Use Google Earth: Identify Weaponry 'Round the World

I'm currently analysing the SAM sites across the world.

In the meantime, has anyone got any military equipment they've found on Google Earth and want help identifying it or a second opinion on what it is?

Just give the Lat and Long coordinates.

EDIT: Thread title changed on request

[edit on 11-7-2006 by planeman]

GE is brilliant, just wish I had the time to trawl through it!

One day.......one day!

Well I made the effort (mainly coz wifey took the little one to the shops and gave me 5 mins), and I came up with this....

51 24' 40.81"N

3 25' 48.69"W

Maybe its a Vickors DC 10 with the back end missing? Really not my subject! I will look again soon!


McP

Yeah, it's a Vickers VC-10 actually (IIRC). That's the designation *I* always heard anyway. Not to be confused with the McDonell Douglas DC-10.

I'm almost embarrased to admit this, but when you said "VC-10 with the back off" I knew which plane you were talking about before I even punched the coordinates into google earth. That's how sad I am.

Yes it's an old Vicker's VC-10 minus the tail and engines. I don't know for sure but I guess it is used for SAS training - raiding aircraft etc. Either that or it's being served up in the Range stew.

There's a complete VC-10 nearby at 51 24 41.82 N 3 26 22.38 E

And a BAe Hawk T. Mk1 in an engine testing postition at 51 24 34.58 N 3 26 13.02 E and a rather crude mock-up of a Tornado at 51 24 47.60 N 3 26 25.07 E

I just have one question..how do you find this. Like I know the big bases, but you find these remote SAM sites, how do you do it.

This is quite a cool place - Theres an SR-71

33°52'59.40"N, 117°15'58.86"W

Heres a Patriot missile battery - 29°11'12.73"N, 48° 1'12.74"E

Originally posted by truttseeker
I just have one question..how do you find this. Like I know the big bases, but you find these remote SAM sites, how do you do it.

A good question. I think that I'll compile an "idiot's guide"* to spotting SAM sites. The easiest countries to practice with are Egypt and Syria - litterally thousands of SAM sites which mostly show up well in the sand.


* compiled by an idiot that is...

This is quite a cool place - Theres an SR-71

33°52'59.40"N, 117°15'58.86"W

Heres a Patriot missile battery - 29°11'12.73"N, 48° 1'12.74"E

Cool. Talking of cool Patriot, the best site that I know of is this one: 31°48'58.32"N, 106° 18'30.62"W - I didn't find that, god knows how they ID'd it.


A few more random military sights:

* USAF C-17 in former USSR: 37 59 08.12 N 58 21 04.54 E
* The famous "Caspian Sea Monster" Lun missile ekranoplan: 42 52 54.61 N 47 39 24.56 E (also look nearby to South East where there is another and some cool hovercraft)
* Saudi Arabian stealth frigate: 21 25 54.37 N 39 10 21.20 E
* Argentinean aircraft carrier 25th de Mayo awaiting breaking in India: 21 22 44.31 N 72 10 37.35 E
* Chinese stealth missile boat at sea: 38 46 19.24 N 121 36 18.99 E
* Italian assault carrier "San Giorgio": 38 51 35.43 N 8 46 27.67 E
* USAF AWAC in South America: 0 56 55.43 S 80 41 11.43 W
* Peruvian cruiser: 12 02 24.78 S 77 08 30.92 W
* Vietnamese Su-27 Flanker fighter: 10 58 21.72 N 106 49 20.07 E

[edit on 12-7-2006 by planeman]

It's quite well-known, but for those who haven't seen it....

Lancaster in flight! 52 20'11" N by 0 11'44" W

(How do you get the 'degrees' symbol?)

If you need help to identify USAF planes this is a good place to start:
32 09 16.34 N 110 49 44.64 W.
It is the Air Force graveyard. Lots of planes including a lot of current and not so current air craft are shown. Should help one get used to identifying air craft from the sat pictures on military bases, museums or just in people's yards. Lots of "i" tags to help also.

[edit on 12-7-2006 by Pyle]

Valhalla , RSA : co ordrinates - 25° 48' 42S,28° 9' 1E

looks like a SAAF air base -- or rather what is left of it

i am not sure of its current opearional status -- one runway looks unused and falling into disrepair

and the airframes on view are a strange mix -- some obviously static mounts

and parked on the apron are a strange mix of transports , fighters , even what looks like a canberra -- and several helicopters

some units look in a poor state of repair -- on even has no wings .

without insulting the southaficans -- it looks " tatty "

i will do some digging to get the instalation official name , status etc

[edit on 12-7-2006 by ignorant_ape]

How do you guys do this??????? I need help please.

I was just wondering as a complete Google Earth novice if it is possible to see commercial aircraft such as big boeings etc in flight?
And if not could you please explain why? Is it that they are too small to show up?
I forget the statistic I read stating how many thousand aircraft are in the air at any given time but I know its a huge figue, if Google Earth is recorded satellite imagery surely it will contain aircraft and so on?

Originally posted by urmomma158
How do you guys do this??????? I need help please.

Download Google Earth from here GOOGLE EARTH

Have a look around the planet and when you stop on something it will give its exact coordinates! Have a play around its great fun and a uselull tool. Especially street directions, you can actually see what building your going to before you get there!

Was my question (see above) a ridiculous one?

As I said I'm a newcomer to Google Earth so its just a query I have.

Appreciate any replies.

Because even as much air travel as there is now, we're only occupying a tiny fraction of the sky. And it would be sheer chance to have a plane flying by right as the sattelite took a picture.

Originally posted by pmexplorer
Was my question (see above) a ridiculous one?

As I said I'm a newcomer to Google Earth so its just a query I have.

Appreciate any replies.

No question is a stupid question. I only know coz I asked the same one to somebody else! Life is full of questions and 99% of the answers you can only get from asking or trial and error.

Its easier to ask!!!!

McP

19 55'06.91"N 75 08'35.82"W

50 48'45.62"N 1 06'02.39"W

25 07'14.32"N 51 19'24.37"E

33 21'13.33"N 40 35'53.13"E

I'm checking out at Gitmo, as well as forces in the Middle East. But its a large searching. I could find more later on.

Originally posted by deltaboy
19 55'06.91"N 75 08'35.82"W

50 48'45.62"N 1 06'02.39"W

25 07'14.32"N 51 19'24.37"E

33 21'13.33"N 40 35'53.13"E

I'm checking out at Gitmo, as well as forces in the Middle East. But its a large searching. I could find more later on.

great stuff

Re. 19 55'06.91"N 75 08'35.82"W - a speed boat(?) -Am I looking at what you are here?

Re. 50 48'45.62"N 1 06'02.39"W - HMS Bristol, a British destroyer recently retired.

Re. 25 07'14.32"N 51 19'24.37"E - USAF C-17s and other transports at a base the USAF is borrowing off Qatar. There is a Qatari Aspide SAM battery if you look hard enough...

Re. 33 21'13.33"N 40 35'53.13"E - fascinating - an Iraqi air base seen after it has been "dissarmed". The destroyed aircraft shelters and numerous empty defensive positions, mostly AAA and radar give it a war-torn look. The sandbags on all the runways and taxi-ways were probably placed there by the Iraqis to prevent coalition aircraft from landing in a "air base grab" type attack as practiced by the RAF Regiment and no doubt the USAF SF. This reminds us that the IAF had abandoned its fighter aircraft long before the invasion.

Originally posted by pmexplorer
I was just wondering as a complete Google Earth novice if it is possible to see commercial aircraft such as big boeings etc in flight?
And if not could you please explain why? Is it that they are too small to show up?
I forget the statistic I read stating how many thousand aircraft are in the air at any given time but I know its a huge figue, if Google Earth is recorded satellite imagery surely it will contain aircraft and so on?

That's not a silly question at all. The answer is yes, there are a few civilian aircraft caught in flight. Two that I have previously found and logged:

1. Boeing 737 flying over a Chinese bay: 36 05 48.71 N, 120 19 35.93 E

2. Tu-154 flying over Iran: 29 28 16.84 N 52 36 34.64 E