# Russian Tank Conspiracy Theory **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 13, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237 "2004-09-13T12:33:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mambozzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@mambozzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mambozzy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237/1 "2004-09-13T12:33:41Z")
Ok, so they weren’t really tanks but its easier to write in the title than ‘Light Armored Wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle’. So last month I was drivng back to Michigan from some backpacking in Colorado. If memory serves, it was on I-90, first on the west side of the state then again about 6 hours later on the east side when I passed a flatbed semi heading west carrying some kind of eight-wheeled vehicle under a blue tarp. Coincidentally, my original job in the Marine Corp Reserve was an assaultman where I learned to shoot rockets and missles. Vehicle identification also came with the territory. Granted, I only saw it for a couple seconds and it was covered from the top just past halfway. However, I am very confident that it was a Russian BTR-90 and a brand new one, at that. It is, after all, a rather distinctive vehicle. In fact, not just 45 days before that, I got a chance to see one up close…in Poland. So what the hell were two Russian Military vehicles doing on the back of a couple flatbeds driving across the American Midwest? Conspiracy theories abound. Here it is, if you’re interested: [http://ttjstk.myrice.com/elswq/lj/zjc/btr\_90\_5.jpg.jpg](http://ttjstk.myrice.com/elswq/lj/zjc/btr_90_5.jpg.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237/2 "2004-09-13T12:37:16Z")
bad link ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237/3 "2004-09-13T14:25:47Z")
It could have been the US’s new vehicle, the Stryker > **[【退会理由例も公開♪】BBB/トリプルビーの解約方法まとめ！休止／変更／キャンセルも！](https://strykernews.com)** > > 【たった1分で完了♪】BBB(トリプルビー)の解約方法を解説！回数縛りはある？連絡先（電話番号/メールアドレス/マイページログイン後のお問い合わせフォーム）はこちら！解約条件/解約理由例も♪電話が繋がらないって本当？定期購入コースの休止/退会/キャンセルの口コミ暴露！返品/返金保証できる？ Or sometimes the US likes to pick up Russian hardware for training purposes whenever Russia has a sale. We got a dozen Mig-29’s that way a few years back. ---
**Author:** ![Kilt-wearin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/82dd89/32.png) [@Kilt-wearin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilt-wearin_man)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237/4 "2004-09-13T14:27:43Z")
They could’ve been heading to a museum or two, or to a training range, or who knows…as for where they came from…well, they could’ve been captured in Iraq and cleaned up for transport, or they could’ve been bought “gently used” by one of our more recent Eastern European allies (we recently bought a bunch of MiG-29s from one of the former Soviet republics who couldn’t afford to keep maintaining them anymore - starts with a “b” if I recall, but I don’t remember which republic…). No big deal. They’ll probably wind up outfitting the OpFor at the National Training Center - more realistic that way. Beats dressing a Humvee up and trying to drive it like a BTR. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/russian-tank-conspiracy-theory/264237/5 "2004-09-13T14:30:10Z")
Michigan? It was probably one of the next generation of SUVs being shipped out for a road test.