Military

Forgotten Soviet Submarine Graveyard on the Kola Peninsula

August 5th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

The foreboding Kola Peninsula in northwest Russia is home to an incredible Soviet submarine graveyard near the naval base of Olenya Bay. Today, the base – and its rusting subs – represent one of the most bleak naval facilities on the planet.

Antique Sub Marine Explorer After 142 Years of Abandonment in Panama

July 19th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

Put to sea in 1866, the Sub Marine Explorer must be one of the oldest known submersible wrecks. Built for the Pacific Pearl Company but later abandoned in 1869, Explorer was “rediscovered” in 2001 despite being well known to locals.

Crumbling Control Tower & Other Abandoned Buildings at RAF Finmere

July 19th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

Finmere was one of hundreds of military bases hurriedly constructed across Britain at the outset of World War Two. Its tenure was shortlived, but the former runway, control tower and various abandoned buildings are still extant today.

Downed MiG-29 and Tank Wrecks of the Kosovo War

July 7th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

Fierce fighting during the Kosovo War of 1998 – 1999 saw many armoured vehicles destroyed and aircraft shot down, including this ill-fated Yugoslav MiG-29 fighter jet downed by NATO forces on March 27, 1999 outside the town of Ugljevik.

Downed MiG-21 Fighter: Both Urban Art and Tragic Monument

May 2nd, 2011, Art, Military, by Tom

This wrecked MiG-21bis fighter plane was downed during an attack on the Croatian village of Saborsko on November 9, 1991. Its mangled metal looks like a piece of urban art, but also stands as a tragic reminder of the events that came to pass nearby.

Battle Grounds: 6 Ghost Villages Urban Explorers Should Avoid

April 22nd, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

The UK is home to a number of abandoned villages that urban explorers definitely do not want to infiltrate. Many of them dating back to the Domesday Book of 1086, the villages are now used to train soldiers in close quarters combat for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Top Secret Technology Demonstrator Aircraft That Are Now Declassified

April 10th, 2011, Military, by Tom

Known as technology demonstrators and operating from the top secret Groom Lake, these groundbreaking designs tested low observable technologies and proved that stealth aircraft could operate behind enemy lines with a high degree of survivability.

New Lease of Life for Abandoned Saab 35 Draken Fighter Plane

April 6th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

This article features a series of photographs by Sameli Kujala, depicting a Saab 35 Draken fighter plane that had been neglected and vandalised in northern Finland. One of the lucky survivors, the aircraft has now been rescued and reassembled.

Historic Groom Mine, Area 51, Nevada

March 27th, 2011, Military, Travel, by Tom

The western United States is famous for abandoned mines and ghost towns, but this slice of Old West history is notable because it occupies land overlooking the classified Groom Lake test site in Nevada, known to the world as Area 51.

Scrapped: Are these the Remains of Fiona Banner’s Harrier and Jaguar?

March 25th, 2011, Art, Military, by Tom

Fiona Banner’s recent Harrier and Jaguar exhibition at Tate Britain, featuring two retired fighter planes, captivated the modern art loving audience. But aviation enthusiasts will be shocked to learn that the decommissioned jets may have been sold for scrap.

Farewell to the Harrier: The Jump Jet Jumps No More

March 17th, 2011, Military, by Tom

The Harrier Jump Jet is one of Britain’s finest aviation achievements and one of the most iconic military jets ever built. But as it bows out of UK service following controversial budget cuts, we take a visual look at the Harrier’s distinguished career from design to retirement.

Redundant Russian Fighter Jets Sold for £3 Each

February 26th, 2011, Military, by Tom

A former Russian official has been jailed for 11 years for illegally selling four MiG-31 Foxbat fighter jets for just £3 each, in a scandal that cost the state around $55 million..

Crashed P-38 Lightning: The Maid of Harlech

February 17th, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

In 2007, a P-38 Lightning Fighter that crash landed on a beach in Wales in 1942 reappeared for the first time in 65 years. Dubbed the Maid of Harlech, a race is on to recovered the abandoned aircraft. Fortunately, it is once again hidden from prying eyes by the shifting sand.

Wikimedia Featured Picture: Underground Galleries at Fort de Roppe

February 8th, 2011, Military, Travel, by Tom

This stunning capture of the underground galleries at Fort de Roppe near Belfort, France, has featured as one of Wikimedia Commons’ pictures of the day. The underground galleries were built during the First World War to connect the fort to the troop shelter.

Crashed Lockheed Constellation “Pegasus” Wreck at Pegasus Field, Antarctica

lockheed-constellation-pegasus-field-wreck-antarctica

February 1st, 2011, Military, Urban Exploration, by Tom

On October 8, 1970 a C-121 Lockheed Constellation named “Pegasus” crashed landed at a remote airstrip in Antarctica while attempting to touch down in near-zero visibility conditions. The aircraft is still there today!