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Decode the strange symbol on the American tank

01/03/2022 13:45 GMT+7

In American action movies or on films about the history of military operations of the US military, we can see mysterious symbols in the form of the letter “V”. So why need these icons?

Accordingly, these arrow-like symbols in the form of the letter “V” were painted on the body of the tank, as was the case with the colored lines of the Soviet tank which were said to be “tactical signs”. Since everything in the military is subject to strict regulations, a clear marking system for military equipment is extremely important.

Each tank has its own tail number, and many of them also have certain insignia that indicate they belong to a particular military unit.

In the US military, battalions are made up of companies and companies are made up of platoons and squads. In peacetime, an American battalion has 3 companies, in war conditions their number can be increased to 5 companies. The “V” markings on tanks indicate that they belong to a certain company within a battalion.

Decode the strange symbol on the American tank
Battle tank of the US 30th Armored Brigade. (Photo: AP)

Specifically, if the top of the letter “V” is facing down (V), then the tank belongs to the first company, if the symbol is towards the nose of the tank (<) - the second company, if it is facing up (^) - the second company. third, if the symbol is towards the rear of the tank (>) – the fourth company and if instead of the letter “V” the tank suddenly changes to the letter “Z”, it means that this is the fifth company of the battalion.

It is known that this tank numbering system is used not only in the US, but also in the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Israeli military also uses this numbering scheme.

Also related to the strange symbols painted on military equipment, recently the symbol “Z” appeared on many Russian military equipment in the area of ​​​​combat with the Ukrainian army has attracted attention. opinion of a group of investigative journalists and military experts.

According to the Daily Beast, videos have surfaced on social media showing hundreds of Russian tanks, communication vehicles and missile launchers approaching the Ukrainian border. In the videos, many Russian military vehicles can be seen painted with a large white “Z”.

Reporter Aric Toler of the investigative journalism website Bellingcat says his team has been tracking Russian military symbols for the past eight years, but they don’t know what the “Z” means and have never seen it. seen this picture before.

Meanwhile, Russian defense policy expert Rob Lee believes the symbol may refer to backup forces ordered to replenish areas near Ukraine.

Rob Lee wrote on Twitter: “It looks like Russian forces near the border are painting strange symbols, this time a “Z” on the vehicles to distinguish other special forces or formations. together”.

However, there is also speculation that Russia is learning from its World War 2 allies when to use the symbols to avoid accidental fire on each other, as most Ukrainian tanks are from the Soviet era and are easily mistaken. mixed with the Russian convoy.

The avoidance of confusion is the most speculated since “Z” is not a letter of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet.

Besides, there is also speculation that the letter “Z” may represent Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Some also call the “Z” symbol on Russian military vehicles “Zorro Squad”.

Peace (translation summary)

What types of ground equipment can the Russian military use in Ukraine?

What types of ground equipment can the Russian military use in Ukraine?

From February 24, Russia launched a special military operation to “demilitarize” and “de-fascist” Ukraine.

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