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Combat & Survival 03


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 government-
produced 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.
O
ne does not need to probe too
deeply to discover that due to lack
of stocks some troops deploy-
ing 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 north-
east 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
September) none of the three emails
sent since 28th July requesting details
about exercises have been answered.
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 05
Combat & Survival 09
 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 as he is dead. Sitting with his back

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.
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
Above: Using well 1
other. The OpFor attack had struck timed fire and
home without any pre-warning. First manoeuvre tactics the
his infantry platoon, tasked with ‘Men In Black’ storm a
defending the southern entrance to Combat Outpost - the
the village, had been hit by artillery soldiers are armed
fire simulated by pyrotechnics used with 5.56mm M4A1
by a Battlefield Effects Team of the carbines fitted with
JMRC. Then, directly after the artillery
MILES II Small Arms
fire had ceased, his position was hit
Transmitters (SAT)
by the attacking OpFor infantry, using taken out so quickly?
perfectly timed fire and manoeuvre
tactics, pinning his men down while 1: The front attachment In the After Action Review (AAR) later
at the same time closing in on the of this M113A3 on he will be briefed about what exactly
positions of his platoon. OPFOR Surrogate went wrong. Certainly the OpFor did not
Vehicle - Tank or OSV-T make any mistakes and for sure they
Just before being taken out the simulates a mine exploited all those errors made by him
platoon leader had also noticed plough - the OSV-T

H
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”
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
and his soldiers. Before again switching
represents a T-80 his attention back to the battlefield, where
tank and has a crew the OpFor is now closing in on the second
line of defences, he tells himself that it is
of three
better to beaten today by the OpFor, and
to learn the lessons from it, than to be
Images © beaten on operations by a real enemy and
Carl Schulze to lose his soldiers for real.

10 Combat & Survival

 Under covering of fire
‘Men In Black’, highly MISSION OF THE ‘WARRIORS’
trained in order to be Being first of all an active infantry battalion, the
able to function as a 1st Battalion, 4th ‘Warriors’ Infantry Regiment can
conduct combat operations within the full mission
potent enemy, move to a spectrum of the US Army and, on order, can deploy
new firing position - the to conduct combat operations in support of the
first soldier is armed global war on terrorism. However, the current prime
with a 7.62mm M240B mission of the unit, based at Hohenfels Garrison in
machinegun 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.

During exercises the unit is self-sustainable for up to

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
three days. It is also able to integrate other forces,
which can either be US or foreign, up to battalion
size,.

Combat & Survival 11


3 fire. In the case of a Near Miss, Hit, or Kill
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-on-
force training. Consisting of a large
number of sub-systems, including man-
worn 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 eye-
safe 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
12 Combat & Survival
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’ anti-
tank 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
4
sight area effects weapons, such as artillery Survivability Trainer (MAST) which simulates
a surface-to-air missile threat for aviation
the SAWE sets off pyrotechnics in vehicle assets.
mounted Audio-Visual Devices (AVD).
M113A3 OpFor Surrogate Vehicles (OSV)
When deployed on the MILES II Battlefield acting as BMP-2s are employed by the rifle
the soldiers of the OpFor, as well as the companies of the battalion. Having a crew
exercising troops, wear a MILES II Man of two and carrying six dismounts in the
Worn Laser Detector Harness and Helmet back, the SAWE MILES II equipment of the
Halo and their weapons are fitted with vehicle is configured to simulate the effects
MILES II Small Arms Transmitters (SAT). of a 30mm cannon or an AT-5 Spandrel
Among other SAWE MILES II components, anti-tank guided missile system.
combat vehicles are fitted with: a Main
Gun Transmitter; Small Arms Transmitters, The tank company of the battalion fields the
for secondary armaments; Detector Belts; M113A3 OpFor Surrogate Vehicle - Tank
the Vehicle Control Unit/Kill Indicator; the (OSV-T) which simulates a T-80 main battle
Hull to Turret Transmitter; the Fire Control tank (MBT) on the MILES battlefield. The
Interface, the Radio Interface Assembly; the SAWE MILES II equipment of this vehicle
Vehicle Instrument Interface Package; and is configured to simulate the effects of the
the Vehicle Display Assembly. The MILES 125mm 2A46 smoothbore tank gun or a
transmitters of the OpFor vehicles are 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.
configured to simulate the effects of foreign
weapons such as, for example, the 125mm The M1025A1 HMMWV (Hum-vee)
2A46 smoothbore tank gun that is fitted to Armament Carriers, Basic Armor
the T-72, T-80 and T-90 main battle tanks. of the reconnaissance company
simulates BRDM-2 wheeled armoured
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT reconnaissance vehicles while the M966
During their employment as conventional HMMWV TOW Missile Carrier, Basic Armor
opposing forces, paramilitary units or serves as BRDM-2 fitted with the AT-5
irregular forces the ‘Warriors’ either wear Spandrel anti-tank guided missile system.
black Battle Dress Uniforms (BDUs), Tiger
Stripe camouflage BDUs, or an assortment When it comes to portraying insurgents
of civilian clothing. Civilian garments
5
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 in-
service 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 6
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

7 modern OpFor role.
the ‘Men In Black’ use 7.62mm AK-
47 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
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
8
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.
7: The ‘Warriors’ companies conducted combat operations
AFGHANISTAN portray a wide range in the mountainous north of Zabul
Since 2004, in addition to fulfilling the of threats, from Province and were often engaged in
OpFor role at the JMRC, the 1st Battalion, conventional forces heavy fighting.
4th Infantry Regiment has regularly
to irregular forces -
deployed elements to Afghanistan under
this soldier acting as HIGHLY TRAINED
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and During their recent Afghanistan
with the International Security Assistance an insurgent is armed deployments the soldiers of the 1st
Force (ISAF). with a 7.62mm AK-47 Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment proved
assault rifle that they can not only provide a highly
The battalion’s A Company deployed trained and potent OpFor but also stand
between August and December 2004, 8: From cover in high their ground as a fully operational fighting
providing security during the Afghan ground an OpFor team force. On the other hand, the Afghanistan
National Presidential Election. Its D with a Man-Portable deployments benefited their OpFor skills,
Company served with ISAF in Afghanistan Aircraft Survivability allowing them to portray insurgents even
between August 2005 and November Trainer (MAST) air more realistically that they already did.
2006. From 2006 onwards up to 2011 defence live-training
the battalion rotated its companies to device waits to While the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry
Afghanistan one at a time, providing Regiment is not the only reason that the
engage combat
a reinforced infantry company for the JMRC can provide high level force-
Romanian led Task Force Zabul.
helicopters of a unit on-force training to visiting units, the
exercising at the ‘Warriors’ certainly have a large share in
During their Afghan deployments the JMRC this.
Combat & Survival 13
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 15

 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

it scant attention and went back to his 1

One of two RHIBs with
reverie. Little did he know that beneath
four GGK operatives
the branches swam two submerged
approaching a jetty
divers breathing through snorkels.
on the riverbank
While the terrorist’s back was turned,
near where the
one of the divers smoothly emerged
terrorists are holed
from the water and stalked noiselessly
up - note that these
up behind him. With one hand over his
CT specialists are
victim’s mouth, and with a quick slice of
all wearing black
the knife in his other hand, the terrorist
uniforms and gear 2
sentry was permanently removed as a
threat.

In the next phase, two rigid-hulled

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.
inflatable boats (RHIBs) moved
stealthily from upriver and when the
black-clothed operators, heavily armed
1: Overhead, a pair of with sub-machineguns and pistols,
A109 LOH helicopters reached the jetty they swiftly stepped
circles the cityscape ashore. The covert approach was
- aboard the craft in supported by a hidden sniper and,
the foreground, GGK shortly thereafter, by another team
members prepare to that fast-roped from a Malaysian
fast-rope to the ground Army AW109LUH helicopter that had
to support the boat suddenly swooped in amidst the tall
teams city buildings. Meanwhile an identical
helicopter circled above giving
2: The Malaysian guidance to the teams below.
Army’s No. 881 The GGK operatives rapidly assaulted
Squadron operates the terrorists’ lair before they could
eleven A109 gather their wits. The battle was brief
helicopters delivered in exfilitrated on a series of waiting army
but sharp, with the terrorists no match vehicles.
2005-06, although one

N
ot long after an innocuous-
looking 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
for the elite Malaysian Army soldiers.
later crashed - GGK The terrorists were all shot in the firefight
operatives fast-rope and the VVIP safely freed without injury.
onto a bridge emplaced Protected by a GGK team, he was
across a river quickly rushed to a waiting helicopter
and helped aboard, before being
whisked away. The rest of the team
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

16 Combat & Survival

3

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

3: An A109 LOH training that has never waned over the

helicopter lands on decades. Assisted by Royal Marines
a temporary bridge from the UK, the first training course
erected by Malaysian commenced on 25th February 1965.
In fact, 40 Commando of the Royal
Army engineers in
Marines helped run six such courses
a separate demo - a in 1965 alone. Over the years the
GGK RHIB can be unit expanded and it was eventually
seen travelling renamed as 21 GGK since it was the
beneath the bridge 21st brigade group to be formed within
too the Malaysian Army.

4: With dead At the time of its creation, newly

5 was an ideal opportunity to see some
of Malaysia’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, counter-
terrorism.
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
terrorists sprawled independent Malaysia was gripped
around, GGK in the Indonesian Konfrontasi, an
members from 11 undeclared war from 1963-66. Later
Rejimen Gerak Khas it also cut its teeth in the Communist
Insurgency War (aka Second Malayan
commence their
Emergency) in Malaysia’s thick
hard-hitting riverside jungles from 1968-89 until communist
building assault in insurgents eventually signed a peace
order to release the accord.
captive VVIP
Today, the GGK is one of eight different
5: The Malaysian units that constitute the Malaysian
Army has the GGK for Special Operations Force (Pasukan
special operations, Operasi Khusus Malaysia), a multi-
while the Royal service task force responsible for
protecting Malaysian citizens. 21 GGK,
Malaysian Navy
based at Iskander Camp in Mersing,
has its own special Johor, comprises three subunits: 11
forces unit too Gerak Khas Regiment; 21 Commando
(PASKAL), as does Regiment and 22 Commando
the Royal Malaysian Regiment. Iskander Camp, fronting
Air Force (PASKAU) the South China Sea, encompasses
an area that is 2,000 acres in size. The
brigade-sized unit boasts fewer than

Combat & Survival 17

 Above: Protected by a These selection courses are supported
6 7 by serving GGK members and Phase
ballistic shield carried
by the lead soldier, One aims to lose the weakest recruits
as soon as possible, initially through
armed with a South
36 hours of ‘continuous hell’, as
African-manufactured recruits describe it. That first five-
9mm Vektor SP1 week phase tests the physical and
pistol, another GGK mental endurance of candidates,
team approaches the especially through forced marches that
terrorist hideout from a progressively rise in distance. Another
different direction component is a dreaded ‘Tarzan
6: All soldiers carry 8
particular skills such as hostage personal radios. The
rescue and counter-revolutionary GGK was on standby
warfare. With a total of four sabre alongside the police
squadrons, the unit is comparatively counter-terrorism
smaller than its two sister regiments. unit ready to perform
Its members are among the most this type of mission
experienced, however, since soldiers
during the 16th
must complete six years with the
Commonwealth Games
commando regiments before they are
eligible to join it.
in Kuala Lumpur in
1998.
3,500 members and it is perhaps
TRAINING 7: Here clad in black,
Since 1976, the three-month
best known for its jungle warfare on their camouflage
selection course has taken place
expertise.
at the Special Warfare Training
uniform GGK members
Centre (Pusat Latihan Peperangan
wear a blue lanyard -
The rise of Islamic terrorism brought
Khusus, or PULPAK) in Malacca in an honour given them
about a change in focus for the GGK.
southern western Malaysia. However, by 40 Commando of the
Today, 11 Rejimen Gerak Khas (11th
candidates need to pass a six-week Royal Marines, with
Special Force Regiment) specialises
selection course even before getting which the GGK has a
in counter-terrorism, as well as
started! close relationship

18 Combat & Survival

9 of wearing the green beret of a
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.
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
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.
8: A team of four The fourth phase introduces two
Commandos with weeks of sea training such as The GGK has also deployed
one man guiding navigation, rowing, kayaking and operationally to Bosnia Herzegovina,
the freed hostage scuba diving. This section concludes Timor-Leste / East Timor, Lebanon
with a 160km kayak journey along and Afghanistan. More recently, the
prepares to cross a
the Strait of Malacca. After enduring GGK was instrumentally involved in
bridge and get the all this, the course enters the final overcoming the Lahad Datu stand-
VVIP to safety after phase known as Escape and Evasion. off in February-March 2013, where
snatching him from Candidates are assigned to teams insurgents representing the so-called
the terrorists’ grasp - and they are given a mission, e.g. Sultanate of Sulu from the Philippines
note the Search Dog destroy a heavily guarded enemy occupied part of Sabah, which is one
on standby communication tower. The catch is of two Malaysian states on the island
that afterwards they must escape and of Borneo.
9; Even with the reach a destination 180km away. Special Operatives from GGK helped
operation over these hunt down members of the armed
The soldiers in pursuit are GGK group. It is rumoured army and navy
elite GGK soldiers
members, who have no hesitation Special Forces also routinely deploy
do not let their in abusing any prisoners they catch. to the Spratly Islands to help enforce
guard down as they The culmination for those who survive Malaysian territorial claims on some of
exfiltrate by RHIB all this is to be awarded the honour its islets.
from the target
location
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 19
 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
Left: A high angle
view of the OVIK SOV
- its respectable level
of armament includes
a .50cal M2HB
machinegun, 7.62mm
GPMG and Mk19
The GGK also 40mm automatic
employs motorbikes grenade launcher
such as this
example seen Right: These black
during the demo Nissan Navarra 4x4
Rapid Intervention
Vehicles (RIV) have
been especially
modified for counter-
terrorism duties as
they have a ramp/
ladder by which
windows etc. can be
accessed

Images ©
Gordon Arthur

20 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
22 Combat & Survival
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.
A
board the coach, in addition to the high
value VIP who could just as easily be
the leader of an international humani-
tarian assistance team, a successful
businessman, a popular politician, a visiting
diplomat or even just a high profile media ce-
lebrity, 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 ‘technicals’, plus an assortment
of assault rifles, machineguns and rocket
propelled grenade launchers.

As the VIP’s coach approaches a junction

and its driver slows down, one of the pick-
up 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

Combat & Survival 23

 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].
24 Combat & Survival
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
‘technicals’ [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 © 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

Combat & Survival 25

 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
26 Combat & Survival
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 ...

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).
C
&S grabbed the opportunity to pho-
tograph 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
28 Combat & Survival
Images © Bob Morrison : Military Scene
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 Electro-
optic/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 mid-
June 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 pre-
positioning 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
30 Combat & Survival
Regiment during exercise
COMBINED RESOLVE II, which
we covered last month. This
month we take a closer look at
the tank itself.
D
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
tank gun, then the M1A1 HA Abrams
MBT and M1A1 HA+ Abrams tanks
built between 1988 and 1993 featured
Main Image: The an improved armour package, including
latest M1A2 SEP spaced ceramic armour backed by steel
(V2) Abrams main encased depleted uranium.
battle tank features
improvements Between 1985 and 1993 at total of
in the fields of 4,550 M1A1 Abrams MBTs of different
lethality, mobility, variants were manufactured by General
survivability, Dynamics Land Systems for the US
reliability, Army, the United States Marine Corps
and the Army National Guard. In 1988
maintainability,
the development work for the M1A2
situational Abrams MBT started involving, among
awareness and other upgrades, the digitalisation of the
command and control vehicle. Series production of the first
62 new M1A2 Abrams tanks started in
Images ©
1992, but due to cost considerations it
Carl Schulze
then was decided to modernise old M1
unless noted tanks to M1A2 standard rather than build
more new vehicles.

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).
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
M1A2 SYSTEM ENHANCEMENT PACKAGE SEP Abrams MBT now featured
In order to further improve the lethality, new Single Channel Ground and
survivability, mobility and sustainability Airborne Radio System Advanced
of the M1A2 Abrams the development Special Improvement Program
of a System Enhancement Package (SINCGARS ASIP) radios, the Force
1: The Mine Clearing was initiated. In 1995 General Dynamics XXI Battle Command, Brigade and
Blade (MCB) can Land Systems (GDLS) was awarded Below (FBCB2) Integrated Combat
be employed for a contract to develop the new Abrams Command and Control (IC3) system,
the breaching of variant to series production standard. second generation thermal imaging
This was followed by a contract for the systems for the gunners sight and
minefields but
series production of the M1A2 SEP the CITV, an Enhanced Position
alternatively the Abrams MBT in December 1997 and Location Reporting System (EPLRS),
vehicle can also be production of the first vehicles started a Army Embedded Global Positioning
deployed with a Mine in1998. System Receiver (AEGR), a Pulse Jet
Clearing Roller (MCR) 2
As before, rather than building new
2: The Loader’s tanks, M1A2s and older M1A1s were
Armored Gun Shield is upgraded to M1A2 SEP specification.
fitted to the mount of Fielding of the first M1A2 SEP Abrams
the loader’s 7.62mm tanks started in 2000. The first unit to be
M240B machinegun - equipped with this version was the 3rd
it features transparent Battalion of the 67th Armor Regiment of
armour to improve his the 4th Infantry Division, based at Fort
Hood. In total some 540 vehicles were
situational awareness
upgraded.
when manning the
weapon Among other improvements the M1A2
Combat & Survival 31
 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 built-
up areas, the requirement to refurbish
M1A1 variants and M1A2s and M1A2
SEPs that had seen excessive service
32 Combat & Survival
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 Above: Rear view of a 3
next years. The upgrade of a first vehicle M1A2 SEP (V2) - clearly
was begun by GDLS in August 2008 visible on the right are
and, according to company information, the box in which the
the cycle time for a single vehicle is 78 Tank Infantry Phone is
days. Work is jointly conducted at the mounted and the tail
Joint Systems Manufacturing Center light with the integrated
in Lima, Ohio, better known by its old
thermal camera of the
name Lima Army Tank Plant (LATP), the DRVC system
Anniston Army Depot (ANAD) in Bynum,
Alabama and elsewhere. As part of the 3: The Abrams SEP V2 more contracts for the upgrade of small
upgrade work even battle damaged is powered by the TIGER numbers of M1A1 variants to M1A2 SEP
hulls are repaired to ‘zero miles, as AGT 1500 gas turbine (V2) followed in 2012 and 2014.
new’ standard. Also in 2008, GDLS engine with X1100-3B
was awarded a multi-year upgrade transmission allowing it Under its Modular Two Variant Fleet
modernisation contract for 435 older to reach a top speed of Configuration Plan, the US Army
M1A1 variants to M1A2 SEP (V2) and 67km/hr currently intends to eventually upgrade

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
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]
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 Above: Combat is fitted with the new TIGER (Total
US Army. Modifications of the tank’s weight is 69.29 Integrated Engine Revitalization) variant
electronic system include the installing tons - with gun of the AGT 1500 gas turbine engine.

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.
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
pointing rearward The AGT 1500 TIGER features many
the overall length is durability improved parts that increase
its service life to at least 1,400 mean
9,032mm, width is
operating hours between failures and
3,653mm and height also result in better fuel efficiency. It is
to the turret roof is also fitted with an Engine Memory Unit
2,438mm to which (EMU) and an hour meter that provide
762mm has to be vital date for Condition Based Overhaul
added for CROWS II (CBO) work and therefore benefit the
logistical support of the tank and its

Combat & Survival 33


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 Armor-
Piercing, Fin-Stabilized Discarding
Sabot with Tracer (APFSDS-T) and the
M1028 Canister Cartridge ammunition.
34 Combat & Survival
4
Left: The M1A2 SEP +60°. Without a weapon fitted, CROWS
(V2) Abrams MBT can II weighs 172kg and is 762mm high.
be fitted with a Mine
Clearing Blade (MCB) The weapons station not only benefits
or a Mine Clearing lethality but also improves the situational
Roller (MCR) - this awareness of the vehicle commander
tank is fitted with the and benefits survivability as firstly it
Since June 2010, converted M1A2 SEP mounting kit for the allows the crew to engage targets while
(V2) tanks have been fitted with the Mine Clearing Roller staying under armour and secondly to
M153 Common Remotely Operated engage threats at higher angles or in
Weapon Station II (CROWS II). Usually 4: Armament is close proximity to the vehicle; something
fitted with a 12.7mm M2HB-QCB, this 120mm M256 which is especially important during
system can alternatively also be fitted smooth-bore tank operations in built-up areas. Another
with other weapons such as the 40mm gun, coaxial 7.62mm survivability feature is that the vehicles
Mk19 Mod3 automatic grenade launcher M240B machinegun, are fitted with an integration kit for the
or the 7.62mm M240B general purpose 12.7mm M2HB-QCB Counter Radio-Controlled IED Electronic
machinegun. heavy machinegun in Warfare (CREW) Duke Version 3
the M153 CROWS II system, which allows a quick mounting
Operated from the commander’s station and 7.62mm M240B of the system if the threat level in an
by a Fire Control Unit with integrated machinegun at the operational theatre requires this.
colour display and a joystick-type loader’s hatch
Control Grip, the fully stabilised M153
CROWS II features a CCD daylight Right: Tankers of the
video camera with x27 magnification, 2nd Battalion, 5th
the Thermal Imaging Module TIM 1500, Cavalry Regiment pull
and is fitted with the eye-safe AN/PSQ- the TIGER AGT 1500
23 Small Tactical Optical Rifle-Mounted gas turbine engine
(STORM) Micro-Laser Range Finder out of the powerpack
(MLRF). The M153 is installed on the compartment of
turret roof in front of the commander’s an M1A2 SEP (V2)
hatch, can be traversed fully 360° and Abrams MBT for
has an elevation range from -20° to maintenance
 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
5 warfighting environment, improve
video material is displayed in the 5: The M1A2 SEP Reactive Armor Tiles (ARAT) and
driver’s compartment. (V2) Abrams is Abrams Reactive Armor Tiles 2 (ARAT
fitted with the 2), belly armour for increased mine
In order to provide additional new TIGER (Total protection, the Driver’s Harness System
protection for the loader when Integrated Engine Seat and the Loader’s Thermal Weapon
manning his machinegun, the Sight (LTWS).
Revitalization)
Loader’s Armored Gun Shield (LAGS)
is fitted to the mount of the 7.62mm
variant of the AGT FUTURE OF THE ABRAMS
M240B machinegun installed at his
1500 gas turbine As previously mentioned the US Army
hatch. engine - seen currently plans to field variants of the
here removed for M1 Abrams MBT up to around 2045, by
The Tank Infantry Phone (TIP) and maintenance which time the vehicle will be 65 years
the Loader’s Armored Gun Shield old. In order to achieve this goal further
(LAGS) were originally developed 6: The Tank Infantry modernisation of the tank is essential.
under the Tank Urban Survivability Phone (TIP) is Work on the next package of upgrades
Kit (TUSK) programme, aimed to mounted to the right is already underway. It has not yet been
increase protection for crew members rear - the thermal finally decided yet if a further upgraded
from the threats found in an urban camera of the vehicle will be called the M1A2 SEP (V3)
Driver’s Rear View Abrams MBT or the M1A3 Abrams MBT.
the vehicle’s armour protection, 6
Camera (DRVC)
improve situational awareness and
allow better communication with
system has been
dismounted assets. The M1A2 SEP
integrated inside
(V2) Abrams MBT is prepared for the the right tail light
installation of the remaining TUSK cluster
components if the threat level in an
operational environment so requires.
These components are reactive
armour, comprising the Abrams
Combat & Survival 35
www.combatandsurvival.com

/combatandsurvival @CombatSurvival +CombatAndSurvivalOnline

 Having downed all
their nominated
targets Bahrain’s
Royal Special Forces
team descends the
spiral staircase

Combat & Survival 37

 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 Teams at or leaving display or the first three stages of the
North America who lived the starting box: competition held the next day, but
side-by-side for a week and eager to document as much of the
Kazakhstan SFG Unit

competed against each
other over five gruelling
days under a baking desert
sun to become best of the
best.
M
agazine production sched- competition as possible we spent the
32356 from Almaty,
ules and prior commitments following three days following teams
Jordan’s Gendarmerie
prevented us being in Jordan around five of the following six stages
Unit 14 and Jordan’s
at the start of the event to plus the King’s Challenge finale,
cover the Opening Ceremony and
Special Police PSD1. which took place on the Sunday, and

38 Combat & Survival

 1 2

3 4

1: Canadian Special
Operations Regiment
breachers reach the
first door were really great guys too.

2: Brunei Special The three stages which all teams,

Forces Regiment
force the first
outward opening
steel door
the Awards Ceremony on the
3: MOE building Monday. Last month we focussed
can be reconfigured on Day 2, Friday 2nd May, and
for multiple entry this month we are concentrating
on the adrenalin-pumping ‘Shock
challenges
n Awe’ stage which all teams
participated on at some time dur-
4: Teams incurred ing Day 3.
penalties for straying
outside red line
As I had been unable to cover
markings 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
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 39

 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; US Sheriffs, Dutch MARSOC and Slovakian SF
ascend a spiral staircase to roof demonstrate different ways of assisting their
level; load weapons and identify
fifth man climb the wall
then take down four colour-

40 Combat & Survival

One of three Lebanese
teams race for the roof - on
personal security grounds
we have obscured team
members’ faces if wearing
clear eyepro

Combat & Survival 41

5 6

7 5: Two of the 8
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

8: Breachers from
one of the Chinese
teams race back to
the finish line
coded targets apiece; unload
9
and make safe weapons then 9: Kazakhstan
descend the spiral staircase to SFG Unit 22750
ground level; then sprint down
the mound to the finishing line.
from Karaganda
Ballistic helmet, Level III body
descend the spiral
armour with front and back staircase
plates, ear and eye protection,
pistol with holster and four Right: Afghanistan
magazines and assault rifle with GDPCU team
six magazines had to be worn member shouts
or carried by each man. encouragement to
one of his mates
During this stage each team
also had to carry a door Images ©
breaching kit, including both a Bob Morrison :
battering ram and a crowbar, Military Scene
and the briefing (given in
English and Arabic) clearly attention were penalised. However
stated that if the assaulters the biggest decision was whether
chose not to affix these tools or not to put speed in completing
to their body they would incur the stage before shooting accuracy.
penalty points in the event of Some made the wrong choice as over
them touching floor or walls. exertion caused them to miss targets.
The devil is always in the detail
and those who did not pay full To be continued ...

42 Combat & Survival

 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 Members of C (Special Duties) Company,
defence forces in action and to exclusively photograph troops wearing their 1st Regiment AFM, wearing the new uniform
new uniform. A detailed report will be carried in next month’s issue.
Image © Bob Morrison : Military Scene
44 Combat & Survival
46 Combat & Survival
Combat & Survival 47

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.
48 Combat & Survival
P
art of Czechoslovakia until the early As can be seen from
1990s, at first Slovakian troops the group photo above,
used the mid-80s Czechoslovak
vz 2007 Les and vz
vz 85 ‘woodland’ camouflage pat-
tern, which was widely acknowledged
1995 ‘leaf’ patterns
as being a derivative of the earlier US are reasonably
Army ERDL ‘leaf’ pattern. In the mid- compatible at close
90s a slightly muddier version of vz range and from
85 was introduced by Slovakia under infantry engagement
the vz 95 designation and though this range they are almost
was soon replaced with a variant of indistinguishable to
US M81 Woodland pattern for conven- the eye. Neither is as
tional forces’ use, the 1995 ‘leaf’ pattern good in arid theatre
remained in use with Slovak Special
conditions as vz 2007
Forces. Indeed one of the Slovakian
team at KASOTC this May was wearing
Pust, but that is only
vz 95 camo trousers with vz 2007 Les to be expected. For
(forest) combat shirt and body armour. confirmation that
helmet covers are also
Les is a four-colour pattern of
issued in Les pattern
predominantly chocolate brown and
bottle green shades over a sand or stone
see the image to the true cubes despite the nickname - the
base with small areas of black to give the right. general effect is not really all that digital
impression of depth. The overall effect in appearance when viewed from more
is most definitely aimed at a temperate Images © than a few metres away. Overall effect
theatre and although large squarish Bob Morrison is much denser than the Pust (Desert)
‘pixels’ are used - note that most are not equivalent.
 Since the end of the Cold 1 Main Image: The in-theatre, such as the units of the 21st
Fires Battery uses Theater Sustainment Command. When
War the US Army Europe
deployed in the event of a contingency
(USAREUR) has been reduced the 155mm M109A6 operation the capabilities of the ERF
in strength drastically, Paladin self-propelled complement that of the combat and
losing all its heavy armour howitzer it can fire combat support forces currently already
with the last two Heavy the Excalibur 155mm forward-based in Europe; namely the
Brigade Combat Teams, M982 Precision 2nd Cavalry Regiment, a Stryker Brigade
the 170th Infantry BCT and
Guided Extended Combat Team (SBCT), the 173rd Infantry
172nd Infantry BCT being
deactivated in 2012 and 2013.
Range Artillery Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), the
But then in 2014, in response
the same time its force numbers are Projectile [US Army: 12th Combat Aviation Brigade and
to increased tensions,
reduced and its budget is shrinking. SPC Brian Chaney] the 10th Army Air Missile Defense
Under this doctrine the US Army has Command.
USAREUR again received a
formally aligned I Corps to the US Pacific
limited armoured fighting
Command (USPACOM), III Corps to
1: M2A3 Bradley In addition to being a US contingency
capability with the creation
US Central Command (USCENTCOM)
IFVS of the EAS are force the ERF also serves as the US
of the European Rotational
and XVIII Airborne Corps to the Global used to equip the two contribution to the NATO Response
Force and the pre-positioning
Response Force (GRF). In addition Mechanised Infantry Force (NRF). While being a strong
of the European Activity Set Companies - with one
divisions have been aligned to the US statement that the USA will in the future
in southern Germany.
Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), vehicle belonging to remain committed to NATO and the

T
he European Rotational Force
the US Northern Command the HHC the Combined security and stability of Europe, the ERF
(ERF) comprises a battalion-
(USNORTHCOM), the US European Arms Battalion can also provides the US Army with an ability
size combined arms task force
Command (USEUCOM) and US Africa field a total of 29 to continue to train armoured warfare
Command (USAFRICOM). within a multinational environment and to
and a brigade headquarters
better train interoperability.
assigned to the US European Com-
Regionally Aligned Forces provide
mand (USEUCOM) area of respon-
in-theatre commanders with versatile,
sibility, falling under command of
responsive and consistently available
the USAREUR. After losing its last
US Army forces and will fulfil their
Heavy Brigade Combat Team, being
requirements for units and capabilities
assigned the ERF was critical for the
needed to conduct operational missions,
force posture mitigation strategy of
bi-national and multinational exercises
USAREUR.
and in-theatre security activities.
The assignment of the ERF to
USAREUR was conducted under
DEPLOYING TWICE A YEAR
The ERF will be deployed for a duration
the newly adopted Regional Aligned
of 60 days for training and exercise A total of 29 M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams tanks are required to kit out the
Forces doctrine, established to
purposes twice a year. During its two Armor Companies of the Combined Arms Battalion. Some of the
allow the US Army to fulfil its security
deployment the ERF relies on the vehicles are fitted with the the Mine Clearing Blade (MCB)
commitments world-wide while at
support of enablers already stationed

50 Combat & Survival

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
2: For the Brigade
HQ and the HQ of
The first formation to provide the EUROPEAN ACTIVITY SET the Combined Arms
ERF is the Fort Hood based 1st In order to save money, resources
‘Ironhorse’ Brigade Combat Team and time during possible contingency
Battalion the EAS
of the 1st ‘First Team’ Cavalry deployments in January 2014 the
has a number of
Division, but other brigades might equipment for the European Rotational M1068A3 Standard 3
be assigned to the task in the future Force (ERF) was pre-positioned at the Integrated Command
under the rotational concept. The Grafenwöhr Garrison and Training Area, Post System
combined arms battalion of the of the US Army in southern Germany, in Carriers which
brigade chosen for the ERF is the a designated Motor Pool. With the heavy feature a raised rear
2nd Battalion, 5th ‘Lancers’ Cavalry equipment already in-theatre only the compartment
Regiment. troops, with their personal equipment
and small arms, need to deploy; 3: This M577A3
In May and June 2014 the ERF was something which can be done easily by
deployed to Europe for the first plane, allowing for a much reduced ERF
command post
time. During this deployment the deployment time and therefore a quicker
carrier is also used
ERF as a whole took part in exercise reaction to possible swiftly developing - while upgraded
COMBINED RESOLVE II (see last threats. to A3 standard and
month) held at the Joint Multinational refurbished the weld
Readiness Centre (JMRC) on the Designated as European Activity Set seam along the side
Hohenfels Training Area, while or EAS, this pre-positioned equipment of the hull indicates
elements of it also participated in includes every major item of equipment that the vehicle is
Exercise ROCHAMBEAU 14, held in
France in May 2014, and Exercise
that is needed to kit out a combined one of the first ever
arms battalion and the headquarters of a built back in the
SABRE STRIKE 14, held in Lithuania Heavy Brigade Combat Team, according
in June 2014. to their Table of Organization and
early 1960s

Combat & Survival 51


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 pre-
positioned equipment is maintained
by the Vilseck-based Army Field
Support Battalion-Germany of the
52 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
4 a Forward Maintenance Platoon and a
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.
Some 70% of the equipment drawn
together to become the EAS was
Above: The Fire
provided by USAREUR, originating
Support Platoon from the stocks of units that had
is equipped with been disbanded in recent years. The
four M3A3 Bradley remainder of the kit was sourced by
Fire Support Team the Army Material Command from
(BFIST) vehicles - depots in Italy, Kuwait and Korea.
these do not feature The M2A3 Bradley IFVs and M1A2
the TOW launcher SEP (V2) Abrams MBTs, all just out
as the Fire Support of refurbishment and in ‘zero miles,
as new’ condition were shipped to
Sensor System (FS3)
Germany from Fort Hood in Texas.
has been installed
TABLE OF ORGANIZATION
4: This M113A3 AND EQUIPMENT
is kitted out as The exact numbers and quantities of
mobile command vehicles and equipment pre-positioned
post - these vehicles in Germany under the designation EAS
are used within the are kept confidential by USAREUR for
HQs of the Armor obvious reasons. The fact that the EAS
Companies and is earmarked to equip a combined arms
battalion and a brigade HQ of an HBCT
Rifle Companies of
allows us, however, to provide you with
the Combined Arms
an idea of what major fighting vehicles
Battalion are in stock.
5: An M88A2
According to the current US Army
HERCULES extracts Table of Organization and Equipment
the TIGER AGT 1500 (TOE) for a Combined Arms Battalion,
gas turbine engine this comprises a Headquarters and
from an M1A2 SEP Headquarters Company (HHC), two
(V2) Abrams MBT 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,
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 Long-
Range 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 self-
propelled howitzers and eight M992A2
Field Artillery Ammunition Supply
Vehicles (FAASV).
The forward support company
(FSC) can field eight M88A2 Heavy
Equipment Recovery Combat Utility
5

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.
6
Above: In addition to 7
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 Images © Carl Schulze unless noted
Armored Ambulances
Heavy trucks belonging to the EAS continental USA after taking it over from
and M113A3 APC
include M1120A4 Heavy Expanded the POMCUS (Prepositioning Of Materiel
kitted out as medical Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) Load Configured in Unit Sets) depots.
evacuation vehicles Handling System (LHS) trucks, M978A4
HEMTT Fuel Servicing Trucks, M984A4 The whole process of reinforcing the
7: The EAS includes HMETT Wrecker, M1074A1 Palletized USAREUR was regularly trained for
a large number of Load System (PLS) trucks with crane, in the Return of Forces to Germany
HMMWVs in different M1075A1 Palletized Load System (PLS) (REFORGER) exercises that were
variants. Here a trucks without crane and M916A3 Light held annually. Today, under the
M1165A1 Command Equipment Transporter (LET) Tractor Army Prepositioning Stocks (APS)
and Control/General Trucks. Some of these vehicles have programme, unit sets of equipment for
never been used in Europe before, such standard Brigade Combat Teams and
Purpose Vehicle can
as the M1A2 SEP (V2) Abrams MBT, the assorted ammunition are pre-positioned
be seen alongside a M2A3 Bradley IFV, the M3A3 Bradley in South Korea and Japan, in Kuwait and
M1152A1 Expanded CFV and the M88A2 HERCULES. Qatar and aboard ships afloat.
Capacity Vehicle
8
PRE-POSITIONING HISTORY
8: One of the M113A3 The concept of pre-positioning
variants available equipment as implemented with
in the EAS is the the EAS is far from new and the US
M1064A3 mortar Army has equipment pre-positioned
carrier fitted with not only in Europe. Back during
the times of the Cold War several
120mm M121
division sets of equipment were
mortars - four are pre-positioned in Germany under
needed to equip the the Rapid Reinforcement Concept
Mortar Platoon of (RRC). In the event of an escalation
the Combined Arms of hostilities between NATO and the
Battalion Warsaw Pact these would have been
fielded by personnel flown over from the
Combat & Survival 53
 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
he Black Eagle Athletic range of
footwear from Haix, engineered
in Germany but manufactured
in Vietnam, is exceedingly light
56 Combat & Survival
Both myself and
Lottie (who modelled
for us last month)
have been wearing
these new mid-
length (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. in weight and very comfortable to wear versions are produced as several Euro-
yet it incorporates the very latest in boot pean armies are now ditching black.
Images © design and fabric technologies mating a
Bob Morrison highly technical composite sole design to Looking first at the uppers, which when
high performance microfibre and textile properly fastened fit around the foot like a
uppers. Conceived originally for the ‘blue glove, these are made from a microfibre/
light’ uniformed personnel sector, both textile combination with skeletal external
the high leg (Athletic 11) and mid length strengthening and padding and are lined
(Athletic 10) models are now available in with Gore-Tex Extended 3-layer laminate
tan for arid theatre military use and I sus- which makes them both weatherproof and
pect it will not be too long before brown 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 anti-
bacterial 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 sole’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.

Combat & Survival 57


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.
P
romoted as Jo Special Boots or JSB,
though the full name is actually The
Jordanian Company For Manufactur-
ing Special Boots, the manufacturer of the
58 Combat & Survival
Boots worn by one
of the Palestinian
Spec Ops team
members at WARRIOR
COMPETITION
TERRAQUEOUS range of footwear is part 1
of the KADDB (King Abdullah II Design &
Development Bureau) Investment Group’s
specialist Troops Cluster. It aims to pro-
duce 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.
Founded in the 2008, the company
produces a wide variety of footwear
models that suit different military and Images © Bob Morrison
police needs in addition to hiking boots
and Oxford shoes, with a focus on civilian 2
Above: The cutaway needs and requirements such as the
on the manufacturer’s sports and safety markets. However it
stand at SOFEX was their TTB (Track Tactical Desert)
shows how the TTB is model which caught our eye. Several
constructed of the Spec Ops personnel and military
specialist users we discussed these
1: A Jordanian wearer boots with during the competition told
- note the well padded us they were both very comfortable and
collar and the D-ring definitely fit for purpose.
speed lacing system
The TERRAQUEOUS TTD boot has suede
leather and wear-resistant Cordura fabric
2: Uppers are suede uppers with padded tongue and collar,
leather and Cordura anti-bacterial and anti-static removable
with substantial cushioned insole, composite shock- 3
padding to tongue and absorbing sole and heel, hard wearing
collar rubber outsole with a tread specifically
designed to cater for both sandy and
3: Composite sole rocky terrain, and rustproof metal alloy
rubber tread is speed lacing eyelets which are suitable
intended to cope with for parachute operations. We have not
yet been able to field test these boots for
both sandy and rocky
ourselves, but hope to be able to do so in
desert terrain 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 ‘contractor style’
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
N
eedless to say both Top left: Jitka
manufacturer and supplier prefers long-sleeved
met my expectations and shirts - note double
the 5.11 Taclite Pro Short pen pocket on
Sleeved Shirts I ordered through
sleeve
heinnie.com both arrived in super-
fast time and did precisely what
Top right: All
I wanted them to. I ordered TDU
Khaki and Black versions, for day
5.11 shirts are
and evening wear respectively,
generously sized - I
and found them to be so much should have got the
to my liking that I then got a long- very smallest for
sleeved version for Jitka. I prefer Jitka
wearing short sleeves when-
ever possible, mostly as I like the Right: The rear
degree of freedom of movement panel beneath the
while shooting which rolled up shoulders is cape
long sleeves tend to inhibit, but as style for lower back
Jitka works mostly in short sleeves ventilation
(in the kitchen as a Head Chef)

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
a good number of years now, Above: My short
but in the past I have mostly sleeved version
gone for the more heavyweight with the stitch-on
100% cotton 5.11 Tactical shoulder and rank
Shirt version which is one third
badge tabs - note
heavier than the 65 polyester
and 35% cotton ripstop fabric
also the ventilation
5.11 Taclite Pro Shirt. Despite
eyelets in the
the different fabrics, both model
armpit
of 5.11 shirt has exactly the
same features, including the Left: Beneath the
very capacious vertical access cape style back is
concealed or ‘stash’ document a moisture-wicking
pocket either side behind the Drilex mesh
more conventional pleated patch ventilation panel
chest pockets and the optional
stitch-on shoulder tabs and Right: There is
chest patch for rank attachment. a tab and button
inside each sleeve
Other features of this shirt to allow them to be
design are concealed button- neatly rolled up a cape-style back panel over the
down collar stays (i.e. small upper back beneath which is a
triangular tabs under the collar moisture-wicking Drilex material
which retain it smartly without the to efficiently vent and evaporate
buttons appearing through the moisture plus there are stitched
outer face), a twin compartment ventilation eyelets in each armpit.
pen pocket let into the upper
left sleeve and a pass-through These shirts are also treated with a
slot for a pen at the top of the Teflon coating to provide a barrier
left chest pocket. There is also against stains and liquids; very
Combat & Survival 61
 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.
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 penny-
pinching bean-counters but
with high quality spex readily
available for less than the
cost of a pair of fashionable
brand-name trainers or flimsy
62 Combat & Survival
Right: Behind each
chest pocket there
is a very large
‘stash’ pocket
secured by velcro
Model: Jitka
Images ©
Bob Morrison
Above left: Revision 2
STINGERHAWK
spectacles
provide excellent
sunglasses why blame somebody and affordable
else? wraparound eye
protection
M
y eyepro of personal choice is the
SAWFLY model from Revision, 1: Carrying case
which many troops who have includes two spare
deployed to Afghanistan over clear and yellow “I find them to be very lightweight but
the last few years will have been issued polycarbonate lenses robust. Comfortable to wear, affording
with, but their slightly more compact and as an alternative to excellent wrap-around eye protection.
lightweight STINGERHAWK model offers dark grey plus a soft The yellow lenses particularly are a
the same degree of Military Specifica- revelation in low light driving conditions.
cleaning cloth bag
tion protection and is widely available for When changing the lenses over the first
private purchase through many advertis-
and a retaining strap few times, I needed some brute finger
ers in this magazine. Jitka has long been 2: The shape of strength - however, this has got easier to
a fan of Revision EyePro - she is wearing do with practise.”
the frame allows a
STINGERHAWK spex overleaf - and Moira,
our Advertising Director, has now also
ballistic helmet to Think about it next time you are
become a convert. be worn and vents tempted to spend your spare cash on
above the nose help a flashy pair of new trainers or ‘bling’
Asked to briefly sum them up, this was reduce condensation sunglasses. Isn’t it more important to
Moira’s response:- build-up invest in protecting your eyesight?
 In the Alps where
the temperature
was ‘variable’ 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.

S
ince I have had them, they
have been in use consistent-
ly in all types of circumstanc-
es. 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

64 Combat & Survival

 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.
4 HERE. A COUPLE OF WEEKS
MSR/ProAgencies
07734 215 821/cascadedesigns.com
1: The trouser legs can 1 2
be secured under the
knee and also onto the
laces - note the double
layered knees
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
LATER THIS HAD BEEN
CONFIRMED.
I
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.
Combat & Survival 65
 Product - UK Contact: Snugpak/Snugpak Thermarest/ProAgencies
Telephone/Web: 01535 654 479/snugpak.com 07734 215 821/cascadedesigns.com

5 6

5: Many and various 7

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.
were the ways I got
to rig the AWS on
our tour around Mont
Blanc - sadly always
to keep the rain out -
also, if it got very hot, as a sun shade. In walking poles make
addition he had ideas of using it as a sail ideal supports and
but to date I don’t think he has done this. we used some extra and had a place to put bulky kit when we
guy lines for added were getting sorted out. It was also a dry
I too was off on my travels to walk the stability kitchen. As we were part of a 30+ group,
TMB (Tour du Mont Blanc). As the weather there was distinct ‘tarp envy’ as we were
was looking unreliable, I also took one, the only ones to have one.
and am I pleased I did. It was rigged in
6: The Snugpak AWS
various ways for most camps, but mostly
was in frequent use It will, of course, work as a stand-alone
as a ‘porch’ to the Snugpak Scorpion 3 on my son’s Danube shelter in many ways and is supplied with

W
e ended up with two of these tent I was using for the trip. Sometimes canoe expedition strong points, loops and press studs to
shelters and my son, Angus, took we shared and it became porch to two providing shelter help with this. You get a lot of protection
one on his Danube canoe exped tents. As the rain poured, I was able to from both rain and for a kilo. The 3x3metre AWS comes
as a cooking shelter for inclement go in and out of my tent out of the wet, sun complete with guys and pegs, stuff sack
weather (he should be a forecaster!) and thereby keeping things more in control and a holdall.

8 7: The AWS allowed 9

us to keep the door
open on the tent so
allowing us to see
the great views
– when weather
permitted
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
prove much on the durability side, as we
Images © were not carrying kit, but it did provide

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?
W
ell, this icon of kip mats has
been up-dated to make it just
that bit tougher and more effec-
tive. 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
or via for a very adequate base to sleep on. I
Mike Gormley 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.

66 Combat & Survival

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 Security Industry
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.
T
he use of the ground forces
is never taken lightly in Israel;
especially since armour can suffer
heavy casualties in an urban en-
vironment 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
FROM PAST
TO FUTURE?
Tunnels In Warfare
- By Robert Shaw
68 Combat & Survival
(OPTIMALRISK.COM) IS A FORMER BRITISH ARMY ATO AND IEDD/
either side of villages inside Israel. ‘Sapper’ for military engineers was
WIS OPERATOR TURNED EOD THREAT AND COUNTER-IED TRAINER
They included branches filled with coined. This would collapse parts of
explosives to attack the infrastructure walls and create a gap that could be
above, just as British tunnels did exploited by the forces holding the
in World War One and as we are fortification under siege.
ROBERT SHAW OF OPTIMAL RISK MANAGEMENT LTD.
seeing in Syria now. These tunnels
would have allowed hundreds of The replacement of the fire with high
IMAGE © BOB MORRISON : MILITARY SCENE
terrorists to suddenly appear inside explosives came to the fore in WW1,
Israel during the night of the Jewish where both sides tunnelled towards
New Year and attack the villages each other’s lines and filled them with
that surround the Gaza Strip. They explosives. The charges would then
also included restraints and syringes be detonated as the opening event
with tranquillisers which would have to an offensive. The quantities used
allowed hundreds of hostages to be were huge and during one battle
taken. the explosions could even be heard
in London. The craters left by these
AND CONSULTANT.
Over the last two years, the Israeli charges were so massive that they
forces have been training and are still part of the landscape even
equipping themselves to fight in now. The aim of the detonations were
tunnels and bunkers underground. to create large gaps in the network
HAMAS has had to develop the of enemy fortifications, bunkers and
use of tunnels for two reasons. wire (all covered by machinegun fire)
The first is to overcome the Israeli to allow troops to break through. We
superiority in airpower and ISTAR see the use of these same tactics in
(Intelligence, Surveillance, Syria at the moment.
Target Acquisition, and
Reconnaissance) Tunnels were used in Vietnam by
capability, the Vietcong and NVA, though
which more for shelter, and included
makes hospitals, accommodation,
approaching weapon workshops and even
Israeli theatres for entertainment!
positions in The reason the VC had to go
the open by underground was to avoid
night or day a the US superior airpower
potential disaster. and ISTAR capability. The US
The second is that forces soon learnt, like the
their previous method of Israelis, that the only way to
attacking Israel by firing rockets successfully and thoroughly
at it has recently been negated destroy the tunnels was to
by the deployment of the IRON send specially trained and
DOME missile protection system. selected troops down into the
system to fight. One cannot destroy
The use of tunnels is nothing them with airpower alone, no matter
new in warfare. Saps were used how accurate.
in past conflicts to approach
fortification walls under cover In more recent times, the Mujahideen
and then undermine them by in Afghanistan used the natural cave
digging away foundations and systems and water
creating large fires which could tunnels to hide in,
then be lit; this is where the term 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.
 outstanding mine protection without re-
Unveiled at SOFEX 2014 earlier
sorting to the traditional V-shape design.
this year, the Jordanian version
The mine protected flat bottom hull re-
of the MBOMBE is a highly
duces MBOMBE’s silhouette to under 2.4
agile Infantry Fighting Vehicle
metres, which delivers significant benefits
offering outstanding protection,
in combat and against IED attacks. The
mobility and firepower; variants
vehicle comes as standard with a high
include Armoured Personnel
level of protection against kinetic energy
Carrier, Infantry Fire Support
and blast attacks. It is fully qualified to
Vehicle, Anti-Armour support
STANAG specifications.
Vehicle, 120mm mortar Vehicle
and Command Vehicle. We
MBOMBE is a flexible battlefield tool for
grabbed the opportunity
both conventional, asymmetric warfare,
to photograph MBOMBE in
counter-terrorism and peacekeeping
the Armoured Personnel
missions. It can be configured as an
Carrier configuration during
armoured personnel carrier or as highly
a demonstration run where it
effective armoured fighting vehicle
tackled the standard IMMLC
mounting a heavy machinegun or
category obstacles at Marka,
automatic cannon/ remote weapon
including at one stage reversing
station. There is ample space for the
over a number of obstacles to
driver, commander, gunner and eight fully
demonstrate its versatility, and
equipped infantrymen together with tools,
showed its surprisingly tight
ammunition and equipment.
turning circle at both low and
high speeds.
The basic MBOMBE model provides

O
outstanding blast protection paired with
riginated by the Paramount Group
world-class levels of protection against
of South Africa and being produced (STANAG level 4a and 4b).
kinetic attack. The low silhouette offers
in co-operation with Jordan’s Anti-blast seats are designed to prevent
a reduced target to enemy gunners and
KADDB (King Abdullah II Design & injury to the crew from the extreme
reduces the effect of side blasts/IEDs.
Development Bureau), the MBOMBE is acceleration following an explosion beside
The armoured hull provides excellent
designed to provide unrivalled protection or under the vehicle. Extra protection can
stopping power against ballistic attack
against landmines, IEDs, side blasts and be added in a modular manner to give
(STANAG 4569 level 3 as standard) and
RPG attacks. This is achieved by revo- defence against RPG, 14.5mm ballistic
anti-tank land mine explosions under
lutionary new technology that provides threats and specific threats to meet the user
its flat hull or under any wheel station

70 Combat & Survival

 Images © Bob Morrison

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
requirement. payloads over all types of terrain without Turning Circle: < 20,000
loss of mobility and the three axles provide Electrical System: 24 Volts
MBOMBE is designed with impressive excellent cross-country performance, Engine: Cummins 336 kW ISBe4
power to retain its outstanding mobility delivering a highly versatile platform. Fuel: Diesel
characteristics even when combat laden- Transmission: Allison 6-speed Automatic
configured as an infantry fighting vehicle Jordan has officially announced the Brakes: Pneumatic Disc
carrying a modern automatic cannon. The procurement of an initial fleet of fifty Tyres: 395/85 R20 XZL
6x6 vehicle is able to carry considerable vehicles.

Combat & Survival 71

 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’.
T
his 412-page paperback briefly ex-
plains 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.
72 Combat & Survival
Operation CHARIOT, the Royal Navy
and Commando assault on the German-
occupied 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.
F
irst published in hardback last year but now out
in paperback, this 344-page book grippingly
describes not just the action but also the build-up with his attacking run.
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 Campbel-
town 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.
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
all three aircraft in front of him being
shot down yet he still pressed on
B
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 dedica-
tion is to “the lost torpedo airmen” and Mark
has certainly helped the pair do their mates
justice.
Priced at £7.99, this 336-page book is
published by Simon & Schuster. Also Highly
Recommended.
74
Combat & Survival
Page Design: Olivia Brook