HalloweenJack
14th May 2008, 11:34
RAF Spadeadam is the British military's testing range where air crew practice battle with simulated surface to air threats. Basically they have a load of Russian SAM systems and various radar decoys etc. Most of the kit was obtained from Eastern Europe(?) and includes SA-2, SA-8 and SA-6 missile systems.
I've been nosing around it on Google Earth and identifying the various kit - it can be challenging because a lot of them are decoys. You don't normally get to see some of these mobile systems on Google Earth in OPFOR countries but because we know they are here, we know where to look. Also, RAF have a photo gallery of the site so often you can cross-reference photos to Google Earth.
CLICK The images for full view
Here are some of the kit. Radar for S-300 SAM:
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3936/s300fn6.jpg
SA-2 SAM systems components
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2605/sa2by6.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1926/sa2radarsxf2.jpg
A fake Roland SAM system
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8339/rolandxv6.jpg
ZSU-23 AAA system
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/294/zsujj2.jpg
A fake T-72 tank (Serbia scenario?)
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2549/t72dz9.jpg
Ok, so there's a bunch of real and fake systems, so how good a photo intelligence analyst would you be? Probably better than me, but here's some childish fun, can you spot what it is, and whether it's real or fake???
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8527/aqyg6.jpg
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5886/bqyy1.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/919/cqlf0.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/5053/dqsn3.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/6659/eqfw0.jpg
Answers:
A - http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5931/aaai8.jpg
B - http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/9985/baiu4.jpg
C - http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/8306/cayi5.jpg
D - http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/2020/davr0.jpg
E - http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/912/eayl4.jpg
There's also a Sukhoi, numerous other weapon systems and decoys and a mock airfield if anyone wants to go look in Google Earth.
BIG credit to
Planeman from the ATS forum for all of the above (shamelessly nikced as its darn good)
I've been nosing around it on Google Earth and identifying the various kit - it can be challenging because a lot of them are decoys. You don't normally get to see some of these mobile systems on Google Earth in OPFOR countries but because we know they are here, we know where to look. Also, RAF have a photo gallery of the site so often you can cross-reference photos to Google Earth.
CLICK The images for full view
Here are some of the kit. Radar for S-300 SAM:
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/3936/s300fn6.jpg
SA-2 SAM systems components
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/2605/sa2by6.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1926/sa2radarsxf2.jpg
A fake Roland SAM system
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8339/rolandxv6.jpg
ZSU-23 AAA system
http://img105.imageshack.us/img105/294/zsujj2.jpg
A fake T-72 tank (Serbia scenario?)
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/2549/t72dz9.jpg
Ok, so there's a bunch of real and fake systems, so how good a photo intelligence analyst would you be? Probably better than me, but here's some childish fun, can you spot what it is, and whether it's real or fake???
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/8527/aqyg6.jpg
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5886/bqyy1.jpg
http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/919/cqlf0.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/5053/dqsn3.jpg
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/6659/eqfw0.jpg
Answers:
A - http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/5931/aaai8.jpg
B - http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/9985/baiu4.jpg
C - http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/8306/cayi5.jpg
D - http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/2020/davr0.jpg
E - http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/912/eayl4.jpg
There's also a Sukhoi, numerous other weapon systems and decoys and a mock airfield if anyone wants to go look in Google Earth.
BIG credit to
Planeman from the ATS forum for all of the above (shamelessly nikced as its darn good)