It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone. A former top secret military object used by the Soviet Union, the mysterious giant antenna system called the Duga-3, was the origin of an extremely powerful but anonymous signal between 1976 to 1989. The sharp, tapping signal came without warning, disrupting broadcasts and communications worldwide. Transmission power on some woodpecker transmitters was estimated to be as high as 10 MW EIRP. It was built in the 70\’s as an early missile detection system (over-the-horizon radar system). It was also called the Steel Yard hence its distinctive appearance. The towers are incredible feats of engineering: the big ones measure 479 feet tall and spans a length of 2,460 feet (nearly half a mile). The antenna was deactivated in 1989.

credit:  Michael Kötter

WEST POINT, in southeast New York State, is the site of the U.S. Military Academy, founded 1802. The academy, located in Orange County, sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, 50 miles (80 km) north of New York City. Academy\’s mission is to educate, train and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the nation as an officer in the United States Army.

credit: West Point – The U.S. Military Academy

The Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden is one of Europe\’s most important history museums. The redesigned Dresden Museum of Military History is now the official central museum of the German Armed Forces. It will house an exhibition area of roughly 21,000 square feet, making it Germany’s largest museum. It is located in a former military arsenal in the Albertstadt neighborhood of Dresden. The museum includes the original Brandtaucher, the first German submarine, built in Kiel in 1850.

credit: Clemens Vasters

Armed Forces was used to secure the airspace during the World Economic Forum 2013 in Davos. The international conference took place from 23 to 27 January in the famous ski resort.

credit: HooLengSiong

The Enterprise is the Navy’s second-oldest ship, after the USS Constitution. It has participated in every major conflict since the Cuban Missile Crisis, and its airplanes targeted insurgents in Afghanistan during its last deployment. The USS Enterprise began shutting down its eight nuclear reactors almost as soon as it arrived at its pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia

Facts:

Displacement: 93,284 long tons (94,781 t) Full Load[2]
Length: 1,123 ft (342 m)[3][4]
Beam: 132.8 ft (40.5 m) (waterline)
Draft: 39 ft (12 m)
Propulsion: 8 × Westinghouse A2W nuclear reactors
Speed: 33.6 kn (38.7 mph; 62.2 km/h)
Complement: 5,828 (maximum)
Ship’s company: 3,000 (2,700 Sailors, 150 Chiefs, 150 Officers)
Air wing: 1,800 (250 pilots, and 1,550 support personnel)

credit: Official U.S. Navy Imagery

Fort Greely is a United States Army launch site for anti-ballistic missiles located approximately 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska. Main purpose is designed to destroy a hostile missile during the mid-course phase of its flight. Other missile defense systems are designed to destroy a hostile missile shortly after launch or at high altitudes during its terminal phase.

credit: The U.S. Army