Here is another great edition to the extreme zoom file, a U.S. military RTCH or Rough Terran Reach Stacker. I happened to spot two of these machines on Department of Defense railcars last weekend. Considering they were out in the open I figured it was safe to take a photo. It doesn’t appear that shipping container cranes are top secret pieces of Uncle Sam’s arsenal. If this is my last post ever you’ll know the stealth helicopters came and took me away in the middle of the night.
Anway, this particular model is the RT240 which has been designed to operate in virtually any terrain including water up to five feet deep. Maximum lifting capacity on this crane is 65,000 pounds which is basically one of the shipping containers seen in the background. The RT240 allows military forces to move supplies through undeveloped or war torn areas with speed and efficiency. An army does march on it’s stomach after all.
Swing by the Kalmar website dedicated to the RT240 for more great photos and backstory.