For underwater escape training, a system dubbed “helo dunker” is used.
It consists of a mock up helicopter that is plunged into a pool, and then flipped over as a real aircraft would do upon impact with the water.
U.S. Marines are required to test their ability to fight their way clear of restraint and harness to surface and this is what this particular exercise looks like.
H/T to Business Insider’s Geoffrey Ingersollfor the heads up
David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.
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4 Comments
When I was in the Navy I remember the Marines telling me about this. Now I see what they were talking about. ; )
A similar system exists for “track company” Marines who go ashore aboard the AAV tracked vehicles. (The AAV-7A1 or LVTP-7). Since there is no way out of a sunken amtrack, the “Track Dunker,” as it is known, consists simply of a green dumpster padlocked shut and shoved into the deep end. The best policy is to have some “admin issues” to take care of on Track Dunker day.
We did something very similar at Navy API at Pensacola. It was actually kind of fun.
Is the “drop your machine gun and escape” a normal routine ? Or is there also a training on which they try to save guns as well as their lives ?
When I was in the Navy I remember the Marines telling me about this. Now I see what they were talking about. ; )
A similar system exists for “track company” Marines who go ashore aboard the AAV tracked vehicles. (The AAV-7A1 or LVTP-7). Since there is no way out of a sunken amtrack, the “Track Dunker,” as it is known, consists simply of a green dumpster padlocked shut and shoved into the deep end. The best policy is to have some “admin issues” to take care of on Track Dunker day.
We did something very similar at Navy API at Pensacola. It was actually kind of fun.
Is the “drop your machine gun and escape” a normal routine ? Or is there also a training on which they try to save guns as well as their lives ?