Combat and survival august 2014 by Sudden

Website: www.combatandsurvival.com Editor: Bob Morrison Designer: Ashley Lockwood Senior Correspondents: Carl Schulze & Yves Debay (R.I.P) Far East Correspondent: Gordon Arthur Firearms Tester: Greg Roberts Survival Specialist: Jason Polley Gear Tester: Mike Gormley Security Consultant: Robert Shaw Webmaster: Daryl Crowther Advertisement Sales Director: Moira Spencer Tel: 01484 435011 Email: moira@maionline.co.uk Distributed by Warners Group Publications PLC The Maltings, West Street, Bourne PE10 9PH Print by Acorn Colourprint Ltd: Loscoe Close, Normanton, WF6 1TW

P15

P15 Elite Forces 1 OPERATION HANNIBAL

Richard Lucas photographs French Foreign Legion combat engineers crossing the Rhone

P22 Elite Forces 2 US NAVY EOD

Gordon Arthur reports from Guam on the work of Mobile Unit Five in the Pacific

P28 British Elite 16 AIR ASSAULT

Bob Morrison reports from north-east Scotland as 3 Para capture an P22 airfield from insurgents

P34 Kit & Camo 1 3 PARA

P38 Survival Kits & Equipment

P28

P44 Kit & Camo 2 UNFICYP UNIFORMS

Advertising: moira@maionline.co.uk Editorial: combatandsurvival@hotmail.com

IMPORTANT: All individual combat and personal survival activities involve risk of injury to oneself and others and great care must be taken carrying out any such activities. Expert guidance should be sought and equipment checked for reliability before any activities described here in are carried out. The publishers cannot accept any responsibility for any injury, death, loss or damage which may result. ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS will be welcomed and considered for publication. Submission of such shall be considered a warranty that they are original and do not infringe on the copyright of others. Unsuitable material can only be returned if you include a S.A.E. Loss or damage is not the responsibility of COMBAT & SURVIVAL.

Bob Morrison continues the mini-series with a look at Hungarian 4-colour Desert camouflage

P50 Firearms CZ EXTREME

Greg Roberts covers the recent European Open practical pistol competition in South Moravia

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©Copyright here and abroad of all material is held by the publishers. No reproduction is permitted whatsoever without prior consent in writing.

Bob Morrison photographs a Parachute Regiment lance corporal wearing MTP uniform

Jason Polley talks us through the basics which could make surviving in the wilds much easier

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P50

P58 Vehicle Files EFA & SPRAT

Richard Lucas photographs the French Foreign Legion’s forward crossing vehicle and bridgelayer

DISCLAIMER: The publishers make no representations, endorsements, guarantees or warranties concerning the products and/or services advertised within this magazine. We expressly disclaim any and all liability relating to or arising from the sale, manufacture, distribution, use or misuse of such.

P62 Outdoor TRIED & TESTED

Mike Gormley trials a jacket, trousers, neck warmer, headlamp and travel bandages

P68 Security SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE

P58 P44

Robert Shaw ponders on what a break-up of the Union could mean for UK defence.

P70 Rations MARCHING AMMO Pt.21

P70

Bob Morrison brings an update on Arab Ready Meals tailored specifically for the Middle East P05: Comms P48 & 56: Reviews

August 14 Cover Image: © Bob Morrison © M.A.I. Publications 2014

Combat & Survival

This ASCOD-based Scout SV prototype intended as the CVR(T) replacement was one of the very few new developments spotted at DVD 2014 First of all this month I need to introduce you to new C&S designer Ashley, who has taken over from Emily (aka Sophie or Esmeralda ... but that’s a long story). Emily has done a sterling job over the last twelve months and we’ll miss her and we wish her well as she finishes off her degree but Ashley, who has been on the MAI Publications staff for some time, is already proving himself to be a worthy successor.

une, which is drawing to a close as I pen this final page of the August issue, has been another busy month for us with both the biennial Eurosatory defence expo in Paris and the annual Defence Vehicle Dynamics expo at Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire requiring our presence in the two weeks before passing this magazine for press. We have included a few individual pages on new stuff we spotted, but you will need to hunt them out for yourself as there was neither space nor time to add them to the contents page.

Although Eurosatory was busier than ever, both Carl and myself found our enthusiasm to be on the wane right from the start and it was not until the third day that it clicked why. For the first time in over twenty years our old friend Yves Debay, assassinated in Syria on 17th January 2013 while covering the civil war, was not holding court at the premier French expo. Although it was often presumed that Yves was French as he lived in Paris he was actually Belgian Congolese by birth, so I suppose it was rather fitting that on my last evening at Eurosatory I sank several glasses of Belgian

Trappist beer, courtesy of Cockerill the weapons system company, before catching the RER to the airport. Salut! Defence Vehicle Dynamics, or DVD as it is universally known in industry circles, held the week after Eurosatory was unfortunately nothing like as busy. Indeed, to be frank, it was a damp squib. From talking to manufacturers in Paris we realised that attendance was likely to be pretty dismal and that few vehicles would be using Millbrook’s excellent off-road facilities, so Carl decided to sack it and concentrate on finishing off a book project instead. It was a good decision, as even with just myself covering the show it was possible to take in almost everything in the first day. Although no formal announcement was made rumours abounded at DVD that there would be no expo in 2015 and from 2016 the show will go biennial to alternate with the much larger DSEi (Defence Security & Equipment international) held in London’s Docklands. Many industry commentators have been suggesting this as a logical progression since about 2010, but it looks like the impending General Election (expected in May 2015) and the period of purdah before it which would make organisation very difficult has been the required catalyst. That being said, two years is a long time in both politics and the defence world so I was not the only attendee wondering if DVD 2014 might have been the final one. When things change on the military front they either take forever or happen almost instantly. A good example of this is the announcement on 29th

At DVD 2014 Thales announced the sale of Starstreak missiles to Singapore - Hobson Industries have converted a fleet of Land Rover Defenders as transporter launchers for them June, at the very start of Ramadan, that Islamic fundamentalists led by Iraqi cleric Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai, who for a time borrowed the name of the caliph Abu Bakr (who according to Sunni belief succeeded the prophet Mohammed) and called himself Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, had declared the territories in Syria and Iraq that his followers occupy as being The Islamic State (al-Dawlah al-Islņmūyah). Although not exactly unpredicted, the speed with which violence suddenly erupted across western parts of Iraq caught many by surprise. To outsiders the split between the Sunni and Shia branches of Islam are a bit of a mystery, but then again the split between Roman Catholic and Protestant branches of Christianity, and the bigotry associated with this in some places, do not make much sense to those who do not have a devout belief in one very specific strand of religion. A cynic might determine that the amount of violence inflicted by humans on their brothers and sisters in the name of religion is simple proof that no God exists ... but just try discussing that with a religious zealot of any persuasion. One also has to wonder if possibly leaving autocratic dictators in power might actually be better for society as a whole than allowing zealots with even less interest in democracy or human rights to step into a vacuum. Food for thought?- BM

Combat & Survival

Beside this FV510 Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicle the traces of the previous live fire exercise are still visible in form of empty 30mm cartridges and spent three round clips

THE MAIN WEAPON SYSTEM OF THE ARMOURED INFANTRY BATTALIONS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IS THE FV510 WARRIOR ARMOURED INFANTRY FIGHTING VEHICLE. FITTED WITH A 30MM L21A1 RARDEN GUN AND A COAXIAL 7.62X51MM L94A1 CHAIN GUN, THE VEHICLE IS NOT ONLY USED AS BATTLE TAXI BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE FIRE SUPPORT ONCE THE INFANTRYMEN HAVE DISMOUNTED. DURING THE WARRIOR GUNNERY CADRE, FUTURE GUNNERS AND VEHICLE COMMANDERS FIRE THE MAIN AND SECONDARY ARMAMENT OF THEIR WARRIOR FOR THE FIRST TIME. EARLIER THIS YEAR C&S SPENT A DAY WITH THE 3RD BATTALION OF THE MERCIAN REGIMENT, THE STAFFORDS, ON RANGE 8A OF THE BERGEN HOHNE TRAINING AREA UNDERTAKING THIS TRAINING.

Combat & Survival

During the course the students engage both static and moving targets with the Warrior’s 30mm L21A1 Rarden Gun - this shot is in daylight of course but students also undertake night firing

arefully the gunner aligns the reticule of his BGTI sight on the target, places the gun change lever on ‘R’ and then presses the firing button. With a loud bang the 30mm L21A1 Rarden Gun of the FV510 Warrior comes alive, the vehicle rocking slightly from the recoil of the weapon. Only a split second later the fired L13A4 High Explosive round impacts on the target. With the first round on target the gunner now presses the firing button twice more and two more rounds leave the gun barrel in quick succession. Again they impact on the target which is simulating an enemy light armoured vehicle some 1,000 metres away. He then switches from the main armament to the coaxial 7.62mm Chain Gun by operating the Armament Switch of the Gunner’s Service Box. By operating the power traverse controller and finally the elevation gear hand-wheel the gunner trims the gun on a group of targets at a distance of approximately 600 metres which represents enemy dismounted infantry. With his foot the gunner now operates the press-to-fire switch situated on his foot plate and a rapid stream of 7.62mm bullets leave the barrel of the chain gun. The rounds fitted with a tracer kit can be easily seen flying down range and impacting in and around the targets.

FOUR WEEKS

Getting the cadre participants qualified

Combat & Survival

Above: The Mercian Regiment’s Tactical Recognition Flash worn on the right arm is a diamond with three vertical stripes - cerise on the left, buff in the middle and Lincoln green on the right 1: The FV510 Warrior AIFV is the main weapon system of the armoured infantry battalions of the British Army - it is fitted with a 30mm L21A1 Rarden Gun and a coaxial 7.62mm L94A1 Chain Gun 2: The FV510 Warrior has a crew of three consisting of the driver, gunner and vehicle commander - up to seven dismount troops can be carried in the rear fighting compartment

Here a student can be seen in the Warrior gunner’s position - note the second generation thermal imaging gunner’s sight of the BGTI (Battle Group Thermal Imaging) system in front of him 3

3: For the students the Initial Live Fire Exercises of the Range Package are the first time that they actually have the chance to fire the armament of the FV510 Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicle 4: 30mm L13A4 High Explosive ammunition ready to be handed out to the students - ammo for the L21A1 Rarden Gun comes in the form of three round clips 5: As the battalion currently only fields four FV510 Warriors as a result of Whole Fleet Management Programme upgrades the REME LAD had a busy time keeping vehicles fully serviceable Images © Carl Schulze

to fire well-aimed single shots and bursts with the 30mm Rarden Gun as well as aimed bursts with the 7.62mm Chain Gun in order to engage stationary and moving targets at distances between 200 and 1,300 metres, by day and night, is the main focus of the Range Packages of the Warrior Gunnery Cadre. During the week long Range Package each student will fire approximately forty 30mm L18A4 Practice and L13A4 High Explosive rounds, as well as 800 rounds of 7.62mm L44A1 Ball and L45A3 Tracer ammunition. In British Army terms the live fire exercises are known as Initial Live Fire Exercises 3, 4 and 5, with 3 being the night shoot and 4 being the Initial Gunnery Test. For the students, the Initial Live Fire Exercises are the first time that they fire the armament of the Warrior; and you can call that quite the experience. Only after passing the Initial Gunnery Test can a soldier call himself a qualified gunner for the FV510 Warrior AIFV. Future vehicle commanders are qualified Gunner Commanders after passing the Initial Gunnery Test, but to become fully trained commanders of an FV510 Warrior they also have to master the Vehicle Commander Course. Prior to being allowed to take part in the Range Package the future gunners and commanders have to attend the three week long Classes Package of the Warrior Gunnery Cadre, during which they are taught all the basics;

Combat & Survival

Main Image: A student participating in the Range Packages of the Warrior Gunnery Cadre engages a target on Range 8A of the Bergen Hohne Training Area with the 30mm L21A1 Rarden Gun of a FV510 Warrior

including safety measures, range safety, words of command, basic weapon technology, functions of the different turret systems and sighting equipment, procedures to operate the weapons, ammunition types and specifications and so on.

THE LAST CADRE

For the 3rd Battalion of The Mercian Regiment, which prior to the 2007 infantry amalgamations was the 1st Battalion of the the Staffordshire Regiment, the Warrior Gunnery Cadre conducted in Germany recently was the last the unit will conduct for their regiment. The unit is currently assigned the role of an armoured

Combat & Survival

infantry battalion and is based at Lumsden Barracks in Fallingbostel in Germany, where it belongs to the 7th ‘Desert Rats’ Armoured Brigade but it will be disbanded later in 2014 as a result of the Army 2020 restructuring; its personnel will be absorbed by the other two battalions of the Regiment. The cadre we covered, of which the Classes Package was conducted in November and December 2013 and the Range Package between 26th of February and 7th of March 2014, saw the participation not only of soldiers from 3 MERCIAN but also some from 1 MERCIAN based in Bulford and 2 MERCIAN based in Belfast.

6: The FV510 During the Range Package each student fired approximately forty rounds of 30mm L18A4 Practice ammunition (blue) and 30mm L13A4 High Explosive ammunition 7: Having already received his 7.62mm ammunition a student is briefed prior to the next live fire exercise the regiment’s cap badge is a double headed Mercian eagle with Saxon crown

NINE STUDENTS

While many more students attended the Classes Package, only a total of nine students took part in the final Range Package in Germany. During the five range days of the course they fired a total of 840 rounds of 30mm L18A4 Practice ammunition, 105 rounds of 30mm L13A4 High Explosive ammunition and a mix of 25,000 rounds of 7.62mm L44A1 Ball and 7.62mm L45A3 Tracer ammunition. In the busy times of conversion to the new Army 2020 structure this course was an important step in their career for the participating students, as passing it meant that in the future they would have an interesting job within their battalions.

Warrior 40KG53 was photographed at BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) in Canada being used in training by the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in October 2007 - this two-tone sand and green ‘Prairie’ colour-scheme is also used by OpFor armour on exercises on Salisbury Plain

These two Warriors fitted with WRAP 2 reactive armour plating were photographed on Op TELIC in Iraq in January 2008 where they were serving with 1st Battalion of the Scots Guards - this armour upgrade was introduced as an Urgent Operational Requirement to help defeat RPGs and IEDs

These Warriors, upgraded to TES(H) or Theatre Entry Standard (HERRICK), were being used by B Company of 3rd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment in Afghanistan in June 2011 - although IEDs were also a problem in Helmand Province the RPG was a greater threat so stand-off bar armour was fitted - Images © Carl Schulze Combat & Survival

Combat & Survival

Included in the breaching and spanning operations was the construction of a Bailey Bridge by the combat engineers of the 1st REG - the bridge was not used during the manoeuvres but was assembled on base This spring the 6th BLB (Brigade Leger BlindĂŠ), a light armoured brigade specialising in amphibious operations, took to the field for a week of intensive coordinated manoeuvres and obstacle breaching. The 6th BLB is a key element of the French Rapid Response Force and has recently been deployed to a number of conflict situations. The manoeuvres took place on and near the Rhone River in southern France, between the cities of Orange and Avignon, both of which were founded by the Romans. What makes the manoeuvres unique is that the principle challenge, to get a formidable force of vehicles, men and equipment over the Rhone, had been accomplished over two thousand years ago in this same exact spot by one of the greatest generals in history, Hannibal Barca.

In the Tracks of the Carthaginian

he most famous military rivalry in history was between the city states of Rome and Carthage. The two vied for control of the ancient world over a hundred and fifty years in an epic conflict which is collectively referred to as the Punic

Combat & Survival

Wars. From this long piece of military history one name stands out above all others; Hannibal. His thrust into Italy and the incredible military accomplishment of crossing the Alps with his contingent of African elephants stands out as one of the great military achievements of all time. Another equally brilliant feat of military engineering which led up to the former action was his crossing of the Rhone River in southern France, or Gaul as it was called at the time. Carthage controlled the southern Mediterranean with a sphere of influence

Above: An EFA forward crossing vehicle with air bags inflated rolls down into the river - see P58 for more

which extended from the Iberian peninsula across all of North Africa to Palestine in the Middle East. Rome controlled the northern Mediterranean; Gaul, the Italian Peninsula and most of Greece. Most of the confrontations during the years of conflict had taken place in and around the islands which lie between the two adversaries. In 182 B.C. Hannibal Barca decided to take the fight to Rome itself by invading Italy. Starting out from Carthage, the site of present day Tunis, he headed west along the African Mediterranean coast

and over to Spain. Along the way he incorporated a number of indigenous groups into his Army. After wintering in Spain he set out into Gaul, a Roman controlled territory. From famed Numidian light cavalry to Egyptian sling men and rugged Spanish heavy infantry, Hannibal’s army was international in its racial and ethnic composition with groups from all parts of the Empire and yet, as a whole, was extremely loyal in its dedication to its commander. Hannibal proceeded through Gaul with little problem, even adding local troops to his army, until he reached the Rhone. On the other bank an army of Volcae Gauls, allied with Rome, positioned itself in order to prevent Hannibal from crossing. As his men gathered the boats and built the rafts needed for the crossing, Hannibal sent a contingent of light cavalry and infantry under Hanno,

Main Image: An EFA ferries two AMX-10RC recce vehicles and a VBL over a water obstacle 1: The MLF (Moyen Leger de Franchissement) ferry consists of open pontoons and bridging sections 2: Here half a dozen pontoons linked with bridging sections are transporting three VBL scout cars

one of his lieutenants, upriver where they succeeded in crossing undetected. A few days later, on Hanno’s signal the boats were put to water. By the time they reached to opposite bank Hanno’s troops had engaged the enemy at the rear, panic among the Gauls quickly ensued, and they fled the battle. Certainly Hannibal’s first major victory of the campaign was won on strategy but it was also a major feat of military engineering. The river was crossed by a number of various means, each adapted to the particular troops involved. Rafts and makeshift boats were hastily built. Large rafts were constructed and covered with earth and grass to trick the war elephants that they on solid

ground. Fishing boats, canoes, cargo barges, whatever assets were available, were requisitioned and refitted for the crossing. Within a couple days the entire Carthaginian Army of some fifty thousand infantry and twenty thousand cavalry had crossed and regrouped on the eastern bank began to prepare for the invasion of Italy.

Modern Day Scenario Ancient Obstacle

The war elephants may have been replaced by heavy tanks, the mounted troops by armoured personnel carriers and jeeps, and the siege engines by mortars and artillery, but the river remains the same and as much an obstacle today as it was two

Combat & Survival

thousand years ago. On Operation HANNIBAL, codename for the 6th BLB manoeuvres, over two hundred vehicles and artillery pieces were involved, making the organisation of the training a formidable undertaking. The scenario adopted for the manoeuvres was one where UN troops stationed between two unstable countries on the other side of the river were being harassed by army elements from one side and insurgents from the adjacent country on the other. Troops from a democratic country on the west bank of the river, the side Hannibal was on, were to cross the natural barrier at various points, secure a corridor to bring the UN peacekeepers out and then to make their way back over the river. The training area was quite extensive about 800 km². (500 sq miles) and situated in a region where three of the 6th Brigade’s core elements, all French Foreign Legion, and the Brigade HQ are based. Starting in the south-west at Brigade HQ in Nimes, also home of the famed 2nd REI (2nd Régiment Etranger d’Infanterie), a Foreign Legion mechanised infantry regiment, the zone stretched north to Avignon/Laudun where the Brigade’s combat engineer regiment, the 1st REG, is stationed then up to the city of Orange, principle base of the 1st REC (Régiment Etranger de Cavalerie) the Legion’s armoured regiment. One of the goals of the training was to evaluate the systems of coordination and communication between the various elements involved in the

Combat & Survival

exercises. This was centred at Brigade Command Centre about 20 miles from the site of the river crossings. Satellite communications and GPS links kept Command Centre abreast of the operations as the various movements appeared on the computer screens giving the logistic personnel the possibilities to monitor the manoeuvres. Coordinating and directing movement in the field was the job of the 503rd RCR (Regiment Circulation Routiere). One peculiarity of the French Army is the use of specific traffic control regiments who are specially trained in dealing with the movement and management of road traffic. In most other armies this is the job of the Military Police. For these manoeuvres the 503rd was deployed. Their mission was primarily to set up road signs and roadside indicators to guide the other units through the area; later they were posted at intersections to monitor and direct troop movement and control both civilian and military traffic, as well as to keep HQ up-to-date on the situation. This may seem to be a fairly uninteresting vocation compared to the more openly combative units participating in the exercises, but actually they are relatively active as combat troops. I ran across the ‘traffic control’ regiments in a number of conflict situations - Ivory Coast, Afghanistan, Bosnia etc. - where they were deployed to man checkpoints, provide security along roads and provide convoy escort . Also RCR units may be among the first to enter a combat zone in a high intensity situation in order lay out proper

Main Image: Used here as a pontoon ferry several MLFs can be linked to form an 85 metre long bridge 3: The larger PMF (Pont Flottant Motorisé or Motorised Floating Bridge) can ferry heavier armour 4: Here the PMF is being used to ferry several 14 tonne VAB 4x4 armoured personnel carriers

route indications and direct heavy armour and artillery as to positioning.

Breaching

The breaching exercises involved both wet and dry obstacles. The Rhone was the obvious wet obstacle; dry obstacles could be trenches, gullies or rough terrain. For spanning the dry obstacles the French Engineers are equipped with the SPRAT bridgelayer (see page 58 for more). The river crossings were carried out with various means currently employed by the French Army. Most of the men and vehicles were ferried across the Rhone by using PFMs (Pont Flottant Motorisé),

or Motorised Floating Bridge. Transported by a specially designed tractor trailer, once in the water the PFM is an autonomous, single selfpropelled unit that can ferry men and equipment over a large expanse of water at a fairly good speed. Another frequently used system is the light and extremely versatile crossing system known in French as the MLF (Moyen Leger de Franchissement). This unit consists of a string of open pontoon boats covered by sections of bridge floor linked together. By using outboard motors on the outside pontoons to propel the floating bridge they can be used to ferry troops and equipment. The outboards are also used to position the units which can be linked together to form a pontoon bridge and cross an expanse of water with no particular limit as to length of the span. The MLF units can be completely disassembled and so are easily transported. This type of pontoon bridging has been around for quite a while and most armies have similar configurations in their engineering arsenals. Perhaps the most interesting machine which was present during the manoeuvres was the EFA MLC 70 autonomous ferry, photos of which can be found on page 60. Most of the five days of activities

centred around the 1st REG with material and technical assistance provided by the 3rd and 13th Army Engineer Regiments. The 1st REG, one of the Legion’s two combat engineer regiments, are one of the most active combat units in the French Army and their deployment is very steady from one conflict situation to another. The success and the merit of any set of training exercises is best evaluated by the people involved. From the outside it seemed to have worked well with hundreds of tons of men and vehicles crossing the river nearly non-stop, day and night. Summing up the exercise Colonel Claudet, Commanding Officer of the 1st REG, brought up the fact that his regiment had been, over the past several years, strictly involved in combat engineering. This was in reference to the unit’s deployment in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and several African countries within the past ten years. Here the job had involved de-mining, IED detection and neutralising, and ordnance destruction, as well as fortification and defence construction. He said: “In light of the low intensity conflicts we have recently been involved in, our primary deployment was in a combat capacity. Sometimes we tend to forget that the other job of the military engineer is to move the Army. When a large force is deployed

Main Image: An AMX-10RC recce vehicle - followed by a VAB - climbs the exit ramp off a PMF onto the river bank 5: The Brigade Command Centre was kept about 20 miles away from the site of the river crossings to allow communications procedures to be tested Images © Richard Lucas

and has to advance quickly, it’s up to the engineers to make it possible to get a maximum of troops efficiently over obstacles, whether they be natural or man-made, with a minimum of losses. In the these five days of exercises we put into operation various devices and techniques to breach barriers, wet or dry, and managed to keep up a steady flow of men and equipment moving to their designated destinations. “Like Hannibal we used a number of different techniques and equipment, our goal was to get all the units involved working together and familiar with the procedures used in moving this amount of men and material in an orderly fashion. With all aspects of the operations taken into consideration, I think the manoeuvres were a success and provided the Brigade with essential training to prepare for future interventions in an actual conflict situation.”

Combat & Survival

Images © Bob Morrison and Renault Trucks

THE TORPEDO FS IS THE OPEN-TOPPED VARIANT OF THE 3.5 TONNE GVW ALTV (AIRTRANSPORTABLE VÉHICULE TACTIQUE LÉGER OR AIR-TRANSPORTABLE LIGHT TACTICAL VEHICLE) PICK-UP TRUCK PRODUCED BY FRENCH MANUFACTURER ACMAT, PART OF RENAULT TRUCKS DEFENSE, WITH SPECIAL FORCES IN MIND. DEVELOPED IN 2009, MORE THAN 800 UNITS OF THE ALTV 4X4 HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD TO A DOZEN NATIONS.

his 3-man SF variant, with a heavy weapons ring mount on its tubular roll cage and pintle machinegun mount for the commander, has a payload of 1.4 tonnes, a top road speed of 160km/ hr or 100mph, can ford 600mm deep water without preparation and has 330mm ground clearance. 20

Combat & Survival

No dimensions were given by the manufacturer for this version, seen here during the Dynamic Display at Eurosatory 2014, which has much less rear overhang than previously demonstrated models of the Torpedo.

ALTV 4-door PICKUP version - © Renault Defence

US Navy EOD Mobile Unit Five

Report & Images by Gordon Arthur Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a favoured tool of death and destruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Indeed, combat operations by Coalition forces in those theatres have lifted explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) techniques, skills and equipment to a new level. US forces have been at the forefront of the effort to counter IEDs and other explosive threats.

EOD MOBILE UNITS

he US Navy (USN) features its own EOD units and, according to one serviceman, “their diving capability sets them apart from EOD in other services”. The USN possesses two EOD Groups : EODGRU 1 is based in Coronado in California, and EODGRU 2 is based at Little Creek in Virginia. Each group possesses four EOD Mobile Units. EODMU5 (EOD Mobile Unit Five) from Group One, and EODMU8 from Group Two, are the only ones forward stationed outside the of continental USA, being located in Guam and at Rota in Spain respectively. Currently there are about 2,300 EOD personnel serving in the USN. Their job is varied and dangerous, and they are the only American servicemen trained to perform maritime expeditionary EOD

Combat & Survival

Main Image: Members of the shore detachment prepare to head out in an HMMWV to respond to an alert regarding a WWII bomb discovered on Guam [EODMU5] 1: An uncovered bomb dating back to WWII - the discovery of such munitions is not uncommon on Guam - Japanese bombs are more sensitive [EODMU5] 2: Members of EODMU5 practise fast-roping from the unit’s rappelling tower at Naval Base Guam - this is an essential skill for all personnel. [EODMU5]

missions. They are able to render safe unexploded ordnance (UXO), defuse or destroy all manner of domestic and foreign ordnance on land or under water, and deal with IEDs, chemical, biological and nuclear devices. They may work independently, with Special Forces, or with other Army, Air Force, Naval or Marine Corps units. They may also be tasked to support law enforcement agencies, the Department of Homeland Security or even the Secret Service.

EOD MOBILE UNIT FIVE

In this article we bring EODMU5 into the limelight. On a recent visit to Guam to investigate the USA’s so-called ‘strategic rebalance’ to the Asia-Pacific region, C&S visited the unit at its Naval Base Guam home. The unit describes its missions

Members of the Philippine Army’s 6th EOD Detachment based at Cotabato in the Philippines - JSOTF-P was helping train local army and police EOD teams in Mindanao 3: A USN member can be seen third from left in this photo in Mindanao - this vehicle bears shrapnel damage from an IED blast that earlier killed a sergeant from this Philippine Army team. as: “EODMU5 is responsible for responding to explosive, chemical, biological and nuclear threats from the International Dateline to India.” The first time the author came across this unit was in the city of Cotabato in the southern Philippines several years ago. Whilst visiting the USA’s Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines or JSOTF-P in Mindanao, the author met an EOD technician deployed there to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines in its fight against Islamist terrorist groups. At that time, EODMU5 had five members helping train Philippine Army and Philippine National Police EOD detachments.

4: An array of specialist equipment used by EODMU5, including an XRS-3 mobile X-ray system, AN/PDQ-6 radiac set, IdentiFINDER radiation detector, AN/UDR-15 pocket radiac, fibrescope and M4A1 Joint Chemical Agent Detector [JCAD]

Commander Oscar Rojas, commanding officer of EODMU5, stated to us that at any time perhaps 40% of his unit of 175 personnel could be deployed across an enormous swathe of territory. EODMU5 contains eleven platoons, including two Mine

Combat & Survival

Countermeasure (MCM) teams, two Crisis Response Force (CRF) platoons, five Mobile Platoons and two shore detachments. These elements perform different roles. MCM teams are trained to raise, tow, beach and detonate mines. The CRFs support Special Operations Forces such as USN SEALs, and a platoon typically comprises two two-man teams. Trained in explosives, diving and parachuting, they have a specialist mission set that makes them crucial to Special Operations units performing clandestine or direct action missions. Meanwhile, a mobile platoon contains eight people and they predominantly conduct counter-IED missions (e.g. in Afghanistan). Finally, shore-based detachments support key naval installations at Guam and Yokosuka in Japan. These dets call themselves the “admiral’s bomb squad”! EODMU5 was previously based at Subic Bay, but it moved out when that base closed in 1992 and the USA pulled out of the Philippines. When it arrived in Guam it contained just four platoons, which illustrates the growth in the breadth of responsibilities the unit now has. Commander Rojas told C&S, “We’re strategically placed to reach out to partner nations and we can easily host others.” Thus, the unit conducts frequent military-to-military training with Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines. To show how busy the unit is, the

Combat & Survival

Main Image: There are numerous submerged wrecks and munitions in the waters surrounding Guam and other islands in the Marianas chain - the unit has two MCM teams [EODMU5] 5: These divers are operating a DLS-2A handheld sonar device Cobham MK16 rebreathers allow divers to descend deeper than with the standard scuba gear seen here [EODMU5] 6: The ability to render safe munitions found underwater is a core skill, and primary mission, for USN EOD teams - there are eight such units in the USN. [EODMU5]

commander listed 23 engagements in 2014, including with Hong Kong, Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand. Humanitarian mine action (HMA) and theatre security cooperation (TSC) roles are important tasks. The commander noted his unit is ideally located in Guam: “A demolition range is ten minutes away, a shooting range and flight line are five minutes away, and diving can be conducted all year round.” With such advantages, one member enthused, “It’s hard not to get good training in!” Guam is a WWII battlefield, so this

means there are regular opportunities for shore detachments to deal with UXO as well when old bombs are unearthed. The unit’s premises at NBG are expanding too. The commander revealed the unit has been generously allocated 25 acres of land that will be used to build IED lanes and a kill house for training.

Construction is due to start imminently. An example of a recent mission by EODMU5 was the removal of two of four bombs that had been dropped by a pair of USMC AV-8B aircraft on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia during last year’s Exercise TALISMAN SABRE. The remaining two bombs were left insitu because they were inert. Incidentally, EODMU5 is complemented by Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One based at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. This unit has dive teams that can conduct harbour clearance, force protection missions, disaster relief, battle damage repair and underwater search operations in water up to 300 feet deep.

TRAINING

The training regime for USN EOD technicians is intensive. Three weeks of preparatory training commences at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois, followed by nine weeks of dive school at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Centre in Panama City, Florida. Upon completion of these steps, candidates must do 42 weeks of specialist training to learn the art and science of ordnance handling at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. The course specifically includes various types of ordnance and how to defuse them, tools and methods, and the fundamentals of demolition. Approximately 40% of candidates wash out during training, one member told C&S. Candidates are generally Type A personalities – they need to be

Main Image: The EOD unit is equipped with vessels such as this rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RIB) that are used for dive training and MCM missions in the waters surrounding Guam 7: Operators deploy a Seabotix LBV300-5 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) - such robots are used in preference to divers to reduce risk to lives. [EODMU5] 8: This 54-inch Standard Navy Double-Lock Recompression Chamber System (SNDLRCS) is built by Cowan. It had been recently used to treat a local diver on Guam. Images © Gordon Arthur and EODMU5

intelligent, calm under pressure, and have no criminal record. Being able to operate independently is also important, since they need to make individual onthe-spot decisions.

After graduating from the above, candidates do a three-week Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning in Georgia (EOD technicians can perform static line, HALO and HAHO jumps), as well as four weeks of weapons training at Gulfport in Mississippi. The final step is EOD tactical training at the Naval Amphibious Base in San Diego, where participants learn all aspects of operating in a tactical environment. At this point, graduates are assigned to Combat & Survival

EOD Mobile Units. “The true training starts once you report to a unit,” commented one diver.

EQUIPMENT

EODMU5 possesses a lot of high-tech equipment to help it perform its varied duties. Much of it relates to underwater activities – for example, open-and closed-circuit scuba diving rigs, as well as boats. Various devices such as mobile X-ray systems, radiation detectors, chemical agent detectors, mine detectors and disruptor tools are all available for use. On Guam, EODMU5 has an MRAP 4x4 vehicle available, though this is generally used for training and familiarisation with the vehicle type. Commander Rojas noted that considerable investment is put into USN EOD operators and that “they are a unit’s greatest asset”. This means they would prefer to put equipment such as robots into harm’s way before ever endangering human lives. Thanks to such care and tailored EOD training, he noted the USN had the lowest casualty rate of any of the US military EOD services. EODMU5 has maintained a sustained presence in the Pacific while conducting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the US rebalances to the Asia-Pacific region, the commander expects more EOD assets will be allocated to Guam. With the drawdown of operations in Afghanistan, he also predicted there

Combat & Survival

These are run-of-the-mill munitions for EOD technicians to deal with. For Iraq and Afghanistan operations, members typically deployed in two-man teams. [EODMU5] 9: A lot of lessons have been learned from experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and robots are used to resolve issues wherever possible - this is an iRobot 510 PackBot 10: EOD robots are new assets for EODMU5 - this is a QinetiQ North America Talon tracked robot that weighs 52kg, and which entered US military service in 2000.

will be greater emphasis on returning to the unit’s roots in the water. C&S was curious as to why members chose such a dangerous profession. The answers were varied: “It’s the quality of the people you work with.” “The job constantly pushes you to a higher level.” “There’s great satisfaction in making things safe.” “There’s a great mix of technical skill, physical fitness and camaraderie as a special unit.” “It was the most challenging job I could think of.” And as one said: “I feel an obligation – protecting others who can’t help themselves.” After all, EODMU5’s motto is ‘Keepers of the Pacific’.

UK Forces News

The RAF HC3 Merlin transport helicopter fleet falls under JHC control and is currently transitioning to the Commando Helicopter Force to replace the HC4 Commando Sea King

JOINT WARRIOR 14-1 was a massive exercise of around 15,000 personnel which was held in and around the United Kingdom earlier this year. It involved several NATO nations and Allied countries and, importantly for the headquarters of Britain’s Joint Helicopter Command, included the validation of JHC subsidiary 16 Air Assault Brigade’s Air Assault Task Force (AATF) and two of its deployable helicopter headquarters formations. A number of weeks before the action covered in this brief feature some of its support helicopter force aircraft were deployed aboard ships which then sailed around to the west coast of Scotland to validate 3 Commando Brigade’s Lead Commando Group (LCG) and ensure they were up to speed, at high readiness to deploy anywhere in the world, before the machine headed up to north-east Scotland to work with the AATF.

S 28

etting the scene: The nation of Pastonia was in ongoing civil conflict and had split into GOP

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1: An OpFor (Opposing Forces) soldier carrying an RPG races for a defence trench as NATO fast air starts to soften up the target ahead of the heli-assault 2: AH-64 Apache helicopters (library image) hovered to the south just out of range of the defenders to strafe their positions as the assault force approached at low level from the east Images © Bob Morrison unless noted

The first wave consisted of five Merlins each carrying about two dozen troops tasked with taking out the PRP defenders in and around Objective GOLD

3: After disembarking heliborne troops from 3 PARA and 82nd Airborne immediately dropped to the ground to protect the helicopters 4: In just a few minutes a company sized battlegroup had been set down almost on top of Objective Gold

(Government of Pastonia) and PRP (Peoples Republic of Pastonia) regions. Illegal rebel organisations were running a significant area of Pastonia (i.e. Eastern Scotland). 16 Air Assault was brought in as part of a NATO force to bring about a peaceful conclusion to the strife. The main JHC headquarters operated on HMS Bulwark, the fleet’s flagship, and a deployed headquarters was embarked on HMS Illustrious, with a lead component headquarters being sent ashore once the Commandos had attacked, taken the ground and consolidated the beachhead and airfield. Once validated this deployed JHC headquarters formation went on high readiness. The second phase of JW14-1 brought in 16 Air Assault Brigade and a new headquarters formation for the JHC helicopters to deploy with; it is this phase we are covering this month. The exercise saw the culmination of training prior to the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment (3 PARA) and its Air Manoeuvre BattleGroup (AMBG) taking over the Air Assault Task Force role. Designed to test 16 Air Assault Brigade working as the Land Component Command, the exercise was a test of tri-service units working alongside other assets. The brigade’s headquarters first moved up to Scotland from Colchester to test its ability to get an organisation the size of the AATF ‘through the door’ speedily and efficiently.

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A mixed section of British and American Paratroopers storms a hanger complex inside which a group of PRP militia had taken cover 5

The JW14-1 mission statement read: â&#x20AC;&#x153;To provide a joint multi-threat environment in which UK, NATO and Allied units and their Staffs may undertake Collective Training in tactical preparation for employment in a Combined Joint Task Force.â&#x20AC;? Exercise TOTEMIC 141, which built up into JW14-1, was aimed at proving AATF Readiness. This feeder exercise saw 1200 personnel and 260 vehicles processed through the Joint Air Mounting Centre (JAMC) at South Cerney in Gloucestershire and culminated in a mixed fleet of fifteen helicopters seizing an enemyheld airfield at Kinloss in north-east Scotland with two C-130 Hercules (one RAF and one Danish Air Force) aircraft undertaking a Rapid Air Land (RAL) once the airfield had been taken and it had been confirmed that the runway was available and usable for fixed wing transport aircraft. The participating headquarters received their Activation Order on 31st March, which triggered a

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5: A fire support team using 7.62mm GPMGs (General Purpose Machine Guns) keeps enemy heads down as colleagues storm into the hangar [Crown Copyright: Mark Owens] 6: The second wave of RAF Chinook and Puma helicopters brought in another company to simultaneously attack Objective SILVER 7: The Westland Puma HC1 is over 40 years old but is currently being upgraded to HC2 standard to prolong service life to 2025

Main Image: Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16 Air Assault Brigade and Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 82nd Airborne Division have close ties and regularly train together [Crown Copyright: Mark Owens] 8: Machinegun teams setting up SF (Sustained Fire) tripods - note that although they wear MTP uniforms their kit is not MTP 9: This GPMG on SF tripod is set up in low profile configuration 10: One of the RAL (Rapid Air Land) Hercs was supplied by the Royal Danish Air Force 11: A brace of Lynx helicopters brought in teams of specialist troops

Short Planning Cycle, Intelligence Reporting, Threat Assessment, Ground Assessment and then Forward Mounting of the AMBG. From 2nd to 5th April the Air Assault component relocated to West Freugh in southwest Scotland, some 280 miles distant from objectives at Kinloss, and around noon on the 7th the AATF went in. After fast air had reconnoitred the precise situation and taken out some specific threats Apache helicopters laid down suppressive fire on three enemy positions (Objectives GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE) around the airfield and within ten minutes each of these were attacked by a roughly 150strong company-sized Para formation.

Combat & Survival

Main Image: The Danish C-130 Hercules which took part in the RAL

12: A brace of R-WMIK+ Land Rovers was flown in to help capture Objective BRONZE [Crown Copyright: Mark Owens] 13: An 82nd Airborne trooper carries a wounded British colleague to the medevac helicopter 14:After setting down its troops one of the Merlins lingered close by to pick up casualties for evacuation 13

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The soldier pictured overleaf is a lance-corporal from 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment who was taking part in Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 14-1 in north-east Scotland in early April just before he and his colleagues took over from 2 PARA in the Air Assault Task Force (AATF) role. He wears a combat uniform tailored from the latest MTP (MultiTerrain Pattern) camouflage fabric but, curiously, his PLCE webbing and pouches are in the older DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material) camo. Like many of his colleagues on that exercise, he wears black combat boots rather than a pair in the new MoD Brown colour.

s we have covered the MTP camouflage story (for those who don’t know, it’s a UK-licensed blend of MultiCam with elements of the old DPM pattern) since it was first announced we do not plan on repeating ourselves and boring the readers. However we must stress that in our opinion this latest British Forces camouflage, which was introduced primarily for troops serving in the ‘green zone’ of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, seems to work very well across a wide range of terrains and against most backgrounds, except urban and snow, both at home and abroad; though DPM is better suited to dark jungle.

The use of PLCE (Personal Load Carrying Equipment) in the old DPM camo, rather than the new MTP equivalent, can be probably attributed to the simple fact that 3 PARA

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On their upper left arm both the Para and the Gunner wear the ‘Striking Eagle’ insignia of 16 Air Assault Brigade, their parent unit, with the Union Flag above. However the Gunner sports the subdued Desert version of the insignia and the Para wears the subdued Temperate version - normal colours are maroon and light blue. The tactical flash for 3 PARA is a green square and both wear the subdued version of Para wings above their unit flash. Images © Bob Morrison - Military Scene

have been retraining for contingency operations for the last year, in preparation for standing up in the AATF role, and trashing new kit on field exercises is a waste. However MTP PLCE, and bergen rucksacks etc., would almost certainly be worn if they were deploying operationally. Neither body armour nor eye protection were worn during the exercise phase we covered, though both would be issued

for operations. The other soldier pictured, top right on this page, is a parachute-trained Royal Artillery specialist serving in a Forward Air Control role. We have included him as not only is his PLCE in MTP, but he is also wearing Crye Precision’s MultiCam trousers. Note how MTP and MultiCam are compatible.

You are packing your kit but have limited space for anything but essentials. Weight is also an issue. The time period you will be away is only an estimate, and the conditions may not be as expected. What useful bits of survival equipment should you carry, in case you have to abandon your Plan A?

irstly, do not treat equipment as vital to your survival. Do not think that unless you have all the necessary equipment, all is lost. Get into the habit of making do without the perfect kit and being able to improvise. The more knowledge and skills you can carry in your head and hands, the lighter your pack. You must review survival kits and equipment for:(a) suitability – is it likely to suit the conditions ahead of you? and (b) durability – is it still up to the job, or has it deteriorated and is now in need of replacing? Medicines, wire saws, fire-lighters, etc. all have a shelf life, so check everything regularly. Most important of all, carry your survival kit and other survival equipment on you at all times. You are all too

Combat & Survival

Main Image: The Editor’s muchtravelled Survival Tin - check your tin’s content is up to the job and up to date

1: A simple steel striker will produce thousands of sparks even when wet - learn how to start a fire 2: Even little wallet tools like this are useful back-ups if or when things go wrong

easily separated from your jacket and rucksack, so risk losing any kit contained within them. Put everything in belt pouches and trouser pockets, please.

The Basic Survival Kit In a taped up tobacco-size tin, consider taking the following:¤ Striker: flint and steel strikers produce thousands of sparks and are not damaged when wet - practise starting a fire with one first. ¤ Survival Matches: these are

Main Image: Carry a back up compass or two - even a simple button compass is better than nothing

3: Survival matches are waterproof and last longer than ordinary ones 4: Having a large knife or machete or axe makes shelter and raft building much easier waterproofed and ignite if struck against any abrasive surface. ¤ Fishing Kit: line, hooks, lead weights, lures and some flies - can also be used for catching birds and making snares. ¤ Water Purification Tablets: the iodine based ones are pretty good, but check what is currently available - filter the water as best you can before adding the tablets - wait for the recommended amount of time before drinking.

¤ Button Compass: you can also super-glue one onto a trouser button or sew one into a hem. ¤ Painkillers: pain and headaches can distract you and cause bad decisions and avoidable mistakes. ¤ Safety Pins: useful to hold bandages or torn clothing/fabric in place, and also as emergency fish hooks. ¤ Birthday Candles: carry a few ‘magic’ candles that re-ignite once blown out - handy for fire-lighting and

enables you to conserve matches. ¤ Wire Saw: they break quite easily so carry more than one if possible - keep lightly greased and dry as they rust. ¤ Scalpel Blades: Available from craft shops and useful for cutting up and skinning game - easier to use if you make a handle - carry a few. ¤ Needle & Thread: carry very strong thread to repair/make clothes, tents, kitbags, etc. - thread can also be used for animal traps - needle can be magnetised as a back-up compass ¤ Condom: can hold about two pints of water if poured in, but they do burst if not carried carefully (use a sock for strength - can also be used as a catapult, tourniquet, or elastic binding.

Combat & Survival

Remember, being a small emergency kit, you want contents to be as multifunctional as possible.

Knives and Pots Two of the more difficult items to make in a survival situation are a strong knife and a cooking pot. On your belt, have a strong sheath knife (though bear in mind the implications of the UK’s Violent Crime Reduction Act if carrying a knife in a public place). You want something that can be used to cut larger branches for shelter or raft making. You should also carry a multitool like a Leatherman, Swiss Army knife or similar in a pouch at all times. Where possible, carry a mess tin or metal mug that can be used to boil water and cook up food. In a survival situation, food is best served as a stew or soup to ensure nothing nutritious is lost, so chuck in whatever you find to eat. Stuff it with high calorie food.

Other Useful Survival Kit In addition to your usual hiking/ operation gear such as water-bottles and rations, consider the following:¤ Basic Medical Kit: pack the usual bandages, plasters, antiseptic cream, etc. but also medicines to deal with pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration - know how to use each item and check the shelf life.

Combat & Survival

5: Ponchos have many uses from makeshift tent to ground sheet to simple waterproof 6: Wear a Leatherman or similar multi-tool on your belt at all times 7: Mini Maglite or similar can be a real help in an emergency - Bob the Editor carries a tiny one in his tin Images © or via Jason Polley

¤ Basha or Poncho: a superb multi-functional piece of kit that can be used to make a shelter, waterproof, groundsheet, etc. - even a sheet of plastic will do as they fold down to nothing. ¤ Paracord: if the proper stuff, the inner threads can be pulled out and used as fishing line or for jobs requiring only thin thread - very strong and has a thousand uses - replace all bootlaces with it, and carry several metres more if you can. ¤ Wristwatch: get a survival one with a digital compass, altimeter and

barometer - also used for checking a pulse and for timing the frequency of medication - knowing the date and time can reduce the detrimental psychological effects of being lost in a life-threatening situation, miles from civilization and friendly faces. ¤ Torch: a powerful Maglite or similar can be used for signalling or simply making life easier in the dark - carry spare batteries - a heavy, non-essential item, so if space is tight, leave it out. ¤ Clothes & Boots: wear layers and plan ahead - jackets should have hoods, and stuff a scarf in a pocket - carry

Replace your boot laces with paracord preferably the genuine item with inner threads

thermal underwear like a set of Helly Hansens or similar - boots should be tough and broken in - carry Nikwax or Leder-Gris or dubbin to keep them waterproofed. Â¤ Fire-lighters: just a few in a waterproof bag will make life so much easier, particularly if fatigued, injured or if you have limited resources. Â¤ Phones and Beacons: have a means of contacting the outside world if you need help - remember that the batteries for mobile and satellite phones need regular recharging and you may not always get a signal - emergency beacons alert the emergency services, but know their limitations.

Finally Do not pack or carry any items without

8: Survival knives come in all sizes - carry one - this ToolLogic one has a fire steel in the handle

9: A bit of further reading - the more knowledge and skills you carry in your head the lighter your pack first trying them out. No one survival kit fits every situation, or every part of the world. Customise everything, including your medical kit. See you next time when we will discuss the importance of water.

Combat & Survival

At the biennial Eurosatory defence expo held in Paris in mid June the C&S team of Bob and Carl were briefed by TsNIITochMash, the Russian design bureau, on the new combat uniform in SPEKTER-S summer camouflage pattern which they told us is now on general issue. It will take us a little while to disseminate the hour long briefing on the latest Russian Soldier System, which senior bureau representatives gave us, but in the meantime we hope this posed photo of a soldier dressed in the new uniform and armed with a suppressed 9mm SR3MP assault rifle will whet your appetite.

Combat & Survival

Image ÂŠ Bob Morrison - Military Scene

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Our recent assignment in Cyprus, covering the main contingents serving with UNFICYP on its 50th Birthday, gave us an unique opportunity to photograph several different camouflage uniforms in a similar format. In May we started presenting each one individually, commencing with an Argentinian NCO. Hopefully our images and notes will be of use to our uniform / camo collector readers and to badge collectors, and possibly to Living History re-enactors too. Each soldier has been photographed in the same way - kneeling, front, left, back and right plus there will be close-ups of both camo pattern and badges worn.

llied with Nazi Germany during World War Two, the Kingdom of Hungary was ‘liberated’ and occupied by the Soviets in 1944/5 and then turned by them into a communist People’s Republic in 1949. The Hungarians attempted revolution in 1956, but the Soviets sent in tens of thousands of armoured troops to

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support the five Red Army divisions garrisoned in the supposedly independent country and then ruthlessly crushed the opposition within ten days of their armoured columns invading Hungary’s borders. The country remained in the tight grip of the Soviets until1989, by which time the Warsaw Pact was failing and the Iron Curtain was dropping. In March 1990, following elections, the nation transformed into the democratic Hungarian Republic and around the same time the present Hungarian Defence Force (Magyar Honvédség) was formed. Right from the outset the HDF decided to implement a new national camouflage and by 1994 they introduced a four-colour (brown, green and black on tan) woodland-type pattern along the lines of some NATO patterns of the day, but the rounded secondary and tertiary colour shapes had spattered trailing edges similar to British DPM (Disruptive Pattern Material). This M1990 pattern is the current standard Hungarian uniform camouflage, but some specialist troops also wear commercial digital and MultiCam clothing. The Hungarian four-colour desert pattern, sometimes called M2004, is the same design as M1990 but: the base

On his right upper arm this Hungarian master sergeant wears the circular white on light blue UNITED NATIONS / NATIONS UNIES badge consisting of the titles above and below the UN Globe emblem and below this he wears the MFR badge. On his upper left arm he wears his national flag colours, of red over white over green, on a shield shaped badge with brown and tan edging and piping. Images © Bob Morrison Military Scene

colour is pinkish sand rather than tan; the black shapes of the original pattern are now reddish brown; the green shapes have been replaced by a light stone; and tan has been substituted for the brown. In addition to being the standard uniform camo pattern issued to Blue Beret troops serving in Cyprus, Lebanon and Western Sahara, M2004 is also worn by the 100-strong Hungarian contingent currently serving with ISAF in Afghanistan. The Master Sergeant photographed here was tasked to UNFICYP’s Mobile Force Reserve so he is armed; his weapon is the Hungarian folding stock AK-63D variant of the Soviet 7.62mm AK-47 assault rifle. His M2004 desert camouflage uniform does not blend in well with the verdant Cypriot background in spring, but green foliage is quite short-lived on the island and from summer through to late winter these arid shades are actually just about right against what one Blue Beret described as Cappuccino Cyprus. Note that his name tapes and rank patches are in tactical brown and tan and he wears tan coloured desert boots.

Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison - Military Scene On page 58 of the July issue (apologies for the wrong page header) we discussed the introduction of Multi-Terrain Camouflage Uniform or MCU by the New Zealand Ministry of Defence and brought you a photo of a Staff Sergeant on attachment to Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 3 Commando Brigade who was wearing an MCU waterproof smock over MCU combat trousers during Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 14-1 in Scotland. At DVD in June the weather was close to 20C warmer and the Major photographed here was wearing just his MCU combat shirt with sleeves rolled up and MCU combat trousers, which gave us a chance to look at the pocket detail on both. His personal opinion was that the new uniform is both 48

Combat & Survival

practical and popular with his troops, not least because they are instructed not to iron the fabric, and he gave it a hearty thumbs-up.

ased on lessons learned in Afghanistan, Denmark has also recently introduced a new combat uniform, designated Kampuniform M/11, tailored from genuine MultiCam fabrics and this has now gone on general issue. We spotted two Danish NCOs at the DVD 2014 expo who were sporting the new uniform and both were also wearing recently issued brown boots. Denmark has procured four makes of brown boots; one from Magnum, one from YDS and two from Alt-Berg. The ones shown here are based on the Alt-Berg Desert Microlite and are called Danish Desert DK Boot by the Yorkshire company. Both wearers expressed their satisfaction with their new boots.

Ladies World Champion in Production Division, Maria Gushchina of Russia, uses her Tanfoglio 9mm pistol to gun through a stage at the EEO

EXTREME suitably describes just about everything for this match, with 30 stages and 550 minimum round count with the top IPSC shooters across all competition Divisions. This year’s event also included an extreme weather forecast for the first day of the match, with heavy rain, causing everyone to pack their wet weather gear.

ppalling weather conditions had also occurred across Eastern Europe the previous week and rivers in Serbia and other Balkan countries were at their highest recorded levels for many years. This was causing a lot severe flooding problems for the villages, towns and cities along the course of these rivers and the tributaries that flow into them. For the three days of the match we had heavy rain on day one and drier weather on days two and three. Organised by the Hell Squad Moravian IPSC Club and the Czech Republic IPSC Region - the ÿeská Zbrojovka (Czech Armouries) 2014 Extreme European Open (EEO) was a huge event. The match organisers took on the mighty task of running a 30-stage competition for the 650 competitors who started the match, with a minimum round count of 550 rounds. A competition this size required a larger than normal

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group of match officials. This event was organised under the guidance of Match Directors Lubor Novák and Milan Trkulja (Czech). The Range Master was Germany’s Johann Kurz, who was assisted in this task by area CROs Kurt Kreuzer (Austria), Cees van Diepen (Netherlands), Wieslav Geno Sioda (Poland). Jan Jumbo Stanek, Vaclav Venny Zvonar and Vitezslav Kristus Kubac, from the Czech Republic, looked after the stats. The competition was supported by an excellent match web site, which you can view at extremeeuroopen.eu Competitors came literally from all over Europe, both the established IPSC regions and the newly emerging IPSC regions in Eastern Europe. As well as the competitors from European countries, in which Israel and Russia are included, competitors from other nations around the world also participated in the match. Outside of continental Europe, competitors travelled from as far away as America, Brazil and South Africa to participate. The international attendance of so many countries helped to add to the atmosphere of what was a big event outside of the Level 4 Continental and Level 5 World Shoot IPSC competition series.

Limit Match Ammunition

Most European countries, and other nations from around the globe, were represented at the 2013 Extreme European Open. This meant that many

1: CZ Shooting Team member Petr Pijacek finished in tenth place in Men’s Open Division with his CZ Czechmate 9mm major calibre pistol 2: Revolver Division has its devotees in competitions this is a Smith and Wesson .45 ACP calibre Model 625 revolver

competitors flew to this competition. As the minimum round count for this match was 548 rounds, this exceeded the 5 kilogramme maximum weight of ammunition that you can carry on a flight. The solution to this was for the organisers to provide official match ammunition for the EEO. The organisers of the EEO also asked the Limit Ammunition Company (limit. cz) to provide the match ammunition for this event. As well as providing the official match ammunition Limit also had a stand displaying both their ammunition and associated reloading products. The Range Officers and match officials registered for the event on Saturday 26th May and the event started on Sunday with a three-day Pre Match for all the Range Officers and Match Officials. The competitors based themselves around Znojmo and arrived in the town on Wednesday to register for the match: Wednesday being a day off for the ROs and associated staff, to steel themselves no doubt for the three days ahead.

Main Image: Another round chambers into the USA’s Frank Garcia’s 9 mm pistol

3: Another round chambers into the USA’s Blake Miguez’s .40 calibre STI pistol - Blake finished in second place in Standard Division 4: Dina Gontsharova from Estonia reloads her Tanfoglio 9mm pistol while shooting through a stage

Images © Greg Roberts

The Main Match started on the Thursday morning of 29th May and consisted of the 30 stages, being shot ten per day over three half days. The competitors were grouped into 54 squads of 10 shooters, which shot for half a day alternating between mornings and afternoons: 7.30 am to

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12.45 pm and 1.30 pm until 7.00 pm. The way the match was organised meant that 27 squads shot in the morning and another 27 squads shot in the afternoon. Each stage was run by a Range Officer and/or an International Range Officers Association (IROA) official. Although the competitors spent half a day at the range for three days, the ROs were there for the whole day, every day. All the range officers put in a lot of effort to keep everything running smoothly and on time and with minimal delays.

Match Statistics

With the popularity of practical pistol competition in Europe on the increase, this translated into all five IPSC Competition Divisions being well represented at the EEO. This also spread into the various categories of Lady, Junior, Senior and Super Senior. Production and Standard Division were the most popular, with 246 and 163 competitors respectively. Open Division had a total of 124 shooters in this category. The number of competitors in Production Division has steadily increased so that it now exceeding Open and Standard Divisions in popularity. This is borne out in other major matches around Europe. Revolver Division continues to

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Main Image: The CZ SP01 Shadow 9mm pistol is currently the most commonly encountered pistol in IPSC Production Division 5: The Limit Ammunition Factory supplied the match ammunition for the EEO - as well as various types of ammunition Limit also had their range of reloading products on display 6: The USAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mikayla Phelps uses her CZ Shadow 9mm pistol in Ladies Productions Division

have its devotees with 17 entries. Classic Division, in which you use a M1911 single stack pistol, attracted 25 competitors. A total of 575 competitors completed the competition. The 30 stages were grouped into three areas and consisted of: 15 short stages of 12 rounds; ten medium stages of up to 24 rounds; and five long stages of up to 32 rounds for a minimum round count of 550 rounds for the match. As well as static full sized and partial versions, the IPSC Classic targets consisted of moving, bobbing, rise and fall and swinging versions placed between two and 30 metres from the competitors. All of the 30 stages included different forms of reactive targets. All of the stages offered different degrees of challenges, with different ways to complete the stage. With lots of small steel plates, many swingers, movers and a couple of longer range poppers and paper targets, difficult targets were combined with ‘run and gun’ targets in most stages. Included again this year were a number of rise and fall paper targets, which still left a small portion of the shoot target visible in its lowered position, thus miss penalties still applied.

Results

In Open Division, Spain’s Fernandez Jorge Ballesteros came in first place

Main Image: The Czech Republic’s Lenka Horejsi finished in third place in Ladies Open Division with her STI Grandmaster .38 Super calibre pistol 7: Russia’s Maria Gushchina, current Ladies World Champion in Production Division, finished in second place in Ladies Production with her 9mm Tanfoglio at the EEO 8: Competing in Classic Division the USA’s Angus Hobdell finished in fourth place with his Dan Wesson 9mm M1911 pistol.

and the USA’s Max Michel and STI European Team Members Emile Obriot from France in second and third place. In Ladies Open Division Martina Sera and KateĢina Šustrová, from the Czech Republic took first and second place. In third place was Lenka Horejsi, also from the Czech Republic In Standard Division Jethro Dionisio from the Philippines took the top spot from the USA’s Blake Miguez, and Italy’s Cosimo Panetta in second and third place In Production Division Eric Grauffel chalked up another win over the Czech Republic’s Zapletal Miroslav and Slovakia’s Fedor Marian. In Ladies Production the Russian girls continue to dominate, with current IPSC Lady Production World Champion Maria

Gushchina in first place from Frances Laëtitia Daguenel in second place. In third place was Switzerland’s Christine Burkhalter. This Division was the most popular at the Extreme Euro Open. It continues to grow in popularity at matches due to the fact that the cost to purchase the equipment to take part is lower. As well

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as being the perfect entry level into IPSC matches, Production Division at the top level is also as competitive as any other Division. In Revolver Division Phillipp Chua from the Philippines was in first place, with Austria’s Gerald Reiter in second and the Czech Republics Zdenďk NďmeĀek in third place. In Classic Division Edward Rivera was in first place, in second place was Frances Julien Boit and in third place was Italy’s Roberto Edoardo Buticchi, respectively. The debate continues as to the best calibre for this Division, with M1911 pistols in both 9mm and .40 S&W calibres having their devotees. The prize giving took place on Sunday afternoon and in the morning before

Main Image: Having dominated IPSC Open Division for so many years Eric Grauffel is now competing in Production Division with his 9mm Tanfoglio and won this division at the EEO 9: Anastasia Chernenko, a member of the winning Russian Ladies Production Team at the 2011 IPSC World Shoot, reloads her 9mm pistol 10: The video cam, here on the peak of Gregory Midgley’s cap, is being used more and more by competitors to record their shooting and then to review their performance

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this there was a steel plate man v man shoot-off for the top placed finalists in each division. Always a crowd pleasing spectacle, a large number of spectators gathered to watch. Have a look at the competition web site for a full set of results. The Czech Extreme European Open accommodated 650 shooters who completed the match with 07.30 am starts and approaching 7.00 pm finishes. The match worked due to the pre planning and organisation and the dedication of the range officials and range staff. Even with this years’ wet weather, congratulations are due to Hell

Squad -(Moravian IPSC Club and the Czech Republic IPSC Region), IROA, and match sponsors ÿeská Zbrojovka (czub.cz) for giving all the competitors three action packed days and a thoroughly enjoyable match. Well done to all the competitors who battled on to the finish. A BIG thank you is due to all those who worked at this match. They kept the match on the rails despite the wet conditions that we all had to cope with. Take a look at the competition website extremeeuroopen. eu for the complete match results of EEO 2014. Details of EEO 2015 will also be announced on this website.

AGGRESSOR TACTICAL 1: Between the smaller ATTACHÉ CASE pockets and the From Maxpedition

By Greg Roberts Los Angeles based Maxpedition was established in 1988 in a small workshop fabricating military specification nylon gear for hard use. They now make a multitude of gear bags to suit almost every conceivable need. I have been using a few of Maxpedition’s products for the past few months.

nnovative from the start, Maxpedition gained a competitive edge in its early years by creating bags and packs with superior durability and ergonomics. The first customers were military operators and law enforcement officers, but the civilian and the ‘concealed carry’ markets quickly caught on, selecting Maxpedition as their preferred every day carry equipment. The Maxpedition Aggressor Tactical Attaché case is a large tactical computer bag, which is fully padded on all sides, and sized to fit a 17 inch diagonal screen size laptop and A4 sized writing pads. On the front side of the pack, four separate pockets of varied shapes and sizes hold and organise your smaller pieces of equipment. The largest pocket has internal and external sleeves for increased capacity, plus an ID

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window. Between the smaller pockets and the main computer compartment is a concealed compartment, lined with Velcro for attachment a universal CCW holster and the three-magazine pouch holders. This compartment is large enough to conceal a full size handgun and three spare magazines. On the opposite face, a fully padded organiser opens up as a document / tool / instrument pocket with internal divisions. On either end there is a radio pocket and a water bottle pocket, both having bungee retention. The dual cinch pockets have room for the 32 fl oz (US) Nalgene water bottles or radios. Velcro loops on top of the bag can retain a collapsible baton or a flashlight. On the bottom, rubberised material keeps the bag waterproof and non-slip. The Aggressor Tactical Attaché can be hand carried and comes with a padded shoulder strap. Main zipper pull features a button lock safety device, to prevent accidental opening. The material used in its construction is 1000 Denier, water and abrasion resistant, lightweight ballistic nylon fabric with DuPont Teflon fabric protector to protect against dirt and to make it easy to clean. The zips are from YKK and the nylon buckles are UTX-Duraflex, so quality products are used in its construction. It is available in black, green or khaki.

main computer compartment is a concealed compartment, lined with Velcro for attachment a universal CCW holster

2: The case is a large tactical computer attaché, which is fully padded on all sides and sized to fit a 17 inch diagonal screen laptop 3: The dual cinch pockets at either end of the bag will easily accommodate the 32oz Nalgene water bottle 4: The Aggressor Tactical Attaché can be hand carried and comes with a padded shoulder strap Images © Greg Roberts

I have been using the Maxpedition Aggressor Tactical Attaché case on continual basis for several months, including on training courses and flying with it as well, with complete satisfaction. For further information on the manufacturer go to maxpedition. com and to buy online in the UK see heinnie.com/brands/maxpedition on the Heinnie Haynes website or telephone them on 033 0300 0400.

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1 The EFA (Engin de Franchissement lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Avant) MLC 70 used by Foreign Legionnaire combat engineers on Operation HANNIBAL (see page 15) is a French-designed Forward Crossing Vehicle constructed by CEFA industries France. Capable of transporting vehicles up to 70 US tons, i.e. Military Load Classification 70, the EFA is an impressive four metres (13 ft.) high and over 12 metres (40 ft.) in length.

rewed by four, the vehicle is versatile enough to advance across rough terrain and is quick and easy to put into the water. Top road speed is 70km/hr and in calm water it can achieve 12km/hr. Its attributes make it ideal for ferrying advance elements over water obstacles to prepare and secure the landing area for the main force. When the EFA reaches the debarkation area side panels fold down, waterborne controls slide up to the deck and pontoons inflate along the sides. Within about five minutes the EFA can be driven into the water, where its fore and aft scissors bridge ramps are unfolded in order for it to become a perfectly autonomous water-borne ferry. One single EFA can carry a heavy tank or three or four light armoured vehicles. The EFA is one of the more successful military engineering vehicles developed by various nations to multi-task as an autonomous land vehicle, an operational water transport ferry and a modular bridging component.

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The bridgelayer used by Foreign Legionnaire combat engineers on Operation HANNIBAL (see page 15) is the SPRAT; an acronym for Système de Pose Rapide de Travures, which translates literally as System for the Rapid Installation of Bridgeways. Built in France by CNIM for the DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement), which is the French defence procurement agency, the SPRAT is comparable to the US Army M104 Wolverine or the MTU Bridgelayer used by a number of nations

t takes the SPRAT only about 6 or 7 minutes to lay down an MLC 80 (i.e. 80 US tonnes capacity) bridge which can span around 24 metres or 80 feet. Once the obstacle is cleared and all the vehicles have passed, the SPRAT can itself cross the bridge, pick it up, then continue to the next obstacle. According to the manufacturers, thanks to its modularity this assault bridge is currently the most innovative forward bridging system and they also claim there is no equivalent system anywhere in the world. The system’s originality rests in the fact that the length of the bridge can be adjusted according to the width of the gap that has to be crossed. Mounted on a wheeled 10x10 all terrain vehicle the assault bridge includes two sections that can be deployed together or separately, to form two individual bridges of 14.3 metres or a single bridge of 26 metres. At present a total of ten SPRAT bridgelayers have been ordered by the French DGA for the Army.

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In mid June the export version of Thalesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative Hawkei light protected vehicle, developed for the Australian Army, was displayed first at Eurosatory in Paris and then brought over to England to star at Defence Vehicle Dynamics at Millbrook the following week. At Millbrook C&S was able to both go for a spin in Hawkei around the off-road course and pose it for walk-round photos. A full feature will appear in a future issue. Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison - Military Scene

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THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ‘BASIC’ GARMENTS THAT OFFER SO MUCH TO THE WEARER, SO OFTEN UNDER-SELLING ITSELF ON LOOKS ALONE. THIS SAID, IT LOOKS FINE IN ITS SIMPLICITY BUT IS NOT, AS THEY SAY, ‘FEATURE RICH’.

ighly wind, water and wear resistant using Flylite Rip-stop nylon outer fabric, the Belay uses one of my favourite insulations, Primaloft One, to keep the wearer warm. Primaloft is itself very water resistant, quick drying and very light. The cosy bit of this garment is helped along by a high and soft feel collar and Velcro adjustable cuff. The scooped back cares for the lower back. Two lined and zipped hip pockets are there to both store loose items and act as hand warmers, and there is also an inner pocket. The Belay, as the name suggest, is a generous fit to allow freedom of movement but also to allow for warmth and protection when static and active. Nige, my ‘model’ here, spends much of his time on open vehicles so this is a perfect mid or top layer in his type of operations. Don’t think I will see this one back!

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Main Image: Belay is a perfect garment for those that may have to be static for some time and then highly active requiring freedom of movement. Right: Jacket has a scoop hem to protect lower back and kidneys, high collar and lose fit allows movement Model: Nigel Images © or via Mike Gormley

Product - UK Contact: Keela/Keela International Telephone/Web: 01592 777 000/keela.co.uk

V3r/First Ascent 01629 580 484/firstascent.co.uk

Care Plus/Keeble Care 01284 763 152/keebleagencies.co.uk

variable, simply by holding the button to achieve the desired light level. This level is memorised for next time and if set low, a second push gives high and a third activates an SOS signal. First off, I do like a rechargeable unit. Batteries are not cheap and especially with the range of solar chargers and top-up devices as well as power efficient LEDs, rechargeables are definitely a practical option. If you prefer batteries, the V3 version is for you.

anced than with all the weight in front. The three strap head also helps security. The battery unit is well sealed with charge socket inside. This also has a small rear facing red flashing LED which doubles as a charge indicator (65no mention of this in the web spec or instructions!). Not switchable but an unobtrusive indicator which could easily be taped over if not wanted.

The beam is infinitely variable from spot to wide and this is easily adjusted by push/pull the light housing. The light intensity is also

his aside the V3r is a nice little unit. The unit is divided into powerpack at the rear and front light unit. This I find is better bal-

1: The water resistant battery pack is rear mounted and has a small red flashing LED 2: The complete V3r kit with pouch and charging pack

Power levels range from 300 Lumens to 20 and the unit is designed to operate from -30 to + 60C. The main light unit is made from aluminium with the rest of a durable plastic. The switching is achieved by an easy to use push button on the underside of the light unit. I must say this is a lot better to use than many head lights. The Danish Suprabeam designers have packed a fair bit into this small and low weight light unit. I like it. It will be with me on my upcoming expeds for sure.

AT SOME POINT MOST OF US WILL NEED THESE. BLISTERS ARE THE SCOURGE OF THE WALKER/ HIKER AND THE MILITARY ‘YOMPER’. A QUICK SOLUTION TO SORT THEM OUT IS REQUIRED.

Above: Light unit is robust and easy to use- three strap set-up gives good security

3: The Care Plus Blister pack - a handy pack that will be useful one day 4: A waterproof bandage is definitely one for the outdoorsman’s first aid kit

hese are specialised plasters but you will need to catch the blister early – a good thing in itself – as they are quite small. They come is a handy plastic pack to keep them ready to use. The waterproof bandage speaks for

itself really and again in many cases where ‘we’ get to it just has to be a good item to have in the first aid kit. Pleased to say I have not had reason to use these but they are off on my son’s canoe exped and I guess they might have cause to break them out somewhere into their 1760 mile paddle!

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Product - UK Contact: Keela/Keela International Telephone/Web: 01592 777 000/keela.co.uk

Spiro/Activewear 01206 790 673/spiroactivewear.com

Main Image: The HW Ops Trousers allow for extreme movement and leg bending in comfort - note knee reinforcement 5: The bottom of each leg is zipped for ease of removal and has a drawcord 6: Both legs have useful, zipped cargo pockets, plenty enough for the likes of a Sat Map GPS

MANUFACTURED FROM A SPECIAL FOUR-WAY STRETCH NYLON RIPSTOP MATERIAL, THESE ARE MADE TOUGH AND FOR LONG TERM COMFORT. THE KNEES HAVE AN ADDED LAYER TO RESIST THE OBVIOUS HIGH IMPACTS THEY WILL RECEIVE.

have used this type of trouser from Keela for a number of years; they are comfortable and really do stand the pace. Not waterproof, perhaps they could be termed water-resistant, but they do dry fast when they get

wet. They are well supplied with pockets on legs, hips and back, some of which have secure closures. The waist, which also has good wide belt loops, is part elasticated for a better fit and added comfort when active. The lower legs have long zips and elasticated hems which also have drawcords to achieve a good close, non flap fit. Inside the lower leg is also dual layered for added protection.

The HW (Heavy Weight) part of the name of these Ops Trousers is definitely not a reference to their weight but certainly applies to their durability.

A small item but one that can make a big difference in helping to keep you draught free in that area where it is annoying to get a cold air leak ... around the neck. This version has a drop front to truly seal even if your jacket is not fully done up and the Velcro fastening makes it easy to put on and makes it adjustable for a good fit. If in a cold wind itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nice to have, on a mountain in an Arctic blast it is close to essential. A simple item but a good one.

7: Showing the very practical length of the Spiro Neck Warmer 8: The Neck Warmer is long enough to pull up over the nose and face for added protection

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he UK forces are downsizing, but as we do so, we are pulling back our troops stationed in Germany as there is no requirement to keep them there; the Cold War ended in 1990. The problem is that since the troops have been there since the end of World War Two, we have had no need to build bases for them in UK. In fact, there had been little real investment in the army’s accommodation in the UK, or Germany, until after the early 1990s when retention became a serious issue. So the choices are to either make everyone coming back from Germany redundant (certainly some of them are) or find bases for them. Since we don’t have the money to build the number of new bases required (we could spend all the money easily on the long overdue improvements on existing infrastructure) the plan is to put the army on old RAF bases that are now

redundant due to a downsized air force. Some of those bases are in Scotland, so if there is independence (and we therefore can’t use them) we can either rent them from the Scots (if they are available) or build new bases in England at enormous cost. Since we would hand back the Scottish Battalions that does free up some bases in England that could be used to house a fraction of those troops returning from Germany, but there will still not be enough. On independence, the Scots have said that they will not be involved in expeditionary warfare. On the face of it that would seem to be a prudent policy; it will certainly take some time to build up an independent capability with its associated structures and equipment, but the Scots Battalions have a long and proud history of fighting abroad and I think faced with the prospects of

spending one’s long term service on the same old training areas in Scotland, there will be an issue with recruitment and retention. It must be remembered that one of the primary motivations to join our professional army is that you want to serve and participate on Operations, not just train repeatedly. The Scots could

SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE What Does It Mean For Defence? - By Robert Shaw

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send their troops abroad under the UN flag for tours, which would alleviate some of the recruitment and retention issue, but you would need a certain amount of capital equipment which would cost money.

There are lots of questions being asked about Scottish independence and what it would mean in terms of its future currency, which passports its citizens would hold, whether or not its citizens could watch BBC, amongst others. Putting the jokes aside that portray the English hating the Scottish and vice versa, what impact will it have on defence? Since the defence forces of the UK are transitioning to a new structure and force projection policy towards 2020 and beyond, the problem will not only affect the Scottish, English and Welsh contributions to the defence of the UK in the immediate term but also long term issues as well.

ROBERT SHAW OF OPTIMAL RISK MANAGEMENT LTD. (OPTIMALRISK.COM) IS A FORMER BRITISH ARMY ATO AND IEDD/ WIS OPERATOR TURNED EOD THREAT AND COUNTER-IED TRAINER AND CONSULTANT.

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In trying to keep a small force at home and not get involved with conflicts abroad there is always the risk that conflict could come to Scotland. There are lots of natural energy reserves off the coast of Scotland and as the Arctic ice retreats due to Global warming and previous ice-bound ports become ice free it will open up new drilling fields and sea routes for oil extraction and shipment. Therefore the countries of Scandinavia and Russia will become a new powerful economic zone which could include Scotland (with the right investment). As countries collide over the ownership and extraction of energy resources there is the potential for conflict and being a small force without the backing of an independent nuclear deterrence there is the potential to not be taken seriously by your opposition. Just ask the Ukrainians if they wish they still had their nuclear weapons now a larger, better equipped and belligerent Russia is taking areas of their country! The Scots have also said that if they become independent, the UK nuclear deterrence will no longer be welcome on their soil. Although, the issue of not having a nuclear deterrent in the future has been covered above there is also the issue of the huge cost of the relocation of those assets (which will be borne by England). For the Scots there is still then the issue of loss of local income and employment once those assets have relocated. There are many small nations facing the same defence issues of funding and size and the Scots would do well to study some of the solutions that have been developed by the Scandinavian countries, the Baltic States and Ireland before deciding to become militarily independent.

It has been said a million times before, and it is very doubtful that Napoleon Bonaparte was the first to say it, but an army really does march on its stomach. On the modern battlefield there is even less chance of living off the land in the way that Napoleonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opponents were often expected to do, so the individual combat ration pack is an essential part of the kit carried by almost every frontline soldier today, be that in or on his vehicle or in his pack and webbing.

n Part 15 of this occasional series we took an initial look at the Malaysian-Jordanian joint venture food solution provider Arab Ready Meals, or ARM, which manufactures high quality MREstyle foods based on the retort pouch concept in the form of both complete single meal packs and 24-hour ration packs. On issue to both Jordanian Armed Forces and soldiers of other nations who need to strictly observe religious eating

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Main Image: Our sample pack (left) contained the same contents as a brown carton - on the right is one of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial packaging microwaveable main courses (Kabseh) 1: Standard ration packs issued to Jordanian Armed Forces come in a plain card carton stamped with the JAF logo and printed with the menu letter on the outside 2: Two teabags, four sugar sachets and salt & pepper are packed in a resealable bag 3: Plastic knife, fork and spoon plus tissues are supplied

requirements, ARM is a member of the Troops Cluster of the Jordanian KADDB Investment Group and has full Halal accreditation allowing it to produce ration packs for feeding Muslim troops in the field as well as provide food catering services in military camps.

When we originally covered ARM rations following SOFEX 2012 the regulations prevented us bringing home complete ration packs, but with this in mind the company specifically produced a small quantity of civilian packaged sample packs containing a selection of the products contained

in the single cartons issued to Jordanian Armed Forces and for humanitarian missions. ARM also produce commercial main course retort pouches, which can either be boiled in the bag like military rations or heated in the microwave, and they gave us a couple of pouches my personal favourite (Beef Kabseh) to compare. Starting with the microwaveable pouches, to get them out of the way, I heated one for ten minutes in a pan of boiling water as my evening main course and found it to be just succulent and tasty as the contents of the green boilin-the-bag ARM military retort pouches I am quite familiar with. The next evening I microwaved the other pack (I told you Kabseh is one of my favourites) and also noticed no appreciable difference. These packs, which are full of good quality beef chunks, weigh 250 grammes and provide 530 calories. An Arab Ready Meals 24-hour combat ration MRE pouch contains sufficient components and accessories to feed an

Main Image: ARM also supply MRE-style bagged 24-hour combat rations (centre back) which contain three meals and they also supply shorter shelf life breads plus a range of accessories Left: There are two main course retort pouches - one beef and the other chicken

4: Right: Vacuum packed sweet dates are intended for breakfast consumption 5: Menu C contents carefully tipped straight out of the carton Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison

infantry soldier three solid meals. The MRE requires no cooking, only gentle reheating, and can be eaten cold if necessary. Foods have a two year shelf life, with no special storage needed, and individual dishes are packed in a four-ply reinforced nylon laminated pouch for integrity.

The single meal ration pack is comprised of a complete meal consisting of an entrĂŠe, dessert, beverage and other ancillaries and the 24-hour meal pack ration has two complete meals in addition to breakfast. A typical menu would be: Breakfast ~ 240g humous retort Combat & Survival

Main Image: Beef Kabseh - my favourite - is tasty, nutritious and full of chunky beef

pouch; Lunch ~ 270g Kabseh retort pouch; Dinner ~ 270g Freekeh retort pouch; 90g pack of biscuits, 40g vacuum pack of dates, 100g can of processed cheese and a 10g sachet of olive oil. Accessories include: 2x teabag, 4x sugar sachet, 1x 25g chocolate powder, plastic cutlery, tissues, matches, a galvanised metal cooker with six fuel tablets, a book of matches and a Flameless Ration Heater pouch. For those unfamiliar with the Arabian food terms, Kabseh or Kabsa is a gently spiced Basmati rice and meat (usually beef but sometimes goat) dish and Freekeh or Farik is a similar dish made with green wheat cereal rather than rice and with chicken rather than beef. To repeat what I said a couple of years back, ARM combat rations are produced to similar high standards as their British equivalent and offer pretty much the same calorific and nutritional

Combat & Survival

Left: The chicken dish is tasty too and contains just as much poultry as the Kabseh contains beef 6: The six round biscuits are sweet and similar in taste and texture to Rich Tea 7: The small green foil sachet contains humous - it can be spread on the biscuits

value meaning a one-for-one swap should not only give you variety but wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave you short on carbs, protein or vitamins etc. The soft and compact structure and low weight of retort pouch based MRE-type ration packs allows them to be carried in pockets and backpacks without most of the problems associated with canned food rations. ARM MRE-type rations have also been manufactured to be fit for high-velocity airdrops, having been tested and guaranteed to withstand drops from common air

deployment heights, thus allowing meals for troops or humanitarian aid distribution to reach remote locations without compromising the integrity of the packaging or condition of the food.

Combat & Survival