WTF are those chevrons on Coalition vehicles?

[clavus]

Hey, military people -

What's up with those chevrons painted on coalition vehicles?

Some point up. Some point sideways. They are usually black.
I’ve seen them on US and UK tanks, humvees, etc. What are they?

[jbrooks544]

Is it the Chevron Oil Co. Logo? Maybe we DID go in for the oil (joke). Post a photo or link to one so we know what you are talking about...

[Cynthetiq]

dunno... but here's what google found for me.... a little creepy...
http://www.newswatchmagazine.org/unvehpict/home.htm

[The_Dude]

never seen 'em.

if anyone wants to post pics, i'd be thankful.

as for Cynthetiq, i didnt see any pics. maybe it's just me.

[clavus]

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/vim/IMU/Ir...-5150A-007.JPG

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/vim/IMU/Ir...-5977R-002.JPG

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/vim/IMU/Ir...-6910K-069.JPG

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/vim/IMU/Ir...-5150A-016.JPG

http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/vim/IMU/Ir...-5977R-010.JPG

[TwistedFate]

Like this?




Generally all markings on the vehicles indicate division/platoon etc... for easy identification.

[Cynthetiq]

Originally posted by The_Dude
never seen 'em.

if anyone wants to post pics, i'd be thankful.

as for Cynthetiq, i didnt see any pics. maybe it's just me.

left side frame has a list of all the pictures available

[Contami22]

Yeah i doubt its any big thing

[The_Dude]

oh, i wasnt expecting those things.

what was i thinking?

[Church]

I think if the military really wanted to be covert about the transport of the UN vehicles, they would have covered them up, or at least done it at night. They are probably being stored here coming back from Iraq, or being serviced. The US is a member of the UN, so its no surprises to see the vehicles on US soil. I guess the webmaster thinks the vehicles just float around in the atmosphere until they are needed, never touching coalition soil when they're not.

[MSD]

So, is someone going to give a more specific answer to the question about what the chevrons mean? Or do I have to put this in the paranoia section

[obediah]

I'm sure it has something to do with the impending UN invasion of our precious U.S.A. Quick grease your gun and tear down the traffic signs in your neighborhood. Or learn North Korean, you traitor, communist fag.

[ZërØ¢ØØ£]

TwistedFate is correct, its for easy identification. However, due to security reasons, I cannot say what the markings mean.

[AxelF]

Darn, you caught us in the act. We other members of the UN had planned to invade one of the more honourable member nations. But since it has now been exposed here I guess our plans will fail. Buggers.

How can we now force the US to stop capital punnishments, to allow women the right of abortion and eliminate the irritating noice called country music?



Please bear with my sence of humor. Couldn't resist... ;-)

[thenewguy]

As far as I can tell, the tanks are U.S. Merkavas operated by the Israeli military. I found one rather interesting interpretation of the purpose of the "V" markings here but I can't say that I buy it. More than likely it's a designation of an organizational unit (brigade, company) that can be easily identified from a long distance.

[AxelF]

I can not buy that subliminal explanation either on that page. Sounds logical that the coallition wants neutral markings though.
But first he states that the mind can not handle the cube because it has too many variables. Then he suggests that the mind can collect over time, watching various TV-pictures, many incomplete pieces of the davids star and add some of the missing pieces of its own to form the full star. Talk about variables!

He is contradicting himself, and I do not find it credible at all.

[clavus]

Holy crap! I thought this would be a simple 2 or 3 post thread. Yet here we are, 15 posts into it, without a straight answer.

I assumed that the markings are for vehicle ID, but I was curious as to their interpretation.

(If ZërØ¢ØØ£ is really not allowed to divulge their nature, then that's cool. I'm not capping on him.)

[algore]

i found the real reason!

un 'code' = chevron

chevron = triangle

triangle = pyramid

pyramid = illuminati

illuminati = secret society

secret society = global domination

=

un = global domination

[The_Dude]

ha HA!

i found it.

it means "Armored. Equilateral triangle with base down."

http://216.109.117.135/search/cache?...r_markings.htm

check out the link for other info on markings.

the direct link wont work, so i had to look @ a caches page off of yahoo.
*does a dance of celebration*

[MikeyChalupa]

Those inverted "V"markings go back before the first Gulf War. It's just a quick way to identify coalition vehicles.

This picture is from 1990.

ha HA!

i found it.

it means "Armored. Equilateral triangle with base down."

Partial credit. I'm in the Navy, but my understanding of Amry uniforms is that Armor uses the equilateral triangle with base down for their uniforms and unit insignia, but doesn't put it on the vehicle. Example:


Note the red, yellow and blue. The Army also color codes their troops. Trim on the uniform and insignia often feature this color. Blue is infantry, red is Artillery, and yellow is Cavalry. Armored divisions use all three because they combine elements of all three types.

The chevron is simply a quick way to tell if the vehicle is coalition, and is intended to reduce casualties from friendly fire. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work that well. As for which way it points, IFOR uses a similar chevron that points forward.

There are historical precedents. Prior to the Normandy invasion in WWII, Allied aircraft of all nations participating in the invasion had black and white stripes painted on the wings and fuselage to easily distinguish them from German aircraft.


-Mikey

[clavus]

OK, so we have explanations forthe chevrons which point up, and those which point forward. Why do some point down?

[The_Dude]

here's more info on the one with the point down

"The priority sign will be made of sheet metal in the shape of an equilateral triangle with one point down. Each side will be 12 inches long; the corners will be rounded to a 1/2 inch radius. Refer to figure 9."


http://www.m38a1.com/Resources/color_markings.htm
(the above expert is not from this link)
better link that works.

[mirevolver]

Originally posted by MikeyChalupa
There are historical precedents. Prior to the Normandy invasion in WWII, Allied aircraft of all nations participating in the invasion had black and white stripes painted on the wings and fuselage to easily distinguish them from German aircraft.


-Mikey

Those black and white stripes were also used as a form of camoflage. If you're flying in and out of clouds, the stripes tend to make the plane look "broken up" and that made them hard to identify by enemy ground forces and aircraft.

[dimbulb]

They're used for identification, to prevent friendly fire.

I believe the IDF uses these markings as well. Just do a search for the Israel Defence forces, or for pictures of Merkava tanks....

[dimbulb]

[debaser]

The "V" symbol is used because it is easily identifiable from long range and through mirage. The orientation of the V can be used to indicate different units (usually large distinctions, such as Corps level).


thenewguy - The Merkava is an Israeli tank. the US does not use them.

[miked10270]

OK, time to tell the truth.

On US vehicles the chevron/arrow points towards the top of the tank. It's information for U.S Forces. It signifies "This Way Up".

Other armies also use chevrons, pointing if different directions. This is to confuse the US Forces into thinking that other armies use their tanks upside down!

Mike.

[tenchi069]

lol. Miked, that may actually be the explanation we've all been looking for. Okay maybe not, but good for a laugh nonetheless

[pangavan]

So in France the chevron points to the back?

[platypus]

Originally posted by pangavan
So in France the chevron points to the back?

BwaHaHaHa!!

That's right with 1 speed forward and 6 in reverse.

[miked10270]

Originally posted by pangavan
So in France the chevron points to the back?

No... of should I say "Non". For French vehicles the chevron may point forwards... It then signifies "Les Allemands sont de cette façon" (The Germans are over there)... Or backwards, when it signifies "Cuisses de vin, d'escargots et de grenouilles, de cette façon" (Wine, snails and frogs legs, this way)... It may also point down, meaning "Recroquevillez-vous et cachez ici et composez les histoires au sujet de à quel point nous courageux étions". It makes no difference... The tank still goes backwards

MIke.