Sunday, October 16, 2016

Heavy Metal

Picking up where I left off yesterday, the Army Run is an annual charity run by members of the Canadian military each September. Though many of the participants are local, either from the national headquarters or nearby bases, some come from further afield. As part of the weekend, military vehicles and equipment get set up at the central point of the run- City Hall and the Cartier Square Drill Hall. Servicemen and women are on hand to answer questions and let you have a closer look at things. The modern wing of City Hall and the provincial courthouse appear prominently in the background of these shots.

This first vehicle as the Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV), a multi-purpose vehicle used for reconnaissance, surveillance, command post, and troop transport.


This second one is a Buffalo, part of a team of vehicles and military engineer crews involved in detection and disposal of IEDs. It's usually teamed with three other vehicles- two Huskies, which detect potential threats, this behemoth, which investigates the nature of a threat, and the Cougar, which acts as a transport for the disposal operators and their tools. These teams were quite busy during the Afghanistan mission.


This is the Bison, an armoured carrier serving in various capacities, as a troop carrier, for reconnaissance, for electronic warfare, command posts, or in this case as a medical transport.


This, meanwhile, is the Coyote, used for reconnaissance and surveillance on the battlefield, and well armoured as you'd expect. 


Equipment was also on display, including these examples of body armour.


The equipment also included this, a Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MUAV), a drone used for surveillance and reconnaissance.


This is a Lightweight Counter Mortar Radar (LCMR), designed to be easily transported and adaptable on the battlefield, its electronic array giving pinpoint precision data on things such as threat point of origin.


I leave off today with a monument, set facing the Cartier Square Drill Hall. It is in memory of two men, William Osgoode and John Rogers, members of the Guards Company of Sharpshooters, who fell in action at the Battle Of Cut Knife in 1885.

25 comments:

  1. Impressive equipment! Such heavy military stuff is kind of awesome but also distressing. When does it stop?

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  2. An impressive display of military might. It's too bad man always feels the need to fight.

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  3. Military equipment and machinery has certainly changed since I was in the service. Unfortunately in this country many of the local police departments (with money from the national government) are purchasing military equipment and adopting military tactics to deal with the civilian population. As you might imagine, the results are less than satisfactory if you're concerned with human rights.

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  4. We seldom get to see these heavy machinery and equipment. If we do see them on the streets, we feel disturbed and uneasy with their presence. A beautiful monument.

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  5. Buffalo, bison, coyote.. interesting names for these war machines William!

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  6. @Linda: as long as humanity is around.

    @Bill: it is in our nature.

    @Lowell: that I do find troubling. This gear does not belong in police hands. Their job is to serve and protect. Not intimidate.

    @Nancy: one usually only sees them at bases, or older equivalents in museums. It is good to see them up close though and get an appreciation of how they work.

    @Grace: they are appropriate names.

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  7. the buffalo is interesting...i've never seen one like that!

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  8. A great series of photos. I had no idea there were so many specialized vehicles. On the other hand each person has their own specialized job.

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  9. What an impressive array of battle equipment!

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  10. @Tanya: quite different from the animal!

    @Tex: very heavy. Some of these weigh a lot.

    @Red: there's quite an array in the Forces, and these are pretty much infantry and artillery centered.

    @Sharon: quite so. It's a good chance to get up close and learn a few things.

    @Linda: I do enjoy this chance to see these. Last year I got right inside a tank, which makes for cramped quarters.

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  11. An interesting event. I hope it brought a lot of money for the charity run.

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  12. i could use 1 of those 2 get around in. nice! ( ;

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  13. The lightweight counter mortar Radar unit looks like something out of a 1950's science fiction book or magazine.

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  14. I love such equipment, William. An illustrious history and present befitting a great nation

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  15. This equipment reminds me of how ill prepared U.S. troops were at the beginning of our latest series of wars. Most of the heavy equipment was poorly armored. I wonder if it looks more like yours now.

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  16. Collin​ will love this. He was like a kid in a candy store at Marine Week. I was afraid he was going to enlist!

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  17. @Marleen: the event does quite well in that regard each year.

    @RedPat: they generally do!

    @Revrunner: that is true.

    @Beth: I wouldn't mind one myself.

    @Janis: very heavy!

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  18. @Mari: I can see that.

    @Cloudia: I enjoy photographing this event each year.

    @Whisk: thank you!

    @Furry Gnome: I certainly think so.

    @Kay: we've been under-equipped at times.

    @Norma: this does draw the attention of kids- and adults!

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