Combat and survival december 2014 by Sudden

Website: www.combatandsurvival.com Editor: Bob Morrison Editor’s Assistant: Jitka Cajova Designer: Ashley Lockwood Senior Correspondent: Carl Schulze 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

P09 Special Forces KOMMANDO SPEZIALKRÄFTE P18 Carl Schulze updates us on Germany’s SAS equivalent and photographs them in action

P18 Personal Survival KIDNAP & ESCAPE

Bob Shaw discusses preparing for the unthinkable in the modern uncertain world

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P23 Elite Forces AIRBORNE FUTURE

Benjamin Carter explains how doctrine is being shaped to deliver operational capability

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

Bob Morrison reports on the interesting weapons used by the elite C (Special Duties) Company

P30

Bob Morrison gets his feet into the latest generation Gore-Tex laminate desert boots

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.

P37 Foreign Forces CHINA’S PLA

Gordon Arthur reports from Hong Kong on the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army

P44 Special Operations SNOW LEOPARDS & PAPF

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P30 Firearms ARMED FORCES OF MALTA

P34 Footwear MEINDL EQUATOR

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Bob Morrison reports from WARRIOR COMPETITION on the Chinese Spec Ops teams’ triumph

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P52 Kit & Camo LITHUANIAN M05 ‘Jigsaw’

Bob & Carl investigate the woodland pattern camouflage worn by the Iron Wolf armoured brigade

P09 P37

P63 Outdoor Gear TRIED & TESTED

Mike Gormley trials a performance top, folding saw, chronograph, stove, Leatherman and travel mug

P68 Security RUSSIA

Robert Shaw ponders whether or not another Cold War may be looming P05 : Comms P56, 59 & 70 : Reviews P72 : Books

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December 14 Cover Image: © Gordon Arthur © M.A.I. Publications 2014

Combat & Survival

Royal Marines from 45 Commando on a live fire during Exercise BLACK ALLIGATOR in the Mojave Desert [Crown Copyright; PO Sean Clee] Last month two of the big stories breaking as C&S went to print were the commencement of Operation SHADER, the UK’s strike contribution to the Air War against the insurgency in The Levant, and the outbreak of civil unrest on the streets of Hong Kong. Op SHADER is continuing, with UK MoD having made brief announcements on 5th, 7th, 8th, 19th, 20th and 24th October that pairs of RAF Tornado GR4 aircraft, supported by Voyager tankers and Rivet Joint and Reaper surveillance platforms, had used Brimstone missiles and/or Paveway IV guided bombs against ISIL (Islamic State in The Levant) targets in Iraq.

s we go to press with this issue, dissent against proposed restrictions on democratic voting is still simmering away in Hong Kong but the People’s Liberation Army or PLA has not yet appeared on the streets, and neither have olive uniformed People’s Armed Police Force or PAPF. In the main, policing the demonstrations in what is known as the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China has been the responsibility of the blue uniform Hong Kong Police Force or HKPF. The paramilitary police force in Hong Kong is the Police Tactical Unit, who in the past have been photographed on the streets in green uniforms, but confusingly they also wear blue just like the HKPF, as do their elite Police Tactical Unit who are Hong Kong’s equivalent of the PAPF units from Sichuan and Xinjiang featured in this issue. Our Far East Correspondent, Gordon Arthur, is based in Hong Kong and coincidentally he had prepared and submitted this month’s cover feature on the PLA, which starts on page 37, before

the current unrest kicked off. Equally coincidentally, yours truly spent a few days covering the Chinese PAPF teams participating in the 6th Annual Warrior Competition, often described as being like a Spec Ops Olympics, earlier this year in Jordan. Their ruthless efficiency and determination to succeed in this event, which pits teams of highly skilled Special Operations personnel against each other under a baking sun, were impressive indeed. Since the last COMMS column, British Forces have again operationally deployed; this time to Sierra Leone on Operation GRITROCK as part of the international effort to stem the spread of the Ebola virus. The first troops flew into theatre earlier in October and on the 30th it was announced that RFA Argus, which will act as a floating base and command centre, had berthed in Freetown to commence off-loading of equipment and stores plus light utility vehicles supplied by UK DFID and collected by the ship in Gibraltar on her passage down from Falmouth. On the exercise side, in Canada the 1st Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment battlegroup has been participating on Exercise PRAIRIE STORM 3 at BATUS (British Army Training Unit Suffield) training area in Alberta. In California, 45 Commando RM have been honing their skills alongside their Dutch and US counterparts at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre (MCAGCC) on Exercise BLACK ALLIGATOR. The accompanying image of FourFive was taken by our old mate Petty Officer Sean Clee who, after decades of photographing Royal Marines and Royal Navy personnel on deployments and exercises around the globe, has been pensioned off. Multiple award winner Sean’s images have possibly done more

1 Yorkshire Regiment Battlegroup on Exercise PRAIRIE STORM 3 enter the village of Tarmek [Crown Copyright: Sgt Mark Webster] to promote 3 Commando Brigade over the last couple of decades than anyone or anything else. Good luck, Sean. Enjoy retirement. You deserve it. One interesting point of note in most recent images released by UK Ministry of Defence of troops participating on field training exercises is that very few are wearing eye protection. The one exception is 45 Commando, but as US DoD cottoned onto the value of protecting soldiers’ eyesight several years ago the wearing of ballistic spectacles or goggles in the field is now pretty much mandatory over The Pond. Recently on one UK live-firing range we were astounded to see that neither shooters nor instructors were wearing eyepro on live ranges where both 5.56mm and 12.7mm rounds were being used. That is plain crazy. If anyone is interested in protecting their eyesight, which after all soldiers rely on even more than the average Alpha male relies on his testicles, we have started re-running old eyepro articles published in C&S on the combatandsurvival.com website. You can pick up high quality eye protection for less than the price of a pair of branded trainers, so our advice is don’t wait for somebody else to decide that YOUR eyes are valuable before they issue you with eyepro. Finally, a big ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ to the Royal Marines who have just turned 350, and also please do not forget that even though the current round of combat operations in Afghanistan are over at last, well over 400 UK military personnel paid the ultimate price as a result of hostile action. The full Roll of Honour can be read at:www.gov.uk/government/fields-ofoperation/afghanistan#fatalities - BM

Combat & Survival

KSK operators fast rope from the rear ramp of a CH-53 GS medium transport helicopter down onto the roof of a building during a demonstration

The Kommando SpezialkrĂ¤fte is the German equivalent of the British Special Air Service. Formed in 1996, operators of the unit have served alongside other NATO Special Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Recently during a visit to the KSK by the German defence minister C&S was granted access to this usually very media-shy Special Forces unit; it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Combat & Survival

Main image: KSK operators advance over a roof to a point of entry during the building assault - their primary weapon is the Heckler & Koch G36k A1 carbine

he Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK) is the Special Forces component of the German ground forces. Within the Bundeswehr, the KSK features unique capabilities and therefore is an asset with strategic importance which can perform tasks conventional forces cannot. In crises and threat situations the KSK functions as a military tool, allowing the German government a certain degree of freedom of action. The KSK has the following missions:• Acquisition of information with key strategic importance in crisis and conflict zones in order to provide strategic and operative commands with a detailed situational overview; this mission includes the transmission of information in ways that could be detected only with difficulties by hostile entities. • Provision of force protection to own forces and key personnel deployed under unique circumstances. • Conducting of hostage rescue and non-combatant evacuation operations,

Combat & Survival

1: Covered by a second operator a KSK breacher has just blown open a door that will serve as the point of entry for one of the assault teams Left: During training the operator is instructed in specialist skills like static line parachuting, use of explosives and hand to hand combat plus he receives comprehensive medical training Images © Carl Schulze

including the freeing of prisoners of war and hostages held by terrorists, with the use of military force if required. • Arresting of high value targets in foreign countries, against their resistance and under a possible external threat, as well as the confiscation of materiel with high value, such as documents or hazardous goods. • Conducting of direct action missions in order to neutralise terrorist threats and that of irregular forces; this task includes the performing of reconnaissance at an early stage in order to detect a potential threat and allow for its neutralisation before any damage can be done. • Conducting combat operations within conventional and asymmetric conflicts with the aim of neutralising targets with high strategic or operative value; for example destroying of important infrastructure and command and communication facilities. • Conducting of covert operations in support of conventional forces and operations within the full mission spectrum of conventional armed forces. • Provision of military assistance and training support for the forces of host nations. • Development of new techniques, tactics, operational procedures and equipment to further enhance its own capabilities.

Deployed on the rear ramp of a CH-53 GS medium transport helicopter a KSK sniper team provides cover during the vehicle interdiction operation • Conducting the Special Forces selection and training volunteers to become Special Forces operators in order to generate enough trained personal for the required staffing level of the unit. The KSK is able to perform its missions worldwide, on land and sea, and under any climatic conditions. The unit has to be able at any time to provide operational assets for up to three simultaneously running missions, including one that has to be maintained for a longer period of time and one of the risk prevention type.

OPERATORS AND ENABLERS The KSK is based in the Graf-ZeppelinKaserne in Calw, in southern Germany. In total the unit numbers 1,400 troops;

this number includes not only the Special Forces operators but also all enablers serving with the KSK. Led by Brigadegeneral Dag Baehr (see separate biog) the KSK is currently structured into an HQ element, the Operational Forces, the Service Support Forces and a Trials and Development Establishment. The Operational Forces consist of: four Kommando kompanie, called Special Forces companies, that are numbered 1 to 4; one Spezial kommando kompanie; and the Ausbildungs Versuchs Zentrum training establishment. Each of the four Kommando kompanien is divided into platoons, of which each is specialist in a certain type of infiltration/ mobility or task such as:-

2: KSK basic SF training includes combat shooting under stress scenarios - in addition the friend foe identification is regularly complicated by the use of light and acoustic effects as well as smoke 3: KSK operators are expert shots - they regularly train to fire their weapons from all kinds of positions - at its base in Calw the KSK owns its own killing house where 360° live firing can be conducted

• Ground mobility/desert warfare platoon - operates a wide range of different ground mobility vehicles and is specialised in desert warfare • Vertical deployment platoon – specialist in parachute insertions using freefall HAHO/HALO parachuting techniques with several operators are trained tandem instructors • Amphibious platoon – specialist in amphibious operations, operates different types of rigid inflatable boats and diving equipment • Mountain and Arctic Warfare platoon – specialist in operations at high altitudes and under Arctic winter conditions, includes trained Heeresbergführer Mountain & Arctic warfare leaders and is equipped with different types of oversnow vehicle • Sniper platoon – specialist in sniper

Combat & Survival

and reconnaissance missions, equipped with a wide range of sniper rifles and recce equipment. The platoons are further divided into several Kommandotrupps, such teams consisting of four Special Forces operators each. Within the teams at least one team leader has one of the following qualifications: breacher, weapons specialist, signaller or medic. An exception to this are the snipers, who operate in two-man teams. The Spezial kommando kompanie consists of experienced Special Forces operators who have even more special skills. In addition to their basic SF training and their specialist skill training these operators might have a qualification such as: Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC); service dog handler, operating different types of trained military service dogs; or optronic and technical reconnaissance specialist. The Ausbildungs Versuchs Zentrum (AVZ) training establishment is responsible for running of the Special Forces selection cadre, which has to be passed by any volunteer who wants to become a KSK operator.

Combat & Survival

The AVZ also runs the SF training that the volunteers have to complete after passing Selection in order to become combat ready KSK operators, and it also runs a large number of advanced training courses for the further qualification of combat ready operators, such as the sniper course and the breacher course. The service support forces include a logistic support company, a signals company, a medical company and an equipment support company. The mission of this force is to enable the operational forces of the KSK to conduct their operations worldwide and under any climatic conditions. The force provides, for example, medical personal, experienced logistic personal that ensures that kit is at hand in an operational theatre when the operators need it, riggers that can pack parachutes and prepare air drops, signals specialist that ensure secure the communication between the deployed operational assets of the KSK anywhere in the world and HQs back in Germany and so on. Most of the soldiers of the service support forces are not trained KSK operators but highly skilled specialists, without whose support a deployment of elements of the KSK would not be possible. The Bereich Weiterentwicklung trials and development establishment is responsible for the development, introduction and procurement of new kit for the KSK, including weapons, vehicles, signal equipment, protection equipment and so on. It is also responsible for the development of new techniques, tactics and operational procedures.

HISTORY

The forming of the Kommando SpezialkrĂ¤fte (KSK) was triggered by

Top Images: During a vehicle interdiction demonstration KSK operators that have just been inserted by helicopter rush to a car that has been immobilized by a sniper team in order to arrest a high value target 4: Only fully trained Special Forces operators of the KSK are allowed to wear the Kommando abzeichen Right: The members of the KSK are highly trained Special Forces operators - two years of training are needed to achieve combat ready status for desert, jungle and Arctic warfare

events that happened during the time of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994. It was during this final part of the Rwandan Civil War that German citizens working for the Deutsche Welle news agency, and their families became endangered and had to be evacuated. This evacuation was conducted by Belgian ParaCommandos, as no German troops were available in time for the task. The three Kommando Kompanien of the German airborne forces, formed in 1989/90 and consisting of specially trained paratroopers could have been able to conduct the non-combatant evacuation mission but as they were not held at sufficiently high readiness their preparation and deployment would have taken too long. Within the military high command and the political leadership

these events resulted in studies for a new German Special Forces unit, which were conducted parallel to an already underway development of new guidelines for Germany’s security police. Under this the Bundeswehr was tasked to be able to deploy joint crisis reaction forces that could conduct operations over the full military mission spectrum, in cooperation with allied forces worldwide.

Main Image: The AGF Serval fielded for fire support and long range recce patrols is based on the Geländewagen - main armament is .50 M2QCB heavy machinegun or a 40mm H&K grenade machinegun

The first KSK operators were mainly volunteers from the Kommando Kompanien of the German airborne forces and the Ferspäh kompanien or long range reconnaissance companies. On the 20th of September 1996 the Kommand Spezialkräfte was officially stood up, and in April 1997 the first platoon of the KSK earmarked for hostage rescue and non-combat evacuation operations was declared operational.

On the 28th September 1995 the conceptual guidelines for the new German Special Forces unit, that was to be known Kommando Spezialkrafte, were issued by the Inspekteur des Heeres, the senior serving officer and commander of the ground forces of the Bundeswehr. In the meantime training of the first Special Forces operators had already started, support being provided by the German Federal Police AntiTerrorist Unit GSG 9, the British Special Air Service and the US Army Delta Force.

Left: KSK breachers are trained in using explosives to create entry points but also carry standard breaching kit such as sledge hammer, Halligan tool, bolt cutter, and battering ram as well as a shotgun

In September of the same year the KSK took part on Exercise SCHNELLER ADLER. As part of the exercise the existence of the unit was revealed to the greater public and a hostage rescue operation was demonstrated in front of the massed media.

OPERATIONS WORLDWIDE

In 1998 KSK operators were deployed for the first time on operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, employed as part of SFOR and in support of the International Criminal Tribunal for

Combat & Survival

action during Operation ANACONDA fighting against Taliban and Al Qaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ida fighters in the Tora Bora region. For the skills, courage, imagination and performance in combat shown by the KSK operators during this deployment the unit was later awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by the US President George W. Bush in December 2004.

the former Yugoslavia to hunt down war criminals. Unofficial sources claim that the KSK was involved in the arrest of at least three persons responsible for countless atrocities. From 1999 onwards KSK operators were also employed in Kosovo, their mission being to hunt war criminals and conduct Special Forces force protection operations in support of the German KFOR contingent. In early 2002 some 100 troops of the KSK, including operators as well as support troops, deployed under Operation ENDURING FREEDOM to Afghanistan. Serving with the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force - South, later called Task Force K-Bar, the German Special Forces closely cooperate with US, British and Australian Special Forces. Among other operations they saw

Combat & Survival

5&6: This group of KSK operators are all armed with 5.56x45mm G36k A1 carbines. Among other sighting equipment all weapons are fitted with EOTech sights. As back-up all operators carry a 9mm P8 Combat pistol and the breacher also carries a shotgun. Right: Instead of combats in the standard German Flecktarn camouflage pattern the operators wear uniform in MultiCam pattern - their helmets are made by OpsCore Incorporated

In the following years up to 2008 elements of the KSK again and again deployed under Operation ENDURING FREEDOM to Afghanistan and from 2005 onwards until today the German Special Forces have also served under command of ISAF in Afghanistan. As part of this deployment KSK operators, for example, arrested the Taliban leader Abdul Razeq in the vicinity of Fayzabad in 2009, the high ranking Taliban leader Maulawi Roshan in the vicinity of Kunduz in 2010 and Mullah Abdul Rahman the Taliban shadow governor in Ghunday Kalay in 2012. The KSK also assisted in the raising and training of the Provincial Response Company of the Afghan National Police in Kunduz. In Afghanistan the KSK also suffered its first operator killed in action. On 4th May 2013 a 32 year old Hauptfeldwebel (sergeant major) was killed during a firefight with insurgents in the Bahlan Province at a river crossing point some 26km to the north of Observation Point North.

RESPECTED BY SPECIAL FORCES WORLD

Not quite twenty years old, the KSK today is recognised as being amongst the best trained and equipped units of its kind. Its operators have proved their skills during several operational deployments, often in cooperation with operators of other units of the Special Forces community. Among their allied counterparts the KSK are well respected and regarded as a valuable asset to have around.

Since April 2013 the Commanding Officer of the Kommando Spezialkräfte has been Brigadegeneral Dag Baehr. Born on 30th August 1965, the 49 year old officer is the first commander of the KSK to have passed Special Forces Operator training during his career.

aehr joined the Bundeswehr in 1985 and initially served with the Gebirgsjäger bataillon 231 mountain infantry battalion in Bad Reichenhall before commencing officer training in 1987, his studies including Governance and Public Policy and Philosophy. From 1992 onwards he served as the leader of a mountain infantry platoon, then in1993 Baehr completed the year long Heeresbergführer Mountain and Arctic Warfare leaders course which one of the longest and hardest training courses the Bundeswehr has to offer. Between 1994 and 1996, in the rank of captain, he then served as company commander of a mountain infantry company. In 1996 Baehr belonged to one of the first group of soldiers of the Bundeswehr who volunteered for service in the newly formed KSK. After passing Selection he went through SF Operator training and later became the leader of a Special Forces platoon. Between 1999 and 2001 he completed the General Staff Officer course, during which he was promoted to the rank of major.

Following this course he served with the HQ of the Division Spezielle Operationen, back than Germany’s airborne and Special Forces division, as G3 staff officer. After being promoted to lieutenant colonel Baehr became the speaker for operational control and deployment of Special Forces within the German Ministry of Defence in 2003 and in 2004 he returned to the KSK in Calw, becoming the Special Forces units Kommandeur Einsatzkräfte or leader for operational Special Forces assets. From 2007 onwards Baehr served at SHAPE in Belgium as Branch Head of the Special Operations Branch, then in 2008 he became the adjutant of the Inspekteur des Heeres, the senior serving officer and commander of the ground forces of the Bundeswehr. From 2009 onwards, after being promoted to the rank of colonel, Baehr served as department chief of G5 Plans and Policy at the Allied Component Command-Land Headquarters in Heidelberg in Germany. This job was followed by another two staff assignments to the German Ministry of Defence, in 2010 and 2012. After becoming the Commanding Officer of the KSK, following Brigadegeneral Heinz Josef Feldmann, Baehr was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in August 2013. During several of his employments Baehr has deployed on operations, serving in the Balkans, Africa and Afghanistan.

Images © Carl Schulze 16

Combat & Survival

Brigadegeneral Dag Baehr is the first CO of the KSK who during his soldiering career has both passed SF selection and training and served in the unit as a fully trained Special Forces Operator

The ground mobility elements of the KSK can field a wide range of vehicles including Yamaha Kodiac ATVs, KTM 640 LC 4 motorbikes, AGF Serval long range patrol vehicles and ATF Dingo and Eagle IV protected mobility vehicles. Here, while his comrades conduct a vehicle interdiction mission, a KSK operator has deployed forward on his Yamaha Kodiac ATV, which is fitted with a pintle-mounted 7.62mm MG3 general purpose machinegun, to provide covering fire.

Kidnapping for political reasons in the Middle East features high in the news at the moment but kidnap for ransom is very common in parts of Africa, the Far East and South America too

In many areas of the world kidnapping is on the rise and is a growing business. Kidnappers are now motivated by a wide range of factors including psychological, profit and politics. In fact, the motivations and activities of kidnappers now overlap to a considerable degree with political or ideological groups (such as the self-proclaimed Islamic State or IS) acting in the same way as organised crime and asking for ransom (to fund themselves) as well as political concessions (as seen in the recent case with the murdered journalist James Foley) or with criminal groups being contracted to kidnap victims for tribal reasons as happens in Yemen. Whatever the original motivation for the kidnap, hostages now run the risk of being taken away from criminal groups by terrorist groups or of being sold onto them.

Combat & Survival

idnapping is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, with numbers of kidnaps increasing by over 500% since 1998. It is estimated that kidnappers globally make over $500 million each year ... and the cost is rising! With an entrepreneurial spirit that would put â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Apprenticeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to shame, kidnappers are adapting their business models in response to changes in market conditions and the relative risks they face of detection, prosecution, incarceration or death. The kidnapping industry has increased due to several reasons. One reason is the changes in the world security situation, such as the end of the Cold War and the declining interest of sponsoring countries which reduced the funding of some political revolutionary groups around the globe. Therefore, those groups have been forced to find new ways of financing their cause and economic kidnapping has provided one answer. Other groups have formed more recently due to the rise in the number of conflicts and failed states (such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria) and have found new funding providers from across the Middle East.

Below: Media representatives, Non-Governmental Organisation workers, those surveying for natural resources and even archaeologists all run the risk of kidnap for ransom or propaganda

Another reason is the rise in people going abroad on foreign holidays (especially to more challenging environments which means going to more remote areas) and increased business travel as new economic territories open up with Western companies introducing high-value individuals into these new markets and areas. Then there is the increase in military forces operating abroad in the bid to prevent failed states becoming havens for terrorism. Alongside the increase in military operations has come an expansion

of NGO and Humanitarian Assistance agencies, which have gone into these areas to offer support and to help people in need. Although they have tended to see themselves as being immune from the risks of kidnapping because of the very nature of their work supporting local communities and have sought to maintain their independence from government and business so as not to jeopardise their position, they too have become potential targets. All this has created new opportunities for kidnappers by bringing them new potential victims in the form of aid workers. The recent beheading of kidnapped British charity volunteer Alan Henning by IS underscores how even those doing good are no longer immune.

notified and the freeze occurred. It must be remembered that a ransom isn’t just about money, it can be for jobs, weapons or anything not considered political, which was the reason for past tribal kidnappings in Yemen (kidnapping in Yemen has changed in nature from tribal to political with increasing demands made by terrorist groups to buy the hostages and use them for their own agenda). Although actually less in numbers of kidnapped, the hostages in the Middle East tend to be made more high profile due to their use in information operations by terrorists.

Each country has its own policy when its citizens are kidnapped. The UK

Finally, another reason for the increase is the advent of social media and the fact that groups can now put their message out to the world more easily, including the shock tactic of beheading their victims on camera. On average there are 15,000 victims in captivity in any one year with varying lengths of incarceration, increasing ransoms, unrealistic demands and alarming conclusions. The ‘hotspots’ where kidnapping occurs more often constantly change due to shifts in the market conditions with the recent highest figures being in Africa rather than Central America. This change can be due to not only fluctuations in the local economic environment or the ineffectiveness of the security apparatus but also to the link between kidnapping and crime. A clear case of this exists in Mexico, where drug cartels routinely kidnap the workers of their rivals. Just like any other business or criminal enterprise, the kidnappers change as security responses change. Such changes can be seen in countries where the government freezes the assets of the family of the victim and therefore the kidnappers would want to resolve their payment before the police were

government has developed a simple approach of no substantive concessions. This stance underlines the government’s commitment not to be held to ransom by terrorists (hostages are often treated as representatives of a country or ideological system), but it is also based on the premise that concessions encourage future crimes. This has seen in Mexico, for example, which saw a sharp rise in kidnapping when it became public knowledge that a ransom of $30 million was paid for Alfredo Harp. This just highlighted the profitability of kidnapping and encouraged kidnappers to take more hostages and to increase the level of ransoms. In political cases, because the demands are for changes in legislation or prisoner releases, they tend to be resolved within the diplomatic arena and where British citizens are involved the UK government generally has the authority to take the lead on how an individual case is handled. This allows it to ensure that a relatively consistent line is taken.

1: Expect the unexpected - a course student is caught off guard as an armed kidnapper unexpectedly bursts into a lecture room and drags him to the floor 2: The best time to get away from a kidnapper is often shortly after capture but this can also be the most dangerous time if you don’t know exactly what you are doing 3: Kidnapper: “Is that too tight?” Victim: “No.” A wrong answer is learned the hard way!

charities and even individuals are all able to respond independently of the government. Major corporations and some charities have developed services such as specialist insurance cover and corporate security that allow them to manage their kidnapping risks as they would any other. The families of independent travellers have even fewer constraints on their behaviour as they do not have longterm interests in the areas in question. Other countries have different policies and although everyone would agree that it is always a better outcome if the hostage is released safely (even if we have paid for it), the problem with paying ransoms is that it encourages kidnappers to continue or increase their efforts. It is vital that people take primary responsibility for their own safety and security while operating in hotspot countries, given that there is a limit to

However, when the kidnapper’s demands are purely financial the negotiating table is opened up to anyone with the money to pay. This means that companies,

Combat & Survival

4: Cuffed and hooded, these students are about to be put through a very stressful scenario

what local governments (and one’s own government) in these countries can do. One only has to look at how difficult it can be for UK or US Special Forces to successfully find and rescue citizens when they are being moved frequently and even then there is always a chance the hostages can be killed during the rescue attempt. There are still many misconceptions about kidnapping and the places where it happens. This can prevent individuals and organisations from understanding the nature of the crime, and lead to a poor appreciation of the role that preventative measures can play in managing risks and therefore lowering their susceptibility to kidnapping. Louise Fréchette, Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the United Nations, has stressed the importance of security for Non-Governmental Organisation employees: “A third and essential objective is to place much greater emphasis on security training.... Non-military staff... must become as security-conscious as their military colleagues and be thoroughly

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prepared to cope with the dangers they may face”. As the number of business companies and NGOs operating in ever more unstable countries or conflict zones has risen, so there has been an increase in the number of security firms offering corporate services. There is a wide range in the type of services they offer, from political and security risk analysis, investigations, security consultancy, crisis management, planning and response, to security operations on the ground and even private armies. There is a broad lack of understanding of the different types of organisations within the sector, and this has meant that whenever there have been any high-profile problems with a particular company, they have reflected badly on the image of the whole sector. Some security firms that offer kidnap training offer expertise (and charge for it) that they quite simply don’t have or are willing to compromise standards and principals in order to meet demand. This makes it difficult for customers to differentiate between companies, make informed decisions about the

5: A kidnap victim’s hood is about to be removed and psychological torture is going commence but carefully observing and remembering all that is around him will be crucial 6: Would you have the presence of mind to get free of restraint and escape ... and would you even know how to start? Images © Bob Morrison: Military Scene

standard of training they require, and be sure that they will receive it. Another issue is not companies that protect themselves badly, it is those which are either unaware of their risks or choose to ignore them. One major insurance broker commented: “Even some big companies have not given the slightest bit of thought to dealing with security situations abroad. They’re sending people abroad who shouldn’t be leaving their own village, let alone their own country”. Some security industry companies, like my company Optimal Risk, conduct training for at-risk individuals, NGOs and government personnel which ensures that anyone is capable of understanding how the dynamics of a kidnapping event work and how to deal with the psychological pressures which the hostage will experience. To start with, we show people how to take responsibility for themselves and create a culture of personal security, including understanding how any hostage taker would be using a mix of open source and other information, including physical and technical surveillance, to decide the optimum time and place to take the hostage (though of course it should be borne in mind that the kidnapper might be an opportunist and may carry out no prior reconnaissance). We teach the many ways that people can adapt their behaviour to make themselves hard targets rather than soft targets for kidnappers. Simple things such as keeping a low profile, altering personal routines, avoiding areas where kidnappers are known to operate, travelling by air rather than road in kidnapping strongholds, keeping up-to-date with the latest thinking about securing physical

minimise any long term effects once repatriated. Since anyone working in or travelling through many areas of the world is a potential target and of some form of financial or political value then prior preparation and training is key. Hostages are sometimes taken through simply being a ‘Westerner’ or an ‘American’, even if that is not their nationality, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and the kidnappers don’t even know or understand who they have taken. Training won’t always stop you becoming a hostage but could be your key to survival. Training should raise awareness of the potential risks and increase understanding about how to manage your situation and develop effective security strategies. Ideally kidnap & escape training should be given by someone who has ‘been there’ and understands the pressures and issues that must be overcome, rather than by just another security contractor repeating information that he or she has been given and who has no real experience to draw on. Forewarned is forearmed. operations and understanding one’s own risks will all assist in reducing the opportunity for kidnapping. We then cover the aims of kidnappers and hostages and talk in detail about the stages of a kidnapping incident. The students get to experience a simulation of the initial capture and we demonstrate its opportunities and risks for escape. They learn the pressures that hostages experience and how to devise coping strategies along with how to behave during captivity, including how to maintain health and fitness. Students also learn how to gather intelligence to help them escape and to help the security forces if they are successful in escaping. Escaping from various restraints, knowing how to fight your way out of a location, understanding how to communicate both internally and externally are also important skills, alongside being aware of how to navigate once you have escaped, how to contact the authorities, how to survive and evade in an urban or rural environment, and how to improvise escape equipment. The study of cultures and specific threats for the countries to be visited also has to be considered.

Above: Anti-kidnap course students learning how to safely disarm a pistol-wielding kidnapper without risking being shot in the confusion Right: Some of the best trained counter-terrorist teams can be found in the Middle East but there is no guarantee even they would be able to rescue you before you starred on Youtube so be aware of the potential for becoming a kidnap victim when working or travelling abroad

Other topics on our courses include dos and don’ts if a rescue force enters (the students experience a simulated rescue and get the chance to understand how the force conducting a dynamic entry achieves their mission) and how to maximise recovery and

Combat & Survival

GPMG gunner from 2nd battalion of The Parachute Regiment tabs off the drop zone as a second wave of troops exits a C-130 Hercules using LLPs [via DPL]

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Growing fiscal pressure on defence budgets is forcing Airborne Forces to reshape their combat capability and focus more on helicopter assault but, as the French proved in Mali, the ability to deliver troops by parachute remains a tactical concept for theatre entry.

irborne Forces, across the NATO Alliance and beyond, are reshaping themselves for the future in order to ensure they can deliver both tactical and strategic â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;effectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; across the spectrum of modern warfare, to meet a range of diverse threats in an age of global uncertainty. While the days of mass brigade and battalions drops by forces involving 20+ transport aircraft may have passed, for the present, there has been clear operational evidence within the Alliance that air assault by parachute, or overhead assault, is still very much an asset that can deliver strategic success. In January 2013, the French Army conducted a static line combat parachute assault into Mali on a Drop Zone (DZ) north of Timbuktu. The operation involved a company plus unit of 120 troops, who were dropped in darkness to seize Tessalit airport and block any escape route for Islamists into the Northern deserts. At the same time the French force launched a helicopter assault from the south,

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Main Image: Over 100 US paratroopers rigged for an airborne insertion en-route to the drop zone aboard a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster [via DPL] 1: The TALO [Tactical Air Land Operation] or RAL [Rapid Air Land] is used to insert large numbers of troops plus light vehicles onto a secured airfield [via DPL] 2: Up to 116 paratroopers plus kit can be inserted over 6,000 kilometres from their mounting base by a single latest generation Airbus A400M transport aircraft [Herve Gousse via DPL]

HALO/HAHO parachuting techniques allow Pathfinders or Special Forces to be clandestinely inserted ahead of the main airborne battlegroup [via DPL]

deploying air assault and airmobile capabilities with textbook success. The air assault included several passes by aircraft in order to allow engineers and logistic men and materiel to drop.

Parachute assault as a means of theatre entry offers unrivalled speed of reaction and can project power in support of political intent. Moreover, airborne forces also have the capability to poise, literally, in mid-air or at a forward operating base, thus enabling a final decision to prosecute a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;theatre entryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to be delayed until the last possible minute or reversed in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Airborne Forces (Para) are retained in the orders of battle (ORBAT) of a number of countries, including but not limited to: Argentina, China, France, Germany, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United States, as well as the United Kingdom. Now new force structures are being adopted as nations face the challenge of rebalancing resources

Top right: Airborne drops allow a battalion-sized battlegroup of paras with weapons and equipment to be speedily inserted at great distance from their mounting base [Guy Channing: DPL] 3: British paras jump into Normandy in remembrance of the the epic airborne assault on D-Day 6th June 1944 when key bridges and artillery positions were seized [Guy Channing: DPL] 4: The French military has used parachute insertion techniques extensively on operations in troubled parts of the African continent [image by the late Yves Debay]

amid growing fiscal pressure on defence budgets. In the UK, the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) identified 16 Air Assault Brigade as a core element of its new deployable land forces structure in the Future Force 2020 plan, listing it alongside UK Special Forces (UKSF) for high readiness operations. The Brigade comprises two parachute and two helicopter-borne or air-landed battalions that rotate responsibility for the Airborne Task Force (ABTF). In the 21st century, a mixed fleet of attack and battlefield helicopters, together with tactical air transport, provides strategic air manoeuvre and enhanced firepower. Air manoeuvre forces provide governments with the ability to act in circumstances that would otherwise render it powerless. This amalgamation of parachute and helicopter-borne forces deployable by strategic airlift has enhanced this capability and shaped new doctrine. These concepts can be deployed separately or in tandem, generating combined groupings that increase fighting power. Air manoeuvre operations exploit the mobility of airlift (C-130, C-17 and the new A400) to provide strategic reach, and can incorporate a mixture of assets tailored to the mission to deliver men and materiel with: Combat Support (CS), in the form of artillery and engineers; Combat Service Support (CSS) delivering logistics; and Combat Command Support (CCS) elements providing command and control. The arrival of the Airbus A400M will deliver significant strategic airlift to military Air Manoeuvre capability in the UK as well

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as France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Turkey and Luxembourg who have all ordered the aircraft. In total 174 aircraft have been ordered by these countries, with 22 heading for RAF Brize Norton. The types of air manoeuvre that deliver troops on the ground require Advance Forces (AF) to deploy ahead of the main force to secure the initial area of operation. Units such as the UK’s Pathfinders employ High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) or High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) free-fall parachute entry to evade radar; they are inserted up to 24 hours ahead of the main force to assess enemy forces and threats, as well as geographical obstacles. They identify, mark and secure drop

British Paras Low Level Parachute [LLP] which allows soldiers to jump from 400ft or lower - the British Army is the only force in the world to have this capability [Craig Allen: DPL]

Heavily armed and armour protected Attack Helicopters like these Apaches can protect troop transport helicopters and provide suppressive fire [Gerben Van Es: DPL]

zones and, as aircraft make their approach, indicate to pilots the release points for dropping their sticks of paratroopers. Similar procedures are followed for guiding in helicopter-borne troops. Parachute Operations: are mounted from a Forward Mounting Base (FMB) to insert a battlegroup on the ground. The UK maintains its Airborne Task Force (ABTF), which requires fifteen transport aircraft to lift the entire force along with its vehicles and equipment. The process of mounting a battlegroup is known as a Combined Air Operation (COMAO) and requires immense planning and de-confliction with a command and control platform sat above the stream of C-130s, electronic warfare aircraft providing point and flank cover, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) flying ahead to provide surveillance of the drop zones. Fighter aircraft ‘steal’ a corridor of air protection as well as carrying out additional roles of reconnaissance, suppression of enemy air defences and close air support (CAS). Air-Landed Forces: are those that deliver troops to the airhead, often after an airport has been seized by a parachute force. The concept was

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A highly flexible air manoeuvre formation provides a Land Component Commander with an ability to increase his Area of Influence and hence his Area of Operations [via DPL] US Marines from 26 MEU and members of the French Special Operations Forces board an Osprey tiltrotor to conduct parachute operations in Djibouti, May 2013 [USMC: Sgt. Christopher Q. Stone] 6

used during World War Two when soldiers arrived by glider, although today technology and tactical delivery allow more men to be put on the ground in a short space of time. Both the UK and other NATO forces deploy two similar systems, with the British listing them as Tactical Air Land Operations (TALO) and Rapid Air Land Operations (RALO). A TALO delivers air-landed soldiers in C-130s or C-17s to a secured airfield. A Rapid Air Landing Operation (RALO) plans for aircraft to land and deploy vehicles and stores before taking off immediately. Such tactics allow commanders to generate force resources quickly. Helicopter Air Assault: is delivered in support helicopters (SH) which will ideally mount from a nearby FMB and be escorted by Apache attack helicopters (AH) that will undertake, if required, Joint Air Attack Missions (JAAT) to suppress enemy activity in addition to providing flank protection. Each Air Manoeuvre (AM) function has its own desk and supporting personnel; in the case of the UK’s 16 Air Assault Brigade, expanding a

brigade planning group from 47 in its pure parachute role to more than 160 in the air assault environment, with the numbers increasing for multi-national operations. Endurance planning and the positioning of a Forward Air Refuelling Point (FARP) for rotary aviation are critical. Step-Up, the process of moving a headquarters as a formation advances, is a significant challenge and is often exercised in ‘stand alone’ skills of parachute, air landing or helicopter-borne scenarios to meet the mission requirement. Today the UK has maintained its airborne battlegroup capability, focusing its future concept of operations on company-level operations, while maintaining the capability to ‘scale-up’ at any time, through use for limited periods of the Small Scale Contingency Task Force (SSCTF) which was based on a company group and used as the model for forces across NATO. This highly flexible air manoeuvre formation provides the Land Component Commander (LCC) with an ability to increase his Area of Influence and hence his Area of Operations. At the same time joint operations, both

5: A French paratrooper signaller unpacks his radio after jumping onto a Scottish drop zone with British colleagues during Ex JOINT WARRIOR ‘13 [Bob Morrison] 6: British and Polish paratroopers trained together to capture key bridges during the recent Ex ANAKONDA ‘14 on Drawsko Pomorskie training area [Crown Copyright: Cpl Andy Reddy] Image copyright as credited in caption

in airborne and air assault as well as command and control, have increased within NATO. France, Germany, Spain, UK and United States regularly participate in company level exercises to develop interoperability skills in planning and battlespace management. The UK has also increased its ‘joint skills’ significantly by jumping, at company level, with the French, Spanish, US, Ukraine and Polish airborne forces in the past 12 months to broaden ‘military co-operation’ for the future. During Exercise Joint Warrior, held in Scotland in March 2013, French troops from the 11e Brigade Parachutiste deployed with the UK’s 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) onto Braid Fell, six miles inland from Stranraer. The future of airborne forces is perhaps stronger now than it has ever been, but is clearly on a smaller more focused scale. The only sure prediction of the future is that it will be uncertain and the ability to deal with the unexpected will always be at a premium.

Combat & Survival

The primary infantry component and manoeuvre support formation of the Armed Forces of Malta, 1st Regiment AFM, as we saw last month, is organised as a Light Infantry Battalion comprising a Headquarters Company, three Infantry Companies, and an Air Defence and Fire Support Company. Based on a strategically important European Union island nation in the middle of the Mediterranean, their mission is: to secure locations of strategic and national interest; to maintain Force Elements at Readiness (FEAR) to deploy on crises management operations; and to be prepared to support civil authorities in exceptional circumstances or in times of national distress.

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Main image: Standard assault rifle of 1 Regiment AFM is the 7.62mm AK47 (Mod) Right: Maltese troops carry the Beretta 92FS pistol as their personal weapon 1: This Beretta in belt holster is worn by a Regimental Policeman - AFM personnel on routine airport security duties also carry a Beretta on their belt

or the purpose of this brief feature on the personal weapons of AFM we are concentrating on the elite C (Special Duties) Company which is tasked with maintaining Force Elements at Readiness able to deploy on local or foreign operations at short notice. This company, which consists of a headquarters, four infantry platoons and both sustainable sniper and close protection teams, uses the

standard issue AFM 7.62mm AK47 (Modified) assault rifle and 9mm Beretta 92FS pistol but its fire teams also deploy on urban missions with 9mm Heckler & Koch MP5 Personal Defence Weapon

and suppressed sub-machinegun variants. The AK47 (Mod) used by AFM is a version of the Soviet-designed 7.62x39mm Avtomat Kalashnikova modified with an Israeli-made M14 retractable butt-stock and downgrip plus Picatinny rails. Some sources state that AFM uses just the Chinese Type 56 copy, but official Maltese sources acknowledge that they have a mix of models including Soviet, Romanian and Chinese. It is my belief, from the few markings on the receiver, that the example pictured here is Romanian. The M14 butt-stock is branded CAA (Command Arms Accessories) and the downgrip is the CAA MVG short vertical grip with pressure switch mounts which is branded EMA. A modern Aimpoint CompM3 red dot sight, which is compatible with night vision devices for round the clock use, is fitted. With a population density of over over 1300 per square kilometre

Above: This AK47 (Mod) is fitted with an Aimpoint CompM3 red dot sight for rapid sighting at close quarters 2: The Heckler & Koch MP5K has a folding stock and can fire either single shots or full automatic Right: The Beretta 92FS is essentially the same pistol issued to troops by the US Army since 1985 as the M9 Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison : Military Scene

on the heavily fortified island, making it the eighth most crowded nation on the planet, and where almost every square metre of land not used for small agricultural fields is built upon, Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FEAR/QRF personnel have to be prepared to fight at close quarters rather than the longer ranges most infantrymen would expect to be able to engage the enemy at. As a result the 9mm sub-machinegun is the weapon of choice for the bulk of the soldiers in a C (SD) Company fire team. Three versions of the H&K MP5 are fielded, but this team only used two types: the MP5K PDW, with single shot and automatic capability, fitted with the H&K folding stock; and the MP5A5SD suppressed version, with single and three-round burst as well as full auto capability, fitted with the H&K telescopic retractable butt-stock The third MP5 version used, but not seen here, is the MP5A4, which is very similar to the MP5K but has a fixed stock and has three-round burst capability in addition to single

shot or full auto. Standard issue 9mm magazine is the 30-round version. AFM has a very close relationship with the Italian Armed Forces, and indeed for more than 25 years a tri-service Italian Military Mission, currently comprising nearly 50 officers and NCOs, has provided technical assistance and specialist training, so it is perhaps unsurprising that the standard pistol carried by Maltese infantry hails from Italy rather than Germany or Austria. All members of 1st Regiment AFM deployed around the island, including security personnel guarding the international airport and points of entry, plus Regimental Police and perimeter patrols guarding AFM bases, carry a 9mm pistol on their belt or in a thigh holster.

Combat & Survival

Main image: The H&K to the left is the MP5A5SD suppressed version - it can be set to fire three-round bursts in addition to single shot or full auto

The AK47 (Mod) is fitted with an aftermarket M14 butt-stock, downgrip and Picatinny rails

Right: The drop holster is a BLACKHAWK SERPA on a STRIKE platform Below: The 9mm Beretta FS92 has a 15-round magazine

The specific pistol model issued is the Beretta 92FS, which is essentially the same weapon as used by the US Army from 1985 as the M9. A double-action /single-action semiautomatic pistol, the 92FS has an open-slide, short-recoil delayed locking-block system, which is claimed to yield a faster cycle time 32

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and deliver exceptional accuracy and reliability. The round used is the classic 9x19mm Parabellum of which the standard issue magazine holds 15 in staggered formation. The issue thigh holsters, seen here, are manufactured by BLACKHAWK; these examples appear to be the

standard STRIKE platform on drop-leg straps with the actual holster being the earlier SERPA model. For the record, C (SD) Company snipers use the 7.62mm Accuracy International AW but unfortunately we did not manage to photograph one of these during our brief visit to AFM.

Bob’s feet Image © Jitka Cajova

Ask any armchair pundit why desert boots do not have a Gore-Tex membrane and he will most likely tell you: “It’s cos Gore-Tex don’t work in hot climates, stoopid!” Wrong. True, the original breathable membrane laminates which have kept a generation or two of soldiers’ feet dry in cold wet weather conditions were never conceived for desert, or jungle, use but as the worldwide W.L. Gore & Associates development teams are constantly evolving Bob Gore’s original 1960s invention the properties of the latest generation of composites bear little resemblance to that first breathable expanded PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) laminate patented in 1980.

arlier this year C&S was given an exclusive briefing on Gore-Tex footwear fabrics by two of their associates who specialise in this area, after which we were invited out to Bavaria for more in-depth briefings

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The most remarkable thing about these lightweight but durable desert boots is just how fresh they keep the feet in hot climates. I wore them on a trip down to southern Spain (Torcal and the Costa de la Luz) in mid-October, where the thermometer exceeded 30C several times, and found them to be more comfortable than sandals. Expect the new generation GoreTex Extended Comfort technology boots to be commercially available by late spring 2015. Images © Bob Morrison

at their major European research facilities and to see the development and testing processes for ourselves. As and when space permits we will report on the GoreTex operation, but as not only has one of the company’s latest generation laminates already been crafted into the forthcoming

Meindl Equator Desert Boot model but we have been given a pair to test for C&S, the big picture will have to wait for a little while. In the meantime, take a look at the future by perusing these images. Some might be asking why a desert boot

would need a waterproof breathable membrane, but if they had spent any time dodging IEDs by trudging through ditches in Helmand’s ‘Green Zone’, i.e. those effectively open sewers harbouring possibly more types of pathogen than there are blowflies on a fresh cowpat, they would know the answer. Most desert or arid theatres where the modern soldier finds himself fighting are not the archetypal barren rolling sand dune type but are medieval habitats where good sanitation and decent healthcare are about as alien to the locals as a chilled glass of Carlsberg. In this sort of environment it is essential for well-being and efficiency that feet are kept as dry as possible and all those nasties which multiply in standing water are kept well and truly on the outside. The latest Gore-Tex Extended Comfort range of footwear laminates designed, based on user requirements, specifically for hot climate wear are:

durably waterproof; extremely breathable; quick drying; exceptionally lightweight; flexible with minimalist design; and noninsulated for highest possible heat loss when operating under maximum exertion. Other than the standard Gore-Tex label, the lightweight Meindl Equator looks to all intents and purposes like just about any other comparable high quality desert boot but the new Extended Comfort laminate makes it about 20% lighter. Though fully waterproof, these boots really are cool to wear in high temperatures.

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The ground force is the dominant service of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is also the world’s largest military with about 1.6 million personnel in the ranks of the ground force alone. This is despite the Army progressively diminishing in size with cuts of one million, 500,000 and 200,000 respectively in 1985, 1997 and 2003. This article, on what some might say is the ultimate ‘kung fu panda’, was submitted before the recent protests on the streets of Hong Kong in response to government attempts at intervention in the democratic process.

Main Image: SF soldiers bound over an obstacle racing to confront hostile forces - they are armed with 5.8mm QBZ95 assault rifles even though the newer Type 95-1 has already entered service in the territory 1: A Jialing JH600BJ sidecar powered by a 590cc engine is used as cover by SF soldiers - note the holographic sight and two flashlights fitted to the QBZ95 rifle of the soldier nearest the camera

n March 2014, Premier Li Keqiang announced a 12.2% surge in Chinese defence spending, one that eclipsed last year’s 10.7% rise. Of course, nobody takes this figure of RMB808.23 billion (USD132 billion) at face value, as the true amount could be double this because China keeps many spending areas off the books. President Xi Jinping has made modernising the military a priority. Thus, soon after gaining power, he launched a campaign to enhance the PLA’s ability to “fight and win wars”. In this article we examine the PLA in more detail, using photos of the Hong Kong Garrison for illustrative purposes.

of China’s modernisation drive, as well as a strong guarantee for China’s peaceful development, to build a strong national defence and powerful armed forces which are commensurate with China’s international standing… China’s armed forces provide a security guarantee and strategic support for national development, and make due contributions to the maintenance of

China released its most recent Defence White Paper on 16th April 2013. It laid out the rationale for China’s impressive recent military development: “It is a strategic task

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The PLA has been introducing a plethora of new equipment, including Dong Feng EQ2050 4x4 vehicles copied from the iconic American HMMWV - each here is carrying six soldiers in the rear world peace and regional stability.” The military rise of China has neighbours in all states of alarm, particularly Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines. All three are engaged in maritime territorial disputes with China, and Beijing has no reason to back down given its position of strength. Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said earlier in 2014, “The PLA are not Boy Scouts with spears. Some foreigners always expect China to be a baby scout.” Worryingly, there are danger signals emanating from some PLA segments. For example, Major General Liu Yazhou, a liberal-leaning political commissar at the PLA National Defence University, courted controversy in a magazine interview when he said: “An army that fails to achieve victory is nothing. Those borders where our Army has won victories are more peaceful and stable, but those where we were too timid have more disputes.” Liu was urging the PLA to “seize

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Right: During a battle simulation at Shek Kong Air Base in mid-2014, PLA soldiers leap from the rear of their vehicles - of interest, the soldier on the upper right is carrying a 9mm QSZ92 semiautomatic pistol 2: PLA Special Forces of the Hong Kong Garrison participate in a counter-terrorism drill - China is a relative latecomer to Special Operations Forces…but it is good at copying the successes of others

strategic opportunities” to test its mettle and prove itself a military equal of the USA. The fact is, however, that the PLA has not engaged in mechanised warfare since its brief conflict with Vietnam in 1979, whereas the US Armed Forces has conducted a number of complex campaigns in recent decades. The PLA’s present-day combat effectiveness thus remains open to debate since its last battle was 35 years ago. Indeed, an annual US Department of Defense report noted: “China’s ground

3: A team of four Special Forces soldiers armed with Type 95 rifles advances during a counter-terrorism drill - the Hong Kong Garrison is composed of the PLA (Army), PLA Navy and PLA Air Force forces remain challenged by a lack of combat experience and self-identified limitations in the leadership abilities of its command staff, particularly at operational levels.” Nevertheless, the USA is taking the ‘China threat’ seriously, with this being the primary incentive for President Barack Obama’s ‘strategic rebalance’ to the Asia-Pacific area.

STRUCTURAL CHANGES

Key watchwords in the PLA are ‘informatisation’ and ‘mechanisation’. Indeed, older equipment is giving way to new systems that make the PLA more effective. However, one challenge for the PLA is the increasing cost of advanced equipment and the better-educated personnel required to operate it. China’s traditional cost advantages are dissipating as it is forced to acquire increasingly expensive weapons, especially those able to exploit perceived US weaknesses. Another huge challenge to the PLA is rampant corruption.

4: This photo offers a close-up view of a PLA soldier wearing the Special Forces version of the Type 07 uniform - the QBZ95 rifle has a maximum effective range of 400m, weighs 3.4kg and is 746mm long Images © Gordon Arthur

Painful organisational changes

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are in store for the PLA too. The current seven Military Regions (MR) were originally created as garrison forces to defend Chinese territory, but it is quite likely these will be reduced to five, with the existing three coastal MRs perhaps establishing joint commands overseeing the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea respectively. Such restructuring represents opportunities – trimming superfluous forces and reallocating resources – but it also signals serious challenges since established MRs and districts represent entrenched bureaucracies. Reforms will be more painful for the Army as it has most to lose in terms of personnel numbers. In mid-2011 the PLA began shifting to a modular combinedarms brigade structure, and it has already deployed group armies made up exclusively of brigades. However, the PLA’s command structure needs to become much more streamlined to ensure greater mobility and integration. The Army is seeking to conduct ‘integrated

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5: A fleet of ZFB91 6x6 Internal Security Armoured Vehicles built by state-owned NORINCO has been garrisoned in Hong Kong since 1997 this vehicle at the San Wai Barracks is conducting a battle demonstration 6: This is a Z-9ZH command-andcontrol helicopter (based on the Eurocopter AS365 Dauphin) used by the PLAAF contingent in Hong Kong - it is easily identified by its bulbous nose featuring a FLIR system

A Special Reconnaissance soldier (note the distinctive camouflage colours of his uniform) leaps over a flaming barrier whilst completing an obstacle course at the Stonecutters Island Naval Base

joint operations’ and this is pushing down from the corps level to that of divisions and even brigades. However, joint operations are a very new concept at these lower levels so it will take some time to master them. At the same time, the PLA is raising the ‘teeth to tail’ ratio of its combat forces. As China moves its sights beyond the immediate ‘problem’ of Taiwan, and with ‘new historic missions’ to perform, the PLA will need to become more expeditionary. Until the late 1990s, amphibious operations were not a high training priority for the PLA, but it now has two dedicated Amphibious Infantry Divisions in addition to two Marine Corps Brigades with an estimated 10,000 Marines. China recognises the importance of mobility at the campaign

level, as reflected in the continued development of Rapid Reaction Units (RRU) since the 1990s. The USA also believes the PLA is expanding Special Forces units in a major way. China’s 2013 Defence White Paper described the Army’s changing role as follows: “The PLA is composed of mobile operational units, border and coastal defence units, guard and garrison units... In line with the strategic requirements of mobile operations and multidimensional offence and defence, the PLA has been reoriented from theatre defence to trans-theatre mobility. It is accelerating the development of army aviation troops, light mechanised units and Special Operations Forces, and enhancing building of digitalised

Three soldiers rappel down the façade of a building during a counter-terrorism drill - the soldier in the middle has just fired a blank round at a ‘terrorist’ lurking behind a window Left: The 35mm QLG91B (Type 91B) under-barrel grenade launcher (visible on the kneeling soldier’s rifle) can fire both lethal and non-lethal rounds including teargas, high explosive and illumination

units, gradually making its units small, modular and multifunctional in organisation so as to enhance their capabilities for air-ground integrated operations, long-distance manoeuvres, rapid assaults and special operations.”

EQUIPMENT

According to Military Balance 2014, China has an estimated 6,840 main battle tanks (MBT), 750 light tanks/ reconnaissance vehicles, 4,350

armoured personnel carriers (APC), 3,450 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) and 10,160 artillery pieces / multiplerocket launchers (MRL). Interestingly, the number of MBTs and MRLs has dropped significantly since 1985, while the number of conventional artillery pieces is also dropping from its 2010 peak. Conversely, the number of IFVs and APCs has markedly increased, which is consistent with the PLA’s increased mechanisation.

7: These soldiers are wearing gas masks after successfully clambering through smoke-filled tubes their Type 95 rifles are well regarded for close-range firing but the design is criticised for its performance at longer distances

Approximately 15% of PLA artillery is now self-propelled, 31% of MBTs are third-generation types, and 45% of IFVs/APCs are modern. In 2000 the figures were 9%, 0% and 0.1% respectively, which shows just how far the PLA has come in a short period.

HONG KONG GARRISON

The pictures accompanying this article show personnel and equipment of the Hong Kong Garrison in action. This garrison often serves as a showcase for new equipment, and it is a useful barometer of Chinese military progress. This pattern was first demonstrated on 1st July 1997 during the official handover of the former British colony. As troops entered Hong Kong, they were seen

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Of interest in this photo the soldier on the far left has laser duel-simulation sensors on his helmet - when a hit is registered in a wargame purple smoke is released from a receptacle on the back of the helmet

Left: Even though the PLA has cut its personnel numbers in half compared to the early 1980s, Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s military is still the largest in the world these SF troops have painted camouflage stripes on their faces

wielding new 5.8x42mm Type 95 or QBZ95 assault rifles, the first public display of the small arm that has since become the PLAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s standard personal weapon; QBZ stands for Qing Buqiang Zu or light rifle family. The Hong Kong Garrison, like the PLA in general, is quite an opaque formation and it shuns public attention. It is known the garrison, with an estimated 6,000 members, has been focussing on transforming into a combined-arms battlegroup. A rare eye-opener into its composition and equipment levels occurred in

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June 2012 when the then president Hu Jintao inspected the garrison in an official parade. This parade featured 3,128 soldiers in 15 formations. There were 118 vehicles and helicopters. Of particular note were three HQ-6D short-range surface-to-air missile 6x6 launchers, their presence being kept secret up till then. Another revelation was the existence of a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) team with several specialist trucks. Four Z8KH and seven Z9 helicopters represented the air component during this official review. Motorised

Right: Chinese soldiers are well versed in martial arts, the most common form synthesising traditional kung fu techniques - these knife-wielding females belong to a 50-strong female SF contingent in Hong Kong

infantry paraded approximately 30 Type 92B 6x6 IFVs and 30 Type 91 6x6 APCs. This suggests the presence of at least 60 armoured vehicles in Hong Kong. Among the soldiers was a sizeable female contingent, including a 50strong female Special Forces unit. The Hong Kong Garrison is unique in that it is a joint unit containing ground, air and naval forces under a single command.

In early May C&S was invited to cover the sixth annual Warrior Competition for police and military Special Operations teams, which some refer to as being the Spec Ops Olympics. Held at KASOTC, the remarkable King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre in a vast disused quarry complex north of the Jordanian capital city of Amman, the event brought together almost three dozen seven-man teams of specialist operators from across Asia, Europe and North America who lived side-by-side for a week and competed against each other over five gruelling days under a baking desert sun to become best of the best.

Combat & Survival

Top: Five members of the winning Snow Leopards (Team Blue) with the Champions Trophy and four of their seven individual events trophies - at the Prize-giving Ceremony they wore their own distinctive unit patches were worn rather than the standard CAPF/ PAPF badges Right: The full sevenman team turn and salute shortly after being declared 6th Warrior Competition Champions

had been pre-warned to keep a close eye on the three Chinese PAPF (Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Armed Police Force) SpecOps teams participating,

particularly the Snow Leopards who won the competition in 2013, so I was a happy bunny when the first three teams I was given the opportunity to photograph at

The images on this page are of Snow Leopards. During the Shock n Awe event, which they won, they wore what we believe to be Type 05 pixellated camo. The gasping Snow Leopard, who had pushed himself to the point of exhaustion to complete the King’s Challenge, is wearing Type 07 pixellated camo and the colleague attending to him wears Pixellated Tiger Stripe camo Images © Bob Morrison : Military Scene

the event were all Chinese. Magazine publication schedules had prevented me attending the Opening Ceremony or Day One of the competition, but on Day Two our helpful media escorts from Jordanian Armed Forces positioned us on a bund overlooking most of the course for the Commando Selection event just as China’s Team Red, the elite Snow Leopards, commenced their run to be followed shortly after by Team Blue (Xinjiang) and then Team Yellow (Sichuan). In simple terms, China has two police forces. Ministry of Public Security officers are generally unarmed, wear

blue uniforms and are responsible for domestic policing. The Chinese People’s Armed Police Force (usually abbreviated to PAPF or CAPF when English character initials are used) was created in 1982 and is, as the name suggests, a force of green uniformed armed para-military officers, responsible for Internal Security and Border Policing duties in addition to undertaking Fire & Rescue plus more general policing roles. Each of China’s provinces and autonomous regions has at least one division-sized PAPF and each has an elite Special Police Unit responsible for tactical armed response against organised criminals, counterterrorism and riot control. The Sichuan

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Team Yellow from Sichuan Province, seen here during Shock n Awe and Commando Selection (2nd Place), wore Pixellated Tiger Stripe camo for all events we witnessed - although appearing deadly serious for most of the competition, from time to time the mask slipped as they chatted to MissionX range staff in between events

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(Szechuan) and Xinjiang PAPF teams at the 6th Warrior Competition represented their individual province and region respectively, but the Beijing-based Snow Leopards are more of a national counter-terrorist formation and are widely regarded to be their nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best. Secretly formed in 2002 as the Snow Wolf Commando Unit (SWCU) to give China a highly capable counterterrorist deterrent for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, their existence was revealed in 2006 and the following summer,

after a name change to Snow Leopard Commando Unit, they participated on a joint counter-terrorist exercise with Russian SpecOps. Since then, in addition to standing guard over the trouble-free

Olympics, they have been deployed on Diplomatic Close Protection duties in both Afghanistan and Iraq as well as participating in counter-terrorism duties in Xinjiang Province in the west of China; it borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and several of the former Soviet Republics plus Mongolia and Russia. The Snow Leopards first competed in Warrior Competition at KASOTC in 2012, where they came fourth, and last year they stunned many by taking first place overall. This year was to be no different, though the two other PAPF teams gave them a good run for their money and in the final reckoning, after ten different team events spread over four days, the points difference across the top teams was minimal.

Team Blue, who hail from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, also wore Pixellated Tiger Stripe camo but stood out from the other Chinese teams as they wore brightly coloured Sun Eagle Special Police Unit badges on their right sleeves throughout the events

As the Oriental SpecOps machine relentlessly tackled every challenge thrown at it some armchair commentators suggested that maybe the Chinese teams were only doing so well because they were â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;demonstration teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; who had trained relentlessly for the event for the last year, rather than being combat zone soldiers just back from a six month operational deployment in Afghanistan or frontline SpecOps police officers taking a break from months of keeping the peace in Middle East hotspots. All I can say is that the core skills the Chinese competitors exhibited are precisely those needed for counter-terrorist operations and if I ever find myself in need of rescue from a bunch of crazed fundamentalists I

would be damned glad to see these guys coming in through the doors and windows with stun grenades detonating and assault rifles spitting bullets. For the record, the Snow Leopards pulled off first place overall at the 6th Annual Warrior Competition and the team from Sichuan Corps of the PAPF came close second. The elite Jordanian Royal Guard team squeezed in between the Sichuan and Xinjian teams to take third place and prevent China claiming a hat-trick. For Top Ten Team results plus 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings in each of the ten events turn to page 50.

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TEAM EVENTS - TOP THREE PLACES LAST EASY DAY: 1st: China PAPF Snow Leopards 2nd: China PAPF Xinjiang Corps 3rd: Palestine Security Police SPF 194 CARBINE CANDY: 1st: 1st: China Xinjiang Corps 2nd: China PAPF Snow Leopards 3rd: Lebanese Armed Forces PARTICIPATING TEAMS 2014 Afghanistan - GDPCU Bahrain - Royal Special Forces Brunei - Special Forces Regiment Canada - Canadian Special Operations Regiment China - Snow Leopard Unit of The Chinese PAPF China - Special Operation Unit, PAPF Sichuan Corps China - Special Operation Unit, PAPF Xinjiang Corps Iraq - Special Operation Forces Jordan - 71st Counter-Terrorist Special Battalion Jordan - Gendarmerie - Unit 14 Jordan - GID Jordan - Royal Guards Jordan - Special Police Command - PSD Kazakhstan - NSCSF Kazakhstan - SFG Unit 22750 Kazakhstan - SFG Unit 32356 Lebanon - Internal Security Forces Lebanon - I.D.S.F. Lebanon - Black Panthers Lebanon - Lebanese Armed Forces Team 1 Lebanon - Lebanese Armed Forces Team 2 Malaysia - Army Special Forces Netherlands - RNLMC MARSOF Pakistan - NLI Light Commando Battalion Palestine - National Security Forces - NSF 77 Palestine - National Security Forces - NSF101 Palestine - Presidential Guards PGIG Palestine - Special Police Forces - SPF 194 Russia - Ministry of Internal Affairs ‘Lynx’ Police Unit Saudi Arabia - Brigade 64 - Special Forces Team 1 Saudi Arabia - Brigade 64 - Special Forces Team 2 Saudi Arabia - Royal Guards Slovakia - ISHct Lest, MOS UAE - Abu Dhabi Police - Department F 7 USA - San Mateo County Counter Terrorism Assault Team Footnote: Two teams from USMC 22MEU and an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Forces team originally entered were withdrawn on operational grounds prior to the competition.

Combat & Survival

Above: MissionX Middle East Ltd. and its charismatic boss CK Redlinger provided the highly efficient Arabic and English speaking range officials and umpires - mostly former Spec Ops veterans Below: By the end of the competition friendship bonds had been made between many teams - here Bahraini and Malaysian Spec Ops team members are chatting before the awards ceremony Images © Bob Morrison : Military Scene

TRAIL OF TEARS: 1st: China PAPF Snow Leopards 2nd: Lebanese Armed Forces 3rd: Jordan Royal Guards URBAN ASSAULT: 1st: Palestine National Security Forces Unit 101 2nd: Lebanese Armed Forces 3rd: Jordan Police Special Ops Command PSD1 COMMANDO SELECTION: 1st: China PAPF Xinjiang Corps 2nd: China PAPF Sichuan Corps 3rd: China PAPF Snow Leopards 3 GUN GAUNTLET: 1st: China PAPF Snow Leopards 2nd: China PAPF Sichuan Corps 3rd: Lebanese Armed Forces MOLAN LABE: 1st: China PAPF Sichuan Corps 2nd: China PAPF Xinjiang Corps 3rd: Jordan 71 CTB

OVERALL RANKING BY POINTS ACCUMULATION 1: Snow Leopard Commando Unit of The Chinese PAPF 2: Special Operation Unit of the PAPF Sichuan Corps 3: Jordanian Royal Guards 4: Special Operation Unit of the PAPF Xinjiang Corps 5: Lebanese Armed Forces -Team 2 6: Palestine Presidential Guard 7: Canadian Special Operations Regiment 8: Royal Netherlands Marine Corps MARSOF 9: Jordan 71st Counter-Terrorist Battalion 10: Lebanese Armed Forces - Team 1

SHOCK & AWE: 1st: China PAPF Snow Leopards 2nd: Palestine Presidential Guard 3rd: Lebanese Armed Forces HIGH ANGLE DRIVE BY: 1st: China PAPF Xinjiang Corps 2nd: China PAPF Sichuan Corps 3rd: Palestine Presidential Guard KING’S CHALLENGE: 1st: China PAPF Sichuan Corps 2nd: Lebanese Armed Forces 3rd: China PAPF Snow Leopards INDIVIDUAL TOP GUN Winner: Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate

Combat & Survival

For fifty years, almost from the start of World War II, broken only by about four years of Nazi occupation during the war years, the Baltic nation of Lithuania fell under Soviet domination until March 1990, at which point it declared its independence to become the first breakaway Soviet republic. Just a couple of weeks after the NATOsponsored Partnership for Peace programme, created to build trust between the Alliance and the former Soviet Union plus its Eastern European satellite states, was formed in January 1994, Lithuania signed up as the second non-NATO partner; Romania being the first, joining just one day before.

ollowing independence Lithuanian armed forces adopted a threecolour amoeba pattern uniform, which bore certain similarities to earlier Soviet patterns but was less cluttered. As their nation drew closer to NATO membership the Lithuanian Army adopted US M81 Woodland camouflage pattern for a period, and especially when participating on PfP multinational exercises, but by the

Combat & Survival

The Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade is Lithuania’s largest Army formation, consisting of two Mechanised Infantry Battalions, two Motorised Infantry Battalions, an Artillery Battalion and a Combat Support Battalion. Its name and patch are adopted from a medieval legend relating to the city of Vilnius. The Iron Wolf MIB soldiers to the right, wearing M81 Woodland, were photographed on a PfP exercise in 2002. Images © Carl Schulze & Bob Morrison

time they joined NATO (March 2004) they had designed their own unique four-colour disruptive camo pattern based on the colours of their national topography and vegetation. Although Lithuanian M05 pattern, created in 2003 but not widely issued until 2005, can be described as four-colour only three distinct colours are used - reddish brown, verdant green and black - with deliberate misalignment of the colour blocks allowing the undyed light coloured base material to edge the shapes and provide an illusion of depth. In some ways M05 is quite similar in principle to the Belgian ‘jigsaw’ pattern used by elite forces such as the Para-

Commandos and by troops deployed overseas on peace-keeping missions, but the Lithuanian design could probably be better described as a hybrid jigsaw/leaf pattern. An up-scaled desert shades version of M05 has also been introduced and fielded on operations in arid theatres. The soldier posing here is an infantryman serving with the Iron Wolf Mechanised Infantry Brigade, which has participated on the ISAF mission in Iraq, but these shots were taken earlier this year by Carl during Exercise COMBINED RESOLVE on the Hohenfels Training Area in Southern Germany, where the colours worked well.

It’s fair to say that I do quite a bit of travelling in this job; in the space of just sixteen days this month I’ve spent three in Bavaria, two on Warcop firing ranges, and four in Andalucia plus over the last seven months I have sat around the departure lounges of six airports in the UK alone with the dubious pleasures of Stansted awaiting me shortly after this issue of C&S hits the newsstands. With all that running around I find it essential to have a decent pair of comfortable shorts around my nether regions. SueMe Tree Trunks have filled that role since their launch.

Combat & Survival

ueMe.com Tree Trunks were created by the person who headed up the design team for multiple Olympic Gold medal winning swimmer Iain Thorpe’s skinsuit. According to the SueMe.com team, years of work went into getting the cut, fit, shape and fabrics exactly right to make them the most comfortable and durable sports underwear available. These shorts are made from Modal, which is a semi-synthetic textile made from beech tree pulp, and are naturally anti-microbial meaning you can wear them more but wash less; ideal if you travel a lot or if you are deployed in the same undergarments for long periods of time. As they were originally intended primarily for sportsmen wearing

Main Image: Each SueMe garment comes with a little pack of wild flower seeds or beech nuts Right: Naturally antibacterial and odour resistant Beech Shorties and Tree Trunks are ideal for travel Model: Victoria Images © Bob Morrison

body-hugging suits, seams were consciously moved away from rubbing and chaffing points. Beech Shorties are the female cut version of Tree Trunks and, according to the girls, they are every bit as comfortable as the male version I swear by.

1: The Nomad T-shirt is warm in the winter, cool in the summer and great for layering

The Nomad T-shirt range from SueMe.com also uses a naturally occurring component, bamboo viscose, for softness and blends this (70/30) with cotton for durability. The natural properties of the bamboo mean the garment will relax with body heat to provide an element of custom fit. Like Modal, the bamboo viscose is naturally antibacterial and it also provides great UV protection. These ‘athletic fit’ shirts are also ideal for travellers as they are warm in winter but cool in summer and great for layering. For added comfort, just like Tree Trunks and Beech Shorties, for greater comfort Nomad Tees have no internal labels, and both graphics and product information panels are printed in the UK using water-based inks. The SueMe.com team have known each other, worked together and been in and around the outdoor/ bike / motorbike / ski / snowboard / skate / surf hobbies / industries for a long time. They set out with an idea “to create a company that would help people connect with nature”. Their common interest is that they all believe they can make a difference for the better and that “every little effort combined with everyone else’s little efforts WILL make a big difference”.

2: Natural properties of bamboo mean the Tee will relax with body heat providing an element of custom fit 3: Beech Shorties are the female version of Tree Trunks tailored for the feminine form

4: Really comfortable to wear, SueMe shorts and trunks have no front seams to reduce chaffing 5: Victoria demonstrates why it would not be aesthetic for me to model my XL size Tree Trunks

With every environmentally-conscious packaged SueMe.com garment you will find a little brown envelope containing a mix of beech, birch and wild meadow seeds to help you offset the impact of producing it. The guys really do believe in giving Mother Nature a helping hand and preserving the planet.

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THE DIRECT ACTION BRAND FIRST SURFACED AT THE IWA EXPO IN GERMANY BACK IN MARCH, AT WHICH TIME IT WAS UNDER THE HELIKON-TEX (OF POLAND) UMBRELLA, AND OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS INTEREST GREW SWIFTLY WITH EUROPEAN SPEC OPS UNITS IN PARTICULAR HONING IN ON THEIR PRODUCTS. THIS SUMMER C&S WAS OFFERED TEST SAMPLES BY UK-BASED MILITARY1ST AND WE RAN OUR INITIAL REVIEWS, ON THE FOXTROT WAIST BAG AND GHOST BACKPACK, LAST MONTH. JUST AS WE WERE GOING TO PRESS THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE, ON 1ST OCTOBER, THAT DIRECT ACTION WAS NOW STANDING ALONE AS A FULLY INDEPENDENT BRAND.

Main Image: DA Dust (left) in PenCott BadLands camo and DA Dragon Egg in PenCott GreenZone camo Right: Jitka used the Dust as her daysack while we were exploring Torcal Nature Reserve 1: Dust also has expandable side pockets and compression straps with Duraflex buckles 2: Dragon Egg fold-back zipped front compartment has plenty of organiser pockets and pouches Model: Jitka Images Â© Bob Morrison

ven as the press release was being sent out we had already received a DIRECT ACTION Dust EDC (Every Day Carry) backpack in the intriguing PenCott BadLands camouflage pattern and Jitka started trialling it during an autumn exploration of the Jurassic Coast. By the time we headed out to Andalucia, for a few days of gear testing in the Torcal Nature Reserve and along the sand dunes of the Atlantic-swept Costa de la Luz, the slightly larger Dragon Egg

in PenCott Green Zone camo had arrived and I used that as my camera and laptop backpack for both the journeys there and back and the duration, plus Jitka used the Dust to carry her gear. Both bags were ideal. First of all the colour schemes. These packs are currently available in the UK in four plain shades (Black, Coyote Tan, Ranger Green and Olive Green) plus several camouflage patterns including: CamoGrom, the Polish MultiCam-style

Combat & Survival

Above: The smaller Dust has no EyePro pouch but has a vertical zip front document pocket 3: The PALS is the new laser cut derivative which unlike the older tapes system allows almost full camo pattern coverage

which is a futuristic-looking reptile skin type of camo intended for tropical jungle. We deliberately chose PenCott patterns as an alternative to the more widely used CamoGrom/MultiCam to allow us to gauge how these camouflages blend in (or otherwise) in more arid and dusty or sandy environments. This was not a full camo test, but it helped us expand our observations and perceptions. design; Polish Woodland or wz93 Pantera; PenCott BadLands, for arid theatres; and PenCott GreenZone, for more verdant environments. The Dragon Egg is also available in PenCott SnowDrift for Arctic / Deep Winter use and in Kryptek Mandrake,

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Manufactured from 500D Cordura, both bags are of quite similar design, having: a zipped main compartment with internal front mesh pocket and back face open topped pouch: a zipped secondary compartment to the front with organiser pockets and

4: Both bags have useful paracord grab handles - Dragon Egg (left) has a felt lined EyePro pocket at the top 5: Dust back panel and shoulder straps are not as heavily padded as the larger Dragon Egg 6: Dust front compartment opens up more than Dragon Egg - note see-through front pocket Right: Dust main compartment has secondary bladder pouch and half depth mesh pocket

pouches; and rear pouch with Velcro top closure for the Dust or zippers for the Dragon Egg. The Dust is the smaller of the two with a 20-litre capacity and the Dragon Egg has a 25 litre capacity. Both have well padded shoulder straps with sternum strap, the innovative Combat Vent System back pads which use mesh covered contoured foam padding with multiple air channels, and a removable 40mm waist strap (we removed ours as they were not needed to distribute the weight of our light loads of 13.5kg and 7.5kg respectively). With the Dust either (or both) the rear pouch or the padded internal main compartment back pouch can be used to carry a hydration bladder; there is a hanging loop with buckle at the top of both pouches plus a simple drinking port slit out through the top of the bag with elastic tube retention straps over the shoulders. The Dragon Egg has a padded pouch inside the rear compartment and a simple elasticated top pouch inside the main compartment, with similar loop & buckle and tube port, meaning it too can be used to transport two bladders. However these padded pockets are also ideal for carrying a laptop or netbook etc. and when going through airport security,

Above: There is an expandable zipped pouch on each lower side - note side compression straps 7: Shoulder straps are well padded with quick release buckles, drink where quick access is required, the tube retainers and D-ring zipped rear compartment of the 8: Laser cut PALS allows extra pouches to be easily fitted - note six heavy duty attachment points down each side 9: Zipped bladder pouch at rear has padded internal pouch and hanging strap with buckle 10: Dragon Egg main compartment has secondary bladder pouch plus deep zipped mesh pocket

Dragon Egg is ideal for transporting a full size laptop and the velcro fastened rear compartment of the Dust will easily hold a medium size netbook. We know as weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done it. As I am beginning to run out of space I am going to stop typing and invite you to closely examine the accompanying photos to see all the other features for yourselves. Note the modern laser cut PALS (Pouch Attachment Ladder

System) slots which will accept standard MOLLE pouches and attachments, the expandable zipped side pockets for bottles or spare magazines, the top eyepro pouch on the Dragon Egg, the vertical zipped document pocket on the outer face of the Dust, the heavy duty attachment tapes down both sides of the Dragon Egg, and the compression straps on both, etc. To buy DIRECT ACTION gear online go to Military1st.co.uk

Right: Both Dust and Dragon Egg have sternum straps and removable 40mm waistbelts (not shown) 11: Dust bladder pocket is velcro fastened - note drinking tube port beneath handle Combat & Survival

Product: Telephone/Web:

5.11 0046 4046 7388/511tactical.com

The Recon Top is a comfort fit and a decent length making it good to wear in most situations

Combat & Survival

Left: Note the vented back panel just where you get a bit hot and sweaty 1: The Opinel 12cm folding wooden handled saw Images © Mike and Angus Gormley

As for all 5.11 items of gear I have used, this top is a ‘good to wear’ item. Clearly aimed at high activity use and/or hot climates, it is fully vented where it needs to be. I have used this top as a standalone T-shirt and also as a base to other clothing and it works well in both roles. A generous fit, it is comfortable to wear when you have to move about. Nice one.

A portable saw is a handy thing, if not essential in some cases. This one is definitely handy, shuts down and secures open and closed so is safe to have around and, above all, it cuts wood. On top of the practical side, it also looks nice with a wooden handle which is a good shape for a secure grip. If the 12cm (4.75cm) length is not the right size for you, there are others in the Opinel range.

3 As someone who has spent most of my life involved with specialist engineering, design and product testing, albeit vehicle related, I appreciate a company that has this same ethos; in this case a small and relatively new British company that has evolved a range of highly durable watches. I first met them at the annual Outdoor Trades Show expo, and then a few days later at their premises within a boatyard at Hamworthy, Poole; a place that stirred good memories of times passed for me.

his proximity to Poole Harbour enabled the company to fully test the waterproof capability and durability of one of their watches – see photo. This watch spent six months at the bottom of Poole Harbour and although a bit scruffy from its ordeal was none the worse for the experience; it has been

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left ‘as is’ except for a few small places where it can be seen under the grime. This is really just a ‘heads up’ in case any of you are wondering what to add to ‘that seasonal list’ as here is a contender. As regular readers know, I will normally make good use of review items for a while before they get onto these pages but, having seen how these timepieces are put together and tested, I have a good level of confidence to bring them to your attention. Take a look at the website as there you will find the details of design and test and the range of watches. I have highlighted here what I think are the two most appropriate models for the C&S readership. I have the Bloxworth 002 for a more extended period of evaluation so watch this space in a few months’ time (your puns are second rate Mike, Ed.) In brief this is a chronograph with stopwatch with lap split, bezel and date which has good day/ night readability.

2: Here the Bloxworth 002 (left) is seen with the watch that spent six months on the bottom of Poole Harbour and the Canford 004 which is perhaps the most ‘military’ in the Elliot Brown range 3: The Bloxworth has a good night capability so is easy to read by day or in the dark 4: Close-up of the Elliot Brown Bloxworth 002 Chronograph

This model is fitted with the full stainless steel bracelet, which has a cunning easy adjust system so can be fitted over wetsuit cuffs of differing thickness or, as I have found, can be adjusted for comfort dependent on the temperature and the job you are doing. Battery is said to be five years; it can be user replaced but it is advisable to make use of the company’s support facility and have it replaced by them, as a result receiving a health check and re-seal and test. More to come on these.

Product - UK Contact: Opinel/Whitby and Co. Telephone/Web: 01539 721 032/whitbyandco.co.uk

Elliot Brown/Elliot Brown Biolite/Whitby and Co. 01202 338 600/elliotbrownwatches.com 01539 721 032/whitbyandco.co.uk

The Biolite again in use on the edge of the Danube - it was the prime method of cooking on the expedition [AG]

I have covered this stove before in passing. This item has now been tried and tested at some length, mostly by my son Angus, who took it with him on his three month journey canoeing the length of the Danube where it was more or less the principal means of cooking.

recall saying on my preview of the Biolite that I thought it would be good for this sort of use, and I was proved to be right. Not only does it run on free fuel, a real bonus, but it can provide a certain amount of electrical power to top up the likes of mobile phones. The Biolite is fuelled by small twigs/ wood which it is able to convert to more heat energy than you would perhaps imagine. There is a cunning system that also produces electricity which primarily powers a fan to make good use of the wood, but any left over can then be used to charge devices as well as to cook or make a brew. A trip such as the Danube expedition is ideal

Above: Supper cooking on the Biolite - note Contigo mug in the background [AG] 5: Biolite cooking a meal on the bank of the Danube - note also the phone on charge while the stove cooks [AG]

for it as there are almost certainly some sticks about, which is enough to power it, and it is no hardship to carry a few dry ones just in case there are none to hand. The great thing is it is free and over a period of time it can quite easily pay for itself against the use of gas or liquid fuels. The cooker proved to be robust enough to survive this journey and is well able to go again. It can be fitted with a grill (previously reviewed) but this was not included for the trip as is quite bulky, though it is useful for less

space critical trips as well as for the BBQ at home. There is now a larger version, I have the first sample in the UK, so I will be reporting on it before too long. Combat & Survival

Product - UK Contact: Leatherman/Whitby and Co. Telephone/Web: 01539 721 032/whitbyandco.co.uk

Contigo/Contigo 02081 333 452/mycontigo.com

Few days go by when I do not have a Leatherman on my belt; currently my favoured item being Wingman as it is light, compact and I really like the sprung pliers. A good everyday multitool.

owever, moving up the scale of capability we find the Charge ALX. I think it’s safe to say it is in the mid range of the now very extensive selection of Leatherman multitool products. Some years ago I got a Charge TM and I also have a Charge TTi which is a bit special and does not get used, as

Tim Leatherman himself autographed it for me. The ALX is in many ways similar to the TM. I well recall being somewhat dubious of the way the ‘swap end’ screwdriver bits were fitted and secured, and thought it would not be long before these fell out / went missing, and especially the micro one. Well, I was wrong! The originals are still there after significant use. Many of the tools are common to TM and TLX but the scissors make way for the cutting hook. Both of which I find very handy, so the choice is yours on this one, but for reference the TTi

6: The Charge ALX comes complete with a tool set, pouch and fixings 7: My Charge TTi (personally signed when I met Tim Leatherman, it will not get used) sits with the Charge ALX above it 8: The ALX has swap end / interchangeable tools which have proven to not only be very useful but are more secure than perhaps they first seem

has both. But I am not really trying to compare here. The ALX has soft feel handles so is easier on the hand when the pressure is on. There is a subtle interlock system in place on the ALX to prevent inadvertent opening of blades so I had to buck the system to get the photos with all features displayed. The Leatherman ALX is a very useful multitool and comes complete with a kit of tool bits for added versatility as well as a leather belt case. As ever the blades, files, saw and other features do the job they are designed for, do them well, and last a long time even with significant use. Hint: It’s nearly Christmas!

Left: This mug from Contigo has a new style top making it much easier to clean around the mechanism

FOR SOME YEARS NOW I HAVE BEEN MORE OR LESS A DAILY USER OF CONTIGO PRODUCTS, BOTH FOR HOME USE AND PARTICULARLY WHEN AWAY AND TRAVELLING. WHY? THEY WORK. SIMPLE AS THAT ... AND THEY LAST.

Combat & Survival

ll my extended family have at least one Contigo product and with them they have travelled far and wide, including being used on my son’s Danube canoe expedition by all the team and also on the Beeline Britain record breaking challenge. The Morgan is a new addition which looks very like those mugs you get in coffee

Right: The Morgan - seen here in front of its cousin the Aria - has a push button opener and lock on top

outlets but this one is re-usable, insulated and has the latest easy clean, lockable, self-sealing top; when the button is released the mug automatically seals. This all works well but if you get one beware, as it looks very like a paper cup so make sure it does not get put in the bin by mistake.

ccording to the Swedish press, their forces intercepted a distress signal from a Russian submarine to its base in Kaliningrad and mounted the largest naval search in 30 years. The Prime Minister of Sweden has claimed that this is not the case and it is in fact an ‘ongoing intelligence operation’ and that it is all part of a NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea (this is of course feasible, since the Baltic states are concerned with Russia’s interference in Ukraine’s independence and therefore to reassure them NATO has been sending troops to hold joint exercises and stationed ISTAR and intercept aircraft there or this could just be NATO’s way of playing down a serious international incident so as not to antagonise Russia). The Russians themselves are claiming that NATO forces are running scared and that as a result they “see danger everywhere”. So what should we actually believe? Firstly, we must recognise that since the end of the Cold War and the withdrawal of Soviet forces occupying countries in Eastern Europe, the gulf between the Russians and the

countries they enslaved for 60 years has widened. Russia has become more authoritarian and corrupt, reform has stopped, it has threatened the countries of the Baltic States and it has staged conflicts with Georgia and invaded part of the Ukraine. The former Soviet Bloc countries, meanwhile, have moved on from central planning of the economy, the one party state and fear of the Gulag to the rule of law, political dialogue as a way of solving issues and greater prosperity. But whereas we in the West would see this as a positive development, many Russians feel that it was a humiliating setback that they wish reversed and Russia restored to its previous status. Russia has used its new wealth (created by selling off its natural resources) to modernise its military forces but this does not mean they are necessarily more of a military threat. The Kursk submarine disaster in 2000 illustrated that they have suffered from past technical problems and their declining defence sales to overseas clients shows that their equipment and vehicles do not have the technical capability enjoyed by the West. But, as Stalin once said, “quantity has a quality all of its own” and, despite any limitations, the Russians enjoy a marked superiority over NATO forces in numbers.

RUSSIA

Another Cold War? - By Robert Shaw

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In mid-October the world witnessed the Swedish armed forces searching for Russian submarines in the sea off Stockholm. Although this is nothing new (those of us old enough will remember seeing a Russian submarine actually grounded off the shores of Sweden during the cold war), this is just the latest in a series of events which have included Russian aircraft performing a mock nuclear ‘bombing run’ on two Swedish military installations on Good Friday 2013.

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.

Security Industry It was recently reported that the UK has only 54 main battle tanks (MBT) operational (this is what one tank regiment is supposed to have) and all across Europe forces have been reducing their numbers of MBTs as they focus on building forces capable of asymmetric campaigns rather than more conventional warfare. Defence spending is at its lowest in decades and as economies and employment grow and educational standards rise there will be increasing difficulties in recruiting personnel to carry out some of the more menial, less rewarding jobs in the Army. Added to this issue is that as the old Cold War intelligence officers and analysts retired they were replaced with people focussed on Arabic and Afghan based languages. The capability to understand Russia and its perception of Western willpower has been severely downgraded. Surely this means that Russia doesn’t necessarily fear NATO’s military might but more Europe’s soft power and its economic sanctions? The problem with sanctions is that Russian money has been invested throughout European countries in companies (such as BP), financial systems and property which give them political leverage and which will constrain any European political will. So this means that Russia does not fear Europe and the West at all. If NATO can demonstrate to Russia it has the political will and resolve (credible military forces) to contain Russian aggression against independent sovereign nations then Europe will be a safer place; this is why we have a nuclear deterrent. It might have to find alternative energy supplies, such as shale gas, as part of that resolve. Until Putin is no longer running Russia, the victims of all this will be the Russian people. Putin’s reign may well end not from anything Europe or NATO does, but due to the growing Russian middle class which will demand choice and transparency, a free press and the rule of law rather than the way in which Mr Magnitsky or Alexander Litvinenko have been dealt with. One can only hope that the increased aggressive military actions such as the submarine don’t lead us to conflict in the meantime.

Pentagon S.A. of Greece, the Thessaloniki-based police and military clothing and tactical equipment supplier, is fast making inroads on the Western European scene with some rather tasty daysacks (see September issue) and jackets. Much of their range is produced in ‘Greek Lizard’ camouflage pattern

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or the intriguing PentaCam blend of MultiCam-like colours and shades with ‘lizard’ pattern, which is ideal for use in more arid theatres like the Eastern Mediterranean, but they also supply in plain Black, Coyote Tan / Light Earth and Ranger Green / Olive shades. We opted for the latter for our Artaxes SF Jacket review sample.

itka is wearing the Artaxes here with my Pentagon Fleece Watch Cap and Pentagon Mongoose Tactical Gloves

Top Left: Artaxes SF jacket worn with hood rolled into collar and with Pentagon hat and gloves Top Right: Hem has elasticated drawcords - rear zips are for a handwarmer / lower back pocket Right: There is a forearm pocket on the left sleeve - note hook & loop wrist fastener

(see next month) which I sourced to keep me warm on a cold and blustery autumn trip to the Warcop firing ranges. Essentially a 94/6% polyester/elastane outer soft-shell jacket, it is most suited for cold autumnal and mild winter wear as a top layer as it has a StormTex water-resistant and breathable laminated membrane combined with a 100% polyester GridTech superfine fleece lining for warmth. According to the manufacturer the membrane helps body moisture exit freely while warmth is trapped by channels in the fleece lining. It certainly lives up to these claims, though we must stress that this garment is water-resistant rather than waterproof so a suitable external shell will need to be worn if you plan to stand outside in a prolonged deluge or lie around on waterlogged ground. This jacket has a mass of useful features including: a roll-away hood, complete with face and neck elasticated adjuster cords concealed in tunnels, which tucks into the zipped collar; a double action full length front zip; underarm pit zips with bug mesh backing for ventilation; a lower rear tunnel handwarmer pocket with mesh lining,

1: The peaked roll-away hood has both neck and face elasticated discreet drawcords

2:There are double action armpit zips with mesh bug screens for ventilation 3: Each sleeve has a zipped upper pocket and tactical recognition flash patch Right: There is an inner chest pocket each side with a port on the left side for earphone cable 4: The zipped lower back tunnel pocket can be used as a handwarmer Model: Jitka Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison

which can provide lower back ventilation if wearing a daysack; and elasticated hem drawcord to pull it in under the buttocks for warmth retention. There are two zipped outer chest pockets, with an earphone cable port on the left, two zipped inner chest pockets, two upper arm pockets behind

velcro pads for insignia attachment and a single small pocket on the lower left arm; all of which have vertical THC zips with tape tabs plus fabric tunnels to tuck away the zipper at the top. Recommended. To buy the Artaxes SF Jacket online go to UKTactical.com Combat & Survival

Until recently Colonel Hector Grant-Taylor sounded like a character from an Ian Fleming novel; a ruthless hitman working on behalf of HM Government with Scottish blue blood running in his veins who learned his profession in America during the Al Capone era and went on to train WWII overt and covert personnel in the art of killing in close quarters battle. True, he was indeed a British Army instructor in self-defence during and after the war, and many of those who trained in his methods spoke highly of him as both a teacher and an instinctive shot with the pistol, but in reality much of the myth behind this man seems to have been self-generated. This apparently well researched 160-page non-fiction paperback from Fonthill Media is a truly fascinating read which peels back the bovine scatology, as General Norman Schwarzkopf would genteelly put it, to tell the true story of a very strange man who some regard as being almost as skilled as Fairbairn and Sykes at instructing in close quarters combat. UK cover price is £18.95.

Are you struggling to comprehend the current rise in Islamic militancy and the violence associated with it? Are you looking at the problem in isolation from other religioninspired campaigns? Do you think this is a recent phenomenon? If so, this academic work, penned by an assistant professor at the US Naval Postgraduate School’s Department of Defence Analysis, may help you broaden your comprehension. Rather than reviewing this book myself, even though I have read it, in a break with tradition I am extracting two paragraphs from the introduction which I believe sum the work up much more succinctly than I could:“This book aims to investigate the conditions under which religion becomes entangled in violent conflict. It examines, specifically, cases of violence motivated by Islam, including the current wave of jihads directed against the United states, secular Muslim regimes, and Muslims believed to be apostates. The book also looks at other examples of religiously motivated violence - including the Christian crusades, Buddhist-motivated violence in Sri Lanka, violence caused by religious Zionism and catastrophic messianism in Judaism, and Hindu-inspired violence surrounding the sacred sites of Aodhya in Northern India - with the goal of looking across time and space to better understand its common and unique causes. This approach demonstrates that religions other than Islam have a history of violence surprisingly similar in behaviour, rationale and motives to violent acts

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committed in the name of Islam today. “This book also confronts the conventional wisdom that religions, at their core, are about love and nonviolence and, therefore, that religiously motivated violence is fundamentally incompatible with religious tenets. While most religions propagate love, peace and ethical conduct, this is not the core purpose of religions. Rather, this book argues that religions are systems of beliefs organized around the concept of salvation or redeeming humanity and the earth from a fallen state, either in this world or the hereafter. To understand religiously motivated violence, it is necessary to understand the concept of salvation, particularly the belief that dying in defense of a religion procures eternal salvation. Just as important, however, are the earthly goals of religiously motivated violence, such as the defense of sacred space, the creation of a religious government, and the cleansing of society from threats to the faith; these are forms of salvation that focus on saving the world from its fallen state. The path to salvation can require any number of actions, including - in moments of urgency and fear - acts of violence.” All I think I need add to this is that the author has done precisely as she intended in this 200+ page hardback, published earlier this year by Potomac Books, which is an imprint of University of Nebraska Press. Cover price is $27.95 and most serious UK military booksellers should be able to source you a copy if you prefer not to buy online. Recommended.

Another quirky book, and one which I have read from cover to cover not once but twice. First published three years before the outbreak of World War Two, this one is well-described as a Political Travelogue through a troubled Europe on the eve of war. A facsimile of the original, which was one of the earliest publications produced by Stackpole Books, this is a 168-page small format paperback in which the writer passes satirical comment on the European mainland’s dictators and monarchs of the day, drawing comparisons with the American gangsters of the 1930s, as he warns of the dangers of impending war. It is a truly fascinating read and with hindsight it is incredible how much foresight the author had. Casemate is distributing this one in the UK with a recommended price of £13.99.

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