Whitehaven Air Defence SA-8

[Nick]

Seen at the Whitehaven Festival last month, a visitor from RAF Spadeadam, their SA-8 air defence vehicle guarding the skies....




The SA-8 was capable of crossing rivers with a built-in propellor system. Look at the bottom corners of the fuselage where the hatches can be opened.



Look closer.... it's been tagged!



Guess where it was made 

[pyro-manic]

Cool! Any idea where it came from?

[Martin H]

I belive it came from Iraq along with a load of other toys that our boys wanted to play with.

[chrisonord]

Mmmmmm SA-8 

[PR19_Kit]

Erm, the tyres have 'Made in Russia' moulded into the sidewalls................................in ENGLISH! 

[Taiidantomcat]

I belive it came from Iraq along with a load of other toys that our boys wanted to play with.

The USMC got so many we didn't have enough places to put them. There are BMPs, T-55s, MTLBs parked outside every conceivable building in Camp Pendleton including supply and the heads 

[NARSES2]

Erm, the tyres have 'Made in Russia' moulded into the sidewalls................................in ENGLISH!  

Exactly what struck me Kit...

And if you'd like a little something to accompany it. This months SMMI has an advert for a "Inert SA-6 Gainfull" for £1,495. The same Czech based supplier "has other inert missiles and rockets in stock from £200" 

[Nick]

I had a good chat with the RAF guys who brought this down from RAF Spadeadam on the back of a low-loader. They could have driven it down normally but the fuel costs was just too much and the roads a bit too narrow!
If you don't know, Spadeadam is the UK's electronic warfare range for training pilots in anti anti-aircraft defence. In the Cold War they also tested rocket motors for the shortlived UK Space program. They have several ex-Soviet missile units and mock-ups of anything else they can't get yet. They even use inflatable trucks and tanks with built-in heat sources to simulate targets!
Some of the gear was bought from the ex-Warsaw Pact countries during the 90s.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/aboutus/aviationart.cfm  for a nice view of an SA-8 under attack!

[rickshaw]

Erm, the tyres have 'Made in Russia' moulded into the sidewalls................................in ENGLISH! 

Haven't you ever heard of the power of advertising? 

[lancer]

Erm, the tyres have 'Made in Russia' moulded into the sidewalls................................in ENGLISH! 

Ok, so we know the tyres were made in Russia, but what about the rest of it?? 

[Jschmus]

I belive it came from Iraq along with a load of other toys that our boys wanted to play with.

The USMC got so many we didn't have enough places to put them. There are BMPs, T-55s, MTLBs parked outside every conceivable building in Camp Pendleton including supply and the heads 

Starting in 1992 or 93 every little military museum started getting presents like that.  That's how the Carolinas Museum got its ZU-23-4 AA mount.