Everything built by one person will always be destroyed by another! But even if it doesn't, sooner or later anything will become unusable. You can't always rely on repairs, sooner or later any item will be scrapped, and military vehicles and equipment are no exception. Of course, tanks or planes cannot be "thrown" into regular landfills. And this is not only because of their military use, but also because of these things, even if they are destroyed, it costs a lot of money. As a result, there is a dedicated space for parking used military equipment.
1. Kola Submarine Cemetery - Russia
On the Kola Peninsula, in the far north of Russia, there is a relatively small bay that was converted into a submarine graveyard back in Soviet times. Since the first half of the 70s of the 20th century, submarines that have completed their service have been laid to rest here. Nuclear submarines are also buried here.
According to some statistics, there are about 16 nuclear reactors at the bottom of the bay. In the 90s of the 20th century, some submarines that were parked there but did not sink were sold as scrap metal to other countries.
2. Frankingham - United Kingdom
In 1940, the British Air Force established a new base at Folkingham, Lincolnshire. Fordingham was initially used by the British as a fake airfield to divert the attention of German intelligence. The runway of the base is covered with models of military vehicles. After the outbreak of the Cold War, Fordingham was used to store ballistic missiles. In 1963, the base was closed and sold for agricultural use.
However, one of the largest cemeteries of special and military equipment in the world was later established on its territory. Here, everything from bulldozers and tankers to armored vehicles from the Second World War and the Cold War era is here.
3. Topchikha - Russia
In the vicinity of the village of Topchikha, Altai Krai, there is a military unit and the so-called "Central Tank Reserve Base". This vehicle cemetery is an atypical cemetery. Although the armored vehicles stored here look insignificant, in fact a considerable part of them can still be repaired. Other end-of-life vehicles are used to dismantle spare parts. In addition to tanks and armored personnel carriers, Topchiha also stores old military trucks.
4. Roken Zusra – Germany
During the Cold War, one of NATO's largest forces was concentrated in West Germany, just as the Warsaw Pact's forces were concentrated in East Germany. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of Germany, the armies of the newly united countries began to be actively reduced. As a result, numerous cemeteries of military equipment began to spring up all over Germany. The largest of these is still a storage base in Roken Zusla.
In recent years, the storage area of base equipment has been significantly reduced. Gradually, these armored vehicles were used as spare parts and scrap metal. A small part is being rebuilt for export.
5. Davis Monson - USA
It's not just armored vehicles, trucks or ships that are laid to rest in military cemeteries, many planes face the same fate. The world's largest aircraft reserve is located near Tucson, Arizona, USA. The cemetery houses hundreds of helicopters and various aircraft, ranging from small training aircraft to expensive fighter jets and military transport aircraft.
As with other atypical cemeteries, the equipment in Davis-Monsonley will not only be disposed of, but also reconstructed. Most often, the aircraft repaired here are intended for export.
6. Kharkov Tank Repair Plant - Ukraine
In Soviet times, the Kharkov tank repair plant was by no means a graveyard for equipment. At least not in the full sense of the word. Most of the equipment that came here was either put to immediate use or repaired and put back into service. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the enterprise lost business, and hundreds of military vehicles became scrap metal.
For decades, tanks transported here could only be parked in the open. Still, some of the equipment is cut and disposed of as scrap metal.
7. Kabul – Afghanistan
Near the capital of Afghanistan there is one of the largest cemeteries of military equipment in Asia. The cemetery was originally used by the Soviet army as a temporary storage base for vehicles damaged on the battlefield. However, after the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, it became a garbage dump. Later, the US troops who entered Afghanistan were used for some time.
They brought cars from all over the country to Kabul. There are not only tanks and armored personnel carriers, but also "rarities" from the cemetery of military equipment such as the "Grad" MLRS. Gradually, local Afghans began to cut and take away the vehicles stored here.
8. La Soka - Ukraine
In 1986, one of the biggest man-made disasters occurred in Chernobyl. The explosion of a nuclear power plant was a terrible tragedy, the consequences of which led to the paralysis of the entire country. To eliminate the consequences, the USSR used a large amount of military equipment. Since all these machines were heavily exposed to radiation at the end of the operation, it was not safe to continue using them.
Therefore, the authorities decided to create a garbage dump in the exclusion zone. In fairness, not only military vehicles used in Chernobyl, but also civilian vehicles found their last refuge here.
9. Sierra Nevada - USA
In the Sierra Nevada Mountains near San Francisco, California, USA, there is one of the largest cemeteries of armored vehicles in the United States. To date, between 1,500 and 2,000 M1 Abrams tanks are stored here. The Americans also store armored personnel carriers and trucks here. As with most such facilities, the base is a "back-up storage facility".
While the tanks stored here are usually in poor condition, many of them are still being disassembled for parts to repair vehicles that are still in service.
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The pictures and texts in the article are all from the Internet. The compilation is for the sole purpose of disseminating information and does not mean that it endorses or confirms the views expressed herein.