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What isn't seen in this shot are the collection of glasses from our post workout hydration session. It's been established that MM and VC possess the magic touch when it comes to choosing beers and ciders that possess funk or aggressive bitterness. Or both. Never ask them to pick a beer. Me, on the other hand, well... have what I'm having.
On another note: it was from this simple "after work(out)" refresher that my (work at home) Saturday became filled. First, an after video tapping brunch at Fat Pasha; second, and impromptu dinner invite.
Good things do come spontaneously sometimes. Including this Bar Volo drop by (there is nothing quite like having your name called out across a busy street. Thanks VC. :P ).
Image taken with my iPhone (at my near weekly stomping ground)
TAJI MILITARY COMPLEX, Iraq - U.S. Army 248th Aviation Support Battalion, Company B Commander Maj. Eric Nelson is promoted to the rank of Lt. Col. by 449th Combat Aviation Brigade Commander Col. Joseph Bishop during his promotion ceremony at Camp Taji June 3, 2018. The 248th ASB provides maintenance operations to the 449th CAB in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Leticia Samuels, 449th Combat Aviation Brigade)
Staff Sgt. Marqui Brown, part of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, HHC, chose to be reenlisted on a CH47 Chinook in mid-flight. Doing the honors of re-enlisting this Army COMSEC Account Manager for six more years was none of other than the brigade commander of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, Col. Darrell Doremus.
U.S. Army Photos by Sgt. Keegan Costello
The OT-64 SKOT (Czech acronym for: Střední Kolový Obrněný Transportér, and/or Polish Średni Kołowy Opancerzony Transporter – medium wheeled armoured transporter) is an amphibious armoured personnel carrier (8×8), developed jointly by the Polish People's Republic (PRL) and Czechoslovakia (ČSSR) well into the 1960's.
Until the early 1970's Czechoslovakia and the Polish People's Republic produced around 4,500 OT-64 SKOT's of all variants, just under a third of which were exported. In 2002, the modernization of the SKOT transporter began in Poland. The work resulted in the KTO Ryś prepared by Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne No. 5 from Poznań.
The OT-64 was intended to replace the halftrack OT-810, which was nearly identical to the German Sd.Kfz. 251 from World War II. The first prototype was built in 1959. In 1961 the first sample series were built. From October 1963 the vehicles were produced in Lublin, Poland by Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych. The Polish plant acted as an assembly plant. Components of the propulsion system and power transmission, Tatra engine, Praga transmission and chassis, were imported from Czechoslovakia.
Armoured hulls and turrets (Huta in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski and Huta Częstochowa), elements of the suspension system (Huta Stalowa Wola) and on-board armaments (Zakłady Mechaniczne in Tarnów) were manufactured in Poland. Production ended in July 1971. Of the 4,500 OT-64's produced, 2,500 were obtained by the Polish army, and 2,000 by the Czechoslovak army. They were also acquired by the Hungarian army. Later, after introducing the BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles into service, SKOT transporters were exported to other countries. Today, they are gradually being replaced by newer vehicles.
The OT-64's engine, transmission, suspension and axles were produced in Czechoslovakia. The engine was produced by Tatra. The gearbox was manufactured by Praga Hostivař. It has a pre-select Praga-Wilson gearbox, 5 forward +1 reverse gears. A gear is selected using the gear stick. When the gear is required the left pedal, gear change action/clutch combined, is pressed to the floor, giving a hiss of air sound. On release of the pedal the dry plate clutch engages after about half the return spring controlled movement.
The drive then passes to an auxiliary gearbox with low, neutral and high ratios which needs to be selected before moving off, for road/neutral/off-road use. This gives option to the driver of 10 forward and 2 reverse ratios. The gear change pedal is hydraulic and on action opens an air valve which causes the selected gear to engage. The armoured hull and weapons were produced in Poland.
The OT-64 was the answer to the Soviet BTR-60. Contrary to this, the OT-64 used a diesel set in place of a petrol engine. That diminished the danger of fire and at the same time increased the range. The main advantage in relation to the Russian counterpart was the full-armoured interior. The entrance is at the rear of the vehicle via twin doors. The OT-64 has nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) protection facility and night-vision equipment. It has central inflation for all wheels which can be controlled by the driver. The OT-64 is air-transportable and amphibious, with two propellers installed at the back.
Several variants were built. Some OT-64 were re-equipped for air defense or built as tank hunters. The latter used the AT-3 Sagger missile as a weapon.
▪︎OT-64 SKOT entered service with Polish and Czechoslovak armies in 1963. It was produced until the early 1970's. It is still in service in Poland and Slovakia, among other operated by the Slovak police. Czech units were replaced in 2006 by new armoured vehicles Pandur II CZ. During the 1990's, Slovakia purchased hundreds of these units from the Czech Republic (150 in 1994, 100 in 1998). Slovaks then sold them to mainly African countries. The OT-64 SKOT was exported to eleven countries. The total number of vehicles produced was 4,500.
Czechoslovakia
▪︎OT-64 – Original version, used in the APC role. Early models were unarmed but later the vehicle was fitted with a pintle-mounted 7.62mm light machine gun or 12.7mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun. They used to be known in the West as respectively OT-64A and OT-64B. Some 12.7mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun armed OT-64 APC's had shields around the heavy machine gun mount.
▪︎OT-64 – fitted with a small turret from OT-65A. However this one is armed with twin machine guns and doesn't have the 82mm T-21 ''Tarasnice'' recoilless gun.
▪︎DTP-64 (dilna technicke pomoci) – Czech repair version with tow bars, welding equipment and a hand-operated crane with a capacity of 1 tonne. There were two sub-versions, namely the DTP-64/M for mechanized infantry units and the DTP-64/T for tank units.
▪︎OT-64 ZDRAV or ZDR-64 – (zdravotni) ambulance.
▪︎OT-64A – Improved version fitted with BPU-1 turret from Soviet BRDM-2 armoured scout car which is armed with a 14.5mm KPVT heavy machine gun and 7.62mm PKT coaxial machine gun. In Western sources, this version is often called OT-64C. In the late 1990's, some vehicles had the turret replaced by a pintle-mounted machine gun for peace keeping operations. The OT-64A is used as the basis for several command vehicles (velitelsko štábní obrněný transportér) fitted with multiple radio sets, a 1 kW generator and an antenna mast:
▪︎VSOT-64/R2 R102 – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R2 R105 – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R2 R108 – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R2M – Signals and command variant with OT-64A's turret.
▪︎VSOT-64/R3 – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R3MT – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R4MT – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎VSOT-64/R4RT – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎OT-64A – Fitted with the ATGM mounts on the turret sides.
▪︎OT-64A – Ffitted with the new turret with higher elevation for armament. Similar to Polish SKOT-2AP.
▪︎OT-93 – Export version of the OT-64A with the original turret replaced by the one from the OT-65M or OT-62B. The armament consists of a single 7.62mm machine-gun.
▪︎Cobra - Infantry combat vehicle version with a new turret with 30mm gun 2A42. Did not enter production.
Polish People's Republic:
▪︎SKOT-1 – Early, unarmed model, similar to the OT-64.
▪︎SKOT-1A – SKOT-1 fitted with a superstructure in the front of the troop compartment. The superstructure a large, two piece hatch.
▪︎SKOT R-3 – Unarmed command vehicle used by regiment and higher command. It is equipped with 4 radios, 1 radio receiver, 1 microwave radio relay and 1 radiotelephone. The vehicle is operated by seven man crew.
▪︎SKOT R-3M – Unarmed signals and command variant for combat engineer units.
▪︎SKOT R-3Z – SKOT R-3 with modernized radio equipment which it includes the second microwave radio relay.
▪︎SKOT R-4 – Unarmed command vehicle used by division and army command. It is equipped with 4 radios, 3 radio receivers and 3 radiotelephones.
▪︎SKOT-WPT (wóz pogotowia technicznego) – Technical support vehicle with a light crane.
▪︎SKOT S-260 Art (artyleryjski) – Artillery tractor and transport vehicle for ammunition and mortar or anti-tank squads.
▪︎SKOT S-260 Inż (inżynieryjny) – Fitted with racks for anti-tank mines and used to tow mechanical mine layers or mine-clearing systems.
▪︎SKOT-2 – SKOT-1A with pintle MG mount around the hatch of the superstructure. Two types of machine guns were fitted there, 7.62mm light machine gun (first SGMT and later PKT) or 12.7mm DShK 1938/46 heavy machine gun. Sides of the machine gun mount are protected with armour plates.
▪︎SKOT-2A – Polish designator for the version with the BRDM-2 turret which was designed in the late 1960's. The vehicle is fitted with conical turret armed with 14.5mm KPV heavy machine gun and 7.62mm PKT coaxial light machine gun on the top of the vehicle. Number of soldiers transported in the troop compartment went down from 18 to 10. In Western sources, this version is often called OT-64C.
▪︎SKOT 2AM – A small number of Polish SKOT-2A APC's were fitted with 9M14 Malyutka (AT-3 Sagger) ATGM launchers on the turret sides. The launchers were protected with armour plate or wire mesh. In the West, they were known as OT-64C(1A).
▪︎SKOT R-2 – Command vehicle used by battalion and regiment command. It is equipped with 4 radios: R-112, R-113 and 2 R-105. The vehicle is operated by seven man crew.
▪︎SKOT R-2AM – Unarmed command and fire control variant for artillery units.
▪︎SKOT R-2M – Signals and command variant with SKOT-2A's turret.
▪︎SKOT R-6 – Unarmed signals and command variant.
▪︎SKOT-2AP – Polish modification with a new anti-aircraft WAT turret armed with 14.5mm heavy machine gun. The turret had higher elevation for its armament and therefore could be used to fire at air targets. The turret has the new CGS-90 sight. This vehicle was known in the West as OT-64C(2).
▪︎KTO WR-02 ''Ryś'' (KTO stands for Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony – Wheeled Armoured personnel Carrier) (Ryś - Lynx) - Heavily upgraded version with Iveco Cursor 8 engine. Work is performed by the 5th Military Mechanical Institute in Poznań.
▪︎KTO WR-02 ''Ryś-2'' (KTO stands for Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony – Wheeled Armoured personnel Carrier) (Ryś-2 - Lynx-2) - The export version of KTO WR-02 ''Ryś''.
Uruguay:
▪︎Vehículos acorazados de ruedas M64 – Uruguayan designation for OT-64 armed with a pintle-mounted machine gun.
▪︎Vehículos acorazados de ruedas M93 – Uruguayan designation for OT-93.
Civilian operators:
▪︎SKOT APC's – One in the Czech Republic and one in Poland, have been modified and are used as firefighting vehicles.
▪︎ SKOT APC's – In Poland and the Czech Republic were sold to private owners who make sure they are in working condition and regularly show them on military enthusiasts' meetings. Some private Czech OT-64's have number plates and can travel on public roads.
OT-64 SKOT General Characteristics:
▪︎Type: Wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier
▪︎Place of origin: Czechoslovak Socialist Republic / Polish People's Republic
▪︎Service: 1963–present
▪︎Conflicts: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 / Western Sahara War / Uganda–Tanzania War / Iran–Iraq War / Operation Blue Star / Insurgency in Punjab, India / Syrian civil war / Russo-Ukrainian War / Russian invasion of Ukraine
▪︎Designed: 1959
▪︎Manufacturer: Fabryka Samochodów Ciężarowych (FSC) (Polish People's Republic)
▪︎Unit cost: $53,000 (vehicle's unit price for Morocco in 1967)
▪︎Produced: 1963 – early 1970's
▪︎No. built: 4,500
▪︎Mass: 14.5 tonnes / Length: 7.44m / Width: 2.55m / Height: 2.71m
▪︎Crew: 2 + 18 passengers / 2 + 10 passengers (OT-64A and SKOT-2A)
▪︎Armour: 6-13mm
▪︎Main armament: 7.62mm PKT machine gun and 14.5mm KPV machine gun
▪︎Engine: Air-cooled Tatra T-928-14 V-8 diesel, 177hp
▪︎Power/weight: 12.4hp/tonne
▪︎Suspension: 8×8 or 8×4
▪︎Operational range: 710km
▪︎Maximum speed: 94km/h (in water 9km/h).
Information sourced from – en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OT-64_SKOT
Soldiers from across the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) treat simulated casualties during Combat Lifesaver course 07-12 taught by 529th Regimental Support Company Medics on Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., July 20, 2012. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Devin Kornaus)
4/29/2013 - The Eglin Honor Guard brings in the colors in the shadow of an MC-130E Combat Talon I during its retirement ceremony at Duke Field, Fla., April 25. Aircrew, maintainers and many others turned out to remember and bid farewell to the Talon I on its official retirement from the Air Force. The last five Talons, located at Duke Field, will be delivered to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, N.M., by mid-May 2013. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Samuel King Jr.)
Combats de Championnat de France Boxe Amateur finale Femme Nice 2009. 64 kg : Farida El-Hadrati bat Johanne Cavarec aux points (16-11).
Spc. William Smith, an Infantryman assigned to the New York Army National Guard's 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment prepares for a 12 mile ruck march along the shore of the Niagara River. The ruck march was one of many physically demanding tests in the brigade's FY22 Best Warrior Competition. (U.S. Army National Guard Photo by Maj. Avery Schneider)