The largest cemetery of old equipment Bashny.Net

The US Air Force Base Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, is the most expensive and a large army cemetery of old equipment.
This place has become a haven for thousands of aircraft and helicopters mothballed until better times.
The spectacle is certainly impressive.




Square base - about 11 000 square kilometers. Every year, deposited receives about 400 units, and the same is eliminated (sold to friendly countries or destroyed). This number does not include the fleet, disposed of in separate interstate agreements. Total based units is about 4,400 aircraft. The total cost of the entire fleet - about 35 billion. Dollars.





When setting for storage from all machines dismantled weapons and sensitive equipment. Fuel systems are drained and pumped oil, forming a protective film.





Park equipment based on divided into 4 categories
• Long-term preservation (potentially combat-ready machines)
• Short-term preservation (potentially combat-ready machines)
• Planes - donor parts (gradually understand, unfit for combat)
• Appliances for sale





Base Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on Google Maps.



For every dollar spent on the maintenance of the base, the army earns $ 11 sale of spare parts and refurbished aircraft.

Arranged in regular geometric order, thousands of aircraft remain silent. It seems that they are fashioned out of clay, as the terracotta warriors from the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang,. Among white silhouettes guessed short, curved upwards, wings "Phantoms" behind them froze stocky figure decked attack aircraft A-4 "Skyhawk". On the other side begin endless series of tactical bombers, F-111 - are carefully bundled up in vinyl, as still represent a considerable value. New rows of winged machines - there are huge waiting for the B-52. Battle formations of strategic bombers sometimes peremezhivayutsya military transport aircraft C-141 "Starlifter" here and there flashed the blade "Hercules" and "Orion". Avenue of F-16s replaced helicopter stand "Iroquois" them lined supersonic missile B-1B «Lancer». Sometimes in the middle you can see the silhouette of the car, "exotic" - Decaying mummy B-47 "Stratodzhet" or piston "Trader" mid-50s ... In the southern Gaza chaos reigns - here and there stick poluobglodannye skeletons aircraft. What happened here? Man Ali wild beast slash apart the once formidable fighting machine?

The territory of the reserve aviation carefully guarded - in fact in this strange place focused second-largest air force in the world. Aircraft parking surrounded by a fence with a guard signaling lighting. Along the perimeter of the mast fitted with cameras and thermal imagers, smart video detectors day and night to monitor the situation on the way to the airbase in automatic mode; neighborhood dotted with sensitive seismic and magnetic sensors - all this does not leave a chance to violators - the inhabitants of the nearby town of Tucson do not even try to priniknut "abandoned" the airport for free and twist the fuel pump or titanium turbine blades of a jet engine.

News aviation archeology

The airbase Davis Monte, at first glance - a provincial hole, located near the Mexican border. There is stationed 355 th Fighter Wing, but despite the name, there is not even smell fighters - armed stormtroopers are only A-10 "Thunderbolt". Davis-Monthan Air Force Base is the largest training center for pilots of attack aircraft. In addition to the "Thunderbolt", in the 355 th Wing includes search and rescue unit (aircraft HC-130 and helicopters HH-60 «Pave Hawk»), a group of command and control (special EC-130), medical service and a private aerobatic team West Coast A-10.

However, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Air Base became widely known not through tricks dashing guys on airplanes clumsy "Thunderbolt". 11 square kilometers airbase takes another interesting unit - the 309th group on repair and restoration of Aerospace Engineering (Eng. Abbreviation - AMARG). In charge of this unit are more than four million units of aircraft, including 13 spacecraft. The total cost of aviation trash is estimated at 35 billion. Dollars.



Location repository is not accidental: stable dry climate allows the Arizona desert for decades to keep aircraft in the open air. On admission to the preservation of the aircraft goes through a series of procedures related to its security and long-term storage. First of all, it is removed from all weapons are dismantled charges ejection seats, batteries, all valuable avionics and electronics. Then purged fuel system - instead of fuel injected synthetic oil, which, after a new purge, forms a protective film inside of pipes. After these procedures, the plane wrapped in plastic and coated with white paint - avoid extreme heat sunlight. Tractor towing a car on a pre-selected location where the plane will wait for decision of his fate: perhaps it will be sold to foreign air force, or he would be sent to the "cannibalization" as a source of spare parts for aircraft younger. Not ruled out another option - everyone will forget about the plane, and he quietly rot in the same place through what some ... dtsat years.

Despite the insane amount of aviation trash is constantly being rigid rotation - AMARG experts select the most "promising" models for implementation. Every year about 400 cars for various reasons leave the base, about the same goes for storage.
Many vehicles are in good condition - many potentially suitable for further use. After the upgrade and installation of modern equipment, aircraft are sold on the world market at dumping prices. For example, October 19, 2012 a contract was signed for the supply of 36 F-16s mod. IQ for the Iraqi Air Force. According to some reports, the contract amount was 5, 3 bln. Dollars - a good salary for the "aircraft graveyard"? By the way, the contract includes the supply of the second set of engines and a number of important sites - it's all too likely to find parked airbase Davis Monte.



The Mummy Returns. C-1 Trader after 30 years of storage.

Sometimes there are even more interesting cases: in 2010, the cemetery was visited by representatives of the Navy aircraft in Brazil - they were looking for a suitable transport aircraft, tanker aircraft and AEW aircraft carrier for the "São Paulo". Among the piles of trash aviation drew the attention of Brazilians ancient piston aircraft C-1 "Trader" used on aircraft carriers of the US Navy in the 60-70-ies. As a result - it was awarded a contract for the purchase of eight vehicles of this type on the price of scrap metal. The four aircraft in the amount of 167 million. Dollars. Have been upgraded to perform the functions of transportation and gas. Despite the ridicule, the Brazilian sailors are not stupid guys: new aircraft, dubbed KC-2 Turbo Trader, with the old machine has only a general framework - the rest is a completely new aircraft with turboprop engines, modern communication and navigation systems. With regard to the AWACS aircraft with French radars Thales, three operator consoles and equipment electronic intelligence, the archaic form of piston aircraft are not confused by marine pilots - AWACS aircraft is not involved in the race, he has to save fuel, as long as possible "hang" over the aircraft carrier.

In economic terms, 309th group on repair and restoration of aerospace technology is a highly efficient enterprise with volumes of revenues 1000% per year! According to reports from the military, every ruble dollar invested in storage airbase Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, brings to the treasury $ 11 profit. It is not surprising that when there is a ready resource - Thousands of liquid jets and helicopters (and every day brought new!), Do not need great talent entrepreneur to disassemble dorogushchuju technique and sell it for parts. The costs are only a protection framework and labor aircraft. By the way, most of the 500 people AMARG - civilian specialists.

Of course, the army should be strong military victories, and not written off trade efficiency aircraft. But at the same time ... I think the officials from the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation should learn prudent attitude to technology. In the meantime, interest in the fantastic scenery of Monte Davis shows Hollywood - at the air base is constantly being shot steep blockbusters.



Soldiers of the 563rd search and rescue teams during exercises in the vicinity of the airbase Davis Monte







Source: r-pushkin.livejournal.com