Amman has just opened a tank museum and we took one Friday morning (being the first day of the weekend) to wander along and have a look.
It was surprisingly good. Alison survived over an hour, which was a bit of a surprise. The building is very big and modern, with plenty of space to see the vehicles from most angles.
While focused on tanks, there's also armoured cars and artillery etc, but fortunately for me very little by way of hand weapons etc -- I have a minor interest in vehicles, but basically zero interest in most other military hardware.
The collection was very comprehensive, I felt, with pretty much every vehicle between 1939 and 1980 that you might want the see. The only WWII item it seemed to miss was a US M4 halftrack. I would have been in heaven seeing all those famous vehicles and guns when I was a kid, and a real aficionado could spend hours in the place
The immediate post-WWII was good too, because all sides supplied either the Israeli or the Arabs, so the kit is all there.
The museum had a section about their brief scuffles with Israel, and a map of their success at the Battle of Karameh. What was mentioned only in passing was Jordan's ejection of the PLO after they started trying to take over their host -- although the repulse of a Syrian army coming to the PLO's aid was noted. All in all it wasn't too laudatory though.
After that period it thins out. There are T54s, T55s, a BMP (surprisingly small), BDRM etc, and Challenger Is, but not a lot of other stuff -- because people are still using it.
All in all a good place to visit if you have any interest at all in military hardware.
It was surprisingly good. Alison survived over an hour, which was a bit of a surprise. The building is very big and modern, with plenty of space to see the vehicles from most angles.
While focused on tanks, there's also armoured cars and artillery etc, but fortunately for me very little by way of hand weapons etc -- I have a minor interest in vehicles, but basically zero interest in most other military hardware.
The collection was very comprehensive, I felt, with pretty much every vehicle between 1939 and 1980 that you might want the see. The only WWII item it seemed to miss was a US M4 halftrack. I would have been in heaven seeing all those famous vehicles and guns when I was a kid, and a real aficionado could spend hours in the place
The immediate post-WWII was good too, because all sides supplied either the Israeli or the Arabs, so the kit is all there.
The museum had a section about their brief scuffles with Israel, and a map of their success at the Battle of Karameh. What was mentioned only in passing was Jordan's ejection of the PLO after they started trying to take over their host -- although the repulse of a Syrian army coming to the PLO's aid was noted. All in all it wasn't too laudatory though.
After that period it thins out. There are T54s, T55s, a BMP (surprisingly small), BDRM etc, and Challenger Is, but not a lot of other stuff -- because people are still using it.
All in all a good place to visit if you have any interest at all in military hardware.
No comments:
Post a Comment