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P16 UK Forces News End Of An Era
The Royal Marines depart Afghanistan after more than
eleven years of frontline service
P21 New Technology Mikado UAV
Carl Schulze photographs the Bundeswehr Micro-UAV
during a multinational exercise
P27 Firearms Glock 17 Gen 4
Greg Roberts concludes his two-part feature on the new
UK Forces 9mm pistol with a range test
P36 Elite Training DEMS School
Bob Morrison reports on the combined services Defence
EOD Munitions & Search Regiment
P43 Unmanned Vehicles EOD Robots
Bob Morrison photographs both Cutlass and
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P52 UK Kit News UK Trainers
First test of the new Hi-Tec Viper and Magnum UST
training shoes procured by UK MoD
P57 Kit & Camo Mimetico Deserto
Louise models the 4-colour Italian desert pattern first
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P62 Gormley’s Gear
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Forum Supported by Combat & Survival
Combat & Survival | 03
Braid Fell DZ, April 2013 -
a lone Hercules drops a
couple of platoons worth
of Paras
While recently standing for
several hours on a windswept
Scottish hillside awaiting the
arrival of Parachute Regiment
and Régiment EEtrangers de
Parachutiste specialists from
RAF C-130 Hercules and French
Air Force C-160 Transall aircraft
(more next month) my mind
wandered back over the last
couple of decades to the way
things used to be. I have stood
on the Braid Fell drop zone
many times over the last couple
of decades, occasionally on a
wasted journey as peacetime
safety restrictions have
prevented the overhead assault
but an impressive wave of
aircraft has still overflown the
spot, and I have also stood on
many of the other major UK
drop zones awaiting the cracks
of blossoming parachutes on
more successful drops, so I can
reasonably assess the changes
over the years.
T
here is no doubt about it. UK
military parachute exercises, and
for that matter UK airmobile field
exercises, which I have witnessed
over two dozen years starting with the
fledgling 24 Airmobile Brigade
excursions in Germany in the late
eighties, are but a pale shadow of their
former self. Twenty years ago I was
granted the privilege of flying out of RAF
Lyneham in the back of one of the Hercs
carrying the Lead Parachute Battalion
Group and its vehicles in a 15-ship
formation. It was electrifying. Likewise,
snapping away on the Alpha or the Juliet
on Sidbury Hill DZ or on Frog Hill DZ as
the sky filled with the parachutes of 500
pax and eighteen MSPs of vehicles and
stores was awe-inspiring.
A little over ten years ago, I was lucky to
see four Hercs delivering a much
smaller number of troops over Braid Fell
and it was still pretty impressive, but
nothing like watching a full LPBG drop
(the old LANYARD exercise series) in
the nineties. Times are definitely
changing, and not in my opinion for the
better. Last week, during Exercise JOINT
WARRIOR 2013, which was billed as
being probably the biggest field
exercise that will be held in the UK this
year and which should have been a
showcase for Britain's elite rapid
response Commando and Air Assault
brigades, just one lonely Herc inserted
maybe 80 elite maroon beret troops
from 2 PARA onto Braid Fell.
Is the British Army and the RAF really so
low in resources that this is the best
they can do? No wonder another
envious South American President, with
domestic problems at home, is sabre-
rattling over a British Dependency in the
South Atlantic which has
overwhelmingly voted to remain British.
Why are military lessons so often quickly
forgotten?
On a slightly more positive side,
although HM Government is pulling in
the Defence budget and making
thousands of troops redundant there
are plans to bring the Territorial Army,
which was decimated and pretty much
ignored during the Blair/Brown years, a
little more to the fore. This is welcome
and sorely needed but, as my friend
retired Colonel 'Bosnia Bob' Stewart
DSO and who is now a Member of
Parliament on the Government benches
recently pointed out, the TA should be
there to support a strong Regular Army
and should not be seen as a low-cost
Braid Fell DZ, July 2002 - the sky is full of 'chutes as four RAF
Hercules aircraft pass over
substitute. Messrs Cameron & Clegg,
please don't sink the ship for the lack of
a ha’p’orth of tar. Weak defence is no
defence.
It is a long time since we ran a Reader
Survey and with all these changes afoot,
including the ongoing draw-down from
Afghanistan, now seems to be as good
a time as any to find out what the
majority of our readership will be
looking to see in C&S in the future. As
the vast majority of our readership have
online access, rather than chopping
down more trees than necessary we
have opted to run the survey
electronically on the
combatandsurvival.com website.
By the time this issue hits the
newsstands the online form should be
live.
We know from past surveys, on both
C&S and its sister titles, that a lot of
readers will not bother to fill in a paper
survey form and post it off. Hopefully
the ease of ticking some boxes online
will generate a higher response rate, but
just in case you need an added
incentive we are going to give away a
voucher for £250 of Magnum footwear
to one lucky reader who completes the
electronic survey; the recipient's name
being drawn at random, so everyone
has an equal chance of winning
Magnum boots (and/or trainers) of
personal choice. Go for it. What have
you got to lose?
Finally, as of 29th April no British
personnel serving in Afghanistan had
laid down their life over the preceding
month. Let's hope we can say the same
next month.
BM
Combat & Survival 05
 1

Main
MainImage:
Image:AA vehicle commander is
briefed on his next mission by a CTS[G]
instructor - Staff of the CTS Training and
Advisory Team of the Armour Centre
rotate between Bovington and Sennelager
1: CTS[G] is subordinate to the Armour
Centre in Bovington, which trains soldiers
in driving and maintenance of AFVs and
operation of vehicle weapon systems and
communications equipment.

Combat & Survival 09

 IN RECENT YEARS THE Above: A fifth of 2
BRITISH ARMY HAS the course is
PROCURED SEVERAL spent on live fire
HUNDRED VEHICLES IN THE training - here a
PROTECTED MOBILITY
CATEGORIES UNDER THE
gunner can be
URGENT OPERATIONAL seen during the
REQUIREMENT (UOR) static shoot firing
PROGRAMME TO ALLOW ITS of a 7.62mm L7A2
FORCES DEPLOYED TO GPMG mounted in
AFGHANISTAN ON the Protected
OPERATION HERRICK TO Weapon Station of
COUNTER THE MINE AND a Mastiff 2 PPV
BALLISTIC THREATS
ENCOUNTERED THERE. THIS
PROTECTED MOBILITY
2: During the CTS
VEHICLE FLEET INCLUDES: course soldiers
PROTECTED PATROL are trained on the
VEHICLES (PPV) SUCH AS type of Protected
THE MASTIFF 1, 2 AND 3, Mobility vehicle

T
THE RIDGBACK AND THE they will later see to their higher centre of gravity and
FOXHOUND; FIRE SUPPORT action with, for he one thing all Protected as a result of the add-on armour
VEHICLES (FSV) SUCH AS example this Husky Mobility vehicles have in packages fitted they are more bulky
THE JACKAL 1 AND 2; AND
TACTICAL SUPPORT
Tactical Support common is that they differ with the driver's field of view being
Vehicle – Medium in many ways from limited, making manoeuvring a tricky
VEHICLES (TSV) SUCH AS standard issue vehicles. For task and especially so in confined
THE WOLFHOUND, HUSKY example, they behave differently spaces. They are also fitted with new
AND COYOTE. when operated on- and off-road due equipment such as Counter

10 Combat & Survival


Improvised Explosive Device
Jammers and Remote Controlled
Weapon Stations that need to be
operated by the crew members
and certain rules have to be
respected to make sure that their
full capabilities can be exploited,
plus all items in the vehicle have
to be stored securely so that they
do not become a projectile in
case of an IED strike.
All this make it necessary to train
the vehicle users - including
drivers, commanders and
gunners - thoroughly before they
are deployed on operation.
Moreover, while the driver can
usually steer a Protected Mobility
vehicle safely on his own,
operating it tactically under hostile
conditions is a crew effort that
involves at least the vehicle
commander and the gunner in
addition to the driver, if not the
whole crew.
It is the mission of the Crew
3 3: To execute fire
5 eyes and ears for
Training School [Bovington] and its
subsidiary, the Crew Training
School [Germany], to provide
platform conversion and crew
integration training for Protected
Mobility vehicles. C&S recently
visited CTS[G] to bring you a brief
you on the training package.
BOVINGTON AND
SENNELAGER
The basic concept for the CTS
emerged from the pre-deployment
training conducted in 2010 of 16
Air Assault Brigade, who in their
usual role use comparatively few
armoured vehicles, for service on
Operation HERRICK 13. As part of
this the brigade ran courses on
Salisbury Plain Training Area during
which drivers and commanders,
having received their technical
training at the Defence School of
Transport (DST) at Leconfield in
East Yorkshire, were joined by
gunners to form crews that were
Mastiff 2 PPVs of a Quick Reaction Force push out from
a training area FOB during one of the battle exercises
in order to provide fire support for friendly forces
which have encountered trouble
4
and manoeuvre
tactics driver,
vehicle
commander and
gunner have to
cooperate closely
- often the gunner
will become the
then put through tactical training with
the rest of the the aim of creating functional teams.
crew inside the This concept was then adopted by 3
hull Commando Brigade and 7th
Armoured Brigade during their pre-
4: This is a deployment training for HERRICK 14,
Ridgback fitted as well as by 20 Armoured Brigade
with Protected and 19 Light Brigade for their pre-
Weapon Station deployment training for HERRICK 15.
belonging to the Again the training was organised at
brigade level, but this time it took
Crew Training place at Sennelager Training Area in
School [Germany] Germany.
vehicle fleet -
although based on However, this requirement to train
Mastiff it has very troops prior to their deployment on
different handling the wide range of Protected Mobility
characteristics vehicles caused an additional huge
burden to the British Army with
5: A Wolfhound vehicles having to be sourced, and
instructors selected and trained. In
TSV-H (Tactical
order to address these issues and to
Support Vehicle – assist in the delivery of the crucial
Heavy) logistic tactical training for vehicle crews the
vehicle provides Crew Training School (CTS) was set
cover from high up with support of the HQ Armour
ground while a Centre as a permanent
convoy passes establishment in Bovington in April
through a defile 2011.
The new school was staffed by a
small cadre of permanently assigned
personnel so that continuity can be
assured and real life support
managed. The approximately one

Combat & Survival 11

 6 Above: On the
hundred instructors required to
provide the training are drawn from
the brigade that has to be trained.
Right after its creation the CTS
went to work training the personnel
of 12 Mechanized Brigade, who
were earmarked to deploy to
Afghanistan on HERRICK 16. For
this the school trained some two
and a half thousand soldiers
during a 16-week period. Training
was mainly conducted on the
Bovington and Lulworth Training
Areas. Courses for members of 4
Mechanized Brigade preparing for
their deployment on HERRICK 17
and 1 Mechanised Brigade who
deployed on HERRICK 18
followed.
12 Combat & Survival
7
sandy ground of
the Sennelager
Training Area the
heavy armour can
easily bog in, just
as quickly as this
can happen in the
deserts of
Afghanistan - this
Wolfhound almost
became stuck Normandy Barracks at Sennelager in
Germany in late 2012. Within the
barracks the CTS[G] had already
6: Convoy drills been assigned its own set of buildings
are part of the as well a vehicle park, including
training - here a maintenance facilities. A Roll Over
Mastiff 2 PPV in a Drills Egress Trainer (RODET) is one
convoy with its of the training aids also available at
gunner covering Normandy Barracks - see the
THE GERMAN SUBSIDIARY the right arc September 2011 issue for more.
As the British Army contingents passes a defile
intender for deployment on In addition to this a number of training
during a battlefield
HERRICK 19 in late 2013 and area improvements were carried out
HERRICK in early 2014 will include
exercise on by the Defence Training Estate (DTE)
strong elements of German-based Sennelager on the Sennelager Training Area,
formations of the British Army it was Training Area including the construction of river
decided to establish a subsidiary of crossing points, a raised road and
the Crew Training School [Bovington] 7: Medical Forward Operating Bases. From 28th
in Germany, at the Sennelager personnel crews January 2013 onwards CTS[G]
Training Area, in order to reduce the are trained on the conducted its first course. Staff of the
number of Nights Out of Bed specialist CTS Training and Advisory Team of
(NOOB) for the troops and to spare Battlefield the Armour Centre rotate between
them travelling back and forth to the Bovington and Sennelager to maintain
Ambulance variant
UK. common training delivery standards at
of the Mastiff 2 both locations.
In order to do so half of the CTS[B] Protected Patrol
training fleet vehicles were moved Vehicle When C&S visited CTS[G] in March
via Marchwood and Emden to 2013 the school numbered a staff of

8 8: In the beginning
9 10
some 80 personnel, of which 7th
Armoured Brigade provided the
bulk. On the vehicle side the school
could muster Mastiff 1 and 2 PPVs,
Ridgback PPVs, Husky TSVs and
Wolfhound TSVs at the time of our
visit. The number of vehicles,
however, changes constantly
according to pre-deployment
training package requirements.
4-DAY TRAINING PACKAGE
Basically Crew Training School is a
four-day course packing in 60 to 65
hours of instructions and practical
training. The training is aimed at
A Ridgback leading a Mastiff 2 returning from a
live fire exercise on F-Range - crews will shortly
receive a hot debrief by instructors who have
watched the exercise carefully to identify any
forming crews and giving them the
basic knowledge and skills that are
required to be proficient in the
operation and tactical deployment of
their platform.
In addition the course prepares the
crews for more complex follow-on
tactical training that forms part of their
pre-deployment training; for example
the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise
(CALFEX). Students are therefore
trained on the vehicle type they will
later operate in theatre. Just as
important is that they train together
with the soldiers with whom they will
form a team during their deployment;
this is usually the first time the crews
are given the chance to do so.
The training is set within the context
of Platoon or Troop level and follows
a progressive format. In the beginning
the gunner is established as an
integral member of the crew, then the
course swiftly moves on to Platoon or
Troop level tactics. The training is
mostly set in small battle exercises
during which the crews have to master
various situations. In one of the
exercises convoy drills are trained;
such as providing security while the
convoy passes through a defile, how to
react when the convoy comes under
enemy fire and how a vehicle is
recovered after it has hit an IED and
has been disabled.
In order to add complexity and increase
errors pressure on the crews, forcing them to
work more closely together, a large
amount of the training is conducted at
the gunner is night. Live fire training is conducted
established as an both from static positions and in
integral member tactical scenarios where, for example,
of the vehicle several crews form a Quick Reaction
crew, then the Force have to deploy in order to
course swiftly provide fire support for friendly forces
moves on to coming under hostile fire.
Platoon or Troop
level tactics with Also part of the Crew Training School is
vehicle crews the Transition to Live Fire Tactical
Training (TLFTT) conducted by the
operating in gunner and commander of each
mutual support vehicle on their relevant platform,
employing the 7.62mm L7A2 GPMG,
9: The Protected the 40mm Grenade Machine Gun
Mobility vehicle (GMG) and the 12.7mm M2HB Heavy
fleet includes Machine Gun (HMG) and firing up to
Protected Patrol 200 rounds from each weapon. The
Vehicles (PPV), time spent in the RODET also adds to
Fire Support the team building effort.
Vehicles (FSV) and
Of the total training time 60% is spent
Tactical Support in day driving and another 20% is spent
Vehicles (TSV) - night driving, with both including the
Ridgback is the battle exercise. The remaining 20% is
4x4 version of the spent live firing, RODET training and so
6x6 Mastiff PPV on. During the course the maximum is
made of the available time, with even
10: The crews of the administrative process and the
a Wolfhound TSV-H laborious procedure of handing back
and accompanying platforms at the end of each course
Mastiff 2 PPVs being designed to help reduce the
traditional dip in availability which often
train together in follows Transition of Authority in theatre.
contact drills on L-
Range of the The CTS[G] instructors take great care
Sennelager to adjust the level of the training to the
Training Area skill level of the participating crews,
taking into account whether or not a
Images © crew has previous operational
Carl Schulze experience. The course content is also
constantly adjusted in order to address
trends in theatre and to provide the
crews with the best possible training.
Combat & Survival 13

On 8th April the UK Ministry
of Defence formally
announced that the last
Commando Group to serve
in Afghanistan was
returning home, bringing to
an end more than a decade
of operational deployments
in the country. Marking this
historic moment, troops
from 40 Commando Royal
Marines symbolically
lowered the Royal Navy’s
white ensign that has flown
above their Main Operating
Base in the Nahr-e Saraj
district, known as MOB
Price to the other services
but called HMS Price during
the six month period that
the Royal Navy was in
charge, signifying the last
time that the flag would
officially fly in Helmand
Province.
T
he battlegroup formed
around 40 Commando is
the most recent Royal
Marines unit to serve in
Afghanistan following on from
previous deployments in areas
such as Sangin, Nahr-e Saraj and
Musa Qala in Helmand Province,
16 Combat & Survival
40 Commando salute the
lowering of the White Ensign as
Royal Marines hand over to the
First Fusiliers and prepare to
depart Afghanistan for hopefully
the last time [BP]
1: While the Marines 1 2
were in residence
MOB Price was
renamed HMS Price
following Royal Navy
tradition of naming
shore bases as ships
[BP]
2: Zulu Company of 3
45 Commando board
RAF Chinook
helicopters at
Bagram Airbase on
Operation CONDOR in
May 2002 [LM]
3: Task Force
JACANA troops from and long before that further to the
45 Commando on north with forays into the
Operation mountainous areas to the east in the Although only 7,200-strong the Royal
PTARMIGAN yomped initial attempts to track down Osama Marine Corps has deployed the
high into the bin Laden and constrain his Al equivalent of over 14,000 Marines to
mountains of Eastern Qa'eda network. It was also men Afghanistan on twelve separate tours
Afghanistan in 2002 from 40 Commando who were the and Marines have been awarded
very first British troops to deploy to nearly two hundred honours for their
to try to find OBL the country in 2001, following the acts of bravery and distinguished
[RN, unknown] terrorist attacks on New York and service in-theatre, including a George
Washington in September of that Cross to L/Cpl Matt Croucher RMR,
Images Crown Copyright: year, initially securing Bagram Airfield seven Distinguished Service Orders
Sgt Barry Pope RLC,
Lee Madden RN and as a point of entry to theatre and and ten Conspicuous Gallantry
then going on to patrol the streets of Crosses of which one was
Sean Clee RN.
the capital city, Kabul. posthumous.
4 5
6
7 security responsibility, with
The 40 Commando Group has now
handed over to the 1st Battalion of
the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers,
having seen security improve
dramatically during their tour as they
helped the Afghan National Army
and Afghan Police take on
responsibility. Over the past year the
number of UK bases across
Helmand has reduced from eighty to
just twelve as they are handed
over to Afghan security forces or
dismantled and MOB Price is also
expected to be handed over to
them in due course.
Commenting on the end of an era
for the Commandos, Defence
Secretary Philip Hammond stated:
“The courage of the Royal
Marines, and indeed all of our
Armed Forces who have served in
Afghanistan over the past decade,
has been truly outstanding. Their
commitment has made sure that
4: An MoD image transition of security to Afghan
released early in the control is deliverable by the time
Helmand Province we end our combat operations in
deployment showing December 2014.
Royal Marines and
“I recently saw for myself the
Commando Engineers capabilities of the Royal Marines
constructing a base as they undertook arduous winter
in Gereshk [MoD, training in Norway. I was extremely
unknown] impressed by these Commandos
who are absolutely committed to
5: Operation CLAY preparing for contingency
began on New Year’s operations that may arise
whenever and wherever in the
Day 2007 with the
world.
clearance of enemy-
held compounds in “The hard work of 40 Commando
the Kajaki area as Royal Marines in Afghanistan over
part of the scheme to the winter has led to impressive
get the hydroelectric progress in the capabilities of
plant functioning [SC] Afghan forces as they take on
6: Royal Marines decreasing levels of assistance
from UK and ISAF forces. It is
mounting a security
these Afghan forces, developed
patrol in the Garmsir and trained by UK personnel, who
area around January will ensure that Afghanistan never
2007 - the armoured again provides a safe haven for
BRDM scout car in terrorists.”
the background is a
relic from the Soviet Lieutenant Colonel Matt Jackson,
occupation [MoD, Commanding Officer of 40
unknown] Commando RM, described his
unit’s work in Afghanistan as
“absolutely exemplary” and said:
7: In early 2007 the “The Commando group has been
Commandos were able to transfer lead security
still using ordinary responsibility from ISAF to the
unprotected Land Afghan National Security Forces in
Rover Wolves and a very difficult area of Central
WMIKs on patrol but Helmand.
a major escalation in
violence soon “Working together over the winter,
we have given the Afghan Army
changed that [MoD,
and the Afghan police the
unknown] confidence in their own abilities to
Combat & Survival 17
 M Company of 42 Commando was the lead element on
the four day long Operation CLAY which took the battle
to the Taliban in the crucial Kajaki Dam area [SC]

8: At this early stage 9

of operations in
Helmand Province the
British troops were
still comparatively
poorly equipped and
protected - much of
the kit worn here is
now replaced with
better [SC] operate together. More importantly,
we have given them the belief that
9: A home-made patrol they can operate independently
base in the Kajaki from us; they now know that they
district constructed by are good enough to face down any
10 future challenges that lie ahead.
Commando Engineers This is in no small measure due to
and defended by Royal the sacrifice made not just by the
Marines - the mine- 61 Royal Marines who have lost
protected E-WMIK had their lives in this campaign, but by
just entered service all Service personnel.
[SC]
Possibly the most fitting way of
marking this historic news is to
10: Royal Marines take a brief look back at some of
from 45 Commando the images of Royal Marines and
return to Bagram at supporting Commando-badged
the end of Operation personnel in action in Afghanistan
SNIPE in May 2002 - over the last eleven and a half
few probably thought years. It has been a long hard
back then that it would slog, with many sacrifices along
take another eleven the way, but Britain's Green Beret
years to finish the job troops have come out of
[MoD, unknown] Afghanistan with their heads held
high.

18 Combat & Survival

 The MIKADO is powered by
four maintenance-free,
brushless and gearless
motors, running at 2000rpm
maximum and each driving a
double blade rotor

Combat & Survival 21

 1
Over the last two decades
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
(UAVs) have entered the
inventories of most modern
armed forces, with machines
of different sizes being
employed at all strategic and
tactical levels for
reconnaissance and
information gathering. The
German Bundeswehr, like the
British Armed Forces, fields
UAVs of different sizes with
varying operational ranges
and endurance times. One of
these is the Mikro-
Aufklärungsdrohne im
Ortsbereich, shortened to
MIKADO. C&S recently
encountered a MIKADO UAV
up close during an exercise of
the Franco-German Brigade.

GERMAN UAVS
The largest UAV operated by the
Bundeswehr is the RQ-4E Euro Hawk.
Fielded by the German Air Force, this
system is a variant of the RQ-4B 1: Fully assembled 2
(Block 20) Global Hawk manufactured the MIKADO
by Northrop Grumman Corporation. (Mikro-
The RQ-4E Euro Hawk can operate up Aufklärungsdrohne
to an altitude of 18,300 metres (60,000 im Ortsbereich)
feet) has an endurance of over 30 UAV is 240mm
hours and can cover a distance of high, measures
22,780km without being refuelled. 1,000mm in
UAVs employed by the Heeres
diameter and
aufklärungs truppe (reconnaissance weighs 1.3kg
forces) of the German Army are the
tactical systems KZO (Kleinfluggerät 2: Control of the
Zielortung) and LUNA (Luftgestützte UAV is exercised
Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs- by the operator
Ausstattung) as well as the ALADIN using this Control
(Abbildende Luftgestützte Pad - if MIKADO
Aufklärungsdrohne im Nächstbereich) UAV does not
und MIKADO (Mikro-
Aufklärungsdrohne im Ortsbereich)
receive any
systems employed at the lowest
commands it will
command level. maintain its
position, direction
The truck-launched KZO system and height even Ortsbereich – reconnaissance drone for 3
operates at an altitude of up to 3,500 under windy the local area). This Micro UAV was
metres, has an endurance of 5.5 hours conditions developed and manufactured by
and an operational range of 65 to 100 Airrobot GmbH & Co KG, based in
kilometres. The catapult launched
LUNA can be operated at an altitude
3: Here the Arnsberg in Germany, with autonomous
Daylight Colour flight and navigation capabilities and
of up to 5,000 metres, has an can be fitted with modular payloads.
endurance of at least six hours and an Video Camera Kit
The company is marketing MIKADO
operational range of up to 100 and the Tilt under the designation AR100B Airrobot.
kilometres. ALADIN is launched by Mechanism can be
hand like a model plane, usually seen in detail - the After intensive trials the Bundeswehr
operated up to an altitude of 300 DCVC has a procured the first twelve MIKADO
metres (up to 4,500m is possible), has resolution of systems in 2009; these featured an
an endurance of over one hour and an 480x640 pixels analogue data link. A further 45 systems
operational radius of 15 kilometres. and offers a 70º were procured in 2010, of which15 still

MIKADO ENTERS SERVICE
The smallest of the UAVs employed by
the Heeresaufklärungstruppe is
MIKADO (Mikro-Aufklärungsdrohne im
angle of view featured the analogue data link while
the remaining 30 employed a digital
data link. A further 68 MIKADO systems
with digital data link were procured in
2011, and another 20 in 2012.

22 Combat & Survival

4
5 line - here a
6 7
It is believed that the Bundeswehr
currently has a requirement for a total
of 290 MIKADO systems. Six of the
145 systems procured so far were
issued to the German Navy while the
remaining went to the Heeres
aufklärungs truppe. Since late March
2011 some 30 MIKADO systems have
been fielded by the German ISAF
contingent in Afghanistan, and by July
2011 the deployed MIKADO UAVs had
already flown 269 reconnaissance
missions.
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The MIKADO system consists of the
AR100B Flying Platform, the Tilt
Mechanism that holds the payload, the
Ground Control Station, the Control
Pad, a Dawn/Low Light Black/White
Video Camera Kit, a Daylight Colour
Video Camera Kit, an Infra-red Video
4: MIKADO can be minutes long. Its operational range is
employed for limited to 1,000 metres due to the
reconnaissance range of the digital video signal. The
missions up to 20 system can be operated at a wind
speed of up to 5m/s. Within the
minutes in
Bundeswehr MIKADO is operated up to
duration but its a ceiling of 30 metres, however
operational range according to manufacturer information
is limited to 1,000 it can be employed to a maximum
metres due to the ceiling of 1,000m.
range of the digital
video signal During operations the MIKADO system
does not need to be in sight, as the
5: The system is operator flies it as if he is sitting in a
usually employed cockpit using the video feed displayed
on the control pad. This concept also
in support of
allows remote landings and take-offs
combat troops during missions; once on the ground
right on the front the UAV continues to gather video
footage and therefore can also function
MIKADO operator as a ground sensor. MIKADO can also
can be seen be employed to follow vehicles and
covered by two personnel; in this kind of operation it
infantrymen after benefits from the electrical propulsion
having just that offers an extremely low noise level.
launched the UAV
Within the Bundeswehr the MIKADO
UAV is employed by elements of the
6: To prevent Heeres aufklärungs truppe, during
direct sunlight operations; for example attached to
from being combat assets such as an infantry
reflected from the platoon or company. The system is
screen of the employed to discover and identify
Control Pad and individuals, groups of people,
hampering the obstacles, weapons and vehicles. It
operator's vision it also is employed to provide views of
can be fitted with a blind angles. Flying at low level it also
can be employed to search for IEDs.
sun shield
The information gathered in real time by
7: The Control Pad the system offers the units it is
is linked to the assigned to a high degree of situational
Ground Control awareness, allowing them to avoid
Station by a cable - being surprised by the enemy, to
data and control counter threats in the right way and to
commands are deploy their assets for maximum effect.
exchanged The MIKADO UAV is ideally suited for
between the operations in difficult terrain, for
example in built-up areas, and it can
Ground Control
even be employed for reconnaissance
Station and the inside building.
MIKADO by HF
radio transmission TECHNOLOGY
The vertical take-off and landing
AR100B Flying Platform is of the
quadro copter type. It features four
maintenance-free, brushless and
gearless motors, running at 2000rpm
maximum and powered by Lithium
Polymer (LIPO) 14.2 V 2.05 A Flight
Camera Kit, Batteries for six Flight Batteries. Each of the motors powers a
Sessions and the Battery Charging double blade rotor. With the four rotors
Station. The complete system is stored the MIKADO UAV is able to reach a top
in a purpose designed rucksack and speed of 50km/hour.
can be carried by one soldier.
Stabilised in flight by the use of
The system can be assembled and gyroscopic, barometric and magnetic
launched within five minutes. With fresh sensors and utilising GPS the MIKADO
batteries MIKADO can be employed for can be employed fully autonomously
reconnaissance missions up to 20 for 'hands-off' hover and stare
Combat & Survival 23
 8 9
operations. When the UAV does not
receive any commands it will maintain
its position, direction and height, even
under windy conditions. The machine
has the ability to move in all directions,
including sideways and backwards, a
wire-ring providing protection for the
rotors in case of an unintended collision
with an obstacle while airborne. In case
the MIKADO should lose contact with
the Ground Control Station or run low
on power it can be programmed to
either perform a emergency landing or
to return to a previously designated
location.
The camera kits are mounted in the Tilt
Mechanism, situated at the bottom of
the MIKADO. The mechanism allows a
tilting of the fitted camera by up to
100º, as a result it can be pointed in all
directions, including straight down.
While other sensors and cameras are
offered by Airrobot GmbH, the
24 Combat & Survival
Above: Stabilised by
the use of
gyroscopic,
barometric and
magnetic sensors broadcast to the Ground Control
and utilising GPS the Station where it is displayed on the
MIKADO can be screen of the Control Pad and
employed fully recorded for documentation.
Changing Camera Kits can be done
autonomously for
without tools and in a matter of
'hands-off' hover and minutes. Complete with Camera Kit
stare operations the MIKADO weighs 1.3kg and can
be operated in temperatures ranging
8: Assembling of the from -5ºC to + 49ºC and under a
MIKADO UAV and wide range of environmental
preparing it for a conditions, including rain and fog.
Bundeswehr fields only three; the reconnaissance
Daylight Colour Video Camera Kit, the mission takes only Control of the MIKADO is exercised
Dawn/Low Light Black/White Video five minutes - note by the operator via the Control Pad
Camera Kit and the Infra-red Video that is linked to the Ground Control
the special purpose
Camera Kit. Station by a cable. Data and control
rucksack in which commands are exchanged between
The daylight colour video camera has the quadro copter is the Ground Control Station and the
a resolution of 480x640 pixels and stored and UAV by the use of HF radio
offers a 70º angle of view. The transported transmission. The Control Pad
dawn/low light black/white camera has features a display on which, in
a resolution of 570 lines, offers a 90º 9: Each of the four addition to the captured footage, data
angle of view and has a sensitivity of maintenance-free, such as the date and time, position
0.0003 lux. The infra-red video camera brushless and coordinates of the UAV, altitude being
has a resolution of 384x288 pixels, a gearless motors of operated at, direction of flight and so
response of 7-14μm, a thermal density on are displayed. In flight, control of
the vertical take-off
smaller than 50mK and a real time the MIKADO is exercised by its
refreshing rate of 50/60 Hz. The optical
and landing AR100B operator by the use of two small
focus length measures 15mm, its field Flying Platform thumb-sticks on the left and right of
of view is 58.5x 48.3x 37.1º and the powers a double the pad.
Camera Kits each weigh approximately blade rotor
200g. FOOTNOTE: German spellings have
Images © been used throughout but some
The real-time digital video footage Carl Schulze composite terms have been broken
captured by the Camera Kits is down.
The Glock 17 Generation 4,
in 9x19mm calibre,
introduces design
improvement changes to
one of the world's most
popular pistols.
Ergonomically, the modular
back strap design lets the
user instantly customise its
grip to adapt to an
individual shooter's hand
size. Externally, the surface
of the Gen4 frame employs
new scientifically designed
and real world tested,
rough textured technology.
Internally, the new Glock
dual recoil spring assembly
increases the life of the
system. An ambidextrous
enlarged magazine catch,
quickly changeable to
either side, now
accommodates both left
and right handed users. The
G17 Gen4 9mm pistol also
allows utilisation of the rail
on the front of the frame to
attach accessories, such as
lights or lasers.
T
he latest model weighs
two pounds when loaded,
which is 30 percent less
than the Browning it
replaces, and it also uses a
magazine that holds 17 rounds, as
Above: The UK
opposed to the 13 rounds held in
the Browning Hi Power. It will also
Ministry of Defence
be issued with a new tactical thigh
has procured 25,000 1
holster manufactured by Radar in
examples of the Glock
Italy that is compatible with the 17 Generation 4 - seen
equipment already used by UK here at the official
Troops and Gen4 will have different launch in January - to
sized grip options to suit people of replace the Browning
varying sizes of hand. Hi Power [BM]
The pistol's safety action trigger 1: The Gen4 Glock 17
provides a small amount of (top) features
predictable, uniform slack in the additional
take up to the breaking point when enhancements to make
the pistol will fire. After firing, the it easier to control
G17’s trigger resets close to the than the previous
breaking point that can be felt in version of the Glock
your finger, which will allow for
2
17
rapid, positive and purposeful
follow0up shots. 2: The Glock 17 (top)
has become a very
The G17’s trigger is designed for
popular pistol and the
the duty use, balancing safety with
accuracy and is tilted towards
Glock 22 in .40 S&W
safety. More advanced shooters can
calibre is the most
choose from a wide variety of
commonly encountered
aftermarket trigger parts that will law enforcement duty
pistol in the USA
reduce the trigger pull weight and
also make it smoother.
Combat & Survival 27
 The Glock uses a striker as
opposed to a conventional firing
pin; the striker being drawn to its
rearward point and then released
to fire the pistol. Striker fired pistols
are not new and have been around
for a while. Some of the earliest
semi-automatic pistols used
strikers for cartridge ignition, such
as the FN Browning 1900. The
polymer frame and striker ignition
system was also used by Heckler
and Koch with their 9mm VP70
pistol.
The 17-round magazines are made
from polymer with a steel liner,
which means that they are slightly
bulkier than metal magazines.
They have proven to be tough and
can stand up to a lot of abuse. A
plus 2 magazine base pad is also
available to increase the capacity
to 19 rounds, and a long 32-round
capacity 'happy stick' magazine is
also available.
The development of the Glock 17
was pretty much correct at the
start, as the G17 went on to
become one of the most prolific
28 Combat & Survival
Above: The compact 3 4
Glock 26 has proven
to be a popular back
up gun for the full
size Glock 17 pistol
3: The standard
sights - a blade at
the front sight and a
square notch at the handguns of the 20th Century. In 5
rear sight - fitted to the United States the Glock rivals
the Gen4 will give the the popularity of the Colt M1911
pistol and many police departments
user a viable sight
in the US now use Glock pistol in 9
picture
mm, .40 S&W, 10mm Auto or .45
ACP calibres.
4: The Gen4 Glock 17
has proven to be GLOCK APPEAL
reliable with many What is it about the Glock that
different types of appeals to so many shooters? Adding more operations before you
9mm ammunition Reliability will be the primary can fire your pistol under stress will
reason, but also the Glock does not only increase the probability that
5: All Glock pistols have a manual safety, using three something will go wrong at a critical
are capable of good internal safeties that prevent the moment. Something as simple as
accuracy - spending firing pin from moving forward disengaging a safety catch is easily
as much time as unless the trigger is pulled fully to accomplished when you are on
possible shooting on the rear. The manageable trigger range. When the bullets are flying in
the range will enable pull coupled with the lack of a your direction, all of a sudden the
you to produce manual safety makes the Glock one most trivial of tasks can become the
results like this of the fastest handguns to get into likely point when something will go
action. wrong.
6 6: The success of 7
the Glock 17 led to
the demand for
Glock to produce
the ultra compact
Glock 26 model
(bottom)
7: A Gen4 Glock 17
and two spare
magazines would
be useful to have
in any of the
world's troubled
areas

8: The Gen4 comes

with two additional
8 back straps to 9
alter the
circumference of
the grip to better
suit the user's
hand
9: The Gen4 G17
comes complete in
its storage box
with two
magazines, loading
tool, additional
back straps,
cleaning equipment
and user manual

10: The change

10 introduced by new
version dual recoil parallel rows of square bumps, as
spring (top) can opposed to the stippling on the Gen3
be seen when rough texture frame. To me the
compared to the squares feel more secure than the
previous version previous surface. This variation in the
grip texture is probably the most
noticeable change from the previous
models.

For some people the moulded

It’s this simplicity and reliability that
makes the Glock popular. By using
a holster (see page 34) that fully
covers the trigger, which allows you
to carry the pistol with a loaded
chamber and with plenty of training,
the Glock is both safe to carry in
this mode and very fast into action.
Modern polymer framed pistols are
excellent defensive handguns as
they combine speed with reliability
and ease of use.
GENERATION 4 ADDITIONS
Around for nearly 30 years the
Glock 17 had already gained
worldwide popularity for some time.
Since its introduction, the company
has introduced numerous other
models varying in size and
calibres, but the 9mm Glock 17 is
probably the first version that
comes to mind when people think
of Glock. Enhancements and
improvements are what make the
Gen4 G17.
Textured Frame Surface: Glock
have changed the texture of the
pistol's gripping surfaces, using
pattern on the sides of the grip did
not provide a secure hold. The Gen4
models use an entirely different
pattern, with raised dots that are
separate from each other. I found this
new pattern to be effective for
maintaining a solid grip, even with
damp hands.
The new pattern is found on the sides
and the front and rear of the grip
unlike the earlier models, which had
a different pattern on the sides from
that on the front and rear. This non-
slip surface provides a more secure
grip when your hands get damp or
sweaty. For some time Glock owners
had been customising the frame by

Combat & Survival 29

11
sticking a textured surface on their
pistols to get the same feeling that
is now standard on the Gen4
models, which also includes the .40
S&W calibre Glock 22.
Replaceable Back Straps:
You can now tailor the grip size to
your preferences with three different
grip size options; regular, medium
and large. Military personnel, law
enforcement officers and target
shooters all have hands in different
sizes and shapes, so the ability of
the user to customise the grip size
to suit their hand is a big plus point.
This will be a boost to both female
and male users with small hands.
The default grip size is the unaltered
frame. This default size is slightly
smaller than the previous model of
the Glock 17 in terms of the
30 Combat & Survival
distance to reach the trigger. Adding
on the medium grip panel makes the
Gen4 same as the previous model in
terms of trigger reach. The large grip
panel makes the trigger reach
slightly bigger. The approach to this
is that the smallest setting is
permanent and you add additional
panels to make the grip larger. A
disassembly tool to assist you with
changing the grip is included with
each pistol.
Magazine Release Catch: The
magazine release catch has been
enlarged to about twice the surface
area. It is also ambidextrous in its
operation in that it can be set up to
operate on either side of the frame.
This is a positive enhancement. The
Gen4 magazine features a pair of
notches that will allow operation with
all types of existing magazine
12
11: The Glock 17 release catches. This too is a very
can be used for positive enhancement.
both uniformed
duty and plain- When you move the magazine
clothed carry - the release catch to the other side of
Gen4 version will the frame you also need a new
continue this cut-out in the magazine to match.
proven track The new magazines include the
standard cut, a mirror image cut
record
on the opposite side and the cut in
the front of the magazine that is
12: When you used with the ambidextrous
press the system.
magazine release
button the Recoil Spring: Like previous
magazine will drop models the Gen4 features a
cleanly from the captive recoil spring but, unlike the
pistol earlier models, the new Glock 17
utilises a dual spring design. An
Images © inner full length spring is partially
Glock, surrounded by a metal sleeve and
Greg Roberts & Bob
Morrison both of those are surrounded by a
partial length outer spring.
According to Glock, the dual
spring increases the lifespan of the
spring assembly.
The recoil produced by the 9mm
Glock 17 is minimal and I have
always found any version of Glock
pistol comfortable to use. I was
unable to ascertain any difference
in felt recoil against previous
versions of the Glock 17. The
advantages of the dual recoil
spring might be more noticeable in
the Gen4 G22 in .40 S&W calibre,
which generates more recoil.
The dual recoil spring system was
already being used by Glock in
their sub-compact 9mm G26 and
.40 S&W G27, which have been
 13

14

on the pistol and it had no

tendency to move around in my
hand during recoil. The addition
of strips of skateboard tape or
stick on grips will not be
required. I have found all types
of bullet styles in both factory
and reloaded ammunition to be
reliable in Glock pistols. The UK
15 Forces will use full metal jacket
(FMJ) ammunition with the G17.

Sights: The sighting system

available since 1995. The idea
worked well and solved some
technical issues with these
compact pistols, creating a short
but reliable enough system to
enable both these pistols to be
used with all types of 9mm and .40
S&W ammunition. The new unit is
built using stainless steel over a
polymer central guide rod.
Loaded Chamber Indicator:
One of the other additions to the
Gen4 is a loaded chamber
indicator. A small raised section
has been added to the front of the
existing extractor. This raised
section is flush with the edge of
the slide when the chamber is
empty and angles out slightly
when a round is chambered. It is in
the right place for right handed
users to feel it with their trigger
finger. This addition is an alteration
to an existing feature instead of
adding another part.
The Gen4 G17 is a really
comfortable gun to both hold and
shoot. I could maintain a solid grip
consists of a blade front sight
and a square notched rear sight,
both having a white mark to
assist aiming. Zeroing is carried
out by either lateral adjustment
of the rear sight or the fitting of a
different height rear sight. Sights
fitted with tritium inserts that will
glow in low light or darkness to
give a viable sight picture can
also be attached to the Glock
17. For target shooting many
other sighting systems can be
13: L132A1 is the attached.
UK MoD
designation for the Safe Action Trigger: To
blue training enhance safety and handling
version of the Glock pistols are fitted with a
Glock 17 Gen4 Safe Action® trigger system with
[Glock] three internal safety mechanisms
that are automatically engaged
14: The Glock and work sequentially off the
pistol uses a movement of the trigger. This
Safe Action trigger system
striker as opposed
provides a consistent trigger pull
to the conventional
from the first to the last round.
firing pin that is All three safeties disengage
used in most
sequentially as the trigger is
pistols pulled and automatically re-
engage as the trigger is
15: The Glock 17 released. The pistol is safe if
magazine holds 17 dropped and functional at
rounds of 9mm temperatures from -40ºC to
ammunition - the +50ºC.
addition of a Plus 2
base plate The pistol is therefore not fitted
increases the with an externally applied safety
magazine capacity catch and the system allows the
to 19 rounds trigger mechanism to reset with
only a limited forward movement
of the trigger. It is not necessary
to completely release the trigger
in order to fire subsequent shots.
ON THE RANGE
For those who think that there
maybe some obvious difference
between the recoil of the Gen 3 and
Gen 4, when shooting either version
I have to say I found the recoil to be
the same. Out of the box, the trigger
pull on the Glock 17 is around six to
seven pounds but target shooters
can fit aftermarket parts to bring the
trigger pull down to around five
pounds. The UK MoD has opted for
a heavier trigger pull of around 8.5
to 10.8 pounds in weight.
Many law enforcement
organisations also use this heavier
trigger pull. Glock first introduced a
version of their pistol with a heavier
trigger pull for the New York Police
Department, and so it was dubbed
the 'New York Trigger'. A light trigger
pull is okay in the controlled
conditions found on a shooting
range but in real life situations
where the user will be handling
loaded firearms while around other
people, in some times chaotic
situations a heavier trigger pull will
assist in preventing unintentional
shots from being fired. The skills
required to accurately fire the pistol
with a heavier trigger pull can be
dealt with by plenty of shooting and
training on the range.
GLOCK TRAINING PISTOL
The Glock L132A1 Gen4 Marker
Round Training System (MRTS) is a

Combat & Survival 31

6 17
8 19
pistol training system. This pistol
has a number of safety features
and is instantly recognisable as a
training pistol due to its
predominantly blue colour. The
L132A1 utilises many of the same
component parts as the bullet-firing
L131A1model with the following
exceptions:-
· The L132A1 slide has been
engineered from polymer and
steel components making the
assembly much lighter than the
L131A1 slide. It will only accept
Simunition. or Force on Force
marker training ammunition and is
not compatible with the L131A1.
· The dual recoil spring assembly
has been designed specifically
for use with Simunition or Force
on Force marker training
ammunition and is therefore not
compatible with the L131A1.
32 Combat & Survival
· The barrel, firing pin, recoil spring
and extractor of the L132A1 have
been designed such that they will
only work with the marker training
ammunition. The frame, locking
block and slide lock will only
function with L132A1 slide, barrel
and recoil spring assembly. The
L132A1 also features
interchangeable back straps to
vary the circumference of the frame
and these are also blue in colour.
UK MOD PROCUREMENT
Josh Dorsey, Glock Vice President,
has stated: "After extensive and
intense tests and evaluations, Glock
is pleased to be selected by the UK
MoD. The deciding factors were the
Glock’s higher magazine capacity,
the superior accuracy, the ease of
use and maintenance and the
reliability. The Glock Safe Action
16: Stage 1 is a
trigger safety
Trigger System also enables the
pistol to be carried loaded and
mechanism holstered, which enables it to be
[Glock] quickly put into action.”
The selection process for the new
17: Stage 2 is a
UK Ministry of Defence pistol was
striking pin safety stringent. The trials for eight of the
mechanism
leading pistol manufacturers, in
[Glock]
2011, consisted of a human factors
integration test, nine months of
18: Illustration of scientific evaluation and a
Glock's unique coinciding nine months of
Triple Action environmental trials under different
safety system climatic conditions. Ultimately,
[Glock] Glock proved the best fit for the UK
MoD and it will now be issued to all
19: Stage 3 is a
drop safety
three Services over this year.
mechanism For further information on the
[Glock] manufacturers go to glock.com
and for the UK suppliers see
vikingarms.com
 1 2

Holster
rotated
slightly
forward to
show the RDC 3
in operation
4 5

1: The RDC allows the

angle of the carried
pistol to be adapted to
the needs of the user
2: S-loop belt adapter
with female RDC
3: 1 - Outer face The holster system that has There are three levels of retention built
showing Index Safety; been designed for the UK into the holster system which a user
2 - Leg support Forces issue Glock 17 Gen4 can choose between depending upon
showing female RDC; pistol is a key element of the the mission profile. These are:-
3 - inner face overall safety system as there Level 1 Retention – Pistol and lanyard
showing Thumb is no external safety catch only (un-holstered).
6 Safety and male RDC; fitted to the Glock. Level 2 Retention – Pistol in the
4 - Lanyard Manufactured by Radar in holster locked in position by the Safe
Italy, the holster system and Index mechanism.
4: Holster without pistol consists of three main parts Level 3 Retention – Pistol in the
- lanyard can be seen at which are the holster, leg holster locked in position by the Safe
the top of the image support and lanyard. and Thumb mechanism in
combination with the Safe and Index

T
5: Cross MOLLE panel
with female RDC he new Radar holster can be
adjusted to suit the needs of
6: The index finger has the user, such as when
to be slid forward to sitting down or when driving
unlock the pistol from a vehicle, by means of a Rotating Disc
Level 2 Retention Connection (RDC). If required, it can
also be mounted on a cross MOLLE
Images ©
Bob Morrison and panel for attachment to body armour or
illustrations © Glock other kit featuring PALS webbing of
fitted to an S-loop belt adapter.
mechanism.
The accompanying images of the new
holster, which like the pistol have been
procured through Viking Arms of
Harrogate, were taken at the Glock 17
Gen 4 media launch at Woolwich in
January where Jitka had the
opportunity to try the holster for
functionality in addition to firing the
weapon.

34 Combat & Survival


The small specialist team
of photojournalists who
bring you C&S each month
get to visit some unusual
places and we see many
really interesting things in
the course of our research,
but one of the most
fascinating opportunities
we have had in recent
years was the briefing on
explosives and munitions
training being undertaken
at the newly opened DEMS
(Defence EOD Munitions &
Search) Training Regiment
facility in Oxfordshire. A tri-
service and multi-
capbadge organisation,
DEMS is the UK centre of
excellence for bomb and
munitions search and
disposal training, handling
over 3750 students during
the 2012/13 fiscal year.
36 Combat & Survival
1
T
Above: This
BARMA team is he aim of the DEMS Trg Rgt -
followed by an its full name the Defence
Explosive Search Explosive Ordnance Disposal
Dog - the safe Munitions and Search Training
distance has been Regiment - is to deliver World Class
compressed for teaching through the use of modern
the benefit of TV training technology and based on a
news cameras long tradition of excellence and
experience gained on operations,
both at home and abroad. The unit's
1: A schematic
mission is to deliver the required
model of the
number of appropriately trained
extensive manhole, personnel in Explosives, Munitions,
sewer and EOD and Search in order to meet
underground the requirements of national
chamber complex defence and support defence
capability.
2: Routine car
search being Work commenced on the new
undertaken in one Bicester headquarters and school achieved, as planned, on 1st January
of the purpose- complex in 2011 and the move of 2013 and Full Operating Capability
built domestic the separate formations from the (FOC) was declared on 1st April;
housing training Royal Navy, British Army and Royal though C&S was invited to visit in
facilities Air Force which have been brought mid-March, when the accompanying
together to create DEMS was images were taken at various
completed in July 2012. Initial purpose-designed locations around
Operating Capability (IOC) was the Bicester site.
3 4

6 3: A two-man
underground
search team with
some of their kit
above the
extensive sewer
complex An instructor explains how an IED can be
constructed from legacy ammunition from
4: Here furniture previous wars
has been moved
into the garage to
allow us to watch
a team scanning
walls for
concealed
explosive devices

5: Using the latest

DEMS, which numbers 253
personnel at current strength, is split
over two sites some 35 miles (55km)
apart along the M40 corridor.
Originally it had been intended to
base DEMS solely at the Defence
Munitions Centre Kineton, but a
Health & Safety review conducted
early in the planning process for the
proposed integration of the various
component formations ruled this out
as impractical due to increased
munitions storage for Operations
HERRICK and TELIC and a reduction
in personnel numbers permissible on
HORN 2 detector a
BARMA operator
clears a path
towards a
compound wall
6: A ground radar
operator at work - the site. Consequently it was munitions experts is generally
decided to use available military deemed to have commenced with the
black coveralls
land at Bicester for the bulk of the appointment of the first laboratory
are often worn facilities, while still retaining the foreman on the formation of the Army
when working in FELIX bomb disposal school and Ordnance Corps in 1896 and the first
the support of the other unique assets at Kineton. permanent Munitions Training School
civil authorities dates back to 1922. During the
The Royal Ammunition Laboratory Second World War each of the
Services established its Bomb
was founded in 1695, but the
formal technical training of Disposal School, but over the next

Combat & Survival 37

 7 8

7: On home ground 9
the military
regularly works
closely with the
Police on munitions
and explosive
ordnance disposal
tasks

10
half century these morphed into two
schools in Warwickshire and the
Medway towns before being
amalgamated into DEMS.
As for the Search element of DEMS,
8: An operator
searches for
traces of
explosives residue
inside one of the
training houses
9: The distinctive
right arm badge of
the Defence EOD
Munitions & since then Search Teams have
Search Training seen service with UK Forces in
Regiment every operational theatre around
the globe. In the early seventies
10: The Pigstick is the advent of 'The Troubles'
resulted in the first formal
used to safely
recognisable Search Training
disrupt IEDs by packages and the 1984 IRA
using an Brighton Bomb attack on the
accurately placed Thatcher Government during the
the history of this specialist sub-trade
high power water party conference season prompted
in the Royal Engineers goes back jet the Home Secretary of the day to
pretty much one hundred years to direct the Police to seek assistance
World War One, when Sappers were from the Army for counter-terrorist
used to search for mines and Explosive Ordnance Device
munitions set by the Germans and disposal and training.

38 Combat & Survival

11

12 11: DEMS 13 14
instructors are
drawn from
across the
services - note the
different berets
and cap badges
12: This externally
In 1988 a joint military and police quite simple IED
search training establishment was constructed from
created and in 1990 this became a short length of
formally known as the Counter pipe would be
Terrorist Search Wing (CTSW), as devastating
part of the Field Engineer Wing of the
Royal School of Military Engineering 13: Using a HORN
(RSME) at Chattenden in Kent. By 2 detector to
the end of the decade CTSW had check a compound
become the National Search Centre wall for buried
(NSC) and was now responsible for threats prior to
all aspects of explosive search a Conventional Munitions Disposal patrol level (i.e. Op BARMA) drills;
placing ladders Wing, which teaches how to disarm
training of both the military and the and an IEDD Wing which turns out
police service. Today NSC, renamed and safely dispose of bombs, mines, some of the best Improvised
the Search Wing in 2009, has
14: An EOD air-dropped ordnance and the like; a Explosive Device neutralisation and
become a part of the DEMS Training operator Munitions Wing, which teaches all disposal operatives in the world.
Regiment. assembles aspects of ammunition storage,
equipment to handling and maintenance; a Search The CMD Wing runs Defence EOD
The current configuration of DEMS provide an Wing, which trains personnel in Operator courses covering both
Trg Rgt consists of: a Headquarters, Electronic Counter explosive search operations across clearance and disposal of explosive
which is responsible for Command, Measures safety a wide range of scenarios from high ordnance as well as specialist naval
Control, Support and Administration; bubble assurance searches down to basic ordnance disposal and underwater

Combat & Survival 39

 15 16

17

15: A disposal EOD courses and biological and

operator wearing chemical munitions disposal. They
the Mk VI EOD suit also run specialist equipment
developed by NP training and shafting and shoring
Aerospace courses for operators, meaning
qualified personnel are always
16: EOD expert available to deal with emergency
delicately positions disposals around the UK.
a Needle to allow
The Munitions Wing is also
remote disruption
predominantly concerned with
of an uncovered conventional ammunition, but rather
device than dealing with emergencies their
students will probably be handling
17: Operators are ammunition on a daily basis and will
trained to handle a be more concerned with safe
massive range of movement, adequate storage,
devices and repairs, stock accounting and the
munitions - the one safe disposal of unused or
on the right is a unwanted munitions. Specialists in
18 Bulgarian AHM-200 this field are deployed wherever
anti-helicopter mine troops have live or training
ammunition around in quantity.
18: Students have
to work out The work of the Search and IEDD
precisely how Wings is real 'boys toys' stuff and
actual munitions involves some of the most
interesting and fascinating, by far,
accidents occurred
skills and kit that a soldier can
by examining specialise in. However divulging
accurately re- Tactics, Techniques and Procedures
created incident (TTP) is simply not feasible in such
scenes a widely available magazine as C&S
so on OpSec grounds we can delve
Images © no deeper. However hopefully the
Bob Morrison:
Military Scene images on these pages will be of
interest and may encourage some
of our UK Military and Police readers
to enquire about DEMS courses.

40 Combat & Survival

CUTLASS is the latest UK MoD Remotely
Operated Vehicle in use with Explosive
Ordnance Disposal teams

Combat & Survival 43

 1

T
4 1: CUTLASS in
travelling he C&S team have seen
WHEELBARROW in use many
configuration - it is
times over the decades and it
narrow enough to never ceases to amaze us, but
pass through on OpSec grounds we cannot really reveal
domestic doors too much about it other than to say that the
constantly evolving design, currently at Mk.8
2: On home ground standard, is a quantum leap ahead of the
specialist EOD teams original yet is clearly identifiable as a child
deploy with a wide of the 1972 Mk.1 Remotely Operated
range of equipment, Vehicle (ROV). Manufactured by the
including CUTLASS, Remotec UK Ltd division of Northrop
Grumman, this tracked vehicle is narrow
stowed in the rear of
enough to enter a house through a
purpose-designed DAF standard doorway, small and nimble
trucks enough to turn in a corridor, and agile
enough to even climb a domestic staircase.
3: Here the
manipulator arm is Controllable by radio, wire cable or fibre
extended to allow the optics, at well over a kilometre from the
A LITTLE OVER FORTY YEARS AGO, IN RESPONSE TO THE DEATHS operator to deal with threat in some modes, the robot has a 360°
OF SEVERAL BOMB DISPOSAL EXPERTS IN NORTHERN IRELAND, a suspect device - rotating turret with a manipulating arm
LIEUTENANT COLONEL J F MILLER OF THE ROYAL ARMY onboard cameras which can accept a wide range of versatile
ORDNANCE CORPS (LATER COMBINED WITH THE ROYAL CORPS EOD attachments ranging from probes to
allow multiple views
OF TRANSPORT TO FORM THE ROYAL LOGISTICS CORPS) claws to disruptors. Four cameras with
DESIGNED THE WORLD'S FIRST EFFECTIVE REMOTE-CONTROLLED
of the object multiple picture-in-picture views allow the
EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL ROBOT USING PARTS OF A operator to examine the suspect device in
GARDEN WHEELBARROW AND A LAWNMOWER. NICKNAMED 4: Manufacturer's detail from a safe distance and to place
WHEELBARROW BY ITS CREATOR, 'PETER' MILLER'S AMAZING photo of a prototype disruptors or weapons to disable or
INVENTION EVOLVED OVER THE YEARS, MOSTLY WITH THE HELP working on an detonate the device under controlled
OF AN MOD PROJECT TEAM LED BY WINTER ‘LOFTY’ PATTINSON awkwardly positioned conditions.
MBE, ALONG THE WAY SAVING THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS IED showing just how
OPERATORS BY REMOVING THE NEED FOR THEM TO MAKE THE manoeuvrable the ROV Our recent visit to the Defence EOD
LONG LONELY WALK OUT TO INVESTIGATE AND DISRUPT A is on difficult terrain Munitions & Search Training Regiment at
SUSPECTED LETHAL DEVICE. Bicester not only gave us a chance to see

44 Combat & Survival

An operator affixes a set of specialist tools
on the manipulator arm of a WHEELBARROW
Mk.8

6 5: WHEELBARROW
allows EOD operators
to examine and
disrupt IEDs from a
safe distance

6: Originally cobbled 7
together 40 years
ago out of a
wheelbarrow and
lawnmower, around
2000 of these
vehicles have now
been produced in
eight versions
7: Cable-controlled
ROV on the move -
the Mk.8 WHEELBARROW in use but predecessor. many tasks which
also provided an opportunity to would otherwise
photograph the larger CUTLASS ROV When CUTLASS, of which eighty are in UK require the operator
now used by Explosive Ordnance MoD service, was formally unveiled by to work dangerously
Disposal teams at home and overseas. Northrop Grumman last August the close to the device
Unlike the earlier bomb disposal vehicle manufacturer revealed that its manipulator can be undertaken at
CUTLASS, which is also manufactured by arm is equipped with a three-fingered state-
Coventry-based Remotec UK, is wheeled
minimal risk
of-the-art gripper and has nine degrees of
rather than tracked but is also incredibly freedom for greater movement and agility operations, can accelerate to high speeds
mobile and highly manoeuvrable and its inside limited spaces, such as the interior of
Images © to enable rapid travel, and its six-wheeled
3-section manipulator arm with rotating Bob Morrison:
a car. The robot is able to creep along at design offers mobility on all types of hard
head offers even more flexibility than its Military Scene
deliberately slow speeds for delicate and soft terrain in all weather conditions.

Combat & Survival 45

 The newly opened combined services Defence
EOD Munitions & Search Training Regiment has
a large number of authentic and mostly
purpose-built field training facilities, ranging
from both urban and rural settings to cave
complexes to a railway line with station, on
which students can hone their skills in as
realistic an environment as possible. Most of
these are, of course, based on land but
underwater search and demolition is also
catered for with a number of specialist facilities
on which both Police and Military operators can
train, including a massive deep water tank just
a short stroll from the school's classrooms in
which many different types of naval ordnance
can be sunk or floated
to practise and test
techniques and
procedure. We tend not
to cover Navy topics in
any great depth at C&S,
as we evolved
predominantly as a
Land Forces magazine,
but as we were given a
brief glimpse of this
side of DEMS during our
visit it seemed a waste
not to show readers a
few images of a
different side of
munitions search and
disposal.
Images © Bob Morrison: Military Scene

46 Combat & Survival

 In addition to driver and commander, Armadillo will be
able to carry a full infantry section plus all equipment -
ballistic protection will equal or exceed latest versions of
the parent vehicle

In early April, BAE Systems 1: The new APC

delivered a new variant of seen here at speed
Armadillo, the Armoured over snow, which
Personnel Carrier version of the will tip the scales at
Hagglunds CV90 first unveiled at
under 30 tonnes, is
EuroSatory in 2010, for five
months of competitive evaluation
tracked rather than
trials to find a vehicle suitable for
wheeled for
Denmark's APC requirement. If the optimum all-terrain
programme runs to schedule, one performance under
of the five vehicle types on test Baltic climatic The original 2010 version of Armadillo with
will be ordered by the Danes next conditions Remote weapons system - the Danish version
February with first deliveries of has a higher front superstructure but the top
the production batch required in 2: Over a thousand cover and escape hatches in the rear roof
2015. of the original are retained
turreted CV90,

D enmark is looking to buy

which first entered
between 200 and 450 APCs,
service 20 years
along with five support variants, ago, are in service
to replace its existing aged with Denmark,
M113 fleet and the order will also include a Finland, the
15-year innovative support contract. Netherlands,
According to the manufacturer, Armadillo Norway,
offers class-leading protection and optimum Switzerland and
mission flexibility plus a 'hot' production line, (pictured) Sweden
as a CV90 batch is currently being built for
[Bob Morrison]
Norway. With six existing CV90 operators,
this vehicle can claim to be a proven low-
Images ©
risk solution, both for initial purchase and for BAE Systems Danish requirements for additional 2
long-term sustainment and upgrade. unless noted equipment stowage. Removal of the
parent vehicle's two-man gun turret,
The version of Armadillo offered to usually featuring a 30-40mm cannon,
Denmark, which is essentially a turret-less has freed up six tonnes of payload for
version of CV90 with ballistic and mine further protection but the state-of-the-art
protection which exceed STANAG 4a/b, electronics architecture allows 'plug and
differs from the version unveiled in 2010 as play' of new systems such as lightweight
it has a raised front roof to meet specific Remote Weapons Systems.

48 Combat & Survival

 1

NITE International is a successful
British company based in the
south of England that designs,
manufactures and distributes its
own brand of tough and stylish
watches that are suitable for all
types of outdoor activities. All
models of NITE watch are
manufactured and assembled to
the highest possible standards
using a combination of the very
best materials, production
methods and components; this
includes Swiss-made self-powered
GTLS illumination and movements
and a thick sapphire crystal lens,
with triple anti-reflective coating,
to protect the moving parts.
Above: NITE
watches come
number due to their toughness. The case
with a good 2
is constructed from aviation grade 316 protective case
stainless steel, which makes it both and are hardened
durable and corrosion resistant. for rough use
All NITE watches feature an illumination
technology called GTLS (Gaseous Tritium 1: The MX10 I was
Light Source). This highly specialised using got plenty of
technology is also used in advanced soakings and
military hardware and pioneering safety coatings of muck,
equipment where a guaranteed light
source is needed for safe operations in
but still performed
hazardous environments and conditions. as expected 3
Electrons emitted from the tritium gas 2: With a NATO
excite the phosphorous coated lining of approval rating
the GTLS to produce a continuous cold
light source that will typically last between NITE watches will
10 and 20 years. The black dial coupled work in extreme
with either the orange or blue GTLS will environments and
leave you in no doubt of what the time in conditions
any condition or in the middle of the night.

COMPANY ORIGINS The MX10 uses a triple coated sapphire 3: While in

The NITE brand was conceived in 2004 by
British entrepreneur Roger Green after
successfully launching and developing
another watch brand for a corporate based
in Europe. With NITE, Roger's objective was
to design and manufacture watches that
could both tolerate extreme conditions and
be acceptable for wear in a business
environment or in any social situation.
NITE's component parts and manufacturing
assembly processes are comparative with
some of the world's most highly respected
watch brands and there is nothing wrong
with over engineering a product. The result
is a collection of watches that are reliable
and fit for purpose which can be worn at any
time during your work, sporting and outdoor
activities or in any environmental conditions.
TRITIUM ILLUMINATION
The MX10 400T is a re-creation of a series of
watches which earned its NATO stock
lens. There are three types of crystals -
acrylic, mineral and sapphire - with
sapphire being the most expensive and
durable. Sapphire is approximately three
times harder than mineral and twenty
times harder than acrylic.
The Swiss made chronograph and
analogue movements are provided by
Ronda, one of the world's leading
movement manufacturers. The MX10
weights a scant 78 grammes and is water
resistant to 100 metres.
EXTREME TESTING
I have been using this watch while
shooting and hunting and on several trips
to the European Alps. While in Switzerland
I left the watch sitting outside every night
at temperatures down to -12ºC without
any issues. While deer hunting the watch
has been cover in blood, muck and water.
A quick wipe with a damp cloth was all
Switzerland the
MX10 was left
outside at night in
temperatures
down to –12C and
it still kept ticking that was required to clean it up. The black
polymer strap is easy to fasten and loosen,
even with cold fingers.
Images ©
Greg Roberts
Roger Green’s goal has clearly been
achieved with NITE watches now worn by
thousands of people in their working
environment, in the world’s troublespots or
while engaging in adventurous activities
around the globe. Equally important to NITE
was the utilisation of market leading
technology, a high degree of innovation and
creativity combined with manufacturing
integrity and customer service.
For further information check out
nitewatches.com

50 Combat & Survival

 Magnum UST (left) is an outdoor
trainer whereas Hi-Tec Viper
Court is intended for the gym

On 5th April Hi-Tec Sports UK Ltd, parent

company of Magnum the uniform boot makers,
proudly and formally announced that they had
just won the biggest ever tender award in the
Essex company's 30-year history as a global
brand. Over the next four years Hi-Tec and
Magnum will be the official suppliers of both
outdoor and indoor trainers to the UK Ministry
of Defence.

A
ccording to the official media blurb, this is the
company’s first ever contract direct with the MoD and
has resulted in both products gaining a NATO Stock
Number, with subsequent listing, which will give Hi-Tec
the ability to sell these models to any of the other 28
independent nations who are members of the Alliance. Their
footwear has, of course, been used by the British military for
some time but in the past, as with last year's Desert
Lightweight Patrol brown boot contract, they have been
procured through major clothing & footwear suppliers rather embargo was lifted; but unfortunately footwear, rather than just bringing you
than bought direct. the press release was not cleared until our first impressions, and our verdict is
after Easter so we had to hold back. that these are both definitely up to the
C&S was actually aware back in March that the trainer The positive side to this is that with an job.
contract was being awarded, though it had not been formally extra four weeks on our hands both
signed at the time, and we had both types of trainers on test Jitka and I have had plenty of time to Turning first to the white indoor trainer,
with the initial intent on reviewing them last month if the more comprehensively trial the the Viper Court Shoe, this is a high-

52 Combat & Survival

selling commercial product line
developed primarily for racket sports. It
has Abrazone rubber toe cap
protection and a Peak Force outsole for
quick movement on the court. Upper
construction is leather and textile with
mesh panels for ventilation, the inner is
textile featuring a mesh lining, the
outsole is synthetic, and both the ankle
collar and tongue are cushioned for
optimum comfort.
Hi-Tec Sports, originally founded in
1974 in the UK by former Dutch Air
Force officer and squash player, now
Life Vice President of the Squash
Rackets Association, Frank van Wezel
started off with a squash court shoe
(the Hi-Tec Squash) so it is rather
appropriate that it is their Viper Court
shoe that is the company's first indoor
trainer to be bought directly in bulk.
With CMEVA mid-sole cushioning, a
removable EVA sockliner, Impact Zone
technology which is designed to soften
the blow on your heel during sports,
and Peak Force sole technology
designed to maximize traction and
stability with a higher amount of gum
rubber on the floor at all times, this
lightest training shoe in the Hi-Tec sole has quite an aggressive tread pattern with proper heel
range is both very comfortable and and instep, as befits a shoe likely to see as much wear off-
high performance. road as on tarmac and surfaced running tracks.
A white flat-soled trainer designed for The UST upper is constructed from sport mesh, to give
the gymnasium is, of course, rather maximum breathability and flex, with synthetic overlays in
impractical for outdoor training so UK strategic areas to ensure it retains the critical support required
MoD has adopted Magnum's black by athletes, plus both a reinforced heel counter and toe box,
Uniform Service Trainer for this role for along with a flared EVA mid-sole, provide enhanced support
at least the next four years. While in and depth cushioning to disperse impact shock through
many ways the uppers of the UST are absorption whilst allowing maximum return. Like the Viper
quite similar to the Viper, the Vibram Court, the UST lining and footbed are anti-bacterial treated to
Combat & Survival 53
 ensure the foot stays fresher for longer.

Looking in more depth at the lower

features of the UST, the composite
design incorporates: a custom-
designed Vibram outsole, which
features multi-directional lugs to deliver
extreme levels of traction and grip; a
saddle support system for midfoot
lockdown; a decoupled heel, intended
to complement the running gait and
minimise pronation; and transverse
forefoot flex grooves to help ensure the
shoe operates at maximum balance.
The long-awaited arrival of spring in the UK, coinciding with the
An internal integrated midfoot shank clocks going forward in the evening, has meant we can at last get
delivers maximum torsional stability, outside to burn off the calories stored up over winter and as a
making this lightweight shoe suitable for result the new Magnum UST has made its first of hopefully many
both road running and cross-country trips to the sands
training while still looking smart enough
for uniformed service personnel to wear
Finally, a high glint panel is built into the
heel for night safety.

At time of writing, Jitka and I have been

wearing our test samples at every
opportunity for more than a month and
we are very pleased with them indeed;
see overleaf. Once again the DE&S
Defence Clothing Team at Bristol seem
to have made a very good footwear
choice for our guys and gals.

This year had already been a good one

on the military footwear side for Hi-
Tec/Magnum even before these trainers
were ordered as in late January they
were able to announce that contracts
had been signed with the Danish
military for the provision of the new
Heavy Duty Combat Boot. The model
selected by the Danes was the
waterproof Sidewinder Combat Ion-
Mask boot in full grain leather.

54 Combat & Survival

 On 26th April Rheinmetall Above: The cab of 1
Defence announced that the the HTRV is
Rheinmetall MAN Military armoured to
Vehicles (RMMV) division had provide protection
been contracted to supply against mine and
the Danish Armed Forces
with 14 heavyweight
IED blasts
protected recovery vehicles.
Delivery of what is 1: The HTRV can
designated the Heavy recover vehicles
Tactical Recovery Vehicle weighing up to 40
(HTRV) is intended to tonnes - crane is
commence in the first rotated to the
quarter of 2014 and is front here
scheduled to conclude in the
second quarter of 2015. 2: The new Danish 2 3

W
eighing around 36 tonnes,
the HTRV is based on the
tried and tested RMMV
SX45 8x8 chassis, which
the manufacturers say combines
extreme stability, safety and crew
comfort with outstanding
manoeuvrability, whether on the road
or in the toughest terrain. Its
integrated Miller recovery module is
intended to enable the HTVR to
recover heavy disabled vehicles
weighing up to 40 tonnes or
containers weighing up to 17 tonnes,
quickly and safely even under the
most extreme conditions while Level
3/3 ballistic and anti-mine protection
should keep the crew safe from small
arms fire and IED blasts.
The recovery module of the RMMV
HTRV is manufactured by the US
company Miller Industries Towing
wrecker base
vehicle is closely
related to the
British SV(R) but a
different recovery
module is fitted
[Bob Morrison]
Equipment Inc. of Ooltewah, equipped with protective modules
3: The crane can
Tennessee; a global leader in recovery used on deployed operations today
lift a 17 tonne ISO
vehicles. The wrecker is equipped have become heavier, making a
container - note with a heavy rotator recovery and high-performance recovery capacity
the rear spades lifting crane with an output of 75mt, imperative.
extended as together with two independently
stabilisers controllable Rotzler HZ090 winches The Danish armed forces will be the
and a Rotzler TR200 main recovery first on the European mainland to
Images via winch with 30-ton tractive force. It also introduce the RMMV HTRV, although
Rheinmetall features various mission-specific Denmark already has a number of
unless noted items of equipment. tactical and logistical vehicles from
the company’s HX and SX families in
Rheinmetall say the HTRV ideally its inventory. Integration of the Miller
complements the array of equipment recovery module will take place at
fielded by modern armies. Many of the MAN Trucks Bus facility in
the tactical and logistical vehicles Denmark.

56 Combat & Survival

Mimetico Deserto was a four-colour arid
theatre camouflage pattern adopted by
the Italian Army from the start of the
nineties

Combat & Survival 57

 1

A
1: The only the Italian Government agreeing to
external shirt lthough Italy is widely deploy troops on missions outside
considered by experts in this Europe on UN-approved military
pockets are small field to have been the first missions, a concept which had
ones of different nation to issue mass-produced become much more feasible
sizes on the upper camouflage combat clothing, in the following the dropping of the Iron
sleeves form of a green and brown Curtain and a resultant wind of
poncho designated co-operation blowing away
2: Basic colours M1929 pattern, and as past differences between
are a beige tan or early as World War the Warsaw Pact and the
very light earth One crack Alpini North Atlantic Treaty
shade over a mountain troops Organisation, and
were issued with possibly as it was initially
pinkish sand base white over-suits unclear if the crisis in the
with russet brown as snow Gulf Region would be
and green for camouflage, it speedily concluded, the
disruption and was not until defence procurement
contrast the nineties machine in Italy
that they had speedily introduced
3: Each of the their first two new camouflage
3 sleeve pockets has purpose- patterns better suited
a cover flap with designed for arid theatre
desert deployments.
Velcro-type camo
closure patterns. The elite San
Probably Marco Battalion,
as a now
result
of
2

ITALIAN FORCES PLAYED A

PART IN THE1991 GULF WAR
AS PART OF THE 34-NATION
COALITION ASSEMBLED TO
KICK SADDAM HUSSEIN'S
OCCUPYING FORCES OUT OF
NEIGHBOURING KUWAIT,
WITH AROUND 1200
PERSONNEL BEING
DEPLOYED OPERATIONALLY.
HOWEVER THE BULK OF
THIS CONTINGENT
COMPRISED AIR FORCE
PERSONNEL, FLYING AND
SUPPORTING TORNADO
STRIKE AIRCRAFT, AND
SAILORS ABOARD FOUR
WARSHIPS PLUS A SUPPORT
VESSEL DEPLOYED AS PART
OF THE NAVAL FLEET IN THE
PERSIAN GULF.
COMPARATIVELY FEW
ITALIAN ARMY TROOPS
DEPLOYED, WITH THOSE
THAT DID BEING IN LIAISON
ROLES, AND NO GROUND
COMBAT UNITS
PARTICIPATED IN THE FOUR-
DAY LAND CAMPAIGN.

58 Combat & Survival

4 5

6 4: Trouser
waistband has
simple thin belt
loops and single
button front
fastening
5: Shirt reversed
to show one of the
two inner pockets
- note base fabric
colour is pinkish
sand

6: Cargo pockets
on thighs have
zips under the
Velcro-closure
cover flaps

Regiment, which is the Marines

component of the Italian Navy,
replaced their M1929-derivative
three-colour uniform with a spatter-
edged five-colour pattern
incorporating tan and pinkish brown
(in addition to light stone, back and
light green) which was more suited
for hotter and more dusty
environments. The Italian Army,
however, opted for a more
conventional four-colour rounded-
edge pattern, designated Mimetico
Deserto which translated as
Camouflage Desert.
This new Army camouflage in some
ways resembled a desert shades
variation of the common US M81
Woodland camo style which became
popular with many nations from the
mid to late eighties, including Italy
themselves with their Mimetico
Roma 90 pattern introduced for
home use and temperate theatre
deployments. The early nineties
Mimetico Deserto pattern featured
this month would serve through
until 2004, when it was replaced by
Mimetico Vegetata Deserto pattern
which has smaller and more
mottled shapes and decidedly
more of a desert theatre colourway,
though the 2004 Mimetico Vegetata
replacement for Mimetico Roma 90
has similar colour shades to our
borrowed uniform which Louise is
wearing.
The early nineties Mimetico Deserto
pattern, which does not seem to
have been issued in sufficient
quantity to re-equip Italian military
personnel during the short 1991
Gulf War, saw extensive use in
Somalia with Italian forces deployed
on UN Peacekeeping duties and it
seems to have been widely
regarded as suitable for that
particular theatre; indeed some
collectors refer to it as Italian
Somalia pattern. With a beige tan or
light earth shade as a secondary
shade overlaid on a pinkish sandy
background and both light russet
brown and light olive green tertiary
shapes providing contrast and
disruption it very much reflected
camouflage uniform design thinking
of the late 20th Century though the
advent of computer design
programmes and digital imagery
analysis plus the results of various
subsequent experiments run by
NATO partners shortly after
introduction of this pattern inevitably
meant it would be replaced in little
over a decade.
The Mimetico Deserto combat
uniform worn this month is of the
same cut as that worn by the elite
Col Moschin 'Incursori' Special
Forces, who our late friend Yves
Debay photographed in Afghanistan
in 2004 and consists of a simple
shirt and trousers with minimal
pockets as it was intended to be
worn under body armour and with

Combat & Survival 59

 7 8

9 7: The San Marco

camo (see
December 2003
issue) was the
other arid theatre 10
camo issued from
the early nineties
8: Two versions of
M1929 derivative
3-colour camo
which we will
cover in a future
issue

9: There are
simple back
pockets on each
hip with two
Velcro tabs apiece
belt order. As the body armour
would cover chest pockets there 10: Front closure
was little need for them, though is of the concealed
there are internal shirt pockets, and
likewise conventional trouser
button type - dark
pockets were deemed redundant as horizontal tapes
belt order pouches and pistol holder cover felt pads for
would have made them Velcro-backed
inaccessible. name and rank
patches
The shirt's two internal chest
pockets, intended primarily for Model :
keeping documents safe rather than
for carrying bulky objects, had Louise
simple cover flaps attached by two
Velcro pads. There was also a small Images ©
pocket on each upper arm, of Bob Morrison
different sizes with the one on the
right suitable for carrying a latest
issue NATO field dressing. The front
fastening was of the concealed
button type, typical Italian white five-
pointed star patches were stitched
to the collar fronts, sleeve cuffs were
of simple warp-over tab and Velcro
type and felt patches for Velcro-
backed name tapes and rank
patches were stitched to the chest.
squares. There was a cargo pocket that matter shirt elbows, too, were
Although the trousers lacked low down on each thigh at the side reinforced with a second layer of camo
conventional upper pockets at the and under the Velcro closure flap was fabric meaning that foam panels could
front, they were tailored with two rear a horizontal sand coloured zip to be fitted for padding. The waistband
hip pockets with square cornered ensure retention of coins and small had six thin belt loops and a single
cover flaps held down by Velcro items when seated. Knees, and for button fastening above the zipped fly.

60 Combat & Survival

 This is as much a 'heads-up' as a
product review. Personal first aid
kits are clearly a very necessary
item, both at home and away, and
any sensible venturer should
carry one.

W
1 hen away it is also necessary to
be quite subjective as to what
you include in your own
personal kit. This will, of course,
depend to a great extent on where you are
headed and what you are up to. The Care
Plus Traveller, for example, includes sterile
syringes and sterilised scalpels for those
visiting parts of the world where such items
may not be readily available.
2
With their Waterproof kit Care Plus have
done the sensible, and perhaps clearly
obvious, thing and that is to offer it in a
tough protective pack. This, of course,
saves you putting a normal kit into an
ordinary protective outer which then no
doubt would make obscure the clear
markings of what the content is. Not so
much of an issue if it is you looking for it in
your pack ... but what if it is you that is
bleeding and someone else is rummaging
in your kit to look for your first aid kit?

Care Plus, and UK distributors Keeble, offer

a wide range of kits as well as insect
repellents and hydration systems so as far
as health is concerned they have a lot to
offer.
3

Main Image: I gave the Waterproof kit to

my mate Darby for his recent trip to the
highest peak in the Americas

1: Care Plus Traveller first aid kit which

includes sterile syringes and sterilised
scalpels

2: In many less-developed parts of the

world it pays to carry your own syringes
and scalpels

3: The Care Plus Waterproof first aid kit

62 Combat & Survival

Product - UK Contact: Care Plus/Keeble Agencies
Telephone - Web: 01284 763 152/keebleagencies.co.uk
It is not often I am without a
Leatherman on my belt, or at
least close by. For my recent trip
to Thailand I took the new
Rebar, which is a very good
combination of hard use,
practical and reasonably
compact belt tool. Ideal for this
sort of trip.
T
he now extensive range of
Leatherman tools offers everything
from small – if not tiny - to large
and substantial, heavy use, more
specialised tools. The Rebar falls neatly
into the midst of this wide selection.
Carefully stowed away into my Snugpak
Subdivide for the flight out (can’t have
security taking this away) the Rebar was
soon in use after my arrival.
People often ask me why I always have
one and do I use it much? Well, my
answer is most days, if not several times
a day. First job was to snip off the security
tags from my friends' cases and then fix
the shower in the hotel. We had a busy
and varied trip and the Rebar was often
called into service for a variety of uses.
One of note for me at least was to unravel
the tangled rope on a flag pole so I could,
for the first time since 1945, fly my Dad’s
treasured Union Flag in the breeze of
Kanchanaburi where he last flew it on the
day of his liberation as a POW.
That evening the Rebar was again in use
to prise the tops of a few bottles of
Shinga. Both to quench our thirst and to
Starting a fire? Now there can be a test
of ingenuity under some conditions. The
eGear sticks marketed by Whitby and Co
go some way to helping things along
when the time comes. These odourless
and non-toxic tinder sticks work well, as
you can see from the photos, and are
something worth keeping in your pack for
those times when it is tricky to get a
campfire going.
Leatherman/Whitby and Co eGear/Whitby and Co
01539 721 032/whitbyandco.co.uk 01539 721 032/whitbyandco.co.uk
4: Rebar showing
all its varied tools
- seen on a
sleeper laid as
part of the original
Burma Railway
5: Opening beer
bottles is perhaps 5
a lesser task for
the Rebar - but no
less welcome in
30C beside the
Kwai Noi river
6: The eGear fire
starter kit
showing the sticks
in the pack that
you can break off
as needed
7: The fire starter
sticks doing what
they do best -
starting a fire
toast my Dad and all those who spent a saw blade, which as I have said before
Images ©
such hard times only a couple of hundred always impresses as to how effective it is
Mike Gormley
yards away from where we now were on and I got to use this a few times on this
that infamous bridge and railway. What trip; both flat blade and Phillips
they would have done for a cold beer and screwdrivers, in a size that seems to fit
a Leatherman to help them along through nearly any screw head; an awl, which
those difficult years. comes in handy for all sorts; and a file,
which is good for broken fingernails
The Rebar has the essentials for most through to more substantial jobs. The
tasks required of a multi-tool: two razor- blades lock out for safety and are
sharp blades, one plain and one serrated; released by an easy to use press button.
6 Leatherman has come a long way of late
on the comfort side with nicely rounded
handles which are kind on the hands
when the pressure is on. The ever useful
pliers on the Rebar are the type with a
replaceable wire-cutter, so clearly this tool
is aimed at the more serious user. The
only thing I missed on the Rebar is the
recently introduced spring loaded pliers,
7 as on the Wingman, which I also favour
as a day to day Leatherman as it makes
pliers use just so much more convenient.
I also like the scissors on the Wingman
so it will be a close run decision from now
on which one to take. What I do know is
that either tool with Tim Leatherman's
name on it will do its job and will continue
to do it for a very long time.
Combat & Survival 63
 Product - UK Contact: Ussen/Ussen AquaPure/Keeble Agencies
Telephone - Web: 07810 551 638/ussen.co.uk 01284 763 152/keebleagencies.co.uk

8 9
8: Darby in
Argentina
modelling the
Ussen Multitube
during a rest camp
moment of
Ussen is a relatively fledgling contemplation
brand but I have to say I am a
regular user of a number of its 9: I have been a
products in the current, as I regular user of a
write, chill spring we are number of Ussen
getting in UK. (I too have been products through
wearing Ussen thermals on
the chill spring 10
chilly assignments on
Otterburn and Salisbury Plain
training areas, Ed.) 10: Ussen thermal

T
clothing is of UK
he very appropriately named manufacture and at
Baltic thermal comes in handy, least equal to
as does the hat of similar name, larger international suited to the particular garment and I
as well as the Flight Hat which brands must say from my experiences they
goes well under both my bike helmet seem to do a good job. The Multitube
and the one I have to wear sometimes 11: Back in UK – is a very handy multi-purpose item of
at work. The Flight Gloves also come in seen here on kit and can be used as headgear as
handy, especially as liner gloves under Dartmoor - the well as a neck warmer / scarf to keep
my work gloves, and I have also used Traveller is just as cold and snow out and warm in where
them under mitts, which make a great appropriate for it should be.

combination. The Otterburn (again a making sure your

very appropriate name for those of you
who know that place) Fleece is a good
to wear item that, like the other items,
works as required.
However I digress, as the item in
question here is the Ussen Multitube
Darby made good use of this garment
drinking water is
down there in the Southern
clean and free Hemisphere and was quite happy with
from nasties which I gave to my ex-RM Mountain it. Come to think of it, I have not seen it
Leader buddy Darby to take out to since and he has been back ages! The
12: The Traveller Aconcagua on a recent climbing other good thing about Ussen is that
beside the river expedition he was on. Ussen take their kit is all made in UK. Nice one,
Kwai Yai where it some care to choose the fabrics best Ussen.

11 12

As we all know, clean, safe water
is essential to us every day of our
lives. This gets more tricky to
achieve when away from ‘base’
on travels, both in UK and
overseas in some far-flung corner
of the world.
into the wilds as such but was staying in
would have been a places where the drinking water was 13
very welcome back possibly questionable. Okay, so you can
in the forties when normally buy bottled water but this is not
the PoWs were cheap and you may not always be able to
get hold of it when needed, and for things
desperate for clean
like teeth cleaning it seems a waste to go
water as they

I
n the past I have come across some,
let’s say, less than good filter bottles
that distort when squeezed to power
water through the filter and so leak
contaminated water passed the filter. Some
have had filters that are just a bit ‘ify’ in
their construction and so also had
questionable ability to provide safe, clean,
non contaminated H2O.
On my ventures I have used both the
AquaPure Survivor and now the Traveller,
and both seem to work fine. The Traveller I
took with me on a trip to the Far East,
although on this trip I was not heading off
this route. So I made full use of the
laboured on the AquaPure Traveller during the trip and no
Burma Railway bugs were detected – if you get my drift.
13: With the I do not have the facilities to do full in-
replaceable filter depth laboratory tests but my internal
system seemed quite content with the
unit removed –
filtered water I was consuming. I have also
note the design made use of this unit while camping in the
which affords a UK, when again one can never really be
good grip and also sure of water quality in this over-populated
the top which has a island of ours. contaminated the water is. The bottles can
pull-out valve as be used as a conventional type of drinks
per many drinks The filter unit is replaceable and said to be bottle as well as a filter unit into your
able to process up to 350 litres of water but cooking pot or kettle. No complaints here at
bottles all and more or less essential kit in my mind.
certainly this will depend on just how

64 Combat & Survival

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The latest contract to re-
equip Britain's armed forces
with combat boots covers
five different categories and
two separate
manufacturers using their
own last designs will supply
each category to ensure a
higher percentage of troops
are able to wear off-the-
shelf footwear than if only
one manufacturer's
products had been
selected. In theory every
soldier should be able to
choose the one of two boot
designs that better suits his
or her feet (both male and
female sizes cobbled on
different lasts are also
being catered for) thereby
reducing the percentage of
troops requiring specialist
non-standard combat
footwear and subsequently
saving money.
A
s explained last month, the
five boot categories procured
by UK MoD are: Cold Wet
Weather, Combat High
66 Combat & Survival
1
Main Image:
Primarily a desert
boot the Falcon
can also be worn
in dry temperate
summer conditions
1: YDS use their
own dual-density
Polyurethane/
Rubber shock-
absorbing sole and
tread design
Images © Liability, Desert High Liability, GOLIATH managed to get us a
Bob Morrison Lightweight Patrol, and Desert pair of full MoD specification
Lightweight Patrol. The major Falcons right after the Easter
Turkish military & police boot break, which coincided with the
manufacturer YDS, whose uniform long-awaited gradual upturn in
footwear usually appears under temperature here in the UK and
the GOLIATH brand-name in the meant I had them on my feet
UK, is one of the two companies during that pleasantly warm
selected for the last category with weekend mid-month when the
their Falcon Desert model being thermometer peaked higher than it
chosen (their Kestrel model had since last September. Of
having also been selected for the course these were nothing like
Lightweight Patrol category). desert conditions, but as an
2 3
4 5
7 LG Lacing System
operational change plus close
family bereavement meant my
planned recent trip to the Arab
World had to be cancelled I
have not yet been able to wear
them in really hot weather. Still,
initial impressions are very
favourable and these boots are
certainly well-made and
comfortable.
The Falcon uppers are cobbled
from 1.8-2.0mm full grain
breathable brown leather and
brown knitted 6.6 Cordura nylon
non-wicking fabric backed with
100% polyester felt. Upper top
lining, behind the soft leather
padded collar, is brown 100%
polyester 3D mesh and the inner
lining is a blend of 65% polyester
and 35% Coolmax. The leather
and mesh padded tongue
extends well above the collar,
which is scalloped low at the
back for vehicle crew comfort,
and the tongue gusset extends
to 8" above the base of the sole
(UK Size 10) to keep out sand
and debris.
A grippy dual density
Polyurethane / Rubber sole
design, exclusive to YDS, is
utilised with the nitrile rubber
outer being durable and the
polyurethane mid-layer providing
cushioning and shock
absorption. In addition to the
The tongue gusset
extends to two
inches from the top
to keep out sand
and debris
2: Uppers are a 6
mixture of reddish
brown suede leather
and brown Cordura
nylon
3: YDS describe their
8-point eyelet and D-
ring combination as
4: There are four
eyelets, a lace look
and three D-rings
each side plus leather
tongue loop
5: Gaps between
tread blocks are wide
for self-cleaning - insole (footbed) specified by UK
YDS motif is MoD, YDS have also included
incorporated on their own recommended
instep anatomically shaped removable
and washable footbed plus a pair
6: Heel cup gives of flat spacer inserts which those
good protection and with shallower feet will appreciate.
well-padded collar is The 8-point lacing system
consists of four pairs of eyelets, a
cut low under the calf
pair of conventional pressed
metal lace locks and three pairs
7: Issue insole of D-rings, plus there is a tongue
(footbed) on left and loop to prevent slippage. My initial
extra (blue) YDS- impressions on these boots are
recommended footbed all very favourable; roll on
flanking the spacer summer.
Combat & Survival 67
 Developer: Irrational Games
Publisher: 2k Games
Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Available: Out now
Famed amongst gamers and
feted by the games press for
their depth of story-telling and
world creation, Bioshock and
its sequel set the bar for
genuinely immersive ‘grown-up’
shooters. The dark, sub-aquatic
art deco city of Rapture played
host to gruesome monsters,
emotionally engaging decisions
and challenging protagonists,
with the city itself being as
much a star of the game as the
Big Daddies and their charges.
That was then and this is now –
the long awaited Bioshock
Infinite has had a protracted
gestation, due in no small part
to Irrational’s irrational refusal
to release the game until it was
as highly polished as a
diamond.
68 Combat & Survival
T
he wait was certainly worth it. The game opens
with the first of several homages to its
predecessor, with the protagonist on a rowing
boat, heading past a buoy remarkably similar to
that which marked the opening of the first game. The
player assumes the role of Booker DeWitt – a
disgraced former Pinkerton agent [note; The
Pinkertons still exist to this day, having merged with
Swedish firm, Securitas AB in 2003] who has been
tasked by his dangerous debtors to ‘get the girl –
clear the debt...’ The girl in question resides at the
heart of a preposterous flying city called Columbia
which, following the brutal suppression of the Boxer
uprising by its commander, Father Comstock,
declared itself independent of the US and has been
navigating the skies ever since, festering a racist
ideology and personality cult around Comstock while
the rest of the world moves on beneath...
Booker’s arrival in Columbia does not go unnoticed –
posters announce to the public that a False Shepherd
has come to steal away the Lamb of Columbia and
cite the brand on the back of DeWitt’s hand as the
mark of the beast. Indeed, you are given just enough
time to drink in the delights of Columbia unmolested a magnetised device that allows Booker to ride the zip
before a stark moral choice is offered that leads to lines between the floating city blocks, but is also hefty
your discovery by the powers that be and the curtain enough to stove a man’s head in. Also available are
is torn asunder to reveal the city’s dark and shabby ‘Vigors’ – Infinite’s equivalent of the Plasmids in the
heart. first two games – these enable the player to shoot fire,
electricity, crows...all sorts of murderous magics from
At its heart, Infinite is, despite the excellent storytelling, their fingertips. Alternatively, they can be put down as
a first person shooter... Two weapons can be carried at traps to prevent your character from being flanked by
any one time and range from hand cannons and the persistent and aggressive AI enemies. Combat is
sniper rifles to exotic grenade launchers and RPGs. intuitive, brutal and effective, and before long, you’ll be
Hand to hand combat is administered with a ‘Skyhook’ tearing through lesser ranked baddies like the demon

Released last year, Dead Island
made a far bigger impact than a
low budget title from a small,
low profile developer had any
right to. Basically a rip-off of the
four player co-op carnage of Left
4 Dead, welded to a RPG and
cross-bred with a first person
hack ‘em up, Dead Island was a
brilliantly cocky slice of action
that satisfied that part of your
brain that enjoys watching films
with The Rock or Jason Statham
in leading roles. It was flawed,
cheesy gore and, most of all, it
was fun.
they think you are.
It’s been a long while since I have found a game to be as
immersive as Bioshock Infinite – the care and attention
lavished on making Columbia into a living, breathing
place whose people occupy an actual society, however
skewed its moral core may be, is actually astonishing.
From faux news clips and voice recordings discovered
while searching desks, to posters and conversations with
people, more of the city’s story is unveiled in incredible
incidental detail. Characters pertinent to the story have
believable and realistic personalities for good or bad...
Particular praise must go to the creation of your
companion for most of game and the reason why you’re
there – the supernaturally talented Elizabeth [the
aforementioned ‘Lamb’], locked in a floating tower and
protected by a monstrous clockwork creature called
Songbird when you first meet her. Elizabeth is unlike any
AI companion you’ve had in a game before – she is
smart, educated and resourceful, providing medicine and
ammo when you need it the most and helping you search
for coin and food during the game’s calmer moments.
She is also able to summon things through rips in reality
– a talent of exceptional use later on.
Bioshock Infinite is, without a doubt, the best release of
the year so far – a rollicking adventure through a
Steampunk vision of the late 1900s that has to be seen to
be believed. The towering spires and blue skies of
Columbia might seem to be a world away from the
stygian depths of Rapture, but both games share the
same dark heart and, I’d wager, fans will love it.
9/10
W
ell, Techland have come up with a sequel, Dead
Island: Riptide, which takes off from exactly
where the first game left off before
unceremoniously dumping you on yet another
island paradise with a Zombie problem. This time around,
there is a new playable character, new location to explore,
new missions and side quests to complete and new
Zombie types to hack into little pieces before they can eat
you.
Otherwise, it’s business as usual – taking useless
weapons and levelling them up and crafting them into
insane zombie slaughter machines of death; massaging
your character’s stats and completing a bewildering array
of pointless, but guaranteed exciting missions with a
bunch of friends.
If you’ve played the first game, you’ll know exactly what to
expect and your character can be ported across from your
game save – which is nice.
Techland have made no attempt to fix the slightly iffy
graphics or any of the other bugs that beset the previous
game – they’ve literally just come up with much more stuff
to do and a new place to do it. And that’s fine, because
hacking the arms off an undead person who is trying to
eat your face never gets old... Developer: Techland Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
8/10 Publisher: Deep Silver Available: Out now
Combat & Survival 69
 The Ultimate Survival Manual
By Rich Johnson
ISBN : 978-1-4081-9251-1
Publishers tend to follow one of two basic formats with books on the topic of Survival,
meaning that the same ground gets covered time after time leaving the reader with
that deja vu feeling, so it made a pleasant change to find that this one breaks the
mould. Broken down into just four sections - Essentials, Wilderness, Disaster and Urban
- it covers all the basics, but does so mostly by way of short and punchy aides memoire
on each subject, laid out one or two to the page with supporting illustrations.

T
he author of this interesting title is a former US Special Forces survival expert who has been a regular
contributor on survival topics to the American hunting / fishing / camping magazine Outdoor Life for more
than a decade. A para and demolitions sergeant by trade, he also served in the Coast Guard Auxiliary as
an instructor and in civvy life has been a volunteer fire-fighter for his local Fire & Ambulance Department,
so he has wide-ranging expertise in the various areas of survival and surviving, with a year of desert wilderness living with his wife and young family thrown
into the mix for variety.

Much of this book's content will be familiar to those of you with well-stacked Survival bookshelves, and of course a lot of what it contains is good old-
fashioned common sense, but there are still plenty of fresh little nuggets in there to hold your interest. By laying this one out as a series of hints & tips in the
form of a manual, but with plenty of well-chosen supportive images and illustrations, the author and publisher have made it easy to read and one of those
books that you can browse in short snatches when time permits without losing the thread; you can also skip back and forth through it for variety or just refer
to specific topics as if looking up an encyclopedia.

Printed on US Letter sized paper, slightly narrower and less tall than this A4 size magazine, with glossy soft covers which have metal reinforced corners, this
20mm (1/4") thick manual is not a pocket guide but a decent-sized book to keep close to hand in the home for both casual reading and reference. Originally
published by Weldon Owen in the US in 2012, the UK version was published by Bloomsbury in mid-March with a cover price of £18.99.

Challenger 1
By Carl Schulze
This 68-page, A4, card-covered, Anglo-German text
Tankograd title by our own Senior Correspondent has
been a labour of love and, at times, has driven Carl
around the bend as much conflicting information has
been published over the years about Britain's last Main
Fahrzeug-Graffiti
Battle Tank of the Cold War era. With this title, which
with twelve pages of supporting introductory text is a · GECON-ISAF
bit more wordy than most in the series, our man · IFOR-SFOR-EUFOR
Schulze has endeavoured to tell the story as succinctly
as possible, checking and rechecking facts and
By Carl Schulze
statistics in his attempt to be as accurate as possible
These two Tankograd titles on
about a subject which was shrouded in secrecy and misinformation in the early years.

I
Afghanistan and Bosnia, also penned
by Carl, are very much niche market
have a great interest in Challenger as in a previous life I worked on the design of the NBC packs, and to a
and may be of more interest to
lesser extent the engine filters, of both what was at the time codenamed MBT80 and its close relative the
German enthusiasts than the rest of us,
Shir 2 for the Shah of Iraq ... but that's another story and I suspect much of it is still covered by the OSA. At
but as they plug a gap in the market
the time the difficulties the design team I was on had in getting such basic details as armour thickness, to
they deserve brief mention. It is not
allow us to work out thermal loss and gain using the transmittance coefficient we had been given, were brain-
unusual find books focussing on
numbing as the secrecy surrounding the then new Chobham armour package was unbelievable so it did not
aviation graffiti but, other than some
surprise me in the least when Carl told me the difficulty he was experiencing in confirming facts about what then
ancient Vietnam War and World War
Brigadier Patrick Cordingley claimed, following leading 4th Armoured Brigade during Gulf War One, to be a tank
Two titles, I cannot think of many that
built for war, not competitions.
cover military vehicles so these two are
In my opinion Carl has done an excellent job with this book, which is a photo reference source primarily aimed a bit out of the ordinary. The extended
at military vehicle enthusiasts and military modellers, and I cannot wait for him to finish the follow-up title on captions accompanying each vehicle
Challenger 2 which he is working on at the moment. photo and corresponding close-up of
its markings say where and when it
This book is dedicated to the memory of our good friend Yves Debay, assassinated in Syria in January, who like was seen and, where known, the
myself contributed some of the images. relevance of the graffiti.

70 Combat & Survival

ATROCITIES DIAMONDS
AND DIPLOMACY
By Peter Penfold
ISBN : 978-1-78159-105-5
The memoirs of the British High Commissioner to
Sierra Leone from 1997 through the Rebel War period
which was finally ended by direct British military
intervention (Operation PALLISER) in support of the
elected government, this book is dynamite. Although
hailed as a hero by the people of Sierra Leone, Peter
Penfold was later hung out to dry by the Foreign and
Chicken Street
By John Lane
ISBN : 978-1-909384-26-2
More memoirs here, in this case from a former Royal Navy
officer with 35 years of service who was appointed head
of mission for the HALO Trust landmine clearance
operation in Afghanistan in the early nineties, following
the Russian withdrawal and before the Taliban took near
total control of the war-torn nation. Based in Kabul, in a
'villa' in the Chicken Street of the title, he observed the
country's descent into civil war.

A
Commonwealth Office as a scapegoat when it was
discovered that Britain had been clandestinely
lthough the underlying story is the thankless and seemingly never-
supporting a mercenary force working for the Sierra
ending task of clearing deadly unexploded munitions, this book is
Leone Government and had been effectively supplying
actually more of an observation of the Afghan people and the
arms and technical assistance. problems faced in a region that seems ungovernable by either

T
his is quite a heavy book to wade through but it answers quite a
few questions and brings context to a complicated situation so it
is well worth persevering with if interested in Britain's role in West
Africa at the turn of the millennium and in the events which led
up to Operations PALLISER and BARRAS. The 200-page paperback
version, published by Pen & Sword, has a cover price of £12.99
invaders or Afghans themselves. The author's style of writing harks back to
an earlier age, a bit in keeping with the country itself, and it is a treasure
trove of prose. I enjoyed it immensely.
Over 250 pages thick, this paperback co-published by Helion & Company
and GG Books UK has a cover price of £16.95. I reckon it's well worth it if
either you wish to learn a little about Afghanistan in the late 20th Century
or you are just looking for an interesting observational literary work.

72 Hours
By Frank Pope
ISBN : 978-1-4091-2697-3
In August 2000 the Russian nuclear-powered submarine K-141 Kursk was lost with all
hands in the Barents Sea after a stowed drill torpedo exploded during an exercise. Eight
years later the country's Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle AS-28 sunk to around 100
fathoms (600 feet or roughly 200 metres) after becoming ensnared in underwater cables
and fishing nets, but this time the seven souls aboard were rescued after three days on
the seabed through international cooperation.

W
hen the Kursk sank, with 118 officers and men aboard, a combination of Russian pride and stubborn
bureaucracy seriously hampered any potential international rescue effort, and indeed it would be several
days before it was even officially admitted that there was a problem, by which time all survivors of the
initial explosions had perished. Lessons were, however, learned by both politicians and the Russian Navy
with the result that when NATO ran Exercise SORBET ROYAL in the Mediterranean in 2005 to test submarine rescue
procedures in case of a similar disaster a Russian contingent participated too.

Little more than a month after SORBET ROYAL ended AS-28 sunk and ended up at too great a depth for those aboard to exit the craft to swim to the surface
and deeper than the Russians were able to recover personnel from, but fortunately this time Navy pride was put to one side and a request for international
assistance was sent out within 24 hours. America, Britain and Japan all had the capability to effect such a deep sea rescue, though the Japanese rescue
vessels would be unable to get to the scene before the submersible's crew ran out of air, and the two NATO nations immediately swung into action to attempt
to get teams and rescue vehicles to the Kamchatka Peninsula on the Pacific seaboard of Russia's Far East.

It was the Royal Navy team which won the desperate race, just beating their US Navy colleagues to the scene, and with American assistance they sent down
their Scorpio 45 ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to cut the cables ensnaring the submersible to allow it to resurface before the air ran out. The mission was a
total success and all seven men were able to leave the vessel unaided.

This gripping 260-page paperback from Orion, written by an underwater expert who is both a BBC presenter and Ocean Correspondent for The Times,
recounts the rescue mostly from the perspective of both the British rescue team and the Russian crew members' wives. First published last year in hardback,
the paperback edition has a UK cover price of £8.99. It is one of most compelling books I have read for quite some time and I found it to be highly readable
even though I knew the outcome and am not overly interested in naval subjects.

Combat & Survival 71

 The events at the finishing defence against terrorist attack is the awareness of
line of the Boston Marathon the people on the street, and their ability to spot
have reminded us once again the basic human behaviours that are connected to
– if, indeed, we could have terrorist activity. It would only have taken someone
ever forgotten – that the next to shout out "You have forgotten your bag", and the
terrorist attack is only attack would have either been thwarted or at least
tomorrow’s headlines away. The the damage and injuries may well have been
fact that the perpetrators were minimised. The attempts by David Copeland, the
identified, discovered and either killed ‘London Nail Bomber’, to plant IEDs in a sports bag

Image © Bob Morrison : Military Scene

or captured so quickly does not get in Brixton Market in 1999 were twice thwarted by
away from the fact that from a national someone passing by simply telling him that he had
security perspective the greatest failure forgotten his bag, forcing him to pick it up and move
was not the failure to prevent them planting on.
their bombs, but the failure to identify them much
earlier in the attack planning cycle. And the third lesson, and one that in the long term
may well be the most significant change in how we
perceive terrorism, is how the pictures, tweets,
youtube videos and 24 hour rolling news bulletins
brought home once more just how much the world
is interconnected, and how much the growth of
social media has affected both the way that we
perceive the world, and the ways in which
information from across the globe is fed to us.

It is likely that when we think of the

T
9/11 disaster, which only happened
he fact that it was only a few days later that the existence of less than twelve years ago, we
another plot was revealed, after two men were arrested and have a shared global memory
charged with planning to plant a bomb on the Toronto-New of the images of the
York train, was much more typical in that it was revealed burning first tower, the
that they had been under surveillance for over half a year. slow flight of the second
plane, and then the slow-
The simple truth is that once an organised plot becomes more motion collapse of the
than a conversation in a pub or around a table, then the mere fact towers in a seemingly
of communicating, planning, moving money around, buying unbelievable nightmare
supplies, doing the research, meeting with experienced from which we would soon
practitioners (planners, bomb makers, financiers, etc.), mean that awake. It was, in a very real
it is almost impossible for this level of activity to take place sense, a reality television
without being picked up at an early stage by the relevant production.
intelligence agencies. The great fear is no longer the centrally-
directed mega-attack, which was the calling card of the initial The fact that our interaction with global events is
wave of Al Qaeda operations – USS Cole, Beirut Marine barracks, now much more likely to be through self-posted
9/11 – or the well organised and highly managed attacks that media based on mobile phones and internet

were planned by subsidiary regional succeed, it is seen for what it is – the act of connections is something that both increases
Please visit www.davidrubens-associates.com to see
what we are up to – and feel free to drop me a line
After twenty years of running Meido Ltd and Meido

groups, such as the Bali bombings or the a small self-radicalised team rather than an the impact of events that otherwise might be
Madrid train bombings, but rather the indication of a new wave of a ‘Global Terror considered as something isolated and
‘Lone Wolf’ attack or ‘clean skin’ attack of Threat’ that can been used to justify separate from ourselves, but also maximises
Consultants, I have completely rebranded my

people who are either completely unknown increasingly harsh and oppressive the ability for information to be shared in a
to the intelligence agencies, or who are government counter-moves. Although the way that increase the resilience of the
operations as David Rubens Associates.

at david@davidrubens-associates.com

operating completely alone, and therefore
cannot be picked up through identification
of their interactions with other known
terrorists.
There are a number of lessons that can be
learned – or rather, re-learned – from this
incident. The first is that it is never possible
to have a completely effective security
system. As the IRA put it so many years
ago: "You have to be lucky every time – we
only have to be lucky once."
The important thing is that if a low-level,
under-the-radar attack such as this does
rhetoric of counter-terrorism has changed community and its ability to respond to and
radically since the Global War on Terror days recover from disasters, whether they are
of Bush and Blair, there is always the terrorist attacks, natural disasters, technology
temptation to allow such attacks to be used breakdowns, or any of the other myriad ways
to justify disproportionate responses, which in which our communities and society in
will only hasten the achievement of the general are challenged on a daily basis.
terrorists’ objectives; which is to create a
self-generating feedback loop of government The Boston Marathon is unlikely to be the
policies that lead to increased polarisation last such attack, but is once more a reminder
within the terrorists’ home community, that, as it always has been, the price of
leading to harsher policing, greater safety is constant vigilance, and that the
radicalisation, and then the development of responsibility in the modern world is that we
a new generation of radicalised activists. all take responsibility for the vigilance and
maintenance of safety within our own small
The second lesson is that the greatest circles.

72 Combat & Survival

74 Combat & Survival