The idea originated in the Soviet Union, when trucks were fitted with smaller MiG engines to blast water at fires.

The example shown here is of Hungarian design – a T-34 fitted with two Tumansky R-25 turbojet engines, the same used in the MiG-21 fighter. The engines are positioned in place of the turret and rotate and even pivot up and down.

Above the engines are pipes that spray water into the jet exhaust.

When in action, the 130 decibel jets blast exhaust gasses near the speed of sound towards a fire – mostly like one at an oil well. 220 gallons of water is then sprayed into the stream per second.

The power of the jets cut off the supply of oil spraying out the of the well before it can ignite and continue to fuel the fire, extinguishing it.

The armor of the old WWII tank allows Big Wind to get extremely close to the fire – about 25 feet away. It proved invaluable during the 1991 Gulf War, where it put out a number of oil well fires in Kuwait.