korea. Initial lots were
were plagued by misfires. After the bugs were
worked out it worked well penetrating up to 14
inches of armor at 200 meters.
The M4 is 80% interchangeable with the M16A2
It is lighter and more options such a sight rails
and 40mm grenade tubes but has shown 3 times more failures
than the M16A2. It also uses the 5.56mm round.
The M16 replaced the M14
The original used the 7.62mm or .308 round
It blew up during a demo to the Army.
It was pushed to the services by the USAF using the 5.56mm round.
Although not much different, reliable or effective
The M16A2 is still around today.
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