Photographer and former para Craig Allen goes AFV spotting
My photographic work often takes me onto military training areas around the country and over the years I have noticed the many old and battered AFVs that are to be found there. In many cases these are used as targets on field firing ranges or simply placed out as ‘military dressing’on training areas.
In this latter role obsolete vehicles are incorporated into the various OBUA complexes on the military estate. OBUA (Operating in Built Up Areas) has become an ever more important part of training as we live in an increasingly urbanised world. Just watch the evening news and you will see that most modern conflicts are being fought through the shell-torn streets of towns and cities. These old AFVs add realism to the training and many are in surprisingly good condition not being subject to the same abuse as the range hulks. Back in the 80s and 90s it was common to find Saladins, Saracens and Humber Pigs as well as older tank hulks. Today it is CRVTs, 432s and even Soviet-types brought home from the battlefields of Iraq.
I can well remember conducting night patrols across a certain training area in the north of England to be confronted with T62s and …
