Giants of steel: the most unusual equipment in the world (5 photos)

Giant wheels, huge turbines and long, jagged scoops - our guests today are equipped with quite an impressive arsenal of awe-inspiring gadgets. “Popular Mechanics” will tell you about the most unusual representatives of military, industrial and transport equipment, which amaze the imagination with their appearance alone.

1.





ARVE Trojan (Armored Vehicle Royal Engineers - Armored Vehicle of the Royal Engineers "Trojan") is designed to pave the way for heavy equipment, making passages and digging trenches in obstacles. It is capable of operating even in conditions of heavy enemy fire and, if necessary, using manipulators for combat purposes.

2.



The MTU-72 tank bridge layer is designed for laying a single-span metal bridge with a load capacity of up to 50 tons. The machine is capable of throwing bridges over obstacles whose width does not exceed 20 meters, and the bridge itself automatically unfolds in 3 minutes.

3.





The Veterok fire truck is a self-propelled tracked vehicle equipped with a T-34 tank engine. Thanks to two aircraft engines inherited from the hybrid MiG-21 fighters, the Veterok splashes a powerful stream of water towards the fire, which instantly extinguishes the flames. This device is intended primarily for extinguishing fires in warehouses and large industrial complexes.

4.



The Overburden Conveyor Bridge F60 is the world's largest vehicle capable of independent movement. The monstrous installation weighs more than 365,000 tons (more than the Empire State Building) and is 502 meters long. It was built in East Germany in 1991, and is currently decommissioned.

5.



The MAZ-7909 truck chassis is the only vehicle in the world with 24 driving wheels, 16 of which are steerable. The device was developed as a chassis for a missile launcher.

All these monsters do an excellent job where conventional vehicles fail. There is no empty decoration here: every grotesque detail is a tool designed to perform special operations.