Combat and survival october 2014 by Sudden

US ARMOUR RETURNS TO EUROPE NEW ABRAMS TANK IN DETAIL CONTINGENCY OPS TRAINING

K C A L B N I MEN US JMRC OPFOR MALAYSIAN GGK JORDANIAN SPECOPS

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Gordon Arthur photographs Malaysian Army Special Forces in dramatic counter-terrorist action

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Carl Schulze photographs the latest Abrams Main Battle Tank which is now on European soil

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Bob Morrison brings us more action photos from the elite 6th WARRIOR COMPETITION

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October 14 Cover Image: © Carl Schulze © M.A.I. Publications 2014

Combat & Survival

September) none of the three emails sent since 28th July requesting details about exercises have been answered.

US & UK soldiers receive standardisation instructions on administering first aid to chemical agent casualties during the US Army Europe Expert Field Medical Badge competition at Grafenwöhr Training Area in Germany on 25th August [US Army: Gertrud Zach] Sometimes I wonder just whose side some of the civil servants in the Ministry of Defence are on and I question if they really have as much interest in the British Army as we do. On those rare occasions when we have been allowed into MoD Main Building, upstairs and past those racks of glossy governmentproduced magazines which tell the staff what a great job MoD is doing and the posters informing them they can boost their pay by also signing up for the Reserve Forces, we have been assured that everybody in the ivory tower is massively overworked and doing their best with limited resources ... yet somehow we are not really all that convinced.

ne does not need to probe too deeply to discover that due to lack of stocks some troops deploying on exercise are not able to draw some basic items of equipment from stores, even when there are clear Health & Safety implications in them not being issued with some of that kit, though no doubt some seat polisher in the MoD will explain that away as being a result of overwork and underfunding. Fortunately for any civil servant who is failing at what many would consider to be the primary reason for their job, back in August 2011 the troops were expressly prohibited under one of the Defence Instructions & Notices from “unauthorised contact with media organisations about defence issues”. Maybe this explains why the Directorate of Defence Communications sometimes seems to be downright obstructive in

allowing C&S to come in contact with our troops. Indeed a cynic might conclude that it is solely to prevent those of us who are actually interested in the British Army and its equipment discovering that there are shortages of kit and institutional incompetence that arse-covering DINs like 03-25 are created. As mentioned in this column last month, at the end of July Britain’s new defence minister announced that the British Army would be undertaking a major armoured battlegroup exercise in Poland this autumn, with around 1350 troops and as many as 350 vehicles involved. We immediately requested details from the official point of contact at MoD Main Building to allow Carl or myself to cover this important event, which we now understand falls under the US-led Operation ATLANTIC RESOLVE. We know our mail was received, as a couple of days later the addressee admitted on the telephone that it was awaiting their attention, and we were told we would be contacted as soon as dates were known. Right, and there are piskies living at the bottom of my garden. We followed up our request for info with another email, and on this one we also asked for details of the British contribution to the NATO multinational exercise SABER JUNCTION in northeast Europe, which at the end of July we had been able to establish from Allied Forces media contacts was scheduled to commence in late August. As this email to Main Building was also being ignored we followed up a couple of weeks or so later but at time of writing (noon on 1st

We have now, however, learned through the NATO media communications network what the key dates for the field exercise phase of BLACK EAGLE are likely to be; unfortunately it looks like the exercise is later than originally envisaged and will now clash with another event a couple of thousand kilometres away which I have booked my flights for. Given the choice, I would have much preferred to cover the British Army on exercise for our readership than that the troops of a foreign country, but as UK MoD seems uninterested in “preaching to the converted” or providing information on anything other than ‘ministerial messages’ please don’t blame us for the lack of hard features on our own troops. Talking of ministerial messages, at lunchtime last Friday (29th August) the MoD issued an Operational Note to the media announcing that a brief facility would be held in Poland on Tuesday 2nd September for a ministerial visit tied into Exercise SABER JUNCTION. Yep, you’ve got it. The very exercise that we asked specifically about at the end of July and which they have yet to reply to emails about. The fact that airport it was suggested the media fly out to, from where they said cars should be hired to cover the 140km to the facility location, had no suitable outbound flight availability from England on the day of the event or the day before, and only two seats available to fly back the day after, made it impossible for me to fly out at such short notice. Given more warning, Carl could possibly have rearranged his plans and made the 1500km round trip to cover SABER JUNCTION, but as all that was on offer was a three hour facility to photograph a defence minister visiting the troops and to witness a brief US/UK casualty evacuation demo with the time partly taken up by a lunch break, it is doubtful that much would have been achieved anyway. Ho hum. - BM

Combat & Survival

When acting as conventional forces or paramilitary forces the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment employ the full range of in-service US Army infantry weapons such as this 7.62mm M240B

On NATO exercises the enemy often is called Opposing Force, usually shortened just to OpFor. The quality of an OpFor can make the difference between an exercise being one that brings valuable training and prepares soldiers for the threats they face on a future operational deployment or one that is a waste of time, money and resources. In order to have potent OpFor forces available at its major training establishments, the US Army maintains a couple of professional units. The OpFor of the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC), situated on the Hohenfels Training Area in southern Germany, is provided by the 1st Battalion of the 4th ‘Warriors’ Infantry Regiment and it is these ‘Men In Black’, as the soldiers of this unit are often called, we are focusing on for this feature.

is MILES gear indicates that he has been hit. He had wanted to give a couple of last orders to his second in command, but a member of an Observer Coach Trainer (OCT) team has told the infantry platoon leader to “shut up”

10 Combat & Survival

as he is dead. Sitting with his back against the wall of a house, the MILES of his weapon deactivated, he now looks down the main street of the training village on the Hohenfels Training Area, which is swarming with troops dressed in black Battle Dress Uniforms (BDU) armed with AK-47 assault rifles and RPG-7 shoulder launched anti-tank weapons. All over the place sections of the OpFor are advancing deeper into the village, clearing one house after the other. The OpFor attack had struck home without any pre-warning. First his infantry platoon, tasked with defending the southern entrance to the village, had been hit by artillery fire simulated by pyrotechnics used by a Battlefield Effects Team of the JMRC. Then, directly after the artillery fire had ceased, his position was hit by the attacking OpFor infantry, using perfectly timed fire and manoeuvre tactics, pinning his men down while at the same time closing in on the positions of his platoon. Just before being taken out the platoon leader had also noticed that the infantry was supported by a couple of M113 based OpFor Surrogate Vehicle - Tank (OSV-T) T-80 lookalike tanks that began to engage some of the better fortified positions. His mind is in a spin. What were the reasons for his platoon having been

Above: Using well timed fire and manoeuvre tactics the ‘Men In Black’ storm a Combat Outpost - the soldiers are armed with 5.56mm M4A1 carbines fitted with MILES II Small Arms Transmitters (SAT) 1: The front attachment of this M113A3 OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle - Tank or OSV-T simulates a mine plough - the OSV-T represents a T-80 tank and has a crew of three Images © Carl Schulze

taken out so quickly? In the After Action Review (AAR) later on he will be briefed about what exactly went wrong. Certainly the OpFor did not make any mistakes and for sure they exploited all those errors made by him and his soldiers. Before again switching his attention back to the battlefield, where the OpFor is now closing in on the second line of defences, he tells himself that it is better to beaten today by the OpFor, and to learn the lessons from it, than to be beaten on operations by a real enemy and to lose his soldiers for real.

Under covering of fire ‘Men In Black’, highly trained in order to be able to function as a potent enemy, move to a new firing position - the first soldier is armed with a 7.62mm M240B machinegun

MISSION OF THE ‘WARRIORS’

Being first of all an active infantry battalion, the 1st Battalion, 4th ‘Warriors’ Infantry Regiment can conduct combat operations within the full mission spectrum of the US Army and, on order, can deploy to conduct combat operations in support of the global war on terrorism. However, the current prime mission of the unit, based at Hohenfels Garrison in southern Germany, in its Opposing Force (OpFor) role is to conduct combat operations throughout the spectrum of the contemporary operational environment during exercises held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC) and throughout USAREUR’s area of responsibility in order to provide realistic joint and combined arms training conditions focused on developing soldiers, leaders, and units for success on current and future battlefields. In this role the battalion portrays a wide range of threats, from conventional forces through to irregular forces. Hybrid threats set in a complex environment are also regularly simulated by the unit. For the soldiers of the ‘Warriors’ Battalion this means that one week they might act as conventional forces and conduct offensive or defensive operations in a conventional full-scale war-fighting scenario, while the next week they might be acting as irregular forces in a counter-insurgency (COIN) operation using unconventional warfare tactics. In the case that a complex training environment is required the battalion can replicate both conventional and irregular forces simultaneously.

ONE LEVEL UP

The ‘Warriors’ are manned and equipped to replicate a unit one level up, military speak for a formation which represents a larger formation than its usual structure, being respectively a motorised infantry regiment or brigade with 66% combat strength. The battalion is structured into a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), three rifle companies, namely Alpha, Bravo and Charlie, and a tank company, namely Delta. Each of the OpFor rifle companies replicates a mechanised infantry battalion equipped with more than 30 armoured infantry fighting vehicles. The OpFor tank company replicates a tank battalion equipped with 31 main battle tanks. In addition to the command and administrative elements and other assets, the HHC of the battalion includes a scout platoon and a weapons platoon that replicate a reconnaissance company and an anti-tank company.

Approaching from dead ground in order to give a nasty surprise to the crew of the vehicle a ‘Man In Black’ has closed in unseen on an M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle during an exercise

During exercises the unit is self-sustainable for up to three days. It is also able to integrate other forces, which can either be US or foreign, up to battalion size,.

Combat & Survival

sight area effects weapons, such as artillery fire. In the case of a Near Miss, Hit, or Kill the SAWE sets off pyrotechnics in vehicle mounted Audio-Visual Devices (AVD).

THE MILES II BATTLEFIELD

At the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC) the Simulated Area Weapons Effects / Multiple-Integrated Laser Engagement System II (SAWE MILES II) system is used for force-onforce training. Consisting of a large number of sub-systems, including manworn systems, combat vehicle systems, shoulder-launched systems and controller devices, the SAWE MILES II is operated within a fully integrated tactical training environment and backed by the Observer Coach Trainer (OCT) and Battlefield Effects Team of the JMRC. The instrumentation available at the JMRC allows electronic data collection and position monitoring of all troops and vehicles, including their activities on the battlefield. The tactical communication is also recorded and video footage of activities is gathered by mobile video crews operating in the exercise area. To simulate direct fire engagements all weapons are equipped with MILES II laser transmitters, which emit an eyesafe laser when a weapon is fired, and detectors engaged by the laser produce an audio and/or visual signal for a Kill, Hit, or Near Miss. Visual and audio cues produced by pyrotechnics on the firing vehicle create a signature for acquisition by the targeted vehicle. When hit the laser transmitter of a soldier’s weapon, or the armament of a vehicle, is disabled. The SAWE produces visual and audio cues and assesses battle damage and casualties for non-line of

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2: The rifle companies of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment field the M113A3 Opposing Forces Surrogate Vehicle (OSV) to portray the BMP-2 armoured infantry fighting vehicle 3: Here infantrymen have dismounted from an M113A3 OSV - note the MILES II Man Worn Laser Detector Harnesses and Helmet Halos worn by the troops 4: The MILES equipment on top of this M113A3 OSV is configured to simulate a 30mm automatic cannon and AT-5 ‘Spandrel’ antitank guided missile 5: The tank company can replicate an OPFOR tank battalion and is equipped with 31 of the M113A3 OSV-T (OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle - Tank) to simulate T-80 MBTs on the MILES battlefield 6: D Company, the tank company, employs M113A3 OPFOR Surrogate Vehicle - Tank (OSV-T) - its MILES equipment simulates the combat power of a 125mm smoothbore tank gun

When deployed on the MILES II Battlefield the soldiers of the OpFor, as well as the exercising troops, wear a MILES II Man Worn Laser Detector Harness and Helmet Halo and their weapons are fitted with MILES II Small Arms Transmitters (SAT). Among other SAWE MILES II components, combat vehicles are fitted with: a Main Gun Transmitter; Small Arms Transmitters, for secondary armaments; Detector Belts; the Vehicle Control Unit/Kill Indicator; the Hull to Turret Transmitter; the Fire Control Interface, the Radio Interface Assembly; the Vehicle Instrument Interface Package; and the Vehicle Display Assembly. The MILES transmitters of the OpFor vehicles are configured to simulate the effects of foreign weapons such as, for example, the 125mm 2A46 smoothbore tank gun that is fitted to the T-72, T-80 and T-90 main battle tanks.

WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

During their employment as conventional opposing forces, paramilitary units or irregular forces the ‘Warriors’ either wear black Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs), Tiger Stripe camouflage BDUs, or an assortment of civilian clothing. Civilian garments available include traditional clothing for current and possible future operational theatres, such as pakuls, shalwars and kameez. When acting as conventional or paramilitary forces the soldiers use the full range of inservice US Army infantry weapons ranging from the 9mm M9 pistol through to the 5.56mm M4A1 carbine to the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) and the 7.62mm M240B machinegun. Heavy infantry weapons such as the 12.7mm M2HB-QCB heavy machinegun and the 40mm Mk19 MOD3 automatic grenade launcher are also fielded. Anti-tank weapons available include the M136 AT-4 Light Anti-Tank Weapon and the Tube Launched Optically Tracked Wire Guided (TOW) missile system as well as the Javelin Close Combat Missile System – Medium. Special OpFor weapons are also fielded, such as the Man-Portable Aircraft

Survivability Trainer (MAST) which simulates a surface-to-air missile threat for aviation assets. M113A3 OpFor Surrogate Vehicles (OSV) acting as BMP-2s are employed by the rifle companies of the battalion. Having a crew of two and carrying six dismounts in the back, the SAWE MILES II equipment of the vehicle is configured to simulate the effects of a 30mm cannon or an AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank guided missile system. The tank company of the battalion fields the M113A3 OpFor Surrogate Vehicle - Tank (OSV-T) which simulates a T-80 main battle tank (MBT) on the MILES battlefield. The SAWE MILES II equipment of this vehicle is configured to simulate the effects of the 125mm 2A46 smoothbore tank gun or a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The M1025A1 HMMWV (Hum-vee) Armament Carriers, Basic Armor of the reconnaissance company simulates BRDM-2 wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicles while the M966 HMMWV TOW Missile Carrier, Basic Armor serves as BRDM-2 fitted with the AT-5 Spandrel anti-tank guided missile system. When it comes to portraying insurgents

The ‘Men In Black’ use Kawasaki Quads to enhance their mobility -note the MILES Shoulder Launched Munition RPG7 VISMOD anti-tank weapon carried on the front cargo rack of the vehicle 7

modern OpFor role. On 16th November 1990 the battalion was officially assigned the OpFor role at the Combat Maneuver Training Centre (CMTC), which became the JMRC in 2005. Back in 1990 the unit consisted of the HHC, three rifle companies, one tank company and a combat support company, which was disbanded in 1995. During its OpFor time the unit has helped to train US and other nation’s forces for deployments to Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. In this role it was the last unit of the US Army to operate M60A3 TTS tanks, which were finally retired in 2005.

AFGHANISTAN the ‘Men In Black’ use 7.62mm AK47 assault rifles and 7.62mm SVD Dragunov semi-automatic sniper rifles plus the MILES Shoulder Launched Munition (SLM) RPG7 VISMOD shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon.

BATTALION HISTORY

The 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment traces its origins back to the 4th of September 1792, when the 4th Sub-Legion of the Legion of the United States was formed; it was one of the first regular US Army units manned by volunteers. Since then it has had a long and distinguished history through many wars but for this article we are concentrating on its

Since 2004, in addition to fulfilling the OpFor role at the JMRC, the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment has regularly deployed elements to Afghanistan under Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The battalion’s A Company deployed between August and December 2004, providing security during the Afghan National Presidential Election. Its D Company served with ISAF in Afghanistan between August 2005 and November 2006. From 2006 onwards up to 2011 the battalion rotated its companies to Afghanistan one at a time, providing a reinforced infantry company for the Romanian led Task Force Zabul. During their Afghan deployments the

7: The ‘Warriors’ portray a wide range of threats, from conventional forces to irregular forces this soldier acting as an insurgent is armed with a 7.62mm AK-47 assault rifle 8: From cover in high ground an OpFor team with a Man-Portable Aircraft Survivability Trainer (MAST) air defence live-training device waits to engage combat helicopters of a unit exercising at the JMRC

companies conducted combat operations in the mountainous north of Zabul Province and were often engaged in heavy fighting.

HIGHLY TRAINED

During their recent Afghanistan deployments the soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment proved that they can not only provide a highly trained and potent OpFor but also stand their ground as a fully operational fighting force. On the other hand, the Afghanistan deployments benefited their OpFor skills, allowing them to portray insurgents even more realistically that they already did. While the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment is not the only reason that the JMRC can provide high level forceon-force training to visiting units, the ‘Warriors’ certainly have a large share in this.

Combat & Survival

A not uncommon scenario in some parts of the world ... terrorist threatens to behead this VVIP captive if his demands are not met. Call in the GGK!

Combat & Survival

A GGK diver, his snorkel still around his neck, emerges like a wraith from the water and silently takes care of a terrorist sentry with his commando dagger

One of two RHIBs with four GGK operatives approaching a jetty on the riverbank near where the terrorists are holed up - note that these CT specialists are all wearing black uniforms and gear

The ragged group of Islamic terrorists had earlier kidnapped a VVIP (Very Very Important Person), killing his four bodyguards in the process and was holding their captive in a waterfront building where they were threatening to end his life. Thus, a specialist team of crack soldiers from the Malaysian Army was called. This was a job for the Grup Gerak Khas, or GGK, which translates as Special Service Group.

ot long after an innocuouslooking matted bunch of foliage floated downstream following the gentle, eddying waters of the river. A terrorist guard stationed on a jetty near the terrorist hideout paid

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1: Overhead, a pair of A109 LOH helicopters circles the cityscape - aboard the craft in the foreground, GGK members prepare to fast-rope to the ground to support the boat teams 2: The Malaysian Army’s No. 881 Squadron operates eleven A109 helicopters delivered in 2005-06, although one later crashed - GGK operatives fast-rope onto a bridge emplaced across a river

it scant attention and went back to his reverie. Little did he know that beneath the branches swam two submerged divers breathing through snorkels. While the terrorist’s back was turned, one of the divers smoothly emerged from the water and stalked noiselessly up behind him. With one hand over his victim’s mouth, and with a quick slice of the knife in his other hand, the terrorist sentry was permanently removed as a threat.

In the next phase, two rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) moved stealthily from upriver and when the black-clothed operators, heavily armed with sub-machineguns and pistols, reached the jetty they swiftly stepped ashore. The covert approach was supported by a hidden sniper and, shortly thereafter, by another team that fast-roped from a Malaysian Army AW109LUH helicopter that had suddenly swooped in amidst the tall city buildings. Meanwhile an identical helicopter circled above giving guidance to the teams below. The GGK operatives rapidly assaulted the terrorists’ lair before they could gather their wits. The battle was brief but sharp, with the terrorists no match for the elite Malaysian Army soldiers. The terrorists were all shot in the firefight and the VVIP safely freed without injury. Protected by a GGK team, he was quickly rushed to a waiting helicopter and helped aboard, before being whisked away. The rest of the team

exfilitrated on a series of waiting army vehicles. The ‘mission’, performed for the benefit of an audience, was conducted at Kuala Lumpur in April 2014. Despite rainy weather and low light levels, which made photography quite difficult and hence the graininess of some photos, it

Three MP5A3-armed operatives prepare to climb a ladder during the hostage rescue the GGK trains with counterparts from countries such as Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, UK and USA

was an ideal opportunity to see some of Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most expert soldiers in action.

THE UNIT

The GGK is a Special Forces regiment of the Malaysian Army trained to perform direct action, unconventional warfare, long-range infiltration, guerrilla and anti-guerrilla warfare, internal defence, special reconnaissance and, as in this demonstration, counterterrorism. The unit traces its origins back to 1965 when volunteers from the Army and Navy were called for a new Commando unit. A total of 300 soldiers volunteered for that brutal inaugural selection course, but just 15 were selected to enter the six-week Basic Commando Course. Only twelve of these candidates passed it, thus setting a precedent for tough

3: An A109 LOH helicopter lands on a temporary bridge erected by Malaysian Army engineers in a separate demo - a GGK RHIB can be seen travelling beneath the bridge too

training that has never waned over the decades. Assisted by Royal Marines from the UK, the first training course commenced on 25th February 1965. In fact, 40 Commando of the Royal Marines helped run six such courses in 1965 alone. Over the years the unit expanded and it was eventually renamed as 21 GGK since it was the 21st brigade group to be formed within the Malaysian Army.

4: With dead terrorists sprawled around, GGK members from 11 Rejimen Gerak Khas commence their hard-hitting riverside building assault in order to release the captive VVIP

At the time of its creation, newly independent Malaysia was gripped in the Indonesian Konfrontasi, an undeclared war from 1963-66. Later it also cut its teeth in the Communist Insurgency War (aka Second Malayan Emergency) in Malaysiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thick jungles from 1968-89 until communist insurgents eventually signed a peace accord.

5: The Malaysian Army has the GGK for special operations, while the Royal Malaysian Navy has its own special forces unit too (PASKAL), as does the Royal Malaysian Air Force (PASKAU)

Today, the GGK is one of eight different units that constitute the Malaysian Special Operations Force (Pasukan Operasi Khusus Malaysia), a multiservice task force responsible for protecting Malaysian citizens. 21 GGK, based at Iskander Camp in Mersing, Johor, comprises three subunits: 11 Gerak Khas Regiment; 21 Commando Regiment and 22 Commando Regiment. Iskander Camp, fronting the South China Sea, encompasses an area that is 2,000 acres in size. The brigade-sized unit boasts fewer than

Combat & Survival

Above: Protected by a ballistic shield carried by the lead soldier, armed with a South African-manufactured 9mm Vektor SP1 pistol, another GGK team approaches the terrorist hideout from a different direction

particular skills such as hostage rescue and counter-revolutionary warfare. With a total of four sabre squadrons, the unit is comparatively smaller than its two sister regiments. Its members are among the most experienced, however, since soldiers must complete six years with the commando regiments before they are eligible to join it. 3,500 members and it is perhaps best known for its jungle warfare expertise. The rise of Islamic terrorism brought about a change in focus for the GGK. Today, 11 Rejimen Gerak Khas (11th Special Force Regiment) specialises in counter-terrorism, as well as

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TRAINING

Since 1976, the three-month selection course has taken place at the Special Warfare Training Centre (Pusat Latihan Peperangan Khusus, or PULPAK) in Malacca in southern western Malaysia. However, candidates need to pass a six-week selection course even before getting started!

6: All soldiers carry personal radios. The GGK was on standby alongside the police counter-terrorism unit ready to perform this type of mission during the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. 7: Here clad in black, on their camouflage uniform GGK members wear a blue lanyard an honour given them by 40 Commando of the Royal Marines, with which the GGK has a close relationship

These selection courses are supported by serving GGK members and Phase One aims to lose the weakest recruits as soon as possible, initially through 36 hours of ‘continuous hell’, as recruits describe it. That first fiveweek phase tests the physical and mental endurance of candidates, especially through forced marches that progressively rise in distance. Another component is a dreaded ‘Tarzan

of wearing the green beret of a Commando. Handily, the colour green also represents Islam, Malaysia’s official religion. After passing the course, newly inducted members go on to specialise in airborne, land or amphibious operations. The tiger, along with a commando dagger, is the Commandos’ regimental crest – the animal being a symbol of bravery, ferocity and strength. The regimental motto is Cepat Dan Cergas, which means ‘Swift and Agile’.

EXPERIENCE

obstacle course’ done ten metres above ground at night-time. At any time, recruits failing to achieve the required standard can be returned to their units. Or if they are sent to the hospital, they automatically fail. Phase Two, lasting a fortnight in the jungle, is more tactical as candidates learn and practise field skills. This leads to Phase Three, the ‘highlight’ of which is a 160km forced march where soldiers must carry 17kg packs over a period of three days with little time to rest. This massive trek is a successful culling tool, as usually one in four does not complete it. Those who do make it are rewarded with seven days living in a swampy area without food, water or clothing; they are permitted only to wear their underwear.

8: A team of four Commandos with one man guiding the freed hostage prepares to cross a bridge and get the VVIP to safety after snatching him from the terrorists’ grasp note the Search Dog on standby 9; Even with the operation over these elite GGK soldiers do not let their guard down as they exfiltrate by RHIB from the target location

The GGK has considerable operational experience, the most long-lived combat being the Communist Insurgency War that stretched all the way up to 1989. In 1993, team members deployed with the Royal Malay Regiment helped rescue trapped US Special Forces in Mogadishu during the infamous ‘Black Hawk Down’ rescue. One GGK member was killed and several wounded in that particular operation. The fourth phase introduces two weeks of sea training such as navigation, rowing, kayaking and scuba diving. This section concludes with a 160km kayak journey along the Strait of Malacca. After enduring all this, the course enters the final phase known as Escape and Evasion. Candidates are assigned to teams and they are given a mission, e.g. destroy a heavily guarded enemy communication tower. The catch is that afterwards they must escape and reach a destination 180km away. The soldiers in pursuit are GGK members, who have no hesitation in abusing any prisoners they catch. The culmination for those who survive all this is to be awarded the honour

The GGK has also deployed operationally to Bosnia Herzegovina, Timor-Leste / East Timor, Lebanon and Afghanistan. More recently, the GGK was instrumentally involved in overcoming the Lahad Datu standoff in February-March 2013, where insurgents representing the so-called Sultanate of Sulu from the Philippines occupied part of Sabah, which is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Special Operatives from GGK helped hunt down members of the armed group. It is rumoured army and navy Special Forces also routinely deploy to the Spratly Islands to help enforce Malaysian territorial claims on some of its islets.

Right: As this picture shows, the GGK also has canine members it can call upon - in this case the Search Dog was used to sniff for any explosive devices planted by the terrorists Images © Gordon Arthur

Combat & Survival

Main Image: This unusual Special Operations Vehicle available for GGK missions is built by OVIK Solutions in the UK and based on a Land Rover chassis it is believed only four were acquired by the Malaysian Army

The GGK also employs motorbikes such as this example seen during the demo

Left: A high angle view of the OVIK SOV - its respectable level of armament includes a .50cal M2HB machinegun, 7.62mm GPMG and Mk19 40mm automatic grenade launcher Right: These black Nissan Navarra 4x4 Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIV) have been especially modified for counterterrorism duties as they have a ramp/ ladder by which windows etc. can be accessed

Images ÂŠ Gordon Arthur

Combat & Survival

ON A WARM BUT HAZY LEVANTINE MORNING A COACH CARRYING A VIP AND HIS ENTOURAGE IS BEING DRIVEN ALONG A QUIET ROAD IN A RELATIVELY REMOTE AREA, ITS OCCUPANTS UNAWARE THAT THEIR MOVEMENTS ARE BEING CLOSELY MONITORED BY A GROUP OF DISSIDENT FUNDAMENTALISTS WHO ARE

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AIMING TO KIDNAP THEM AND USE THEM AS A BARGAINING TOOL TO FURTHER THEIR NARROW POLITICAL AIMS. THIS BEING THE MIDDLE EAST, SOME IN THE REGION CONSIDER HUMAN LIVES AND LIBERTIES TO BE NEAR WORTHLESS UNLESS THERE IS SOME POSSIBLE POLITICAL GAIN OR MEDIA PROPAGANDA DIVIDEND TO BE REAPED.

board the coach, in addition to the high value VIP who could just as easily be the leader of an international humanitarian assistance team, a successful businessman, a popular politician, a visiting diplomat or even just a high profile media celebrity, are a group of both male and female staff and assistants. None of the party are armed and they are neither looking for trouble nor expecting it ... but they are in for one very unpleasant surprise indeed. Close by, in a disused tourist hotel complex, a cell of well-armed terrorists is awaiting the imminent arrival of the coach and its occupants, which they intend kidnapping and holding hostage to try to force the regional

government to meet a number of political demands. At their disposal they have a fleet of rather nondescript pick-up trucks [image 1] and armed civilian off-road utility vehicles, the latter which they intend using as â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;technicalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, plus an assortment of assault rifles, machineguns and rocket propelled grenade launchers. As the VIPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coach approaches a junction and its driver slows down, one of the pickup trucks races in front to force it to a halt [2] while a gunman then takes the driver out of the equation. At the same time a second pick-up materialises behind the coach and blocks it in [3] to ensure that even if the driver had survived the initial onslaught he would not be able to reverse out of trouble. The occupants of both pick-ups then storm the coach to subdue the terrified passengers and once they are in full command they drive both it and the pick-ups back to their lair. On arrival at the complex, where more of their gang are waiting, the terrorists brutally drag the passengers off the coach, shouting and firing into the air as

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they do so to domineer their captives [4] and separating the men from the women (several of whom were female role-players wearing long light coloured wigs to emphasise their gender to onlookers on the grandstand some distance away). As soon as clear of the coach, the men were bundled into one building and the women were taken off to another [5].

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Fearing they would be shot if they tried to escape, the stunned and terrified women [6] were fully compliant with their captors as they were herded across the complex. As can be seen, armed female terrorists were present [7] and the women hostages were handed over into their custody. Meanwhile an outer perimeter was set up by other terrorists in machinegun-armed

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;technicalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; [8] to defend the complex from the authorities. In due course negotiators tried to open a dialogue with the terrorists [9] while the authorities monitored proceedings with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle [10] but communications soon broke down and one of the male hostages was then killed in cold

Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison : Military Scene

blood [11]. A line in the sand had been crossed and Special Operations Command swung into action to secure the perimeter [12]. From out of nowhere an AC-235 airborne light gunship - see page 28 - swooped out of the grey skies [13] and took out the technicals in sudden flashes of awesome firepower [14] and then armed MD500F

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Defender helicopters arrived on the scene to provide close support [15]. The skies were now full of military helicopters with Special Forces sharpshooters [16] providing overwatch from the skids of other Defenders as UH-60L Black Hawks [17] brought in elite air assault teams. On the ground more black-clad assault teams riding on platforms atop Jankel Stirling [18] armoured vehicles sped in to

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burst into the target buildings and attempt a hostage rescue while the attention of the terrorists was distracted by the assault from above. From the gunship flying past [13] to the first assault team Stirling arriving in front of the gunfire-suppressed complex from the Special Forces holding area, exactly 60 seconds had elapsed according to the file info on my camera. Now that is impressive timing! To be continued ...

Images © Bob Morrison : Military Scene

The flying gunship (tailcode 3211) seen on page 25 of this issue, supporting Jordan’s Special Operations Command undertaking their dramatic counter-terrorist demonstration at Marka airfield in Amman during SOFEX 2014, was a Casa CN-235 transport aircraft converted for the ground support role. Only just re-accepted into Jordanian Air Force service, under the designation AC-235, this aircraft is one of a pair which US aerospace and defence company ATK Defense converted to this specialist role in cooperation with Jordan’s KADDB (King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau).

&S grabbed the opportunity to photograph sister aircraft, tailcode 3210, firstly when it was on static display during SOFEX and then two days after the demo when it was taxiing out and then taking off for its home base. As can be seen from the images on this page, in addition to the guided M230LF 30mm cannon mounted in the port doorway, which is similar to the one used by Apache attack helicopters and

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is controlled by an operator sitting in front of consoles inside the aircraft cabin, there are stub pylons on both sides of the airframe onto which launcher rails for two Hellfire guided missiles apiece and a launch pod containing seven M260 70mm unguided rockets can be fitted. For the aviation enthusiasts reading this, enhancements include: AN/AAR-47 Missile Warning Set system; AN/ALE-47 Counter Measures Dispenser; AN/ALQ 157 Infra-Red Guided Missile Counter Measure devices; APR-39 Radar Warning Receiver; NVG Lighting; Ballistic Armour; and Covert & Overt Flares plus Chaff. Sensors include an Electrooptic/Infra-Red (EO/IR) ball and Thales I-Master surveillance radar. If operationally necessary, the AC-235 could be used to clandestinely insert Special Operations HALO/HAHO teams and could then circle the target area providing ground support and acting in the airborne command role while they undertook their mission. This project has proved so successful that in midJune Jordan placed an order with ATK to also convert their two larger Casa 295 transport aircraft to the gunship role. - BM

The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams is the most modern in-service version of the US main battle tank. The year 2013 saw the withdrawal of the last US Army tanks from Germany only by this to be followed in January 2014 by the prepositioning of a combined arms battalion set of vehicles, known as European Activity Set (see page 50) which included the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams. In May and June 2014 the vehicles of the EAS were first used by the 2nd Battalion of the 5th Cavalry

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Regiment during exercise COMBINED RESOLVE II, which we covered last month. This month we take a closer look at the tank itself.

eveloped in the 1970s the first M1 Abrams MBT (main battle tank) entered service with the US Army in 1980. Back then, the vehicle was armed with a 105mm M68 rifled tank and was the first western MBT to be powered by a gas turbine engine. Over the years the M1 has been upgraded in many ways, for example: the up-gunned M1A1 Abrams MBT was fielded from 1985 onwards and featured the 120mm M256 smooth-bore

Main Image: The latest M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams main battle tank features improvements in the fields of lethality, mobility, survivability, reliability, maintainability, situational awareness and command and control Images ÂŠ Carl Schulze unless noted

tank gun, then the M1A1 HA Abrams MBT and M1A1 HA+ Abrams tanks built between 1988 and 1993 featured an improved armour package, including spaced ceramic armour backed by steel encased depleted uranium. Between 1985 and 1993 at total of 4,550 M1A1 Abrams MBTs of different variants were manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems for the US Army, the United States Marine Corps and the Army National Guard. In 1988 the development work for the M1A2 Abrams MBT started involving, among other upgrades, the digitalisation of the vehicle. Series production of the first 62 new M1A2 Abrams tanks started in 1992, but due to cost considerations it then was decided to modernise old M1 tanks to M1A2 standard rather than build more new vehicles.

Since June 2010 M1A2 SEP (V2) conversions have been fitted with the M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station II (CROWS II) usually with a 12.7mm M2HB-QCB heavy machinegun 1

Conversion of the first older M1 variants to M1A2 started in 1994 and up to 2001 a total of 556 vehicles were upgraded. During this process the vehicles, among other modifications, were fitted with a Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV) allowing the gunner and vehicle commander to operate in the ‘Hunter Killer’ mode. Tests showed that with the CITV Abrams crews were able to conduct target acquisition work 45% faster than before. Also fitted were a digitalised Inter Vehicular Information System (IVIS) that improved the crew’s situational awareness, an Improved Commander’s Weapon Station (ICWS), new Position/Navigation (POS/NAV) equipment and a turret basket mounted External Auxiliary Power Unit (EAPU).

1: The Mine Clearing Blade (MCB) can be employed for the breaching of minefields but alternatively the vehicle can also be deployed with a Mine Clearing Roller (MCR) 2: The Loader’s Armored Gun Shield is fitted to the mount of the loader’s 7.62mm M240B machinegun it features transparent armour to improve his situational awareness when manning the weapon

M1A2 SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE In order to further improve the lethality, survivability, mobility and sustainability of the M1A2 Abrams the development of a System Enhancement Package was initiated. In 1995 General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) was awarded a contract to develop the new Abrams variant to series production standard. This was followed by a contract for the series production of the M1A2 SEP Abrams MBT in December 1997 and production of the first vehicles started in1998.

SEP Abrams MBT now featured new Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System Advanced Special Improvement Program (SINCGARS ASIP) radios, the Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2) Integrated Combat Command and Control (IC3) system, second generation thermal imaging systems for the gunners sight and the CITV, an Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS), a Army Embedded Global Positioning System Receiver (AEGR), a Pulse Jet

As before, rather than building new tanks, M1A2s and older M1A1s were upgraded to M1A2 SEP specification. Fielding of the first M1A2 SEP Abrams tanks started in 2000. The first unit to be equipped with this version was the 3rd Battalion of the 67th Armor Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort Hood. In total some 540 vehicles were upgraded. Among other improvements the M1A2

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The driver is seated to the front in the centre of the hull, the gunner to the front right in the turret, the commander slightly raised behind the gunner and the loader sits on the left in the turret

Air System (PJS), an eye-safe laser rangefinder, a new Mass Memory Unit (MMU), improved colour displays, an improved Soldier Machine Interface (i.e. PCMCIA interface, Loader’s Remote Display, voice synthesis and so on) and a Thermal Management System (TMS) to provide better crew and electronic cooling. The External Auxiliary Power Unit (EAPU) fitted to the M1A2 Abrams MBT was replaced by the Under Armor Auxiliary Power Unit (UAAPU), installed to the left rear in the hull of the M1A2 SEP Abrams. These vehicles were also fitted with an armour upgrade package, including third generation steel encases depleted uranium armour.

FURTHER IMPROVING THE M1A2 SEP Experience gained during the modernisation of vehicles to M1A2 SEP standard and its employment during training, lessons learned from the employment of MBTs in combat during Operation IRAQ FREEDOM and especially during fighting in builtup areas, the requirement to refurbish M1A1 variants and M1A2s and M1A2 SEPs that had seen excessive service

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in Iraq, and the expectation that the Abrams could possibly stay in service to around 2045 all led to the initiation of a further combat capability improvement programme which resulted in the Improved Enhanced Package (Reset). This package eventually became the System Enhanced Package Version 2, or in short SEP (V2), and in late 2006 a contract for the upgrading of an initial 312 M1A2 SEP tanks to M1A2 SEP (V2) was issued to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS). Further orders for the upgrading of additional vehicles followed over the next years. The upgrade of a first vehicle was begun by GDLS in August 2008 and, according to company information, the cycle time for a single vehicle is 78 days. Work is jointly conducted at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, better known by its old name Lima Army Tank Plant (LATP), the Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) in Bynum, Alabama and elsewhere. As part of the upgrade work even battle damaged hulls are repaired to ‘zero miles, as new’ standard. Also in 2008, GDLS was awarded a multi-year upgrade modernisation contract for 435 older M1A1 variants to M1A2 SEP (V2) and

Above: Rear view of a M1A2 SEP (V2) - clearly visible on the right are the box in which the Tank Infantry Phone is mounted and the tail light with the integrated thermal camera of the DRVC system

3: The Abrams SEP V2 is powered by the TIGER AGT 1500 gas turbine engine with X1100-3B transmission allowing it to reach a top speed of 67km/hr

more contracts for the upgrade of small numbers of M1A1 variants to M1A2 SEP (V2) followed in 2012 and 2014. Under its Modular Two Variant Fleet Configuration Plan, the US Army currently intends to eventually upgrade

On the Grafenwöhr Ranges, a M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams main battle tank engages a target with its 120mm M256 smooth-bore tank gun [US Army: Markus Rauchenberger] a total of 1,593 vehicles to M1A2 SEP (V2) standard. These will then serve alongside 791 M1A1 AIM SA Abrams MBTs; with AIM SA stands for Abrams Integrated Management Situational Awareness. By the end of 2013 the tank companies of all Combined Arms Battalions (CAB), of all Heavy Brigade Combat Teams (HBCT) of the active part of the US Army were equipped with M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams. In addition, the armoured asset of one HBCT of the Army National Guard was also already equipped with the new vehicle.

M1A2 SEP (V2) IMPROVEMENT The primary mission of the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT within a Combined Arms Task Force is to provide mobile, protected firepower for combined arms manoeuvre operations and wide area security. The vehicle can engage and destroy any enemy armour on a multi-dimensional, non-linear battlefield by day and night, in any weather using firepower, speed and shock effect.

In order to achieve this task the M1A2 SEP (V2) features improvements in the fields of lethality, mobility, survivability, reliability, maintainability, situational awareness and command and control. The improvements also ensure that lost power generation is restored, obsolescence issues are solved and that inbound new technologies under development under other defence programmes can later be integrated into the MBT. The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams is an all-digital fighting machine with an open electronic architecture allowing for the integration of new sub-systems once they become available and is designed to run the Common Operating Environment (COE) software of the US Army. Modifications of the tank’s electronic system include the installing of a new improved Commander’s Display Unit and a new improved Gunner’s Control and Display Unit (GCDP); both fitted with high resolution flat panel colour displays, a user friendly Soldier Machine Interface (SMI), and a new Mass Memory Unit with increased capabilities. The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT

Above: Combat weight is 69.29 tons - with gun pointing rearward the overall length is 9,032mm, width is 3,653mm and height to the turret roof is 2,438mm to which 762mm has to be added for CROWS II

is fitted with the new TIGER (Total Integrated Engine Revitalization) variant of the AGT 1500 gas turbine engine. The AGT 1500 TIGER features many durability improved parts that increase its service life to at least 1,400 mean operating hours between failures and also result in better fuel efficiency. It is also fitted with an Engine Memory Unit (EMU) and an hour meter that provide vital date for Condition Based Overhaul (CBO) work and therefore benefit the logistical support of the tank and its

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The tank has a ground clearance of 419mm, a top speed of 67km/h, can cross ditches up to 2,740mm, ford water up to 1,220mm deep, ascend grades of up to 60% and cross slopes with an angle of 40%

engine. The Tiger engine therefore benefits reliability and maintainability of the vehicle. Mobility is improved by modifications carried out on the X1100-3B transmission, the road wheel arms and the wheel hubs. Issues encountered with the Under Armor Auxiliary Power Unit (UAAPU) used on the M1A2 SEP Abrams MBT resulted in it being discontinued on the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT which instead, in the same place, has the Battery Auxiliary Power Unit containing six batteries and providing power for the vehicle systems when the engine is shut off. In the field of lethality, improvements in the software of the Fire Control System of the tank now feature ballistic solutions for the M829A3 ArmorPiercing, Fin-Stabilized Discarding Sabot with Tracer (APFSDS-T) and the M1028 Canister Cartridge ammunition.

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Since June 2010, converted M1A2 SEP (V2) tanks have been fitted with the M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station II (CROWS II). Usually fitted with a 12.7mm M2HB-QCB, this system can alternatively also be fitted with other weapons such as the 40mm Mk19 Mod3 automatic grenade launcher or the 7.62mm M240B general purpose machinegun. Operated from the commander’s station by a Fire Control Unit with integrated colour display and a joystick-type Control Grip, the fully stabilised M153 CROWS II features a CCD daylight video camera with x27 magnification, the Thermal Imaging Module TIM 1500, and is fitted with the eye-safe AN/PSQ23 Small Tactical Optical Rifle-Mounted (STORM) Micro-Laser Range Finder (MLRF). The M153 is installed on the turret roof in front of the commander’s hatch, can be traversed fully 360° and has an elevation range from -20° to

Left: The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT can be fitted with a Mine Clearing Blade (MCB) or a Mine Clearing Roller (MCR) - this tank is fitted with the mounting kit for the Mine Clearing Roller 4: Armament is 120mm M256 smooth-bore tank gun, coaxial 7.62mm M240B machinegun, 12.7mm M2HB-QCB heavy machinegun in the M153 CROWS II and 7.62mm M240B machinegun at the loader’s hatch Right: Tankers of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment pull the TIGER AGT 1500 gas turbine engine out of the powerpack compartment of an M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT for maintenance

+60°. Without a weapon fitted, CROWS II weighs 172kg and is 762mm high. The weapons station not only benefits lethality but also improves the situational awareness of the vehicle commander and benefits survivability as firstly it allows the crew to engage targets while staying under armour and secondly to engage threats at higher angles or in close proximity to the vehicle; something which is especially important during operations in built-up areas. Another survivability feature is that the vehicles are fitted with an integration kit for the Counter Radio-Controlled IED Electronic Warfare (CREW) Duke Version 3 system, which allows a quick mounting of the system if the threat level in an operational theatre requires this.

M1A2 SEP (V2) tanks were fielded in Europe for the first time during exercise COMBINED RESOLVE II held earlier this year at the JMRC on the Hohenfels Training Area in southern Germany At the rear of the hull of the M1A2 SEP (V2), on the right side, a Tank Infantry Phone (TIP) is installed. Connected to the Vehicular Intercommunication System AN/VIC-3, the TIP is basically a Full Function Crew Station (FFCS) allowing dismounted troops to communicate with the tank crew and vice versa, listen to its radio and even use the tank’s radios for communication with other assets on the battlefield. The situational awareness of the driver has also been improved by installation of the Driver’s Rear View Camera (DRVC) system, which includes a thermal imaging camera installed in the right tail light, of which the captured

video material is displayed in the driver’s compartment. In order to provide additional protection for the loader when manning his machinegun, the Loader’s Armored Gun Shield (LAGS) is fitted to the mount of the 7.62mm M240B machinegun installed at his hatch. The Tank Infantry Phone (TIP) and the Loader’s Armored Gun Shield (LAGS) were originally developed under the Tank Urban Survivability Kit (TUSK) programme, aimed to increase protection for crew members from the threats found in an urban warfighting environment, improve the vehicle’s armour protection, improve situational awareness and allow better communication with dismounted assets. The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT is prepared for the installation of the remaining TUSK components if the threat level in an operational environment so requires. These components are reactive armour, comprising the Abrams

5: The M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams is fitted with the new TIGER (Total Integrated Engine Revitalization) variant of the AGT 1500 gas turbine engine - seen here removed for maintenance 6: The Tank Infantry Phone (TIP) is mounted to the right rear - the thermal camera of the Driver’s Rear View Camera (DRVC) system has been integrated inside the right tail light cluster

Reactive Armor Tiles (ARAT) and Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles 2 (ARAT 2), belly armour for increased mine protection, the Driver’s Harness System Seat and the Loader’s Thermal Weapon Sight (LTWS).

FUTURE OF THE ABRAMS As previously mentioned the US Army currently plans to field variants of the M1 Abrams MBT up to around 2045, by which time the vehicle will be 65 years old. In order to achieve this goal further modernisation of the tank is essential. Work on the next package of upgrades is already underway. It has not yet been finally decided yet if a further upgraded vehicle will be called the M1A2 SEP (V3) Abrams MBT or the M1A3 Abrams MBT.

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Having downed all their nominated targets Bahrainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Royal Special Forces team descends the spiral staircase

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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.

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agazine production schedules and prior commitments prevented us being in Jordan at the start of the event to cover the Opening Ceremony and

Teams at or leaving the starting box: Kazakhstan SFG Unit 32356 from Almaty, Jordan’s Gendarmerie Unit 14 and Jordan’s Special Police PSD1.

display or the first three stages of the competition held the next day, but eager to document as much of the competition as possible we spent the following three days following teams around five of the following six stages plus the King’s Challenge finale, which took place on the Sunday, and

1: Canadian Special Operations Regiment breachers reach the first door 2: Brunei Special Forces Regiment force the first outward opening steel door 3: MOE building can be reconfigured for multiple entry challenges 4: Teams incurred penalties for straying outside red line markings

were really great guys too.

the Awards Ceremony on the Monday. Last month we focussed on Day 2, Friday 2nd May, and this month we are concentrating on the adrenalin-pumping ‘Shock n Awe’ stage which all teams participated on at some time during Day 3. As I had been unable to cover the stages on Day 1 and the organised schedule looked as if it would see the main media pack mostly following the same batch

of teams that I had photographed the previous day, I asked one of the press escort officers if there was any way of seeing those teams I had not yet been able to photograph for C&S. His solution was to team me up for several hours with the Jordanian Armed Forces equivalent of Britain’s Commando Forces News Team, and as these guys spoke our language I was as happy as a kid set loose in a toy shop on his birthday. As a bonus, the Jordanian military photographers

The three stages which all teams, split into three groups of five-man teams drawn from a pool of seven, had to complete on Day 3 were: Shock n Awe, Molon Labe and High Angle Drive By. The latter, as its name suggested, was a primarily long range shooting contest so with safety to be taken into consideration it was not the best of the three to try to photograph. Molon Labe, which roughly translates from the Greek `phrase molon labé as ‘come and take me’, involved room clearances with live weapons inside quite a dark building complex, so that was not going to give much chance to photograph counter-terrorist teams in action, but as Shock n Awe took Combat & Survival

place mostly in the open using a purpose-built MOE (method of entry) building complex in a deep quarry with firing ranges behind it our choice of stage was effectively made for us. Run against the clock, with time penalties incurred for targets missed or mistakes made, Shock n Awe saw the teams: race up a mound in bright sunshine to force an outward opening steel door; ascend a gloomy staircase to force another outward opening door; climb from a first floor balcony to a flat roof on the second floor over large diameter tubular railings; force an entry to an internal staircase and descend to a floor below in the gloom; ascend a spiral staircase to roof level; load weapons and identify then take down four colour-

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US Sheriffs, Dutch MARSOC and Slovakian SF demonstrate different ways of assisting their fifth man climb the wall

One of three Lebanese teams race for the roof - on personal security grounds we have obscured team membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; faces if wearing clear eyepro

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5: Two of the Jordanian Royal Guard team engage the green and white targets.

6: View of the green and white targets from the rooftop 7: One of the MissionX team resets the bank of black targets

coded targets apiece; unload and make safe weapons then descend the spiral staircase to ground level; then sprint down the mound to the finishing line. Ballistic helmet, Level III body armour with front and back plates, ear and eye protection, pistol with holster and four magazines and assault rifle with six magazines had to be worn or carried by each man.

During this stage each team also had to carry a door breaching kit, including both a battering ram and a crowbar, and the briefing (given in English and Arabic) clearly stated that if the assaulters chose not to affix these tools to their body they would incur penalty points in the event of them touching floor or walls. The devil is always in the detail and those who did not pay full

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8: Breachers from one of the Chinese teams race back to the finish line 9: Kazakhstan SFG Unit 22750 from Karaganda descend the spiral staircase Right: Afghanistan GDPCU team member shouts encouragement to one of his mates Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison : Military Scene attention were penalised. However the biggest decision was whether or not to put speed in completing the stage before shooting accuracy. Some made the wrong choice as over exertion caused them to miss targets. To be continued ...

On 1st August the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) announced the introduction of a new combat uniform to replace the outdated M81 Woodland Camouflage pattern. Part of the on-going modernisation process of AFM, the new genuine MultiCam fabric combat uniform is intended to cope with the increasingly diverse operating environments of a modern army working in dry climates such as those present on the Maltese islands. When the formal announcement was made C&S was invited over to Malta to see the island’s defence forces in action and to exclusively photograph troops wearing their new uniform. A detailed report will be carried in next month’s issue. 44 Combat & Survival

Members of C (Special Duties) Company, 1st Regiment AFM, wearing the new uniform Image © Bob Morrison : Military Scene

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Earlier this year while out in Cyprus working with Slovakian troops serving with UNFICYP in Sector 4 of the Buffer Zone and on patrol with the Mobile Force Reserve we were able to photograph Blue Beret soldiers wearing uniforms in the vz 2007 Pust (Desert) digital pattern camouflage uniform (for more see pages 58-60 of the June issue). Nicknamed ‘Kocky’, which translates as Cubes, this type of disruptive camo pattern is also issued in woodland shades and designated Les, which translates as Forest. We photographed this Slovak Spec Ops soldier while covering the 6th WARRIOR COMPETITION in Jordan in May.

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art of Czechoslovakia until the early 1990s, at first Slovakian troops used the mid-80s Czechoslovak vz 85 ‘woodland’ camouflage pattern, which was widely acknowledged as being a derivative of the earlier US Army ERDL ‘leaf’ pattern. In the mid90s a slightly muddier version of vz 85 was introduced by Slovakia under the vz 95 designation and though this was soon replaced with a variant of US M81 Woodland pattern for conventional forces’ use, the 1995 ‘leaf’ pattern remained in use with Slovak Special Forces. Indeed one of the Slovakian team at KASOTC this May was wearing vz 95 camo trousers with vz 2007 Les (forest) combat shirt and body armour.

Les is a four-colour pattern of predominantly chocolate brown and bottle green shades over a sand or stone base with small areas of black to give the impression of depth. The overall effect is most definitely aimed at a temperate theatre and although large squarish ‘pixels’ are used - note that most are not

As can be seen from the group photo above, vz 2007 Les and vz 1995 ‘leaf’ patterns are reasonably compatible at close range and from infantry engagement range they are almost indistinguishable to the eye. Neither is as good in arid theatre conditions as vz 2007 Pust, but that is only to be expected. For confirmation that helmet covers are also issued in Les pattern see the image to the right. Images © Bob Morrison

true cubes despite the nickname - the general effect is not really all that digital in appearance when viewed from more than a few metres away. Overall effect is much denser than the Pust (Desert) equivalent.

Since the end of the Cold War the US Army Europe (USAREUR) has been reduced in strength drastically, losing all its heavy armour with the last two Heavy Brigade Combat Teams, the 170th Infantry BCT and 172nd Infantry BCT being deactivated in 2012 and 2013. But then in 2014, in response to increased tensions, USAREUR again received a limited armoured fighting capability with the creation of the European Rotational Force and the pre-positioning of the European Activity Set in southern Germany.

he European Rotational Force (ERF) comprises a battalionsize combined arms task force and a brigade headquarters assigned to the US European Command (USEUCOM) area of responsibility, falling under command of the USAREUR. After losing its last Heavy Brigade Combat Team, being assigned the ERF was critical for the force posture mitigation strategy of USAREUR. The assignment of the ERF to USAREUR was conducted under the newly adopted Regional Aligned Forces doctrine, established to allow the US Army to fulfil its security commitments world-wide while at

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the same time its force numbers are reduced and its budget is shrinking. Under this doctrine the US Army has formally aligned I Corps to the US Pacific Command (USPACOM), III Corps to US Central Command (USCENTCOM) and XVIII Airborne Corps to the Global Response Force (GRF). In addition divisions have been aligned to the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the US European Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa Command (USAFRICOM).

Main Image: The Fires Battery uses the 155mm M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer it can fire the Excalibur 155mm M982 Precision Guided Extended Range Artillery Projectile [US Army: SPC Brian Chaney] 1: M2A3 Bradley IFVS of the EAS are used to equip the two Mechanised Infantry Companies - with one vehicle belonging to the HHC the Combined Arms Battalion can field a total of 29

in-theatre, such as the units of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command. When deployed in the event of a contingency operation the capabilities of the ERF complement that of the combat and combat support forces currently already forward-based in Europe; namely the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), the 12th Combat Aviation Brigade and the 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command. In addition to being a US contingency force the ERF also serves as the US contribution to the NATO Response Force (NRF). While being a strong statement that the USA will in the future remain committed to NATO and the security and stability of Europe, the ERF also provides the US Army with an ability to continue to train armoured warfare within a multinational environment and to better train interoperability.

Regionally Aligned Forces provide in-theatre commanders with versatile, responsive and consistently available US Army forces and will fulfil their requirements for units and capabilities needed to conduct operational missions, bi-national and multinational exercises and in-theatre security activities.

DEPLOYING TWICE A YEAR

The ERF will be deployed for a duration of 60 days for training and exercise purposes twice a year. During its deployment the ERF relies on the support of enablers already stationed

A total of 29 M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams tanks are required to kit out the two Armor Companies of the Combined Arms Battalion. Some of the vehicles are fitted with the the Mine Clearing Blade (MCB)

For transportation of the engineer sections the EAS has a number of M2A2 Bradley Operation Desert Storm – Engineer (ODS-E) vehicles, also known as Bradley Engineer Fighting Vehicle (BEFV)

Left: The Scout Platoon can muster three M3A3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles (CFV) - the vehicle is nearly identical to the M2A3 Bradley IFV but only carries two ground scouts in the back The first formation to provide the ERF is the Fort Hood based 1st ‘Ironhorse’ Brigade Combat Team of the 1st ‘First Team’ Cavalry Division, but other brigades might be assigned to the task in the future under the rotational concept. The combined arms battalion of the brigade chosen for the ERF is the 2nd Battalion, 5th ‘Lancers’ Cavalry Regiment. In May and June 2014 the ERF was deployed to Europe for the first time. During this deployment the ERF as a whole took part in exercise COMBINED RESOLVE II (see last month) held at the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC) on the Hohenfels Training Area, while elements of it also participated in Exercise ROCHAMBEAU 14, held in France in May 2014, and Exercise SABRE STRIKE 14, held in Lithuania in June 2014.

EUROPEAN ACTIVITY SET

In order to save money, resources and time during possible contingency deployments in January 2014 the equipment for the European Rotational Force (ERF) was pre-positioned at the Grafenwöhr Garrison and Training Area, of the US Army in southern Germany, in a designated Motor Pool. With the heavy equipment already in-theatre only the troops, with their personal equipment and small arms, need to deploy; something which can be done easily by plane, allowing for a much reduced ERF deployment time and therefore a quicker reaction to possible swiftly developing threats. Designated as European Activity Set or EAS, this pre-positioned equipment includes every major item of equipment that is needed to kit out a combined arms battalion and the headquarters of a Heavy Brigade Combat Team, according to their Table of Organization and

2: For the Brigade HQ and the HQ of the Combined Arms Battalion the EAS has a number of M1068A3 Standard Integrated Command Post System Carriers which feature a raised rear compartment

3: This M577A3 command post carrier is also used - while upgraded to A3 standard and refurbished the weld seam along the side of the hull indicates that the vehicle is one of the first ever built back in the early 1960s Combat & Survival

The M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation Systems (HERCULES) is fielded by the Forward Support Company assigned to the Combined Arms Battalion

405th Army Field Support Brigade. This unit ensures that prior to every rotation of the ERF the pre-deployed equipment is in pristine condition and ready to be taken over.

Equipment (TOE). This ranges from radios, tents and containers to heavy armoured fighting vehicles such as the M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) and the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams Main Battle Tank (MBT). The Grafenwöhr Garrison and Training Area is the ideal location to base the EAS, as the location is the home of the 7th Army Joint Multinational Training Command and features a massive range complex that allows combined arms live fire exercises to be conducted. Also, the Joint Multinational Readiness Centre (JMRC) and the Hohenfels Training Area are just 80 kilometres away. Grafenwöhr Grafenwöhr therefore is the centre for training US Army units in Europe, and their regional allies, and as such is a perfect location for the ERF to conduct Reception, Staging, Onward movement and Integration (RSOI) work while being deployed, whether the reason is a routine training deployment or the response to an emergency. When not in use by the ERF the prepositioned equipment is maintained by the Vilseck-based Army Field Support Battalion-Germany of the

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Above: The Fire Support Platoon is equipped with four M3A3 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) vehicles these do not feature the TOW launcher as the Fire Support Sensor System (FS3) has been installed 4: This M113A3 is kitted out as mobile command post - these vehicles are used within the HQs of the Armor Companies and Rifle Companies of the Combined Arms Battalion 5: An M88A2 HERCULES extracts the TIGER AGT 1500 gas turbine engine from an M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT

Some 70% of the equipment drawn together to become the EAS was provided by USAREUR, originating from the stocks of units that had been disbanded in recent years. The remainder of the kit was sourced by the Army Material Command from depots in Italy, Kuwait and Korea. The M2A3 Bradley IFVs and M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBTs, all just out of refurbishment and in ‘zero miles, as new’ condition were shipped to Germany from Fort Hood in Texas.

TABLE OF ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENT

The exact numbers and quantities of vehicles and equipment pre-positioned in Germany under the designation EAS are kept confidential by USAREUR for obvious reasons. The fact that the EAS is earmarked to equip a combined arms battalion and a brigade HQ of an HBCT allows us, however, to provide you with an idea of what major fighting vehicles are in stock. According to the current US Army Table of Organization and Equipment (TOE) for a Combined Arms Battalion, this comprises a Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC), two Mechanised Infantry Companies and two Armor Companies. In order to allow the battalion to operate and

fight independently it has a Fires Battery assigned from the brigade’s Fires Battalion, a Forward Support Company (FSC) assigned from the Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) and an Engineer Company assigned from the Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB) under its control. In addition to various command and administrative assets the HHC includes a Scout Platoon, a Fire Support Platoon, a Mortar Platoon, a Medical Platoon and a Sniper Section. The Mechanised Infantry Companies each feature a Company HQ and three Rifle Platoons, the Armor Companies each feature a Company HQ and three Armor Platoons. The FSC features a Company HQ, a Distribution Platoon, a Forward Maintenance Platoon and a Supply Platoon. On the equipment side the different sub-units of the Combined Arms Battalion are equipped with the following major systems:• The Armor Companies can muster 14 of the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams Main Battle Tank each and another MBT belongs to the HHC. • The Mechanised Infantry Companies can muster 14 of the M2A3 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) each and another IFV belongs to the HHC. • The Scout Platoon can muster three M3A3 Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicles (CFV) and five of the M1151A1 HMMWV Expanded Capacity Vehicle Armament Carrier IAP/Armor Ready with B2 Kit and fitted LongRange Advanced Scout Surveillance Systems (LRAS3). • The Fire Support Platoon is equipped with four M3A3 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) vehicles. • The Mortar Platoon is equipped with four M1064A3 mortar carriers fitted with 120mm M121 mortars. • The Fires Battery is equipped with eight 155mm M109A6 Paladin selfpropelled howitzers and eight M992A2 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicles (FAASV). The forward support company (FSC) can field eight M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility

Lift and Evacuation Systems (HERCULES). • The Engineer Company can field M9 Armored Combat Earthmovers (ACE), M60A1 Armored Vehicle Launched Bridges (AVLB), three High Mobility Engineer Excavators (HMEE) and M2A2 Bradley Operation Desert Storm – Engineer (ODS-E) engineer section vehicles. M1068A3 Standard Integrated Command Post System Carriers serve as mobile command post vehicles for the HQ of the brigade and the Combined Arms Battalion; M577A3 command post carriers are also employed in this role. M113A3 armoured personnel carriers (APC) are fielded by various sub-units for different roles; for example as mobile command posts within the Armor Companies and Rifle Companies and as medical evacuation vehicles in the Medical Platoon. A huge number of different High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), or Hum-vee, models also belong to the EAS, including: M1151A1 Expanded Capacity Vehicle Armament Carrier IAP/Armor Ready with B2 Kit; M1152A1 Expanded Capacity Vehicle IAP/Armor Ready with B2 Kit; M1165A1 Command and Control/ General Purpose Vehicle; IAP/Armor Ready with B2 Kit; and M997A2 4-Litter Armored Ambulances. On the light and medium truck side the EAS includes, among other vehicles: M1078A1P2 LMTV 4x4 2.5-ton Standard Cargo Trucks; M1079A1P2 LMTV 4x4 2.5-ton vans; M1083A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Standard Cargo Trucks; M1087A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Expandable Vans; M1088A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Tractor Trucks; and M1089A1P2 FMTV 5-ton Wreckers.

Above: In addition to M3A3 Bradley CFV the Scout Platoon fields several M1151A1 Expanded Capacity Vehicle Armament Carrier IAP/Armor Ready with B1 Kit fitted with the Long-Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System 6: Vehicles earmarked for the Medical Platoon include the M997A2 HMMWV 4-Litter Armored Ambulances and M113A3 APC kitted out as medical evacuation vehicles 7: The EAS includes a large number of HMMWVs in different variants. Here a M1165A1 Command and Control/General Purpose Vehicle can be seen alongside a M1152A1 Expanded Capacity Vehicle 8: One of the M113A3 variants available in the EAS is the M1064A3 mortar carrier fitted with 120mm M121 mortars - four are needed to equip the Mortar Platoon of the Combined Arms Battalion

Images © Carl Schulze unless noted Heavy trucks belonging to the EAS include M1120A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Load Handling System (LHS) trucks, M978A4 HEMTT Fuel Servicing Trucks, M984A4 HMETT Wrecker, M1074A1 Palletized Load System (PLS) trucks with crane, M1075A1 Palletized Load System (PLS) trucks without crane and M916A3 Light Equipment Transporter (LET) Tractor Trucks. Some of these vehicles have never been used in Europe before, such as the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT, the M2A3 Bradley IFV, the M3A3 Bradley CFV and the M88A2 HERCULES.

continental USA after taking it over from the POMCUS (Prepositioning Of Materiel Configured in Unit Sets) depots.

PRE-POSITIONING HISTORY

The whole process of reinforcing the USAREUR was regularly trained for in the Return of Forces to Germany (REFORGER) exercises that were held annually. Today, under the Army Prepositioning Stocks (APS) programme, unit sets of equipment for standard Brigade Combat Teams and assorted ammunition are pre-positioned in South Korea and Japan, in Kuwait and Qatar and aboard ships afloat.

The concept of pre-positioning equipment as implemented with the EAS is far from new and the US Army has equipment pre-positioned not only in Europe. Back during the times of the Cold War several division sets of equipment were pre-positioned in Germany under the Rapid Reinforcement Concept (RRC). In the event of an escalation of hostilities between NATO and the Warsaw Pact these would have been fielded by personnel flown over from the

Combat & Survival

Left: The M1078A1P2 LMTV 4x4 2.5-ton Standard Cargo Truck is a light utility truck employed for a multi-set of tasks - most feature the Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS) and are fitted with the B-Kit armour package. Right: Like nearly all EAS FMTV trucks this M1083A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Standard Cargo Truck features the Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS) cab - note the CREW Duke Version 3 counter-IED system.

Left: The M1087A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Expandable Van with LTAS cab is employed in electronic maintenance shop and optical equipment maintenance shop roles etc. Right: The M1088A1P2 FMTV 6x6 5-ton Tractor Truck is employed to haul semi-trailers - the vehicle can tow trailers with a gross weight of up to 27,538 kg and its fifth wheel vertical load is 11,340kg.

Left: The 9,979kg payload M1120A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Load Handling System (LHS) can transport flat racks or containers if fitted with the Containerized Roll-in, Roll-out Platform. Right: The M984A4 HMETT Wrecker Recovery Truck has a crane with a lifting capacity of 6,350kg, a self-recovery winch, a recovery winch with a pulling capacity of 27,216kg and a lift-and-tow system.

Left: The M978A4 HEMTT Fuel Servicing Truck is able to transport 9,464 litres of fuel, petrol, diesel or jet propellant - equipped with a pump unit it can also be employed as mobile fuel station. Right: The M7 Forward Repair System (FRS) is a maintenance and repair module that can be moved by M1074A1 PLS, M1075A1 PLS or M1120A4 HEMTT LHS trucks. 54

Combat & Survival

Unless you have been living in a cave in the Hindu Kush for the last decade or more, you should have noticed that massive strides forward (no pun intended) have been made in the design and manufacture of service boots. Partly this is down to major advances in computer design capabilities since the 1990s, but the rapid industrialisation of Far East nations and the introduction of new manufacturing facilities with both lower labour costs and the most up-to-date systems and machinery in the world has seen East-West trade and cooperation breeding a new generation of fabrics and footwear.

T 56

he Black Eagle Athletic range of footwear from Haix, engineered in Germany but manufactured in Vietnam, is exceedingly light

Combat & Survival

Both myself and Lottie (who modelled for us last month) have been wearing these new midlength (roughly 6- to 7-inch in the average male boot sizes) lightweight boots in high temperatures and liked them. One neat extra feature is the pocket in the extended tongue for tucking away untidy lace ends. Images ÂŠ Bob Morrison

in weight and very comfortable to wear yet it incorporates the very latest in boot design and fabric technologies mating a highly technical composite sole design to high performance microfibre and textile uppers. Conceived originally for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;blue lightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; uniformed personnel sector, both the high leg (Athletic 11) and mid length (Athletic 10) models are now available in tan for arid theatre military use and I suspect it will not be too long before brown

versions are produced as several European armies are now ditching black. Looking first at the uppers, which when properly fastened fit around the foot like a glove, these are made from a microfibre/ textile combination with skeletal external strengthening and padding and are lined with Gore-Tex Extended 3-layer laminate which makes them both weatherproof and highly breathable. The lining is abrasion-

resistant and the combination is part of the Haix Climate System which uses Micro-Dry at the top of the leg. The replaceable insert is cushioned, moisture-repellent and antibacterial with separate heel shaped section and Airflow channelling. Turning now to the composite sole, from the bottom, it consists of: an outer oil-resistant anti-slip rubber running sole; a skeletal double hole frame / stone shield, for guiding the foot during unwind movements and for protecting against uneven surface projections pushing through; an EVA/TPU inner sole for cushioning and support, along with additional shock absorption cushioning under the heel; an asymmetrical TPU horseshoe to stabilise the heel; a non-metallic shank for sole stabilisation; and an energy return / supination support cup made from strong spring-back material under the ball of the foot for effective use of energy. As for the soleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tread, it is multi-directional and open for fast self-cleaning. Lottie wore a Size UK4 pair of these boots on our trek into the Torcal Nature Park in southern Andalucia in July, where the temperate was in the mid-30s, and found them to be very comfortable. My Size UK10.5 boots are now taking me to Malta, where 30C is the promised high.

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Boots worn by one of the Palestinian Spec Ops team members at WARRIOR COMPETITION

TERRAQUEOUS range of footwear is part of the KADDB (King Abdullah II Design & Development Bureau) Investment Group’s specialist Troops Cluster. It aims to produce special boots with superior features in local factories, but in order to ensure the best quality of its products it also works with internationally acknowledged components providers from around the European Union.

When covering the 6th WARRIOR COMPETITION in Amman earlier this year we noticed that many of the Jordanian military personnel, plus several competitors from other Middle East teams, were wearing a suede desert boot of a type not previously featured on the pages of this magazine. Identifying the maker of these boots was very simple, as the brand name TERRAQUEOUS (i.e. of earth and water) was moulded into the heel, and a few days later we spotted the manufacturer’s display stand in the Jordan Pavilion at SOFEX which allowed us to do a little research into their construction.

romoted as Jo Special Boots or JSB, though the full name is actually The Jordanian Company For Manufacturing Special Boots, the manufacturer of the

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Above: The cutaway on the manufacturer’s stand at SOFEX shows how the TTB is constructed 1: A Jordanian wearer - note the well padded collar and the D-ring speed lacing system 2: Uppers are suede leather and Cordura with substantial padding to tongue and collar 3: Composite sole rubber tread is intended to cope with both sandy and rocky desert terrain

Founded in the 2008, the company produces a wide variety of footwear models that suit different military and police needs in addition to hiking boots and Oxford shoes, with a focus on civilian needs and requirements such as the sports and safety markets. However it was their TTB (Track Tactical Desert) model which caught our eye. Several of the Spec Ops personnel and military specialist users we discussed these boots with during the competition told us they were both very comfortable and definitely fit for purpose. The TERRAQUEOUS TTD boot has suede leather and wear-resistant Cordura fabric uppers with padded tongue and collar, anti-bacterial and anti-static removable cushioned insole, composite shockabsorbing sole and heel, hard wearing rubber outsole with a tread specifically designed to cater for both sandy and rocky terrain, and rustproof metal alloy speed lacing eyelets which are suitable for parachute operations. We have not yet been able to field test these boots for ourselves, but hope to be able to do so in the not too distant future. - BM

Many of the garments and items of kit reviewed in C&S are provided to us by our friends in the industry but from time to time we have specific kit purchase requirements and in such cases we use this as a means of checking if the service our advertisers provide comes up to scratch; they almost invariably do. When I recently needed a couple of new, lightweight â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;contractor styleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work shirts for short notice assignments where I wanted to look smart but keep cool in high (35C+) temperatures I reckoned 5.11 Tactical could fit the bill and Heinnie would deliver the goods.

60 Combat & Survival

eedless to say both manufacturer and supplier met my expectations and the 5.11 Taclite Pro Short Sleeved Shirts I ordered through heinnie.com both arrived in superfast time and did precisely what I wanted them to. I ordered TDU Khaki and Black versions, for day and evening wear respectively, and found them to be so much to my liking that I then got a longsleeved version for Jitka. I prefer wearing short sleeves whenever possible, mostly as I like the degree of freedom of movement while shooting which rolled up long sleeves tend to inhibit, but as Jitka works mostly in short sleeves (in the kitchen as a Head Chef)

Top left: Jitka prefers long-sleeved shirts - note double pen pocket on sleeve Top right: All 5.11 shirts are generously sized - I should have got the very smallest for Jitka Right: The rear panel beneath the shoulders is cape style for lower back ventilation

a good number of years now, but in the past I have mostly gone for the more heavyweight 100% cotton 5.11 Tactical Shirt version which is one third heavier than the 65 polyester and 35% cotton ripstop fabric 5.11 Taclite Pro Shirt. Despite the different fabrics, both model of 5.11 shirt has exactly the same features, including the very capacious vertical access concealed or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;stashâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; document pocket either side behind the more conventional pleated patch chest pockets and the optional stitch-on shoulder tabs and chest patch for rank attachment.

she likes wearing long sleeves as a change when assisting me on photoshoots. Fortunately both long and short options are available in the 5.11 Taclite Pro range. The 5.11 shirt family is one of two essentially quite similar uniform-style ranges from different manufacturers I have worn over

Other features of this shirt design are concealed buttondown collar stays (i.e. small triangular tabs under the collar which retain it smartly without the buttons appearing through the outer face), a twin compartment pen pocket let into the upper left sleeve and a pass-through slot for a pen at the top of the left chest pocket. There is also

Above: My short sleeved version with the stitch-on shoulder and rank badge tabs - note also the ventilation eyelets in the armpit Left: Beneath the cape style back is a moisture-wicking Drilex mesh ventilation panel Right: There is a tab and button inside each sleeve to allow them to be neatly rolled up

a cape-style back panel over the upper back beneath which is a moisture-wicking Drilex material to efficiently vent and evaporate moisture plus there are stitched ventilation eyelets in each armpit. These shirts are also treated with a Teflon coating to provide a barrier against stains and liquids; very Combat & Survival

handy if, like me, you make a bit of habit of dribbling breakfast egg and beans down your front. Incidentally, while on the subject of food, it is no secret that I like my pies (fat boys are harder to kidnap and survive longer in times of famine) but fortunately 5.11 use American ‘supersizes’ rather than less generous European sizing so even I don’t have problems fitting into their shirts.

Right: Behind each chest pocket there is a very large ‘stash’ pocket secured by velcro Model: Jitka Images © Bob Morrison

As mentioned at the start, I bought online through heinnie. com (who are based in Wales) and service was exceptional. Like the shirts, Heinnie come highly recommended. - BM

At C&S we are firm advocates of the wearing of decent eye protection, or eyepro, as regular readers will know, and it dismays us to see British troops out in the field undertaking tasks which could quite easily take them out of the equation either temporarily or permanently just because they are not wearing polycarbonate lens spectacles or goggles. If you are not issued with eyepro, or have issue kit taken off you at the end of a deployment, it is all too easy to blame pennypinching bean-counters but with high quality spex readily available for less than the cost of a pair of fashionable brand-name trainers or flimsy

Combat & Survival

sunglasses why blame somebody else?

y eyepro of personal choice is the SAWFLY model from Revision, which many troops who have deployed to Afghanistan over the last few years will have been issued with, but their slightly more compact and lightweight STINGERHAWK model offers the same degree of Military Specification protection and is widely available for private purchase through many advertisers in this magazine. Jitka has long been a fan of Revision EyePro - she is wearing STINGERHAWK spex overleaf - and Moira, our Advertising Director, has now also become a convert. Asked to briefly sum them up, this was Moira’s response:-

Above left: Revision STINGERHAWK spectacles provide excellent and affordable wraparound eye protection 1: Carrying case includes two spare clear and yellow polycarbonate lenses as an alternative to dark grey plus a soft cleaning cloth bag and a retaining strap 2: The shape of the frame allows a ballistic helmet to be worn and vents above the nose help reduce condensation build-up

“I find them to be very lightweight but robust. Comfortable to wear, affording excellent wrap-around eye protection. The yellow lenses particularly are a revelation in low light driving conditions. When changing the lenses over the first few times, I needed some brute finger strength - however, this has got easier to do with practise.” Think about it next time you are tempted to spend your spare cash on a flashy pair of new trainers or ‘bling’ sunglasses. Isn’t it more important to invest in protecting your eyesight?

In the Alps where the temperature was â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;variableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the Viddas proved ideal for travel and more rugged use

Trousers are very much part of our life and, as well as being something to cover our modesty, can contribute significantly to our daily comfort and living. If they are right, a good fit and provide us with the necessary additional items we need to conduct our work or leisure, they become a significant part of our kit. The Vidda Pro trousers are just this.

ince I have had them, they have been in use consistently in all types of circumstances. As you would expect from a Scandinavian (Swedish) company, they are made for tough and more cold, rather than hot, conditions. The G 1000 fabric can be waxed for added protection but is fine for warmer conditions. It feels tough and hard-wearing but good to wear, giving every indication of lasting a while, even with hard use. The backside and knees have a double layer and the knees are able to accept knee

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Product - UK Contact: Fjall Raven/Fenix Outdoor Telephone/Web: 02392 528 711/fjallraven.co.uk

pads as well as being pre-formed for good flexibility when walking and stepping up. There are plenty of decent, usable pockets (six) of which four are press stud closed. One doubles as an axe holder. At the bottom of the legs are stud fixed, adjustable, elasticated straps which enable the leg to be secured just below the knee on warmer days or to keep them tight around the boots. There is also a lace clip to help keep them in place. I have worn these a lot during a couple of European trips of late, both for travel and for trekking, when I needed something a bit rugged. They will accompany me on further trips for sure.

1: The trouser legs can be secured under the knee and also onto the laces - note the double layered knees

MSR/ProAgencies 07734 215 821/cascadedesigns.com

2: Pockets on the Viddas, plentiful and well designed 3: The heat source is both hot and well distributed under the pot - here the 1.7 litre - which is specific to the stove and has a well designed handle and lid 4: The MSR Reactor was in daily use on the TMB trek where it proved to be ideal

WHEN I TURNED UP AT THE FIRST CAMP OF OUR RECENT TMB (TOUR DU MONT BLANC) TREK IN CHAMONIX AND SET UP FOR A BREW, THE ORGANISER, A HIGHLY EXPERIENCE MOUNTAIN MAN, SAID: “AH. SO YOU HAVE A REACTOR DO YOU?” I IMMEDIATELY KNEW I WAS ONTO SOMETHING GOOD HERE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER THIS HAD BEEN CONFIRMED.

like the concept of the ‘all in one’ style of stove. Easy to use, compact and secure to carry. The MSR Reactor offers itself up as a powerful water boiler that can cope with high altitude/cold as well as more normal conditions, well suited to melting snow for water. The Reactor comes in three pot sizes - 1.0, 1.7 and 2.5 litre - and the base radiant burner stove is the same. I have the 1.7 litre model. If you really want to know about the technology behind, or perhaps beneath the stove, do check out the MSR web site. Suffice to say this stove burns hot, even and works in the wind. It is highly efficient in that the gas burns so clean you cannot see it until the stove glows red – be warned when lighting! There is no piezo lighter on the Reactor which may seem a bit unusual these days; I was told they are not deemed reliable enough and I would go along with that. In my experience they do get

broken or just cease to work, and if you are depending on it you can be left with no brew. If you plan to have a lighter / matches / striker you are covered. Also the heat generated in the burner would certainly test any piezo set up. All the magic occurs in the burner unit and it soon glows red, the heat being efficiently transferred to the type-specific pots. In practical terms, this means you get hot water ... fast. It also means your gas goes a long way as there is little or no wasted energy. The Reactor is definitely aimed at those who need to melt ice and principally eat boil-in-the-bag or freeze-dried meals. It is not really a ‘cooking stove’ as it is very tricky to get it to simmer but this can be done. I found it easier to take the pot off and watch the glow as the burner is adjusted but this is very fine tuning. We used it to boil up pasta and rice and with a bit of practice it is fine for this and guess who won the cold-to-boil race? The cover has a strainer so that side is catered for. I like the fold out metal handle. Safe and secure and it does not get hot. It all clips together to pack away. The stove unit and gas canister stow easily in the 1.7lt pot, the cover clips to the handle which in turn is secured closed. The Reactor 1.7 was my ‘kitchen stove’ for much of a month away travelling and it did the job admirably.

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Product - UK Contact: Snugpak/Snugpak Telephone/Web: 01535 654 479/snugpak.com

Thermarest/ProAgencies 07734 215 821/cascadedesigns.com

Sometimes it’s the simple things that make a big difference. We all know ‘The Tarp’ and this version of it is known appropriately as the All Weather Shelter. I had just one look and was waiting for a good opportunity to use it. In fact several came along.

also, if it got very hot, as a sun shade. In addition he had ideas of using it as a sail but to date I don’t think he has done this.

I too was off on my travels to walk the TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc). As the weather was looking unreliable, I also took one, and am I pleased I did. It was rigged in various ways for most camps, but mostly as a ‘porch’ to the Snugpak Scorpion 3 e ended up with two of these tent I was using for the trip. Sometimes shelters and my son, Angus, took we shared and it became porch to two one on his Danube canoe exped tents. As the rain poured, I was able to as a cooking shelter for inclement go in and out of my tent out of the wet, weather (he should be a forecaster!) and thereby keeping things more in control

5: Many and various were the ways I got to rig the AWS on our tour around Mont Blanc - sadly always to keep the rain out walking poles make ideal supports and we used some extra guy lines for added stability 6: The Snugpak AWS was in frequent use on my son’s Danube canoe expedition providing shelter from both rain and sun 7: The AWS allowed us to keep the door open on the tent so allowing us to see the great views – when weather permitted

and had a place to put bulky kit when we were getting sorted out. It was also a dry kitchen. As we were part of a 30+ group, there was distinct ‘tarp envy’ as we were the only ones to have one. It will, of course, work as a stand-alone shelter in many ways and is supplied with strong points, loops and press studs to help with this. You get a lot of protection for a kilo. The 3x3metre AWS comes complete with guys and pegs, stuff sack and a holdall.

8: On the TMB trek we (Jean and I) used both the new 2014 version (right) and my old original 9: The Ridge Rest getting an airing before the next move on the TMB I guess the vast majority of you will know of, and many will have slept on, the Thermarest Ridge Rest. I know I have spent many a night on one. The original mat I have has been in my gear collection for years, still does the job, and looks set to carry on that way. So why do I need to give it a re-run? 66 Combat & Survival

ell, this icon of kip mats has been up-dated to make it just that bit tougher and more effective. Comparing them side by side, it is quite obvious in the feel of the material that the new model is a more rugged design but it still that familiar shape. I took this new one on my trip to the Alps and so spent most of a month of nights on it. Admittedly this does not

prove much on the durability side, as we were not carrying kit, but it did provide for a very adequate base to sleep on. I always felt this design makes sense and the Ridge Rest is amazingly light. If this will outlast my original, it will do well. My elder son has had one of the old models for many years and swears by it. If I am still writing for C&S and you are still reading it a good few years down the line, I will let you know if the new Ridge Rest outlives the original. Perhaps just give one a go.

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he use of the ground forces is never taken lightly in Israel; especially since armour can suffer heavy casualties in an urban environment if its infantry support cannot protect it and certainly since HAMAS have been supplied with modern anti-tank missile systems. The reason the Israeli army has had to go in on the ground, with the increase in risk, is because it is the only way to find and destroy the tunnels that HAMAS build.

The use of tunnels in the Gaza Strip isn’t new; they have been used to smuggle both commercial items in from Egypt, as well as terrorist resources, such as weapons, ammunition, men and even parts of rockets that are then re-assembled within buildings in Gaza and fired at Israel. However what has shocked the Israeli defence force are the 40 tunnels that had been dug into Israel for a ‘spectacular’ attack on September the 24th, which is a major Jewish holiday. The discovered tunnels were professionally built, each one costing over $1 million, and have taken over five years to build with them being in pairs to allow terrorists to appear

either side of villages inside Israel. They included branches filled with explosives to attack the infrastructure above, just as British tunnels did in World War One and as we are seeing in Syria now. These tunnels would have allowed hundreds of terrorists to suddenly appear inside Israel during the night of the Jewish New Year and attack the villages that surround the Gaza Strip. They also included restraints and syringes with tranquillisers which would have allowed hundreds of hostages to be taken. Over the last two years, the Israeli forces have been training and equipping themselves to fight in tunnels and bunkers underground. HAMAS has had to develop the use of tunnels for two reasons. The first is to overcome the Israeli superiority in airpower and ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) capability, which makes approaching Israeli positions in the open by night or day a potential disaster. The second is that their previous method of attacking Israel by firing rockets at it has recently been negated by the deployment of the IRON DOME missile protection system. The use of tunnels is nothing new in warfare. Saps were used in past conflicts to approach fortification walls under cover and then undermine them by digging away foundations and creating large fires which could then be lit; this is where the term

FROM PAST TO FUTURE?

Tunnels In Warfare - By Robert Shaw

Combat & Survival

‘Sapper’ for military engineers was coined. This would collapse parts of walls and create a gap that could be exploited by the forces holding the fortification under siege.

In current news, there is the ongoing conflict between Israel and HAMAS (the Palestinian terrorist organisation) in the Gaza Strip. During the recent campaign (Operation PROTECTIVE EDGE) we witnessed the use of airpower, including unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance, and for targeted strikes minimising collateral damage and casualties, and then a ground assault using armour, artillery and infantry with close air support.

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

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The replacement of the fire with high explosives came to the fore in WW1, where both sides tunnelled towards each other’s lines and filled them with explosives. The charges would then be detonated as the opening event to an offensive. The quantities used were huge and during one battle the explosions could even be heard in London. The craters left by these charges were so massive that they are still part of the landscape even now. The aim of the detonations were to create large gaps in the network of enemy fortifications, bunkers and wire (all covered by machinegun fire) to allow troops to break through. We see the use of these same tactics in Syria at the moment. Tunnels were used in Vietnam by the Vietcong and NVA, though more for shelter, and included hospitals, accommodation, weapon workshops and even theatres for entertainment! The reason the VC had to go underground was to avoid the US superior airpower and ISTAR capability. The US forces soon learnt, like the Israelis, that the only way to successfully and thoroughly destroy the tunnels was to send specially trained and selected troops down into the system to fight. One cannot destroy them with airpower alone, no matter how accurate. In more recent times, the Mujahideen in Afghanistan used the natural cave systems and water tunnels to hide in, store weapons and evade Soviet superior airpower and ISTAR capability. Smugglers in Mexico are even using tunnel systems to circumvent US ISTAR assets to smuggle people and drugs across the US southern border. Since tunnels are an effective way to counter the enemy’s superiority in airpower and ISTAR, we can assume that, like the IED, this form of warfare is here to stay and will be part of any future conflict.

Unveiled at SOFEX 2014 earlier this year, the Jordanian version of the MBOMBE is a highly agile Infantry Fighting Vehicle offering outstanding protection, mobility and firepower; variants include Armoured Personnel Carrier, Infantry Fire Support Vehicle, Anti-Armour support Vehicle, 120mm mortar Vehicle and Command Vehicle. We grabbed the opportunity to photograph MBOMBE in the Armoured Personnel Carrier configuration during a demonstration run where it tackled the standard IMMLC category obstacles at Marka, including at one stage reversing over a number of obstacles to demonstrate its versatility, and showed its surprisingly tight turning circle at both low and high speeds.

riginated by the Paramount Group of South Africa and being produced in co-operation with Jordanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s KADDB (King Abdullah II Design & Development Bureau), the MBOMBE is designed to provide unrivalled protection against landmines, IEDs, side blasts and RPG attacks. This is achieved by revolutionary new technology that provides

Combat & Survival

outstanding mine protection without resorting to the traditional V-shape design. The mine protected flat bottom hull reduces MBOMBEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silhouette to under 2.4 metres, which delivers significant benefits in combat and against IED attacks. The vehicle comes as standard with a high level of protection against kinetic energy and blast attacks. It is fully qualified to STANAG specifications. MBOMBE is a flexible battlefield tool for both conventional, asymmetric warfare, counter-terrorism and peacekeeping missions. It can be configured as an armoured personnel carrier or as highly effective armoured fighting vehicle mounting a heavy machinegun or automatic cannon/ remote weapon station. There is ample space for the driver, commander, gunner and eight fully equipped infantrymen together with tools, ammunition and equipment. The basic MBOMBE model provides outstanding blast protection paired with world-class levels of protection against kinetic attack. The low silhouette offers a reduced target to enemy gunners and reduces the effect of side blasts/IEDs. The armoured hull provides excellent stopping power against ballistic attack (STANAG 4569 level 3 as standard) and anti-tank land mine explosions under its flat hull or under any wheel station

(STANAG level 4a and 4b). Anti-blast seats are designed to prevent injury to the crew from the extreme acceleration following an explosion beside or under the vehicle. Extra protection can be added in a modular manner to give defence against RPG, 14.5mm ballistic threats and specific threats to meet the user

requirement. MBOMBE is designed with impressive power to retain its outstanding mobility characteristics even when combat ladenconfigured as an infantry fighting vehicle carrying a modern automatic cannon. The 6x6 vehicle is able to carry considerable

payloads over all types of terrain without loss of mobility and the three axles provide excellent cross-country performance, delivering a highly versatile platform. Jordan has officially announced the procurement of an initial fleet of fifty vehicles.

Crew: 2 + 1 Passengers: +8 Kerb Weight: 16,000 kg Combat Weight: 24,000 kg Ballistic Protection: STANAG 4569 level 3 Blast Protection: STANAG 4569 level 4a & 4b Length: 7715mm Width: 2550mm Hull Height: 2450mm Wheelbase: 2,550 + 2,300 Ground Clearance: 430 mm Approach Angle: 40° Departure angle: 49° Step: 500mm Trench: 2000mm Slope: 70% Side Slope: 35% Wading: 900mm Road Speed: 100 km/hr Road Range: 700 km Turning Circle: < 20,000 Electrical System: 24 Volts Engine: Cummins 336 kW ISBe4 Fuel: Diesel Transmission: Allison 6-speed Automatic Brakes: Pneumatic Disc Tyres: 395/85 R20 XZL

Combat & Survival

There cannot be many readers who have not seen the excellent non-fiction 1963 film The Great Escape based on the story of the brave Allied airmen who tunnelled out of the Stalag Luft III prison camp in Silesia in March 1944 and tried to make it back home, so there is probably no need to expand on the background. Enraged by their audacity and hoping to stop further escapes, Hitler ordered that 50 of the 73 subsequently recaptured airmen - only three of the 76 escapees reached freedom - be shot in cold blood on the pretence that they were ‘evading arrest’.

his 412-page paperback briefly explains the background to the escape but is predominantly focussed on what happened to the recaptured airmen and then on the work of the British policemen sent on Churchill’s orders to Germany after the war was over to track down the Gestapo murderers and bring them to trial for their war-crimes. Published in the UK by Constable and priced at £9.99 it is very well researched (there are 76 pages of source notes) and makes for fascinating reading.

Combat & Survival

The author of this paperback, first released in hardback last year, also played his part in disrupting the German Navy’s battleships during their Atlantic campaign early in World War Two, but it is his part in the battle to defend Malta and disrupt Axis shipping reinforcing the Afrika Korps which is possibly the most interesting section. The officer pilot of a Bristol Beaufort, a four-man light bomber armed with a single 18” torpedo, his job was to fly at low level (65-70 feet) above the sea straight towards enemy battleships and supply ships in the face of heavy direct fire to drop his weapon when less than 700 yards (metres) away and then try to evade without being shot down. On one mission when leading the second trio of nine aircraft he saw colleagues in irst published in hardback last year but now out all three aircraft in front of him being in paperback, this 344-page book grippingly shot down yet he still pressed on describes not just the action but also the build-up with his attacking run.

Operation CHARIOT, the Royal Navy and Commando assault on the Germanoccupied French port of Saint-Nazaire in March 1942, is regarded by many as marking a turning point in the Second World War as not only did it give the German Navy a bloody nose, denying them the use of the only Atlantic port capable of berthing the battleship Tirpitz and disrupting U-boat operations from a key base, but it also gave the British and French public hope that Hitler and the Nazis could be stalled and eventually defeated. No less that five Victoria Crosses were awarded to participants, including one posthumously to Sgt Tommy Durrant of No.1 Commando which was made on the recommendation of a German Kapitanlieutenant who recounted his valour in taking on an attacking destroyer from his motor launch armed with just a puny Lewis Gun.

to the suicidal attack which saw the warship HMS Campbeltown rammed under heavy fire into the dock gates to both damage them severely and allow the landing of a raiding party of Commandos to undertake major infrastructure demolition works around the port while more of their colleagues attempted to come ashore in flimsy motor launches to secure a perimeter to allow their extraction. Most of these lightly armed and petrol fuelled launches never docked, being turned into fireballs as their fuel tanks ignited, which resulted in massive casualties and the capture of most of the surviving British troops who made it ashore. Several hours after hitting the dock gates the explosive charges hidden in the bows of Campbeltown exploded and took the port well and truly out of action.

This excellent and superbly researched reappraisal of the operation is worth every penny of its £9.99 cover price. Publisher is Quercus. Highly Recommended.

Priced at £7.99, this 336-page book is published by Simon & Schuster. Also Highly Recommended.

ased mostly on the reminiscences of the author but expanded on quite extensively by his friend and NCO gunner, Bill Carroll, the book was ghost written by Mark Ryan who has done an exceptional job. Arty and Bill are literally two of the very last surviving RAF Coastal Command torpedo-dropping airmen and their tale needed to be told in their own words before they departed to join those of their friends and colleagues who did not make it through the war. On the frontispiece the dedication is to “the lost torpedo airmen” and Mark has certainly helped the pair do their mates justice.

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