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A GROPE IN THE DARK...

NVG… NOD… NVD… THEY ARE KNOWN BY MANY ACRONYMS AND TLAS (THREE LETTER ABBREVIATIONS) AND OFTEN SEEN SPORTED ATOP HELMETS AND THE LIKE AT MILSIM EVENTS (WHETHER IT IS DARK OR NOT!) AND WHEN FRENCHIE FIRST GOT INTO AIRSOFT, WERE AN ABSOLUTE RARITY. TIMES HAVE CHANGED…

Ihave mentioned the fact often enough to establish that I am, in airsofting terms, a veritable geriatric. This means that my experience of playing the game predates such niceties as night vision goggles (NVGs) or indeed anything of that nature. They were either not available or so expensive that no one I knew would stump up the cash for something that would be used, at best, very occasionally. Night games were a rare treat and the first one I recall taking part in was at The Hill, near Dundee. If my memory serves, it was loosely themed on the film “Dog Soldiers”, it started with one werewolf, others being added if they were grabbed by another. Simples.

Thanks to Warren Reynold’s full-throated acting as the principal werewolf it was a fun, if occasionally pant-filling evening. I recall a whole bunch of airsofters screaming like schoolgirls when the “werewolf” attacked their Land Rover and I also recall a lack of illumination. I think someone was using a tracer adapter, which looked soooo cool but taught everyone else that tracer creates a direct line back to the shooter. Not so clever when things are up close and personal! I don’t recall many torches being used at all - probably for the same reason. If a “tree” might just savage you, staying invisible is a fine strategy.

My abiding memory was of how close you could be to another human being, or vice versa, without being seen or being aware of their presence. I can’t remember when in the year this game took place but it was not during the long, light nights of a Scottish summer - it was inky black. At the time the only integrated light unit I can remember was the LAM (Laser aiming Module) that came with the Marui SOCOM pistol, and it was crap. Most of us would tape a torch onto the grip or barrel of our guns if we needed light - fortunately that would change over the years. Also, I am harking back to a time when LED lights were, if not unheard of, damned uncommon and correspondingly expensive, so you often needed a big torch to deliver decent, focussed light. If you’ve seen images of the SAS with Maglites clamped to the top of their MP5s during the Iraninan Embassy rescue mission (Operation NImrod), you’ll know what I mean. Who needs sights at 5 feet when you have a bloody great light!

“…SOMEONE WAS USING A TRACER ADAPTER, WHICH LOOKED SOOOO COOL BUT TAUGHT EVERYONE ELSE THAT TRACER CREATES A DIRECT LINE BACK TO THE SHOOTER. NOT SO CLEVER WHEN THINGS ARE UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL! I DON’T RECALL MANY TORCHES BEING USED AT ALL - PROBABLY FOR THE SAME REASON. IF A “TREE” MIGHT JUST SAVAGE YOU, STAYING INVISIBLE IS A FINE STRATEGY.”

Fast forward a few years to a game I was running at The Fort. The night section was part of a Vietnam themed weekend game and once again it was pitch dark. Apart from a personal light mounted to my vest, I don’t think I even bothered with a weapon light. Once again I found myself literally inches from an opposing player without them being aware of me. I think I may have left them alone realising that to shoot them in the foot was going to bring down the wrath of God on my head. I’m fairly sure someone (no doubt Bitchtits, our resident sneaky b******* sniper) returned the favour later with a pistol and an invitation to take my hit. I did!

One important lesson regarding the dark and illumination came from the late John McAleese, who led Blue Team through the front of the Iranian Embassy building. John spent a weekend with us doing stuff like room clearance, abseiling and the likes. While practicing room clearance John made the point that silence and light discipline was invaluable right up to the first bang - be that a grenade or shooting. At that point it’s lights on and go like the clappers because the opposition knows you’re coming. Secrecy at that point is as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Since then, it is more common to see players using NVGs - at least a subset of players using them. They are no longer expensive and they can be obtained much more easily and the ability to see in the dark without necessarily being seen, trumps torchlight every time. A quick search revealed that I could buy a set off Amazon for about £150. Yes, those won’t be military grade or design and may not attach to your FAST helmet, but if the ability to see for 80 metres in the dark is what you need, the price of an airsoft pistol isn’t much to ask. There has also been an increase in the availability of indoor gaming sites since the period I refer to above, these can be far darker than even a dim forest, so weapon lights have become much more prevalent than once they were. Indeed, PEQ boxes and pistol lights have become an almost required accessory for many players, regardless of whether they actually use the lights or not. And the technology has improved leaps and bounds since then, as incandescent bulbs have been replaced by far more powerful LED light sources which can be mounted in increasingly smaller units.

At this point the light itself becomes part of the weapon, used not only to locate the opposition but to blind and distract them while you hopefully get the first shot off.

In addition, the ability of LED light sources to be programmed (or programmable) makes them ideal low light navigation lights - bright enough (just) for you to avoid trees and ditches but dim enough not to instantly pinpoint you to your quarry.

Fighting in the dark remains an occasional delight for many airsofters and for them even the massively reduced cost of NVGs and other night vision devices may not be justified, but the huge advances in illumination technology coupled with reductions in cost make it supremely easy for all of us to equip ourselves and our gear with the tools to ensure safe navigation and operation in no, or low light situations.

All that said, if you find yourselves in a situation where you can play with the minimum of lights or NVGs and do so safely, I would highly recommend doing so. Like one-on-one sniper games using basic guns and ghillie suits, it’s a real learning experience and will improve your game overall. There’s nothing quite like spending half an hour in a state of nervous tension, straining to hear or see, whilst simultaneously trying to make as little noise as humanly possible, only to have your ankle ask you to “take your hit” to counteract the effects of too much Co-codamol!

“…THE HUGE ADVANCES IN ILLUMINATION TECHNOLOGY COUPLED WITH REDUCTIONS IN COST MAKE IT SUPREMELY EASY FOR ALL OF US TO EQUIP OURSELVES AND OUR GEAR WITH THE TOOLS TO ENSURE SAFE NAVIGATION AND OPERATION IN NO, OR LOW LIGHT SITUATIONS”