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The Beast - T55 version


daskal

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The movie was filmed in the Judaean desert, not far from the Dead Sea. The tanks used were ex-IDF Tiran 5. At that time (mid-late 80's) the IDF had phased out hundreds of Tiran 4 & 5 tanks due to budget cuts.

Their IDF numbers can be seen on steel plates welded to the front hull: 130300, 130545. 13#### means they were captured during the Yom Kippur War.

An IAF SA-321K Super Frelon helicopter also participated the movie. These were taken out of service in 1991.

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  • 3 years later...

An ex-IDF Tiran 5 is used to depict a Soviet tank also in 'Rambo III', albeit in a much smaller role than in 'The Beast of War'. See 54:22-55:40 in the video:

 

 

An ex-IDF halftrack (upgraded with a M113A1's Diesel engine following the 1973 war) is also used to depict a Soviet vehicle. The helicopters are not IAF ones, but a flight of four IAF Kfirs is visible on 27:12.

AFAIK, both movies were filmed in 1987 in the Judaean Desert. Specifically, 'Rambo III' was filmed a few kms west of Ein Bokek. At least two Israeli actors have played in both movies.

Edited by Iarmor
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  • 2 weeks later...

A decade before 'The Beast of War' and 'Rambo 3', IDF Tiran 5 MBTs were used to depict Egyptian T-55s in 'My Mother the General', an Israeli comedy film whose plot takes place in the post-1973-war Sinai frontline. See 1:05:45, 1:10:31-1:11:10 and 1:12:10 in the following video:

 

 

Despite the Sinai was still in Israeli hands at the time, the filming of 'My Mother the General' took place near Arad, where the Judaean Desert meets the Negev Desert, next to a real-world armor training exercise.

Centurions (Shot Cal B version), M113s and even M-50 SPHs are also seen in use, by the Israeli side, but, although the main character is named 'Zelda', the AFVs' role in this film in no larger than in 'Rambo', nothing like 'The Beast of War'.

Note the ERA attachment bolts are visible on the Centurions (1:04:55 for example), while the ERA blocks themselves are missing, since ERA was still classified back then. IDF MBTs sporting ERA blocks were first seen publicly during the 1982 war in Lebanon.  

 

1841979_edbgeneralit11.full.jpg

 

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