Posted on 03/07/2010 10:42:14 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The army insists that the 200 T-72 and T-80 tanks found in the woods next to a railroad station in the Urals last week, was part of a normal movement of military equipment, and the vehicles were under guard. But a week ago, people living in village of Elanskaya (outside the city of Yekaterinburg) noted the vehicles, unguarded, and unlocked, but without ammo or ignition keys. Local kids began crawling in and out of the tanks. Videos of all this began showing up on local, then national, web news programs. The government controlled national media tried to ignore it at first. Eventually the troops showed up, and then the tanks began disappearing, as trains with flat cars came by at night to pick them up. The situation raised, once more, the issue of the military wasting resources by trying to retain obsolete equipment. This may have made sense at one time, when military technology didn't change as rapidly as it has for the last few decades. Keeping over 20,000 tanks in service, when only 6,000 are needed, is seen as a waste of resources. The army responds that it had 50,000 tanks at the end of the Cold War, and has already sent most of them to the smelters. But as the recent episode demonstrated, the military is still spending a lot of money on tanks it doesn't need. The army would not comment on why those late model tanks were temporarily dumped in the woods next to the Trans-Siberian railroad. But one can surmise that Russia was building up its tank strength out east.
(Excerpt) Read more at strategypage.com ...
Heh.
Good ‘un.
I’ll take 20 of the latest models. Need to do some urban renewal in Mexico. With 40, I’ll clean up Venezuela.
It will take about 50 to clean up my neighborhood.
If I buy 40, can I get 10 free, comrades?
We saw the rust bucket armor that invaded Georgia. That was the best they could do. The Rooskies had been having problems on that border for years and what we saw was the best they had after years of preparation.
My money says the best forces (2000?) are guarding Moscow and a couple of other cities. The rest of the tank force, what there is, is good against maybe what was a Georgian militia.
yitbos
T-series tanks parked in the forest.
They were chumming for A-10 Warthogs.
Come on guys, you know we’ve all misplaced things at times, it just happens to be tanks in this case.
T-72s and T-80s are not obsolete. They may be junk, but they are not obsolete. Especially not in say Iranian service. Maybe by way of Kazakhstan, which is not too far from Yekaterinburg. Both Iran and Kazakhstan have Caspian sea coasts. Or they could ship through Turkmenistan (possibly Uzbekistan as well).
“T-series tanks parked in the forest.”
Were they Deep In The Hurtgen Forest.
Something is wrong. I read this article over a year ago. This is old old news.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDtIj2umgj4&feature=related
That is a fresh video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n77vS6Br_vs&NR=1
Another one.
My money says some will ‘stick’ in Uzbekistan on their way to Tehran.
"... and unlocked, but without ammo or ignition keys."
Door locks and ignition keys on combat vehicles?
How many will it take to clean up the District of Criminals?
It was posted March 7,2010
Good thing they aren't made by Toyota, eh?
Really!
Probably has this stuff stored away somewhere just in case.
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