Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 Let's have a thread full of vehicles, vessels, aircraft and weapons of the Cold War. If you can think of some leaders or soldiers who really stood out during that era, like maybe Curtis LeMay, throw them into the mix too. I'll start us out with one of the mightiest, most beautiful warships ever to put to sea: The USS Wisconsin. 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlockPride Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 (edited) Can't figure out pics, but the B1-B is the sexiest airplane and exudes Cold War era coolness. Â Edited September 9, 2017 by GlockPride 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The Wisconsin is probably the oldest vessel that could make this list, or is among the oldest. At the other end of the Cold War is a class of US Destroyers that just sneaked in under the wire. The Arleigh Burke was began production in 1988 and the first of the class was commissioned in 1991. These were really enormous Destroyers and many consider them Cruisers, in everything but name. They are beautiful and very capable ships. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 2 minutes ago, GlockPride said: Can't figure out pics, but the B1-B is the sexiest airplane and exudes Cold War era coolness. Â The B-1 Lancer may be the sexiest looking military aircraft ever built. 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 One of my favorite light bomber/attack aircraft of all time is the FB-111. I love this bird. The low-level terrain-following RADAR and autopilot system was said to be a truly terrifying ride and an incredible capability for a penetration bomber like the 111. 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlockPride Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 F111 is the aardvark, correct? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The M-1 Abrams was a game-changer when it entered service. It is still one of the best main battle tanks in the world, decades later. When I was in the Army, it was a little dangerous when we would roadmarch on tank trails, on Army bases where M-1s operated. They were fast and with those diesel turbine engines, they were damned quite, compared to other tanks and tracked vehicles. An M-1 could overtake us on the trail, or close with us from the front, before we realized it was there. It is a hell of a thing to look over your shoulder and see one of those big mothers climbing up your ass, I am here to tell you. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 1 minute ago, GlockPride said: F111 is the aardvark, correct? Yes. I'm not sure if that is an official or unofficial designation, but that it always how I heard it referred to. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The USS Oriskany was in service for a good portion of the Cold War. I wonder how many missions were launched from her decks? The battleship in the background of the picture below is the Wisconsin again. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 If the Cold War had a logo image that represented it, it would probably include the silhouette of these two rifles. 9 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 It wouldn't be a Cold War thread without the Stratofortress. 12 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 Or the Bear. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The Bradley had its detractors, but I liked it. I was meant to be a Bradley driver, before I got recruited into The Old Guard. I had to be an 11-B light infantryman for that assignment. I only ever got to drive a Bradley once, but it was a memorable ride! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The ubiquitous M-113 could be found damned near everywhere western, for most of the span of the Cold War. It was never the best choice for an armored tracked vehicle, but we built a shitload of them and gave them out to ever nation on Earth that didn't have a hammer and/or a sickle on their flag. M-113s are still in use to this day, in many countries, in many roles. I would be very surprised if there weren't still a number of special-purpose tracked vehicles in us in the US military, that had M-113 chassis under them. The first time I drove one of these in Basic, I knocked down a a tree that was five or six inches in diameter. This bounced the trainer of the lip of the TC hatch and REALLY pissed him off. I did a lot of pushups later. I was the only guy in my training cycle to dent an armored vehicle.  4 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 Another couple of icons from the Bad Old Days. 16 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 A US fighter aircraft that served for a big chunk of the Cold War. It is one of my favorite jet fighters of all time. These fighters saw service in pretty much every area of our flying armed forces, in pretty much every role. It was quite an aircraft and I love those lines. I used to sit and watch the F-4s take off and land at Kelly AFB, in San Antonio. Â Â 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 That AIM-54 Phoenix air-to-air missile was a hell of a capability. That had to worry the Sovs back then. I wonder what their game plan was to counter that threat, if the balloon went up? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 And the F-15 Eagle. This is my favorite Cold War-era military aircraft, my favorite fighter aircraft ever and I believe it is the best looking aircraft ever built, of any type. I love this bird. I was just starting Air Force Junior ROTC in high school, a few years after the F-15s were making it into general use in the Air Force. We learned all about this fighter and I fell in love. I remember watching the news when they reported on the first satellite ever shot down by a fighter aircraft. That was a hell of a fete for back then. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 I don't know how the MI-24 Hind attack helicopter stands up against all the hype that has built up around it, but it seems to be a tough, capable attack aircraft. I love the fact that it is an effective attack helo that can also carry its own infantry support. That is good planning. Kind of like the Israeli Merkava tank. Â Remember those silly looking visually modified approximations of MI-24s that they used to film the original Red Dawn? 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 Our own bit of close-support nastiness. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 And another: 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 And another attack helicopter prototype that predates the Cobra and the Apache. It was an amazing aircraft that just did not make it into production. It had capabilities that neither the Apache or Cobra had. One of the coolest features was a pusher propeller, that helped the aircraft sustain some phenomenal forward airspeeds. This thing had a top speed of 244mph! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Someday Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Eric said: One of my favorite light bomber/attack aircraft of all time is the FB-111. I love this bird. The low-level terrain-following RADAR and autopilot system was said to be a truly terrifying ride and an incredible capability for a penetration bomber like the 111. Isn't that what we used to take out Kadafi's compound back in the 80's? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 The US attack aircraft that the Sovs called The Devil's Cross. I think this aircraft scared them. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted September 9, 2017 Author Administrators Share Posted September 9, 2017 6 minutes ago, Someday said: Isn't that what we used to take out Kadafi's compound back in the 80's? Yes, it is. For penetration missions, this aircraft had a terrain-following RADAR that was tied to the autopilot system. The aircraft could be set to proceed at fairly high speed, while maintaining a set distance from terrain and obstructions. I saw a documentary once about the FB-111. The pilots interviewed said that the hardest thing about such missions was resisting the urge to grab the controls, as the aircraft flew at mountains and other obstructions at break-neck speeds. The pilots said it was a terrifying experience. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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