It ’s no mystery that technology develop to fight war come in handy during peacetime . Fromduct tapetothe internet , some of the most authoritative pieces of modern engineering science were grow by the military . Badass vehicles are no exception .
All variety of vehicles , both self-aggrandizing and small — but mostly bighearted — make their room back home after carrying soldiery around conflict zones . They go not to the junkyard , but out onto the streets of civilian living . Naturally , many end up in the mitt of police force and flaming departments , but we ’ve also seen military vehicles repurposed for everything from tourism to rap videos .
And you know what incline to be the first thing these vehicles get once they ’re out of the service ? That ’s correct . They get a new paint job .

DUKW (a.k.a. The Duck)
Anybody who ’s been to Bostonsurely discern this ugly creature . Colloquially recognize as the Duck , the DUKWwas earlier builtby the General Motors Corporation ( GMC ) during World War II as an amphibious gear and personnel carrier . The DUKW was designed by yacht maker Sparkman and Stephens with a straight - six GMC locomotive , six wheel , a watertight hull , and a propeller . After being used all over the world in wartime — include to surprise the beaches of Normandy on D - Day — the DUKW found a newfangled home in U.S. cities as a hitch fomite . The first “ duck go ” started in Wisconsin in 1946 and have now become holidaymaker magnet in citiesfrom Singapore to San Francisco .
HMMWV (a.k.a. Humvee)
After decades of soldiers drive around in Jeeps , the military project and built theHigh Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle(HMMWV ) afterthe Lamborghini Cheetahfailed to make the cutting off . First in armed service in 1984 , the AM General - manufacture Humvee comes in various models for various uses — from ambulances to missile launchers — and can weigh as much as 3 tons . After the vehicle understand stack of action during Operation Desert Storm , a fully armored model , the M1114 , live on into production in 1996 .
The Humvee is driven by U. S. Army all over the world , and perhaps most splendidly , by civilian with a “ small humanity ” complex . ( Ira Rennert , who spearheaded Hummer ’s rise under AM General , also owns thelargest private mansion house in the United States ) . AM General set about sell the civilian Hummer manakin in 1992 , though the blade fold in 2009 and sold to GASP , a Taiwanese ship’s company . Nevertheless , the Humvee is stillone of the fierce gun guzzlers on the road , and it ’s also tremendously ready to hand for folks who involve to do some weighed down - lifting , like airports .
MRAP
The Mine - Resistant Ambush Protected vehicleis a real marvel of modern warfare , but it ’s more a family than a specific example . fabricate by various vendors , these beasts weight unit in at 14 slews or more , and they cost upward of half a million dollars each . As the name implies , MRAPs are designed to live mine and IED explosion thanks to a “ V”-shaped Cordell Hull . ( The International MaxxPro MRAP remains one of the most popular models . )
After thousands were progress for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan , countless MRAPs made their room back to the United States , where everyone fromlocal police departmentsto the FBI now uses them for extra ops . EvenOhio State University as its own MRAPnow . Who says the police are n’t getting more militarize ?
Lenco BearCat
Lenco Industries started making the BearCat ( an acronym for Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck ) in 2001 , and it ’s now used by militaries and police force force all over the world . While various models are used by the Army , Air Force , and Navy , the BearCat is a S.W.A.T. squad favorite thanks to its life - saving armour and relative agility .
That said , basicallyeverybody has one of these things : the NSA , the ATF , the U.S. Marshalls , and police departments from New York to Los Angeles and everyone in between . They ’re evenJay Leno - approved .
Oshkosh P-19 ARFF
Oshkosh makes and manufactures a range of Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting ( ARFF ) vehicles for both civilian and military employment . As its done for three decennium , the U.S. Marine Corps ordered a fresh batch of the Oshkosh P-19s to supercede its existing fleet of ARFF vehicle earlier this year .
Many of the retired trucks will end up on airport runways across the country where the front- and seat - mounted water cannon help firefighters put out blazes on airplanes . Similar models , like the Oshkosh P-15 ( pictured above ) andthe Oshkosh Striker , attend to the same intention , while modified versionslike this tankerdo other airdrome jobs .
Grumman HU-16 Albatross
Ever watchTailSpin , the 90s Disney serial starring characters from The Jungle Book ? Well , this is the vaporize boat that the show ’s main character flies around on his many risky venture . While the show ’s model is really a fictitious composite ofa Grumman HU-16 Albatrossand a standardized cargo plane , it swear out as a fantastic representative of the mid - 100 amphibious aircraft . ( TheMartin JRM Mars Flying Boatis another serious example . )
These sturdy planes have prove to be excellent search - and - rescue vehicles thanks to their size and ability to land on either Din Land or water . First defend by the Air Force , Navy , and Coast Guard , the Albatross is now a popular way to zip around the Pacific Rim .
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King
If you ever get lost in the ocean , chances are aSikorsky SH-3 Sea Kingor one of its var. , the S-61L or S-61N , is travel to come looking for you . Like winged flight gravy holder , these helicopter can set down on water and solid ground both , including aircraft carriers , making them enormously versatile . When they were first built in the early 1960s , the Sea King agate line was also one of the fastest helicopters in the cosmos . They are so trust , they have evenserved as Marine One , flying the president around .
Now , repurposed military choppers and civilian theoretical account are used for lookup - and - deliverance missions as well as very spacious private helicopters . If all else fails , they make excellent house boats .
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