Website: www.combatandsurvival.
com
P16 Civil Assistance PITCH POLE & KAPE
Pictorial coverage of the part the Armed Forces played in
combating the February Floods
P21 Armour Focus GTK BOXER [Pt.2]
Carl Schulze looks at the new German APC variants deployed
to Afghanistan
P28 Elite Forces EXFIB
Richard Lucas reports on Italy’s Lagunari on amphibious
training with the French Marine Infantry
P34 Armour Focus 2 FRENCH VIKING
Richard Lucas photographs the BvS10 amphibious armoured
personnel carrier coming ashore
P38 Frontline Report ISAF NRU
Carl Schulze reports from Afghanistan on the Northern
Reaction Unit combat reserve force
P44 Survival WINTER FLOODS
Bob Morrison reports from the Somerset Moors as Dutch
pumping specialists race in to assist
P49 Firearms BRÜGGER & THOMET
Greg Roberts fires the Swiss 9mm sub-machinegun and looks
at its history
P57 Security COUNTER-INSURGENCY
Robert Shaw pens a Special Report on the changing world of
today’s EOD Operator
P62 Survival Gear TRIED & TESTED
Mike Gormley trials a jacket, hiking shoes,
gloves, drysacks and the new Swiss Soldier’s
Knife
P66 Counter-Insurgency
P62
CIED AWARENESS
Dean Williams explains the role of combat
tracking in the 21st Century
P70 Footwear
BATES PATROL BOOT
Bob Morrison gets his feet into the
latest issue BOOT, PATROL in the
new MoD Brown colour
P05: Comms
Editor: Bob Morrison
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Senior Correspondents:
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IMPORTANT: All individual combat and personal
survival activities involve risk of injury to oneself and
P38 others and great care must be taken carrying out any
such activities. Expert guidance should be sought and
equipment checked for reliability before any activities
described here in are carried out. The publishers cannot
accept any responsibility for any injury, death, loss or
damage which may result.
ARTICLES AND PHOTOGRAPHS
will be welcomed and considered for publication.
Submission of such shall be considered a warranty that
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P66
P70
April 14 Cover Image:
© Carl Schulze
© M.A.I. Publications 2014

Yes, COMBAT & SURVIVAL
Magazine really is a quarter of
a century old! Born as a highly
successful 100-part weekly
compendium in 1987, which
was updated and reprinted in
1991 under the title IN COMBAT
following what is now usually
referred to as Gulf War One,
C&S evolved into a monthly
newsstand magazine with the
first issue bearing the April 1989
cover date.
Airport in the Crimea, which is part of the
independent nation of Ukraine and which
has been drawing closer to the European
Union since the dissolution of the Soviet
Union in 1991.
As one in six Ukrainians are of Russian
ethnicity, and as five out of eight Crimean
Ukrainians consider themselves to be
Russian, this tinderbox on the northern
shores of the Black Sea may well
soon ignite and as both the European
Union and the United States are lining
themselves up on the side of the
during a period of downtime, we did
not actually get the opportunity to see
(or photograph) any military units out
in the field as the 125-mile Screwdriver
policy of the Department of Defence
Communications was a complete
shambles.
Maybe if the commissars in Whitehall
were to stop trying to write the news
and just let those of us who specialise
in this field talk with those out on the
ground they might find their hectic lives
becoming less stressful, and as a bonus
many of those embarrassing silly stories
that the mainstream media dream up to
fill pages when they have been treated
like mushrooms by Whitehall might not
see the light of day. Christina Lamb, who
has been reporting on Afghanistan for

O
ver the last 25 years we have: Ukrainians the situation is really tense. as long as C&S Magazine has been
emerged from the post-WWII Cold Meanwhile, as a result of the major in publication, writing in the Sunday
War era and found old military en- recession which afflicted the West at the Times on 16th February summed it up
emies standing alongside us against end of the last decade many Western pretty concisely when she explained
new common enemies; seen the success- armed forces, including those of the US the antics of the Media Ops ‘minder’ in
ful expulsion of Saddam Hussein from and UK, are being pared back to the bone Bastion who kept over-ruling the very
Kuwait by a multi-national coalition of 34 as politicians put social spending ahead operationally experienced colonel she
partner nations; watched ‘ethnic cleansing’ of defence. was interviewing. It’s not just us who
break out across the Balkans, and held our despair.
breath as our troops tried to assist peace Yes, things really have changed a lot
return while both hands were tied behind over the last two and a half decades, but Although I have only edited 201 of
their backs; sighed with relief when ‘The hopefully C&S is still providing you, the the last 300 issues of C&S, I actually
Troubles’ in Northern Ireland were mostly loyal reader, enough topical content to penned my first feature for Volume 2
resolved and troops were stood down; keep you buying the magazine. And we Issue 2 of the magazine and I was also
been shocked by the Islamic fundamen- fully intend to provide you with a continual a contributor to original partwork, so I
talist-inspired attacks on New York and stream of frontline reports, military & go back pretty much to the beginning.
Washington; gone to battle in both Iraq survival features and relevant kit reviews If you had told me back in 1986, when I
and Afghanistan as part of the Global War for the foreseeable future. Indeed my was first asked to provide topical military
on Terror; and watched from the sidelines bergen is packed for my next trip and as vehicle photos and specifications for the
as the Jasmine Revolution swept, not al- soon as this page is passed for press I will partwork, that not only would a monthly
ways with the expected outcome, through be winging out of here to cover UK Forces newsstand military magazine grow out
large parts of the Arab World. And these deployed on our nation’s longest ever of it but that this magazine would survive
are just a few of the major changes in our continuous military operation in the theatre in a cut-throat commercial market for
world. which is second only to Afghanistan for a quarter of a century I would not have
the number of British Army personnel believed you ... but then again, I would
The Russian Bear, seen for so long as currently operationally deployed. not have believed that the military world
an enemy of the West, who hibernated could have changed the way it did or, for
through several successive winters, and Changing tack, the horrendous stormy that matter, that our armed forces would
summers too, briefly bared his fangs in weather cycle we have been facing in be pared back to the bone the way the
Georgia in 2008 but in the main posed the United Kingdom since just before have been.
little potential military threat outside of Christmas has seen members of all three
the Russian Federation and the Chinese services deployed on flood relief duties Finally, last month we flagged up that
Dragon turned itself over to manufacturing under the MACA (Military Assistance to the this issue would contain a look back
goods for the West instead of producing Civil Authorities) programme, part of the into my archives at how BAOR looked
armaments for the Third World and Operation KAPE (Keeping the Army in the on exercise the winter before C&S
attempting to spread the Communist Public Eye) policy, and if you turn to pages Magazine was first published. Sorry, but
message around the globe. However, even 16-18 you will see a brief flavour of just this birthday issue is so packed with
as I type this, armed uniformed soldiers, how varied the units involved have been. reports and features that we simply did
believed to be Russian, are reported to Unfortunately, other than a brief encounter not have the room so we have had to
have surrounded Sevastopol International with Bravo Troop of 40 Commando postpone this for the time being - BM

Combat & Survival 05

 British Army

IN LAST MONTH’S Main Image: While the MTP

ISSUE WE FEATURED uniform might work well on
THE 1ST BATTALION leaf litter, the older Tropical
ROYAL GURKHA RIFLES DPM ‘greens’ are much
(1RGR), THE PRIMARY better overall for jungle
BRITISH ARMY COMBAT camouflage - note how iron
FORMATION BASED IN sights on the SA80A2 are
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM. preferred for the jungle
IN THIS EDITION WE [TTB photo]
EXAMINE TWO OTHER
VERY IMPORTANT 1: The GSAIC training
COMPONENTS OF BRITISH introduces members to
FORCES BRUNEI (BFB) materials used to create
IN THIS SOUTHEAST IEDs - this is a selection
ASIAN NATION. BOTH ARE of shells held by TTB -
LOCATED AT MEDICINA mornings are spent on
LINES IN THE OIL- theory while the afternoons practical instruction. In places like Iraq 2
PRODUCING REGION OF provide practical fieldwork and Afghanistan, it was found that ap-
SERIA, ABOUT 100KM proximately 80% of improvised explosive
SOUTHWEST OF THE 2: This is an ‘age stand’ set devices (IED) were discovered through
CAPITAL BANDAR SERI up for the GSAIC - different ground awareness indicators rather than
BEGAWAN. items (here lemon halves) through technology. Such high a figure
are placed in the stand spotlights the importance of this course,

C
&S visited the UK Forces
Training Team Brunei (TTB) in
early December 2013, just as
a regular training course was
coming to an end. This particular
fortnight-long course was the Ground
Sign Awareness Instructors Course
(GSAIC), which gives theoretical and
and trainees are able to as it fine-tunes soldiers’ awareness of
observe the rate of decay threats. First run in 2009, the GSAIC
to better assess the age of was born from TTB’s Tracking Course
such signs and it is currently being run six times per annually.
year with 32 soldiers each time. With the
Images © drawdown in Afghanistan, the frequency Major Pete Houlton-Hart, Officer
GORDON ARTHUR of the course will likely reduce to a Commanding TTB, explained that the
or courtesy TTB more sustainable level of four courses training unit has undergone various

Combat & Survival 09

 British Army
name changes over its long history,
including the Bush Warfare School
(which contributed to the famous
Chindits of World War Two), Far
East Training Centre, Jungle Warfare
School and Jungle Warfare Wing.
From the end of WWII until 1972, the
training team was based in peninsular
Malaysia. From 1972-75, the unit
moved to Singapore for a short period
before eventually settling in Brunei
from 1976 onwards.
In 1982, Training Team Brunei was
established in the form it appears
today. Major Houlton-Hart explained
that Brunei offers several advantages.
Foremost is the pristine primary jungle
in the country’s interior. Furthermore,
the jungle is fairly benign compared to
some around the world, so it makes an
ideal training environment. The team
also has access to a working quarry in
the Tutong area, which allows TTB to
replicate desert or arid regions. Thanks
to the generosity of their Brunei hosts,
TTB has almost free rein to train in rural
and settled areas, which adds another
layer of realism.
TTB has twelve training staff, and its
instructors emanate from the Royal
Marines, SAS, Infantry and Gurkhas.
10 Combat & Survival
Main image: Water safety
3 4
is part of the JWIC
curriculum - training
includes river crossings
and riverine operations
- here a group of four
soldiers practise safely
crossing one of Brunei’s
rivers
[TTB photo]
3: A hollow tree stump
makes an ideal oven -
here, fish caught in a
river are being smoked
- TTB also employs three
Iban natives, indigenous
people who are masters
at living in the jungle
[TTB photo]
The team also has a Dog Section, which the GSAIC, the curriculum covers
4: Members of the possesses four dogs used for tracking. other topics such as pursuit tracking,
GSAIC 3/13 course Additionally, there is a Boat Section for helicopter insertion, and jungle and
examine the outside of riverine training along Brunei’s inland multi-terrain tracking. All TTB courses
waterways.
a building for signs of train the trainer so that personnel can
threats - the course is return to units and pass on the skills and
As well as the aforementioned GSAIC, techniques they have learned in Brunei.
designed to heighten TTB runs two other courses. The
awareness of threats, These courses are tri-service.
Operational Tracking Instructors Course
and it has helped reduce (OTIC) is a five-week affair that runs TTB’s other course, and perhaps the
casualties in Afghanistan twice yearly. As well as content from marquee one, is the Jungle Warfare
 JWIC participants training for riverine
5
operations in boats - the longest river in
Brunei is the Belait - the Brunei government
allows British troops the freedom of
several sizeable training areas in the jungle
[TTB photo]
5: Of 65 students
on each JWIC, ten 6
could be from foreign
militaries - note this
student’s uniform - the
final course phase is a
nine-day-long company
tactical exercise in the
jungle [TTB photo]
6: Helmets and body Instructors Course (JWIC). The
armour are worn course takes 65 students and turns
when the threat them from ‘zero to hero’ in seven
warrants - e.g. an weeks. For most trainees it is their
7 assault on an enemy first experience in a jungle, so JWIC
position as here. This includes basic subjects like health/
is the final phase of hygiene, survival, water safety, and
JWIC 3/13 which then builds up through section
commenced on 28 tactics all the way to company-level
September 2013 missions. JWIC runs twice per year.
[TTB photo]
Major Houlton-Hart described the
7: Navigation in such a training that goes on in Brunei as
confined environment “world class”. Major Chris Boryer, the
as a jungle is perhaps Brunei garrison’s chief of staff, also
one of the most commented on the detachment’s
challenging skills importance: “TTB is a world leader in
to acquire - here, terms of delivering and developing
officers have created instruction in jungle survival and
a terrain model ahead fighting. The organisation is key
of an assault on an to improving and widening British
‘enemy’ position Army infantry units’ soldiering skills;
[TTB photo] a soldier who can live, navigate and

Combat & Survival 11

 British Army

7 Main image: A ‘wounded’

comrade is lugged out of
harm’s way - Brunei’s
jungles are fairly benign
compared to some in the
world, though crocodiles,
snakes, leeches and
scorpions are all present
[TTB photo]

7: Four dogs belong to

the Dog Section - these
include two infantry
patrol dogs and two
tracking dogs - this
is Millie, a German
Shepherd IPD, enjoying
some attention
8: This soldier is firing
9
a 7.62mm L7A2 GPMG
to provide enhanced
fight effectively in the jungle is really at firepower for a raid
the top of his professional game.”
- there is said to be
malaria deep in the
Indeed, many other militaries turn Brunei jungle, but no one
to the British Army for its expertise has caught it thus far
relating to jungle warfare. For example,
[TTB photo]
TTB is giving advice to the US
9: TTB has a small
Army’s 25th Infantry Division, which
collection of animals such
is establishing a new jungle warfare as a python and macaques
school in Hawaii. Additionally, UK (as here) to familiarise
experts have helped train Dutch forces participants with what
in Belize. Incidentally, the British Army they might find in the
Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) jungle but fortunately
was drastically scaled back, so Brunei dangerous animals are
remains the only such jungle training rarely encountered in
facility for the British Army today. Brunei

12 Combat & Survival

7 Flight operates three Bell 212 AH Mk1 helicopters each
capable of transporting six infantry - their fuselage is painted in
regular camouflage but the engine cowl is bright orange to assist
identification if a helicopter crash lands
7 Flight, an independent Army
Air Corps (AAC) unit based at
Medicina Lines, possesses
three Bell 212 AH Mk1
helicopters and its primary role
is moving troops in and out
of the jungle and conducting
forward medical evacuations.
The eight pilots assigned to 7
Flight are experts at landing
in/taking off from confined
landing zones, as these are
usually small clearings hacked
into the jungle. One officer
commented to C&S that the
pilots are some of the best in
the AAC, as flying into such LZs
create very tricky downdraught
conditions.
O
ne helicopter is kept at 60-minute
readiness when troops are operat-
ing in the jungle. In the case of a
mishap, helicopters are liable to
be the only way of getting a casualty
out quickly, and this may be done via
winch. Troop insertions by rope are
commonly undertaken from heights
of 150 feet because of the high jungle
canopy. Night-time flying is a chal-
lenge because there is little light and no
landmarks in the jungle. Furthermore,
tropical storms can add to the hazards
of flying in Brunei.
The Bells have been in service since
1994 so they are getting long in
the tooth. However, their reliability
and design (including their thick
rotor blades) are ideal for jungle
operations. They are civilian-owned by 1
FB Heliservices (FBH), a subsidiary
of Cobham Aviation Services. FBH is
responsible for all maintenance and
logistics support. One 7 Flight member
said the unit is kept “very busy providing
services” for TTB courses, regular training
of the resident Gurkha unit, and their own
training regime. The AAC detachment
can also be tasked to perform rescues by
Brunei aviation authorities if it happens to
be closest to an incident.
In the wake of the deadly Boxing Day
Tsunami in 2004, two helicopters of
7 Flight deployed to Banda Aceh in
2
Indonesia to assist in the relief effort.
In five weeks the detachment flew 209
missions and moved 244,000 pounds of
aid to stranded people.
A standard helicopter crew is two pilots
and a crewman. Pilots receive survival
training in case the worst happens, and
crew members carry a ‘go-bag’ that
allows them to survive for at least 24
hours. For example, a rotor tip strike
when landing in a clearing would likely
entail a wait for an engineer to come and
check the aircraft. The engine cowls are
painted bright orange, the purpose being 1: The aviation unit possesses a couple of Leyland DAF T244 5,000-
to make identification easier if they were litre Ground Fuel Tankers that offer flexibility for flight operations
to crash.
as they can be driven into Brunei’s interior to create a forward
Thus it is that these two unique British
refuelling point for the helicopters
Army units serve as ‘king of the jungle’
in their own respective ways. Brunei is 2: This Bell 212 is hooked up to a tug ready for an emergency
a long way from ‘home’ but TTB and 7 mission - as well as inserting troops into the jungle, these
Flight offer unprecedented benefits to the winch-equipped helicopters can evacuate personnel on medical or
army as a whole. compassionate grounds
Combat & Survival 13
 Civil Assistance

7th: Moorland - 40 Commando work alongside

the Environment Agency to raise flood defences
[L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary]

On Thursday 5th February, in Top left: 6th: Taunton:

direct response to Prime Minister 1
Less than 24 hours after
Cameron announcing following
a Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms
the Cabinet meeting
[COBR] meeting the previous
Commandos are briefed on
evening that the military would
their mission
be deployed to help the civilian [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary]
agencies in flood protection
and relief measures, Royal
Top right: 6th: Burrow
Marines from Taunton-based
Bridge - As Somerset
40 Commando were deployed river levels rose higher
on Operation PITCH POLE. This Marines deployed on
was just the tip of the MACA Operation PITCH POLE
(Military Assistance to the Civil [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary]
Authorities) iceberg and over
the next ten days a wide range 1: 9th: Stanmoor - with
of personnel from all three storm clouds brewing
branches of the Armed Forces Bravo Company of 40
left their bases to provide both Commando RM sandbag
muscle and expertise to try to the Parrett
defeat the floods. [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary]

16 Combat & Survival

 9th: Saltmoor - 40 Commando are asked to assist in moving and fitting 42 10th: Portland - David Cameron visits Chesil Beach to see the work being done
pipes weighing 3.5 tonnes [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary] by 39 RE Regiment [Sgt Russ Nolan]

11th: Fordgate - Around 100 Royal Navy ranks 11tb: Sunnymeads - A convoy of MAN trucks ferries in 11th: Wraysbury - 1 Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
from Yeovilton deployed under Commando troops and materiel to fight back the Thames packing and moving sand bags in the primary
guidance [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary] [Cpl Richard Cave] school [Cpl Richard Cave]
2 3

2: 12th: Northmoor - Marines from Bravo Company of 40 Commando

deployed in challenging conditions [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary]
3: 12th: Thames Valley - RAF personnel working with the local police to
coordinate flood relief efforts [Cpl Neil Bryden]
4: 12th: After nightfall RAF Regiment personnel provide residents with
flood assistance [Cpl Neil Bryden]
5: 13th: Chieveley - Army and RAF personnel prepare sandbags for
distribution to needy households [Cpl Neil Bryden]

Combat & Survival 17

 Civil Assistance

13th: Thames Valley - Over 230 RAF Honington 13th: Gloucester - Sandbags being unloaded and 14th: Thames Valley - RAF and Army team
personnel redeployed to Windsor to aid flood carried by Royal Marines from 40 Commando in a Merlin helo undertaking aerial flood
victims [Cpl Babs Robinson] [L(Phot) Rhys O’Leary] damage recce [Sgt Mitch Moore]

14th: Tewkesbury - In two hours 4th Bn REME and

2nd Bn The Royal Welsh fill nearly 3000 sandbags
[Sgt M O’Neill]
6 6: 14th: Staines
7
- Soldiers from C
company Royal Gurkha
Rifles putting up a dam
to redirect water
[Cpl Richard Cave]
7: 15th: Burghfield -
Minister for Armed
Forces Mark Francois
MP helps out soldiers
from 7 RIFLES 8
[Shane Wilkinson]
8: 16th: Romsey,
Hampshire - Royal
Navy personnel from
HMS Illustrious pile
up walls of sandbags
[L(Phot) Nicky
Wilson]

18 Combat & Survival

 Armour Focus

1
The Gepanzertes Transport Main Image: The
Kraftfahrzeug (Armoured Bundeswehr will
Transport Vehicle) Boxer, receive a total of
also known as Boxer Multi- 272 GTK Boxers in
Role Armoured Vehicle
different versions -
(MRAV), recently entered
operational service with the
these are two GTK
German Bundeswehr. Since Boxer A1 Gruppen
2011 the vehicle has been transport fahrzeug
deployed with the German wheeled APC
ISAF contingent in northern variants used by
Afghanistan. This two-part Jägerbataillon 292
briefing covers the Boxer’s
development history and 1: Normal access
technology. This month, in to the rear fighting
the concluding half, we also
compartment of
bring you photographs of the
variants already in service
the GTK Boxer A1
with the German armed wheeled APC is heavy ambulance and ten GTK Boxer The Boxer MRAV has been designed for
forces. via a large rear Fahrschul fahrzeug driver training vehi- an in-service lifetime of some 30 years.
ramp - the small According to information provided by

C
urrently planned production is
272 GTK Boxer MRAV for the
German Bundeswehr and 200
for the Royal Netherlands Armed
Forces. Delivery of the last German
vehicle is scheduled for 2016 and
the last Dutch vehicle for 2018. The
Bundeswehr will receive a total of 125
GTK Boxer A0/A1 Gruppen transport
fahrzeug wheeled APC versions, 65
of the A0/A1 Führungs fahrzeug com-
mand post vehicle, 72 of the A0/A1
schwere geschützte Sanitäts fahrzeug
cles. It is intended to eventually modify
central door allows all vehicles from the earlier A0 standard
individual access to A1 standard.
without the need to
The Netherlands will receive their 200
lower the ramp
GTK Boxer MRAVs in the following six
different variants: 60 Boxer Commando
Images © voertuig command post vehicles; 52
CARL SCHULZE Boxer Gewonden transport voertuig
unless noted heavy ambulances; 41 Genie voertuig
engineer section vehicles; 12 Boxer
Battle Damage Repair Vehicle; 27 Boxer
Cargo voertuig cargo carriers and eight
Rijles voertuig driver training vehicles.
the OCCAR Boxer Programme Division,
development and production of the
currently on order GTK Boxer MRAV
amounted to 1.429 billion Euros.
TECHNOLOGY
Right from the beginning, during the
development of the Boxer MRAV great
attention was paid to addressing
the requirements of modularity, high
level of armour protection, mobility
and high payload. As a result of this
the MRAV features a modular design

Combat & Survival 21

 Armour Focus

with each vehicle consisting of an 8x8 Main Image: The 2

drive module and a mission module. Bundeswehr will also
According to information provided receive a total of 72
by the ARTEC GmbH, it is possible schwere geschützte
to exchange mission modules from Sanitäts fahrzeuge
one drive module to another within 30
minutes.
heavy ambulances -
their mission module
The Boxer, due to the use of state-of-the- features a raised
art technology, offers a high degree of roof to offer more
protection from: small arms fire, heavy head space for
machinegun fire, and medium calibre medics
automatic cannon fire; bomblets and
artillery shell fragments; all types of 2: The rear
anti-personnel and anti-tanks mines, compartment of the
even in case of under belly detonations; Boxer ambulance
and IEDs, even in case of heavy blasts,
including also mines and IEDs that
is crammed with
employ explosive formed penetrator
equipment, including
(EFP) technology. The basic shell of ProPaq vital-function
the vehicle is made of high-hardness control monitors, systems the vehicle has been designed
3
steel onto which the Advanced Modular Life-Base III mobile taking into account the rules of stealth
Armour Protection (AMAP) composite respiration systems, principles, reducing its acoustic, infrared
and radar signature to a possible
armour, which incorporates a special medical injection minimum.
ceramic mix, is installed on shock pumps and so on
absorbing mounts.
DRIVING MODULE
The modular design of a multi-layer floor
3: The ambulance The driving module is completely
concept and the safety cell of the vehicle is 8,330mm long independent and identical for both
minimise the ‘catastrophic kill’ risk in by 3,000mm wide German and Dutch variants. Its
the case of an underbelly mine and IED by 3,360mm high chassis and hull house, among other All GTK Boxer MRAV variants are
blast. The roof armour of the vehicle with a gross weight components, the driver’s compartment, powered by a MTU 8V 199 TE20
offers protection from top attacks. The of 35,000kg - a the power pack compartment, the drive 8-cylinder V turbocharged, inter-cooled,
train, the brake system, the steering EURO III compliant, diesel engine that
modular design of the armour package combination of up system and the eight independent wheel develops 720hp and allows the vehicle
also allows for the integration of new to seven seated
armour technology, should this become station type suspension units, including to reach a top speed of 103km/h.
wounded or three coil springs and shock absorbers. While Together with the RRW3001 angular
available, and also the installation of
add-on armour packages. To reduce
wounded on the driver is seated to the front right in gearbox, the seven speed Allison
the likelihood of a hit by guided weapon
stretchers can be the hull the power pack compartment is HD4800SP automatic transmission, the
carried situated at the front left. cooling system and other components

22 Combat & Survival

the engine forms the power pack. This Main Image: This 4
pack can be exchanged in about 20 ambulance was seen
minutes. at Camp Marmal in
The drive train of the vehicle also
the vicinity of Mazar-
includes two inter-axle differentials and
e-Sharif in northern
four axle differentials. The wheels are Afghanistan - it is
fitted with Michelin 415/80 R 685TR XML fitted with a mine
TL160 tyres that include Hutchinson protection kit and
run-flat inserts, which allow to drive the Störsender CG-12
vehicle another 30km at a speed of up RCIED electronic
to 50km/hr even when several or all tyres counter measure
are damaged. The central tire inflation system
system (CTIS) benefits the cross country
mobility of the vehicle and can be set on
prescribed settings. 4: German Boxer
variants deployed
The steering system, which has a to Afghanistan
steering wheel rather than steering are painted with
levers, is of the power assisted type Umtarnfarben
and works on the two front axles. The non-permanent integrated with the driving and mission
5
vehicle is fitted with a steering brake that camouflage colours module.
allows stopping of all four wheels on in standard three-
one side and by doing so skid-steering
colour arid pattern GERMAN MISSION MODULES
is possible, which drastically reduces Germany is fielding four different
the vehicles turning radius. The vehicle
of stone, earth and
types of mission modules, namely: the
brake system is of the hydraulic dual- green armoured personnel carrier module, the
circuit disc brake type and integrates command post module, the ambulance
ABS. 5; Interior of the module and the driver training
Boxer A0 ambulance vehicle module. All modules feature a
Also situated in the driving module are offering more head room and 17.5m³ of
- note the intensive standardised interface for installation
protected volume, while the remaining
the battery box of the 24-Volt electrical on the driver modules. They also have
system, the three fuel tanks containing
care stretcher variants feature a protected volume of
mount which can be certain components in common, such
280 and 238 litres plus a back-up 44 as the NBC overpressure protection 14m³.
litres, the air conditioning system, the slid to the centre system and the rear ramp.
heating system and the fire detection for easier loading GRUPPEN TRANSPORT
and extinguishing system. The electrical and unloading of the Mission modules consist of one large FAHRZEUG WHEELED APC
system and all vehicle functions are patient as well as for compartment in which the mission- MODULE
monitored by a CAN bus system that providing all-round specific kit is installed. In the case of the When configured as GTK Boxer A1
features two redundant ring structures treatment ambulance this features a raised roof, Gruppen transport fahrzeug wheeled

Combat & Survival 23


Armour Focus
APC the vehicle functions as mother
ship for an entire infantry section,
along with their kit. Inside the module
the vehicle commander is seated to
the front left and the gunner to the
front right, on modern adjustable blast
protected seats that feature four-point
safety harness with integrated air bags
in the shoulder straps. In the roof
above the commander’s seat a hatch
and five panoramic periscopes are
installed.
On the roof above the gunner’s seat
the FLW 200 remote controlled weapon
station is mounted, fitted either with
a 40x53mm Granat maschinen waffe
automatic grenade machinegun or
a 12.7x99mm M2HB QCB heavy
machinegun. The sensor package of
the FLW 200 RCWS includes a high-
resolution CCD day camera, a cooled
thermal sight and an eye-safe laser
rangefinder. The weapon station can
be rotated a fully 360° and features an
elevation range from -15° to +70°. the
RCWS is controlled via a panel situated
in front of the gunners seat and a
joystick incorporated in the right arm
rest of his seat.
To the front of the commander’s
seat the multi-function terminal of
the Führungs- und Informations
24 Combat & Survival
This Boxer Führungs fahrzeug A1
command post vehicle was seen at the
Informations lehrübung Ground Operations
demonstration exercise held at Munster in
September and October 2013
system des Heeres and the Integriertes
Führungs- und Informations system
für Kampftruppen command, control
and communication (C3) systems is
situated. Other controls available are
the ones for operating of the smoke
grenade discharger system and various
vehicle functions. The communication
equipment is installed to the left of the
vehicle commander including, among
other equipment, SEM 80/90 radios.
In the rear fighting compartment four
dismounts are seated along the left
wall and three along the right. They
are facing inwards and are placed on
individual, shock absorbing seats that
feature an adjustable back rest and
headrest, as well as four-point safety
harness with integrated air bags in
the shoulder straps. Small arms are
stored in special mounting brackets
between the seats. Storage space for
the kit of the soldiers, ammunition and
other equipment is situated along the
walls behind the backs of the troops.
There are also storage racks behind
the commander’s and gunner’s seat
and nets mounted under the roof are
provided the storing of combat helmets.
In the roof of the rear fighting
compartment four single piece hatches
are situated to allow the posting of top
6
6: This GTK Boxer cover sentries or for the dismounts
Führungs fahrzeug to fight mounted. The dimensions of
A1 command post these hatches are much criticised
vehicle was seen in mid as they are quite small and when
2013 - in 2016 when wearing body armour with attached
all GTK Boxers should ammunition pouches and other kit
have been delivered the manning them, especially for well-
Bundeswehr will be able built soldiers, is a nightmare.
to field 65 command
posts The troops leave and enter the
vehicle via a large power-operated
7: The command rear ramp. In this ramp a small
post vehicles can be hinged door is also available. A
distinguished from the terminal with a screen situated to
wheeled APC by the the right rear in the rear fighting
large storage box on compartment increases the
the roof used to store a situational awareness of the
tent extension which can dismounts, as on it the images
be attached to a frame caught by the cameras of the FLW
situated at the vehicle 200 RCWS can be displayed.
rear
Communication between all crew
8: Boxer A1 command members is provided by the vehicle
post vehicle at a intercom system that is linked to the
Patrol Base in the radio systems. Via stations mounted
vicinity of Kunduz in in the rear fighting compartment and
2012 - crewed by five available headsets the dismounts
its mission module also have access to this system.
offers three computer Also installed in the rear fighting
workstations when on compartment is the törsender CG-12
the move and four when RCIED electronic counter measure
static system.
The GTK Boxer Führungs fahrzeug
A1 command post vehicle has a
gross vehicle weight of 35,480kg
and a combat weight of 34,520kg
- it is 8,330mm long by 2,990mm
wide by 3,390mm high
9 10

CONCLUSION
The GTK Boxer MRAV is a highly capable state-of-the-art vehicle that could be
employed for many different roles and due to its armour it offers its crew 360°
protection from all kinds of threats. Despite its gross vehicle weight of 35,000kg
and its size, the vehicle features a high degree of mobility and offers outstanding
off-road capabilities.

Initially intended as a multi-role armoured vehicle to take over a large number of

tasks, over development time and due to changing requirements the vehicles have
become more of an armoured personnel carrier. However, the vehicle is certainly
able to fulfil its role as a replacement for the M113 APC and the TPz 1 Fuchs
wheeled APC fleet. However the limited number of GTK Boxer MRAVs procured
by the Bundeswehr means that some of the TPz 1 Fuchs wheeled APCs will have
to soldier on for many more years and that some roles formerly performed by the 9: All GTK Boxer variants are powered by an easily swapped MTU 8V
M113 APC have to performed by other vehicles recently procured, such as the ATF 199 TE20 8-cylinder V turbocharged, inter-cooled, EURO III compliant,
Dingo 2 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle or the Yak armoured and mine- diesel engine that develops 720hp.
protected transport vehicle.
10: Here the rear of a GTK Boxer Führungs fahrzeug A1 command post
Footnote: Some German complex nouns have been broken down to suit column vehicle version can be seen in detail - note the frame to which the tent
width and for easier reading. extension is usually attached

Combat & Survival 25

 Armour News

For driver training the Bundeswehr can field ten Fahrschul fahrzeuge
variants offering space for the driving instructor and up to four
students which are fitted with a roof mounted cabin for the instructor

Crew: 3 + 7 (Vehicle commander, gunner, driver and seven Transmission: Allison HD4800SP 7F3R automatic
dismounts) Drive: Permanent 8x8, via four axle differentials and two inter-
Length: 8,330mm axle differentials
Width: 2,990mm Steering: Power assisted on the two front axles and skid steer
Height (with FLW 200 RCWS): 3,330mm on each side
Gross Vehicle Weight: 35,000kg Suspension: Independent wheel station type, including coil
Combat weight: 34,288kg (including mine protection kit) springs and shock absorbers
Maximum pay load: 7,800kg Brake system: Michelin 415/80 R 685TR XML TL160 with
MLC: 42 Hutchinson run-flat inserts
Maximum speed: 103km/h Armament: FLW 200 remote controlled weapon station fitted
Ground clearance: 500mm with either 40x53mm Granat maschinen waffe automatic
Trench crossing: 2,000mm grenade machinegun or 12.7x99mm M2HB QCB heavy
Maximum gradient: 60% machinegun
Maximum slope: 30%
Vertical step crossing: 800mm Other systems: Air conditioning and heating, FA 240 VM-1
Fording: 1,200mm without preparation, 1,500mm with NBC protection system, boiling vessel, central tyre inflation
preparation system (CTIS), fire detection and extinguishing system, rear
Turning circle: 15m view camera, Führungs- und Informations system des Heeres
Fuel capacity: 560 litres and Integriertes Führungs- und Informations system für
Road range: 1,000km Kampftruppen IFIS C3 systems, SEM 80/90 radios, Tetrapol
Engine: MTU 8V 199 TE20 8-cylinder V turbocharged, inter- radios, and a toilet seat can be fitted to each seat in the rear
cooled, EURO III compliant, diesel engine developing 720hp fighting compartment.

26 Combat & Survival

 Elite Forces
The crystalline waters of the
Mediterranean Sea off the
south coast of France was
an ideal setting for the link-
up of the Lagunari, an elite
amphibious attack unit of the
Italian Army, and units of the
French 21st Marine Infantry
Regiment or 21 RIMa. Following
a couple days training
together on Mistral (L9013), the
French helicopter carrier and
amphibious attack platform,
the specialist units of the two
NATO nations were put ashore
on a exercise, called EXPHIB
by the French, which involved
the securing of an urban area
in the wake of civil disorder
and the evacuation of ex-pats
caught up in the turmoil.
28 Combat & Survival
1
Main image: Two
Italian Lagunari and a
French Army Marine
strike a pose - note
that the Italians are
carrying French
FAMAS 5.56mm
assault rifles
1:The 21st Regiment
Marine Infantry (21
RIMa) is part of 6th
Brigade Leger Blindé
which is the principal
amphibious attack
formation of the
French Army - note
the anchor on their
sleeve insignia
 2

O
n a larger scale the training, very 2: The Lagunari - full 3
similar to the Non-combatant title Reggimento
Evacuation Operation exercise Lagunari Serenissima
undertaken by the UK Response - are a battalion-
Force Task Group in Albania last
strength rapid
September, involved elements of the
French Mediterranean Naval Task
response amphibious
Force, which is harboured in nearby assault formation
Toulon, helicopters of the 1st RHC of the Italian Army
(Régiment Helicopters de Combat) configured to deploy
and elements of the French 6th Light at short noticeable
Armoured Brigade.
3: The scenario for
6TH BLB the French-Italian
The 6th BLB (Brigade Leger Blindé
EXPHIB exercise was
or Light armoured Brigade) is the
principal amphibious attack formation
similar in concept to
of the French Army and is composed the Non-combatant
of several regiments, including: the Evacuation Operation
21st Regiment Marine Infantry, the (NEO) training
3rd Marine Artillery Regiment, the 2nd which 40 Commando
Foreign Legion Infantry Regiment, the recently undertook in
1st Foreign Legion Engineer Regiment Albania

Combat & Survival 29

 Elite Forces

and the 1st Foreign Legion Cavalry Main Image: A

4
Regiment, along with Special Forces French Army
groups including combat divers (UDT) AS532 Cougar
and recon units. helicopter landing
At the time of the exercise the bulk of
on the deck of the
the 6th BLB was deployed in the African
helicopter carrier
country of Mali in the continuing fight Mistral - up to
against insurgent elements who had twenty troops in
taken over the north of the nation and fighting order can
were threatening the capital city of be transported
Bamako. While the 6th BLB’s Legion from ship to shore
units were still occupied in Africa, the by this aircraft
21st RIMa was present having returned
not so long before from the African 4: An EDA-R
state, where they had been redeployed
from a posting in the neighbouring
roll-on/roll-off
country of Chad and were the first
catamaran landing
French troops to respond to the craft approaches
insurgent incursion from the north. Mistral’s flooded wetlands of the coast made for an excellent
dock - France defensive position, especially when 5
HUNTERS OF THE LAGOONS has four of these manned by troops adept at amphibious
On the first day of the exercise the vessels which can deployment.
soldiers of the 6th BLB were joined each transport a
by a unit of the Italian Army. Like the platoon of troops In 1550 the various army units specialist
6th BLB, these soldiers were also and six armoured in maritime deployment were brought
specialists in amphibious operations, vehicles together to become the Fanti de Mar or
as their name the Lagunari implies. The Infantry of the Sea. They distinguished
designation, derived from the Italian themselves in all the wars fought by the
version of lagoon, translates as Hunters
5: A VAB armoured Venetian Republic and were a major factor COUNTER-INSURGENCY
or Men of the Lagoon. ambulance rolls in preventing the powerful Ottoman Turks MISSION
off the bow ramp from capturing the city. The Lagunari, along with several units
The roots of the unit go back to the of an EDA-R inside of the 21st RIMa and a unit from
City State of Venice and the use of Mistral - here the Today the Lagunari are used as a coastal the Legion’s 1st Combat Engineer
army units on war vessels and as landing craft deck defence force as well as an amphibious Regiment, boarded the Mistral a few
amphibious attack units. The city itself is lowered but at rapid attack formation. They have been days before the start of the manoeuvres.
is sited on a group of 118 small islands, involved in a number of international This gave them time to lay out the plan
separated by canals, located in the
sea it would be
raised to give a missions and are trained in internal security of operations in co-ordination with
marshy Venetian Lagoon between the tasks and for humanitarian assistance the helicopter and navy units involved
mouths of the Po and Piave Rivers. The catamaran hull situations as well as for combat operations. in the training. At the same time the

30 Combat & Survival

military vehicles to be used in the Main Image:
operation were ferried aboard. The An amphibious 6
principle training exercise phase was beach unit tractor
to co-ordinate landing operations by with two rolls of
securing the landing zone and shuttle
trackway comes
units from the ship to shore then
progress inland, securing major routes
ashore from an
and strategic positions. EDA-R to lay down
a firm route over
The mission itself followed an soft sand for
evacuation scenario where a group of heavier vehicles to
western nationals were caught up in drive across
a potentially violent situation involving
local insurgent elements. The troops 6: A French
task was to get inland as quickly infantry section
and securely as possible, round up
steps ashore from
the people for evacuation, and bring
them in safety to a secured area for
a CTM landing
processing and transit to the Mistral. craft - the French
equivalent of a
As the ground forces mapped out their Landing Craft mission, and EXPHIB was no exception.
plans to progress through, and control, Utility - Mistral can Sometime after midnight teams of 7
a route best suited for the evacuation, accommodate four Navy divers, specialising in amphibious
the Mistral went on full alert. Sailors of these vessels in landing and zone reconnaissance, were
were posted at their stations and went her well deck dropped off from Zodiac rafts to swim
through a series of drills and exercises. to shore and mark out the principle
Much of the activity centred on the landing zone. They were closely followed
7: Rear two CTM
flight deck as the helicopter squadron by Lagunari commando units in rafts,
and the ship’s air traffic personnel
landing craft
who paddled ashore under the cover of
trained, with an emphasis on night inside Mistral darkness and secured the zone and a
operations with take-off and landing photographed from helicopter landing area. Reinforcements actually two articulated tracked units
procedures, and with several possible the stern of one of were then flown in with heavier linked together by a steering device.
emergency situations programmed the forward pair armament and as dawn broke the first of These Swedish made armoured carriers
in, such as fire aboard a chopper or - these old vessels the landing craft left the Mistral carrying are currently being evaluated by the
evacuating wounded. only have a bow units of the 21st RIMa and armoured French Army and these exercises were
ramp meaning only support. an opportunity to give them a trial run.
AMPHIBIOUS SOP two can be loaded Arriving either independently by water,
Amphibious intervention and landing The first vehicles put ashore were the using floatation pontoons secured on
involves certain operational procedures
at a time in the
BvS10 armoured personal carriers and each side, or directly from the landing
which are endemic to this type of ship’s dock
weapons platforms. This vehicle is craft, the advantage of the BvS10 is that

Combat & Survival 31

 Since 2011 the
elite Lagunari
have worn bottle
green Commando
8
berets instead of
the previous Italian
Elite Army black beret
- they retained
their distinctive and
historic cap badge
see here

10

the rubberised tracks can navigate over 8&9: France has

the beach area whereas the wheeled
vehicles used currently by the French
Army - the VAB (Vehicule Avant Blindé),
an armoured personnel carrier and
the VBL (Vehicule Blindé Legere) an
armoured scout car - might bog down
in the soft sand.
With the beach fully secured French
Foreign Legion engineers laid out a
wire mesh runway over the sand to
allow the wheeled vehicles, trucks and
heavy equipment to cross the beach
and drive inland. Operations continued
as units leapfrogged toward the target
area, controlling essential intersections
until the trucks could be brought in and
load the people they came to save.
TOWARD FUTURE CONFLICTS
This training was actually more of
an logistics exercise than a combat
mission, as the procedure would be
to try and remain neutral in regards to
the opposing forces, especially in a
civil war type situation, and carry out
the evacuation as quickly as possible
avoiding any confrontation. Once the
foreign nationals, who in a real situation
three Mistral-
class amphibious
helicopter carriers
and has also sold
two to Russia with
an option for four
more - that is an
EDA-R catamaran
docking at the rear
10: Lagunari wear
the standard Italian
Army (Mimetico
Vegetata) could be people in the diplomatic corps and working in the former colonies
camouflage pattern and civilian engineers and professionals in Africa. Training for an eventual
- here they are working in the strife-torn country, as intervention of this type is a priority and
wearing uniforms well as humanitarian aid workers, most of the active combat ready units of
in the Desert were grouped together they would the French Army have been through this
version but body transported to a staging area. Here they scenario a number of times. In fact there
would be processed, receive medical have been a number of occasions where
armour vests in the
aid if needed and then be ferried out to French military have relatively recently
original Temperate been deployed in civilian protection and
the Mistral, after which the ground troops
version would withdraw. evacuation missions; most notably in the
Ivory Coast, where thousands of French
Images © The French Army is particularly sensitive and European nationals where brought
RICHARD LUCAS to this type of situation as there are a out of the country when a full blown civil
large number of French nationals living war erupted with little notice.

32 Combat & Survival

 Armour Focus

The EXFIB training Main Image: A

exercise package last French Viking with
autumn gave the French buoyancy bags
military a chance to attached climbs up
put their new armoured the beach during
all-terrain tracked EXPHIB ‘13
carrier, produced by BAE
Systems and Hägglunds 1: Although Viking is
of Sweden in cooperation amphibious it is more
with UK MoD, to the test likely that it would be
in the amphibious role. brought from ship
Currently the BvS10 is to shore by landing
also in service with the craft - as here
Royal Marines (over 200
procured), the Dutch 2: The buoyancy bags Regiment) and to a unit of the French 2
Korps Mariniers (74) and are attached with Mountain Division for user trials.
the Swedish Army (150). quick-release clips
The Viking or VHM, they are designated
and can be dropped

T
he British christened the BvS10
the ‘Viking’ because of its Nordic
origins and the name seems to
have stuck. The vehicle, which
has been combat proven in Af-
ghanistan, consists of two articulated
tracked units, linked by a steering
mechanism, with all four rubber tracks
driving continuously giving it good
mobility over rough terrain as well as
over sand and snow. In late 2009 the
French Ministry of Defence procured
53 of these all-purpose vehicles for Af-
ghanistan with an option to buy up to
76 more. A number have since been
sent to the 21st RIMa (Marine Infantry
as soon as firm
ground is reached
3: Front module has
blast-attenuating
seats for four
including driver -
either a roof turret
or a remote weapon
station can be fitted
Images ©
RICHARD LUCAS
unless noted
Véhicules à Haute Mobilité in French,
is composed of two armoured units or
modules with the tractor module at the
front being common to all variants. In
French service either a 7.62mm or .50cal
machinegun can be mounted in a one-
man roof turret and communications
3
equipment can be carried in the tractor
module. The rear module comes in four
primary versions.
• The Troop Carrying Variant (TCV) is
capable of carrying two crew plus up to
twelve fully equipped combat soldiers.
• The Command Variant (CV) carries
two crew plus up to eight passengers
with the rear cab being designed as

34 Combat & Survival

The clips for buoyancy bags can be seen on
this BvS10 disembarking a CTM landing craft

an enhanced digital communications 4: The main weapon in

platform and command centre. the turret is a .50cal
• The Repair and Recovery Variant (12.7mm) heavy 6
(RRV) carries four vehicle maintenance machinegun
specialists and is a complete mobile
workshop, with an air compressor and
a 9-tonne capacity capstan winch.
5: The rear troop-
• The Ambulance Variant (AV) carries
carrying module’s tracks
medical personnel and casualties plus are powered by the
relevant equipment. front module through an
articulated link universal
The BvS10 is fairly light in weight, joint which allows
can be transported by a heavy lift remarkable flex in all
helicopter or landing craft, and it has directions
a certain amphibious autonomy; the
French use an inflatable buoyancy cell 6: The French BvS10 is
system for deep water operation. Its
armour provides all-round protection
almost identical to the
against small arms fire, but without
Viking used by Royal
optional add-on armour fitted it is Marines (as here)
vulnerable to heavy weapons. [BM]

Combat & Survival 35

 Frontline Report
At the end of 2014 the ISAF
mandate ends and the
withdrawal of forces from
Afghanistan is already
in full swing. As with
UK Armed Forces, other
contributing nations have
already redeployed large
troop contingents and huge
amounts of equipment; for
example in the case of the
German ISAF contingent the
last Schützenpanzer Marder
1A5A1 armoured infantry
fighting vehicles were
withdrawn from Afghanistan
in late 2013. The Northern
Reaction Unit or NRU, an
all-arms infantry battlegroup,
is now the only major
combat force of the German
Bundeswehr left in northern
Afghanistan. C&S visited the
NRU in late 2013.
38 Combat & Survival
Main Image:
Equipped with
a 7.62mm G28
designated
marksman rifle
a Gebirgsjäger
provides cover fire
for his comrades
during a live fire
exercise - he
wears the new IdZ
ES soldier system
combat clothing
1: Protected by 21ST NOVEMBER, 10:31 HOURS: of nowhere. Inside the large perimeter
elements of the NRU Somewhere to the west of the Hairatan engineers search the flat ground for
the Einsatz gesch Road in the deserts of northern IEDs, mines and UXO (unexploded
Afghanistan. The security perimeter is in ordnance). Today’s mission of parts
wader Mazar-i-
place, combat vehicles and protected of the NRU is to provide security
Sharif aviation task mobility vehicles such as Eagle IV, while the Einsatzgeschwader Mazar-i-
force conducts a ATF Dingo 2 and GTK Boxer Führungs Sharif Aviation Task Force conducts a
personnel recovery fahrzeug A1 have taken up positions personnel recovery exercise involving
exercise around a stretch of land in the middle CH-53GS transport helicopters and the

Personnel Recovery Combat Rescue
Team of RC North, among other
assets.
In order to fulfil their task the mountain
infantry soldiers and engineers of
the NRU have left Camp Marmal, in
the vicinity of Mazar-i-Sharif, at first
light and deployed into the desert.
With the security perimeter in place a
long period of waiting starts for them
and only after the training exercise
has been successfully completed
will they be able to redeploy. Their
task is anything but exciting, but the
soldiers take it seriously and regularly
scan the surrounding terrain for any
signs of hostile activity. Smugglers
and other criminals are active in the
area, and dependent on the situation
they could become a threat. Force
Protection is only one of the missions
of the NRU.
22ND NOVEMBER, 23:15 HOURS:
Along the base of the Marmal
mountain range, to the south of
Camp Marmal, a patrol consisting
2 3
Above: Elements of 4
the ISR Kompanie
of the NRU conduct
a presence patrol
in the southern
outskirts of Mazar-
i-Sharif - this is one
of their Spähwagen
1 A2 Fennek wheeled
armoured recce
vehicles
2: Badge of infantry
elements of the
Northern Reaction
Unit - most infantry
assets are provided by
Gebirgs jäger brigade
of a Spähwagen Fennek 1 A2 23RD NOVEMBER, 11:30 HOURS: In the
23 which explains
reconnaissance vehicle and an ATF city centre of Mazar-i-Sharif the driver
the inclusion of the Dingo 2 protected patrol vehicle of the of one of the infantry platoons of the 2.
Edelweiss ISR company of the NRU makes its Infanterie kompanie of the NRU carefully
way slowly along one of the countless steers a huge GTK Boxer Gruppen
3: Badge of the ISR wadis. It is pitch black and driving transport fahrzeug A1 wheeled APC
company of the NRU through the rocky terrain requires the through the dense traffic. Mazar-i-Sharif
which is drawn mostly full concentration of the vehicle crews. is Afghanistan’s fourth largest city and at
from the Gebirgs the moment it looks like every one of its
aufklärungs bataillon The patrol is heading for high ground, 260,000 inhabitants is on the streets.
230 mountain and as soon as this has been
reached the mast mounted sensor One by one the platoon visits the Bayan
4: The soldiers of the unit of the Spähwagen Fennek 1 Shamal Media Centre, Camp Northern
Gebirgs jäger bataillon A2 reconnaissance vehicle, which Light (where the Nordic Baltic Transition
contains a high quality thermal Support Unit is based), the German
232 were the first
imaging system, is raised into Consulate and other important locations
German troops to use position. For the next couple of hours in the city centre. At each location
the Infanterist der or so the patrol will now monitor the the soldiers dismount and conduct
Zukunft Erweitertes surrounding terrain and watch out for a quick reconnaissance in order to
System (IdZ ES) new any hostile activity aimed at Camp make themselves familiar with their
integrated soldier Marmal. Reconnaissance is another whereabouts. As it is part of the NRU
system on operations task of the NRU. mission to secure or evacuate personnel
Combat & Survival 39
 Frontline Report
5 Main Image:
from these locations if a change in
the security situation required it, the
knowledge gained during their visits
might be paramount for the soldiers.
At the same time, their move through
the city serves the purpose of showing
presence in order to get the message
across that ISAF is still available to
support the local population and the
Afghan security forces.
26TH NOVEMBER, 02:14 HOURS:
On the road to the Salang Pass the
icy route twists higher and higher up
into the Hindu Kush mountains. Snow
covered peaks are glistening in the pale
moonlight and the outside temperature
is well below freezing. Here at 3,000
metres above sea level human beings
and machines alike feel the influence
40 Combat & Survival
6
Gebirgsjäger
with Ops-Core
Gefechtshelm combat
helmet and 5.56mm
G36 A3 assault rifle
with 4x30 sight which
are components of
the new IdZ ES kit
5: At night at the
Salang Pass a
Gebirgsjäger scans
the surrounding
heights with his night
sight for any signs of
enemy activity
of the much lower barometric pressure 6: All soldiers of
compared to the valleys below. The the NRU carry the 7
engines do not produce full power any Heckler & Koch
more and the humans breathe less 9x19mm USP or
easily.
Universal Self-loading
Slowly the vehicles of the reinforced
Pistol, designated
infantry platoon of the 1. Infanterie the P8 by the
kompanie of the NRU follow the Route Bundeswehr, as their
Clearance Package (RCP) of the US back-up weapon
Army. The mission of the German monitor the surrounding terrain. Several
troops is to provide security for the US 7: Fire and movement layers of protective clothing keeps the
engineers, who in turn have the task of drills - during a live cold at bay and protects the troops from
checking the most important road that fire exercise held the icy headwind. Latest generation
links Kabul with northern Afghanistan for night vision equipment from the IdZ ES
on the ranges close
any IEDs planted by the insurgents. Soldier System allows the Gebirgsjäger
to Camp Marmal
to spot every potential threat, even in
German top cover sentries sticking out
soldiers of the NRU complete darkness, but an attack by the
of the roof hatches of Boxer A1 wheeled hone their combat Taliban is not the only threat. Again and
armoured personnel carriers carefully skills again cars, trucks and even overloaded
8 For the coordination of
artillery fire support and
close air support the NRU
has its own Joint Terminal
Attack Controllers, Joint
Fire Support Teams
and Joint Fire Support
Coordination Team

9 Main Image: The top

cover sentry of a GTK
Boxer Gruppen transport
fahrzeug A1 wheeled
APC carefully monitors
the activities on the
streets in the outskirts
of Mazar-i-Sharif during
buses overtake the military vehicles a presence patrol
on the road though pass in daredevil
fashion, ignoring the fact that the 8: On patrol at OP North
terrain drops considerably right next to - note the electronic
the roadside. backpack of the IdZ ES
soldier system carried
In total this particular mission will see here which contains
the soldiers of the NRU spending a computer, radio
three nights on the roads of northern equipment, navigation
Afghanistan. During this time they electronics and batteries
cover more than 600 kilometres with [Roman Heinrichs]
their combat vehicles and spend the
days in ISAF bases along the route 9: Armed with a G28
where they will recover from their a Gebirgs jäger on
nightly exertion. overwatch in the vicinity
of OP North - in October
TO BE CONTINUED... NRU elements operated
from this base to
Footnote: Some German complex provide security for the
nouns have been broken down to suit withdrawal of German
column width and for easier reading. ISAF forces from Kunduz

Combat & Survival 41

 Survival

JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS Main Image: Sunday

2013 THE JET-STREAM IN 2nd February,
THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE A361 between East
SHIFTED AND CYCLONE Lyng and Burrow
DIRK IN THE NORTH Bridge - a sheet
ATLANTIC STARTED
BATTERING SOUTHERN
of floodwater is
BRITAIN FROM THE WEST
racing down from
AND SOUTH, THEN AN the River Tone and
UNUSUAL WEATHER flooded Baltmoor
SEQUENCE CONTINUED and Stan Moor up
INTO AND THROUGH to the right
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY.

T
EXCESSIVE HIGH WINDS 1: Screen grab he C&S team, by the very nature 2
AND REPEATED TORRENTIAL of Live Flood of our work, are finely tuned to both
DOWNPOURS, SOMETIMES Warnings map the climate and weather fore-
OVER SEVERAL DAYS AT
A TIME WITH ONLY THE
put out by the casts so we quickly spotted that

BRIEFEST OF LULLS IN
Environment something exceptional was happening;
Agency on Friday hence both Mike Gormley and myself in-
BETWEEN, COMBINED dependently venturing out with our cam-
WITH HIGH SPRING 31st January
eras at the end of December and begin-
TIDES TO CAUSE BOTH ning of January to record the waves
EXCESSIVE COASTAL 2: Screen grabs battering our coast and myself making
EROSION AND INLAND of the Met Office several sorties out onto the Somerset
FLOODING OF LOWLANDS rainfall predictions Moors in late January and early February
AND WETLANDS WHICH for Somerset to see firsthand how rising water levels,
EXCEEDED ANYTHING SEEN on Friday 31st both tidal and rain resultant, were badly
OVER THE LAST HUNDRED
YEARS - IN ESSENCE, THE
January - the red afflicting rural communities. What we

RESULTS WERE WHAT SOME

pin marks the town witnessed, in a part of the country both
of Langport Mike and I are very familiar with, both
STATISTICIANS TERM 500- shocked and saddened us but it also
YEAR FLOODS. reinforced some of our core beliefs that

44 Combat & Survival

one should: never underestimate Main Image:
the power of Mother Nature; always 3
Sunday 2nd:
prepare for the unexpected, and even
the unpredictable; never ignore the
Looking roughly
unthinkable, as one day it might turn
North from Burrow
into uncomfortable reality; and always Mump towards
aim to be as self-sufficient as pos- Westonzoyland
sible, as in times of crisis there could over Earlake Moor
well be somebody else more in need which is mostly
of help than you. only about three
metres above mean
For those unfamiliar with the worst sea level
affected part of south-west England
- known as the Somerset Moors,
and inland of the slightly higher
3: Saltmoor
Somerset Levels - it consists of low-
Pumping Station
lying wetlands which are in places seen from the
little more than three or four metres opposite side of
above Mean Sea Level and well the River Parrett
below the level of the spring tides. In - even though
this historic part of Wessex, close to the Environment
where around six millennium ago the Agency had brought 4
second oldest known constructed in emergency
roadway in the world (The Sweet pumps water levels
Track) was built to cross marshes,
the Rivers Parrett and Tone, which
continued to rise
run in channels with built up banks,
merge near the village of Burrow 4: Jeroen van Heck
Bridge. Unfortunately this winter’s (orange waistcoat)
combination of unprecedented rainfall briefs his men at
and onshore winds at the mouth of the spot where the
the Parrett coincided with the highest first of the Dutch
of spring tides causing the River superpumps will
Tone to top 7.75 metres AOD (i.e. shortly be offloaded
Above Ordnance Datum or Mean Sea to help relieve the
Level) at times and inevitably when
the banks were breached the already
bottleneck culvert
waterlogged lowlands were flooded
under the A372
to depths unrecorded since the Great
Storms of 1703.

Combat & Survival 45

 Survival
5 6
5: Craning the superpump
into its final position -
water in Northmoor to the
right is higher than Kings
Sedge Moor and the route
to the sea to the left with
the road culvert having
insufficient capacity
6: Dutch specialists from
Van Heck Group carrying
massive gaskets for
the heavy high volume
pipework which will be
laid across the road to
help reduce water level
and relieve flooding at
Longstone
46 Combat & Survival
Friday 7th: The
first of Jeroen’s
superpumps just
after it negotiated
the flooded section
of Seven Bends
Road between the
town of Langport
and the village of
Othery
As mentioned in our COMMS column last
month, once use of our Armed Forces
to assist the civil authorities had been
authorised by the Prime Minister on 29th
January, Commandos based close to the
area most affected by flooding at that time
were very quickly deployed as recce teams
and a large number were put on standby to
provide manpower where and when needed.
It can be seen from the photo montage
on pages 16-18 of this issue that as the
unprecedented rainfall on southern England
persisted the low-lying Thames Valley also
began to suffer some of the worst flooding
in living memory and the use of troops
spread with all three services being involved,
though we understand that offers to supply
hovercraft and tracked amphibious vehicles
were declined; the BVs seen in news reports
from Somerset were ex-military supplied
 7

by surplus dealers Leavesley Main Image:

International. On Monday 10th
Although the military are very good at
February we made
supplying manpower, reconnaissance
it into Moorland at
assets and some civil engineering low water after the
skills and equipment, they are not worst of the surge
flood experts. The Dutch company had passed - this
Van Heck Group, on the other hand, is overwhelmed
are global water management Northmoor Pumping
specialists expert at shifting large Station looking towards
volumes of water. Their Managing the River Parrett
Director, Jeroen van Heck, jumped
in his Land Rover at the beginning
of February and drove over to
7: Noon on Monday
Burrow Bridge in the centre of the
10th: The first
worst afflicted area to assess how superpump sits
his superpumps might be of use if alongside the culvert 8
(when) the civil authorities decided to under the A372 -
seek external help. although the water
level had dropped
On Wednesday 5th February the slightly several more
Environment Agency gave the days of heavy rain
go-ahead to the Van Heck Group were predicted
to mobilise and C&S was on the
scene when the first convoy of
five superpumps and associated
8: RAF graphic based
equipment swung into action to on imagery captured
the east of Othery on Friday 7th, by the Sentinel R1 spy
at which point Jeroen invited us to plane flight of 5 (Army
drive through the floods with him as Cooperation) Squadron
he checked the last kilometre of the from RAF Waddington
route to the first emergency pumping - Othery is just below
site. Over the next few days more dead centre almost
than twenty of his massive pumps surrounded by water
were deployed to Somerset to reduce
water levels.
[Crown Copyright]

Combat & Survival 47


Today’s law enforcement
organisations require a
tactical support weapon
to fulfil several different
missions at the same time
while delivering optimal
performance for all operators.
This can include vehicle patrol,
dismounted patrol, special
team, surveillance or VIP
protection and is where the
B&T APC comes into its own.
This compact 9mm SMG (sub-
machinegun) weapon is simple
enough that any operator with
minimum training will be able
to use the weapon easily,
safely and effectively.
T
he B&T APC9 (Advanced Police
Carbine 9) is the result of a blend
of existing, proven components
and design, with the addition of
some unique engineering. The result
of a combination of Swiss engineering
and innovation, it is a well thought out
balance between time-proven features,
Firearms
Main Image: B&T
9mm recoil is very
mild in both semi-
automatic and full
automatic firing
1: The compact
MP9 version of
the ACP also easily
strips down into its
major component
parts for cleaning
and maintenance
modern production materials and manu- The entire reason for the existence of the
facturing procedures. APC is that both law enforcement and
military organisations still have the need
The APC9 possesses enough features for a 9mm policing sub-machinegun.
that any operator will appreciate and The APC9 is larger than a PDW
be able to rely upon. The flexibility built (personal defence weapon) yet smaller
into the carbine from the beginning than a 5.56mm calibre rifle. B&T has
enables the product to be sold to law been producing a PDW called the MP9
enforcement, military and even to civilian for some years now and has gained
customers where local legislation allows great experience on and had much
for the possession of such carbines. customer feedback about this subject.
Combat & Survival 49
2 3
Firearms
4
6 the 100% solid
Contrary to modern thought, the 9mm
calibre cartridge is far from obsolete
either in a handgun or sub-machinegun.
Other competitive products in this
category are mostly of older existing
designs, which results in a heavier and
/ or more expensive weapon. These are
designed around an envelope that is
the same size as a 5.56mm assault rifle.
The APC9 fits into a special niche that
other manufacturers have not filled. B&T
has not forgotten the art of the sub-
machinegun.
B&T set out from the beginning to create
a high quality, modern, price-competitive
sub-machinegun in 9mm calibre with the
potential for expansion to other calibres.
It needed to have full modularity and
flexibility to accept all types of 9mm
ammunition, from full metal jacket to
50 Combat & Survival
hollow points to frangible to subsonic
and very lightweight bullets that are in
common use. The police agencies in
those countries that still wish to use
9mm SMGs are the target markets.
As Karl Brügger, both the owner and
innovator of B&T products, admits it was
always his desire to produce a police
carbine using his own design ideas. So
together with his design team they drew
up specifications for the new carbine.
They had to set high standards as
there are already several well-designed
carbines in existence. As Karl Brügger is
left-handed the new carbine was to be
capable of ambidextrous operation, so
that it is also suitable for shooters who
are also left-handed.
A big point during the design and
development phase was that the
5
2: The B&T weapon carbine would have to be cheaper
mounted light, than existing carbines of this type. The
innovative Swiss company undertook
which produces all of these issue hurdles and presented
more than 125 the Advanced Police Carbine (APC),
lumens of output which has turned out to be an excellent
is lightweight and weapon.
state design is The APC9 design and concept was so
impervious to good that the entire first production run
recoil, impacts and of 100 units was sold before B&T began
shocks series production. This was due to the
fact that B&T have been known in this
business for many years and there was
3: For cleaning significant faith in the design concept.
and maintenance
purposes the ACP The weapon is currently available in two
easily strips down calibres, 9×19 mm (9 mm Parabellum)
into its component and .45 ACP. The 9mm version is the
parts most popular and the .45 ACP version
differs only in certain dimensions,
4: For an optical though magazine dimensions are also
primary sighting different.
system the ACP
The APC has a 100% Swiss design and
comes equipped represents one of the lightest and most
with an Aimpoint® compact SMGs of its type in production
Micro TL red dot today. The fully ambidextrous operating
sight controls will ensure an easy transition
for any police agency in training its
5: Withdrawing the personnel with the weapon. The
two disassembly carbine is loaded with many features
pins allows the that law enforcement agencies have
lower receiver long demanded from a modern police
to be withdrawn carbine: these include an Aimpoint Micro
TL red dot sight as standard, so as the
from the action of weapon is passed from shift to shift the
the ACP current user will be safe and accurate.
Also included are flip-up emergency
6: With the butt sights if the optic should ever fail.
stock folded the
APC has a compact The folding stock allows for quick exit
overall length of from vehicles and can be carried folded
just 385mm and quickly locked out to the open
locked position so that it can be speedily
deployed in one swift motion. The
NATO Accessory rails on the three, six,
nine and twelve o’clock positions allow
 The M1913 NATO
Picatinny rail
allows many types
of optical sight
to be attached to
the ACP - note
30-round magazine
in this photo

for the mounting of a variety modern
aiming and illumination accessories. The
magazines are the same reliable and
translucent 15, 20, 25, and 30-round
items used with the MP9 PDW produced
by B&T. The translucent magazines
available are produced from a modern
polymer and are impervious to all types
of cleaning chemicals in common use.
Brügger & Thomet AG was established
in May 1991 by Messrs Karl Brügger
and Heinrich Thomet to produce
suppressors for the domestic Swiss
market. After a period of time Mr.
Thomet sold his share in the company
to Karl Brügger, who remains the sole
owner of B&T. Karl also has an interest designer, and producer of choice of
in everything technical that B&T does
and has his input in every design the
company
produces.
10 known for quality. It is a registered
The company, which is located in Thun
just twenty minutes from the capital
of Bern, is fully licensed by the Swiss
Government to import, export, trade
and manufacture all categories of
small arms, ammunition, and related
accessories. B&T consists of two
separate divisions; a trading division
and a manufacturing division. The
former works mainly on the domestic 7: The ACP functioned 8
Swiss law enforcement and military with total reliability
market, representing global companies
in the industry such as Heckler and
with the several
Koch GmbH, Aimpoint AB, Arc’teryx,
different types of
5.11 Tactical and Simunition Inc. 9mm ammunition that
we used
The manufacturing division is the
8: The compact MP9
many leading manufacturers in the and full sized ACP
European arms industry, of suppressors functioned reliably
and accessory mounts. Suppressors with the different
supplied by H&K are also manufactured 9
capacity magazines
by B&T. The company is working hard
to promote its brand as one that is
9: The folding butts
NATO supplier (NCAGE SV178) with on the full size ACP
many NATO Stock Number and compact MP9
components on the versions make them
company’s product both easy to carry
list. concealed
B&T is small 10: The brass
company with less office management. The production
catcher accessory
than 50 employees facility consists of 14 CNC workstations.
of which 20 fill
is an absolute must For prototyping purposes there are
technical positions such
when working in nine conventional workstations and for
as production operators, and around vehicles, development and quality control B&T has its
designers and engineers. water borne craft own test engineering facility. The company
The others are specialists in and aircraft and with all its management processes has
international trading, freight and helicopters been ISO 9001:2008 certified since 2005.

Combat & Survival 51


Firearms
AMBIDEXTROUS MANUAL
SAFETY / FIRE SELECTOR
Grasping the pistol grip allows the
user to access the APCs three position
ambidextrous fire mode selector. The
rotating lever provides the user with
the selection of safe, semi automatic
fire and burst fire modes. The pistol
grip has an integrated storage
compartment. The magazine release
button is ambidextrous in operation,
which enables the operator to use
the same muscle memory as with
types of handgun. The bolt release is
also ambidextrous which enables the
operator to perform a reload both safely
and rapidly. The reversible charging or
cocking handle is fully ambidextrous to
accommodate all operators.
The Integrated NATO Picatinny M1913
accessory rail is machined as part of
the upper receiver and the emergency
front sight is integrated into the
Picatinny rail for a low surface profile.
The quick-detachable vertical foregrip
provides the operator with a stable
shooting grip and keeps the support
hand well away from the muzzle during
rapid firing.
ATTACHED SIGHT
The ACP comes equipped with an
Aimpoint Micro TL red dot sight as
optical primary sighting system sight
and the secondary sighting system is
flip-up emergency sights, with the rear
sight being adjustable for both windage
and elevation. This ultra compact red
dot sight, will provide fast and accurate
target acquisition for all levels of user
ability regardless of expertise and
experience.
TRAINING VERSION
B&T also produce a red manipulation
52 Combat & Survival
Main Image: During version of the APC9. This version is
not designed to be a real firearm. For
recoil the compact
example the barrel has no bore. The bolt
MP9 remains level has no hole where the firing pin goes.
with minimal muzzle These parts are machined so as not to
climb be interchangeable with actual firing
weapons so there is no chance that
11: The different someone can switch parts to make a live
capacity magazines firing firearm weapon. The company also
all easily insert produces a training model for training
into place in the ammunition as Simunition or UTM.
receiver These interactive marking ammunition
products are an absolute must for
modern professional training.
12: As the MP9
compact version ALLOY UPPER RECEIVER
of the ACP can be Produced from a block of special
easily concealed aerospace alloy that will provide a user
by clothing it is a with years of reliable service, the lateral
suitable choice for NATO accessory rails are mounted onto
VIP protection the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock position for use
with lights, sights and other accessories.
13: The vertical The rails are mounted onto both the
three and six o’clock positions for use
fore grip on the
with lights lasers and additional aiming
MP9 compact
devices.
version of the ACP
greatly assists HEAD AND FACE PROTECTION
keeping the muzzle The operator also has the ability to
in control when use the APC while properly wearing
rapid firing a ballistic face visor. This important
safety feature is becoming more and
more standard among many Special
Operations teams worldwide; there have
been several tragic instances in the
past where a fully body armoured team
member has been shot in the face when
the visor was in the raised position to
enable them to properly sight a firearm.
When conducting Close Quarter Battle
(CQB) with a number of individuals
moving at speed in close proximity to
each other, engaging multiple targets
at close ranges with full automatic fire,
the potential for accidents is always
present, so at the request of European
11
12
13
SWAT agencies the ACP Assault Model
was developed to allow the ACP to be
fired while wearing a closed ballistic face
visor The folding stock works equally well
with a protective mask or while wearing
SCUBA gear and accessories.
BT WEAPON MOUNTED LIGHT
This tactical illuminator was designed
from the very beginning for B&T by
the Inforce Company specifically as
weapon-mounted light, not as a handheld
flashlight modified for weapon use. It
is lightweight and the 100% solid state
design is impervious to recoil, impacts
and shocks as well as being powerful
enough to produce more than 125
lumens of output.
The small size envelope (10 cm overall
length) does not require cables, which
can easily become entangled or
damaged during operational use, and
it is activated with a simple pressure
switch which is also easy to operate while
wearing gloves.
EMPTY BRASS CATCHER
This accessory is an absolute must
when working in and around vehicles,
waterborne craft and aircraft and
helicopters. This is because containment
of hot expended brass is an important
part of safety for everyone in the vicinity
of the operator. The B&T designed brass
catcher mounts directly onto the right
side NATO Accessory Rail (NAR). It pivots
easily to quickly clear any stoppages or
malfunctions that may occur. Using a

brass catcher on the range also makes
cleaning up after training quick and
easy.
MAGAZINE CLAMP
B&T also produces a magazine clamp
for the APC. This will permit the user
to mount two magazines together in
parallel when loaded in the weapon;
allowing the operator to make swift and
efficient magazines changes in both
training and during tactical situation.
The clamp functions with the 9mm
calibre 30, 25 and 20 round magazine
for the APC9 and the 25 and 17 round
magazine for the .45 ACP calibre
APC45. B&T also produces a magazine
pouch that will fit both magazines when
they are clamped together.
SOUND SUPPRESSION
Since the company was founded in 1991
B&T has also been considered a leading
manufacturer of silencers. Suppressors
are becoming more and more popular
and see normal use with many tactical
teams in both law enforcement and
military Special Operations units.
Sound Suppressors have finally come
of age and are now widely accepted
as normal items of equipment in many
NATO countries, being a truly important
and practical tool for both training and
operational use.
Many NATO partners who have had
units operating in Afghanistan and Iraq
have also learnt firsthand of the many
benefits a good suppressor will bring to
the safety and security of their operators.
Some of the more noticeable direct
14
benefits are for both sound and muzzle
flash reduction, command and control,
friend and foe identification and of course
hearing protection.
The B&T suppressor is a widely used
9mm carbine/SMG suppressor and carries
a NATO stock number. It requires no
permanent modification to the ACP and
simply rotates into a locked and attached
position, supplying a 33 dB A reduction
using subsonic ammunition and it does
Main Image: Grasping 15
not degrade accuracy when compared the forward pistol
to a non-suppressed weapon. Sound grip on the full sized
Suppressors will also work with the normal version of the ACP
types of 9mm factory ammunition. The allows you to keep
standard 3-lug suppressor barrel will allow the muzzle level even
the attachment of many standard 9mm during full automatic
suppressors, or other accessories. firing
Taking a closer look at the silencer
mounting point, this is identical to the
14: Made in
Switzerland, like my
silencer mounting points that are use on the 16
barrel of the 9mm calibre H&K MP5. Thus, watch, the ACP sees
all MP5 silencers that utilise the Tri-Lock widespread use with
system can also be used on the B&T APC. the SWAT teams
Police forces and military users of the B&T of many countries
ACP can therefore obtain a significant worldwide
financial advantage, simply because all
existing MP5 silencers in their inventories 15: The moulded
can be used. stock of the ACP and gear. The bag is produced of 1000
MP9 can be ordered Denier nylon and closed cell foam
DISCREET CARRY BAG in different colours padding that protects the weapon and
B&T also offers a discreet carry bag, does not absorb water or moisture. This
enabling the operator to transport the APC bag will be very useful for VIP protection,
and compact MP9 in a manner that will 16: A range of sound moving in and out of stakeout positions
not draw attention to the fact a firearm is in suppressors and and setting up secure areas.
transit. There is a spare pocket with MOLLE/ different sighting
PALS webbing integrated to place spare systems can be The APC’s barrel is available in lengths
magazines, ammunition and additional attached to the ACP of 175 mm, 240 mm and the longer
Combat & Survival 53
 Firearms

The ACP comes

equipped with
back-up iron sights
to allow this SMG to
be used without the
attachment of an
optical sight

406 mm carbine version so that the end 17: The MP9 can be
users can choose the best length to carried in a tactical 17 18
suit their needs. The rifling twist is one thigh rig making
revolution in seven inches, or 175 mm, it easy to conceal
to suits the commonly used types of
beneath a long coat
9mm ammunition. The unloaded weight
is 2.4 kg with the optical sight and empty
30-round magazine attached. The open 18: The ability to
length is 600mm and the length with the attach the MP9 to a
butt in the closed or folded position is holster increases
385mm the range of carry
options that are
SHOOTING TEST available to the user
For the 9mm calibre version of the ACP
the cyclic rate of fire with full metal jacket 19: Different types
(FMJ) ammunition is in the region of of optical sights
900rpm (rounds per minute). As well as
can be attached to
FMJ ammunition the ACP can also be
used with Simunition and UTM training
the ACP and it will
ammunition. The cyclic operation is function with the
a normal sub-machinegun operating different types of
system, which uses a closed bolt low 9mm ammunition in
recoil blowback system, typical for normal use 19
both semi-automatic and full automatic 20
carbines. 20: The compact
MP9 can be carried
During the C&S shooting test we in a discreet
used both a standard sized ACP and a
carry bag enabling
compact sized MP9 version of the ACP.
We found the ergonomics and handling
the operator to
characteristics of both versions to be very transport the
good, so that even when quickly mounting weapon in a
the ACP it came into the aiming position concealed manner
instinctively and quickly. We found it easy
to engage multiple targets in both semi- Images © and the excellent Aimpoint optical red For further information check out bt-ag.
and full automatic fire, keeping our shots Greg Roberts dot sight extremely fast and precision ch, and for UK sales and support go to
on the targets Thanks to the ergonomic unless noted target engagements were possible. vikingarms.com.

54 Combat & Survival


All fields of Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) are increasingly
under the spotlight due to
the current focus on counter-
insurgency campaigns across
the world and the lasting
legacy and long term impact
of explosive remnants of war
(ERW) from previous conflicts,
and the way these two aspects
have been connected in recent
conflicts by the use of ERW as
main charges in Improvised
Explosive Devices (IEDs).
This means the spectrum of
EOD is relevant right across
the board, from post-conflict
countries and developing
nations to those of the First
World, and encompasses
operations of military, civilian,
commercial and intelligence
forces. So what does all the
terminology mean and what
are the changes within the EOD
community?
C
ounter Improvised Explosive De-
vice (C-IED) is a relatively new term
within EOD that has been coined
and developed during the Global
Main Image: A
British DEMS
(Defence EOD War on Terror (GWoT). In the past,
Munitions & IEDs were used by indigenous criminal
and terrorist groups with some spread
Search) Regiment
of technology but were deployed in
instructor explains relatively small numbers. In more recent
the workings of a campaigns, such as Iraq and Afghani-
typical ordnance- stan, where the conflict was more that
based IED of an insurgency, the IED has become
[BM] the weapon and tactic of choice, used in
ever greater numbers, to cause casual-
1: The role of the ties to Coalition forces, whilst reducing
EOD operator has the casualties of insurgents who would
changed markedly lose the fight in any symmetrical battle
due to our technological edge.
over the last couple
of decades To protect the Security Forces against
[BS] the increased use of IEDs, personnel are
trained in C-IED from the early stages of
Image © their careers, through pre-deployment
Robert Shaw, training to constant refresher training
Anth Malone and during operations in all necessary
Bob Morrison skill sets: counter insurgency mission
planning; urban and rural patrolling;
vulnerable point (VP) search; patrol
search; 5 and 20 metre checks isolation
drills; suicide devices; insurgent tactics
and weaponry, including IEDs; vehicle
check points (VCPs); medical and EOD
reporting; mine awareness; the use of
Security Industry
Electronic Counter Measures (ECM);
and incident management.
The ethos of C-IED is to:
• prevent casualties by thorough training
• protect our forces by providing them
with the right equipment to mitigate IED
effects
• detect IEDs before they have
detonated with the right tactics and
search equipment, and finally,
• exploit the information presented by
recovered devices and other forms
of intelligence, which in turn, leads us
to develop tactics, techniques and
procedures (TTPs) that help us prevent,
protect, detect and exploit!
Although the military and police forces
have been busy training and equipping
for C-IED during the last decade, this
has not been the case for the NGOs
(Non-Governmental Organisations)
who have been busy continuing their
operations to clear ERW. The NGO staffs
are now also targets, as we have seen
with the targeting of UN personnel with
IEDs on their operations across the
world. In fact the United Nation Mine
Combat & Survival 57

Security Industry
Action Service (UNMAS), which has
always been focused on clearance
operations of ERW from post-conflict
countries, is also now recruiting
C-IED experts to help protect UN
staff and help train military forces that
are committed to UN Peacekeeping
missions that will be operating in
countries with an IED threat. We have
seen this recently where the UN are
looking to train Nepalese forces for
operations in parts of Africa.
As part of the protect field we have
the skill of IEDD, which is where the
EOD operator uses specific equipment
and knowledge to ‘disrupt’ the IED
and tries to safely recover as much of
the component parts (in the form of
evidence) as possible to feed into the
intelligence chain. Whereas an EOD
operator dealing with conventional
ammunition has a recognised fusing
system and munitions to deal with, and
thereby has a standard Render Safe
Procedure (RSP), the IEDD operator
has to assess the IED he or she faces
and create their own and unique RSP to
match the unique device. To protect the
operator, he or she generally wears a
protective suit and where possible uses
remote means (robotics) to disrupt the
device.
However, in Assault IEDD, where the
operator is seamlessly integrated
into a Special Forces (SF) assault
team, the use of the suit and robotics
is inappropriate and therefore more
specialist training is required. The
evolution we have seen in this field
is due to terrain and temperature
constraints in the contemporary
operating environment that IEDD
teams have to be able to deploy to
task with integral C-IED search assets,
a weapons intelligence asset, ECM
advisor and all their equipment by
helicopter. With spaces being at a
premium in any airframe in conflict and
weight an issue, a lot of the equipment
that would normally be on the back
of the team vehicle has had to be left
behind. Robotics has had to get smaller
and lighter and the EOD equipment
made more light and compact so that it
can be carried ‘on the man’.
The training of an IEDD operator is
generally aimed at two levels. The first
is where the operator is dealing with
a situation and device where he is
not the target. The operator has been
called in to deal with a device that has
been created and planted by subject
A to kill or injure subject B. Neither the
IEDD operator nor the police/military
response forces are a target. It should
be noted that this doesn’t mean that
the device used is simple. The level
58 Combat & Survival
2
of sophistication is according to the
capability of the person who creates 3
the device. The second level of more
advanced training is that where the IEDD
Operator is in a high threat environment.
This would be where subject A (such as
a terrorist) is either trying to kill or injure
the security forces and/or the operator
himself.
Although both levels of training have
many similarities such as the types of
device likely to be encountered and
the equipment used in the RSP, the
questioning technique used by the
operator is much more advanced and
is designed to find out whether there
are multiple devices and the first device
2: A rudimentary 4
is simply a ‘come on’ to lure in security
forces that can then be struck by a
Explosively Formed
secondary or tertiary device. During the Projectile IED
last decade of operations it became can even defeat
apparent that there were simply not an Armoured
enough High Threat IEDD Operators to Personnel Carrier
man all the requirements and therefore [BM]
there was a huge recruitment drive and
changes made to the training system 3: Unguarded
with countries like the US and UK landmines in Iraq that apply to the IEDD and search
building specific facilities that matched team also apply to them. With limited
after Coalition
the buildings and ground of Iraq and space on transport to get them to a
Afghanistan.
troops had moved scene the responsibility for forensic
on to the next collection has been devolved down to
Weapons Intelligence (WIS/WTI/ objective the company of troops operating on the
WIT) is the term generally given to [AM] ground. What we now see in a typical
teams concerned with post attack fighting force at company level is an
scene investigation. Made up of 4: Abandoned integrated intelligence NCO who not
IEDD operators, intelligence and conventional only provides the Company Commander
police personnel, their job is to collect munitions (this is with operational intelligence but with a
components or even complete IEDs Iraq in 2003) can forensic expert who can complete the
and, once rendered safe by the IEDD initial process required to send evidence
provide the filling
Operator, ensure they are exploited for back for exploitation at a Level 2 WIS
any intelligence; which is then fed into
for IEDs facility.
the ‘lessons learned’ domain where [AM]
it influences future friendly TTPs and Weapons Intelligence training
equipment acquisition programs. What encompasses a lot of topics that would
has changed for these teams over the be covered under C-IED, IEDD, Police
last decade is the same constraints and Intelligence training and consists of
the intelligence cycle and where WIS/
WIT fits into the current operations of
Find, Fix, Strike and Exploit. Cultural
considerations, especially during
interviewing and questioning, are
also important as are the make-up of
the IEDs being used in the operating
environment and the tactics, techniques
and procedures used in insurgency and
terrorism. This should include explosive
effects. The specific threats of Bomb
Making Factories, VBIEDs and suicide
attacks, photography, forensics, WIS
task conduct and planning and how
EOD forces work, how to write reports
and brief commanders on results are all
part of the course and if the course is a
military one rather than commercial, then
it will generally include the military pre-
deployment skills required to operate in
a hostile environment.
Conventional Munitions Disposal
(CMD) is really the basis of the skill
sets used in wartime by military forces
and in peacetime by the humanitarian
or commercial EOD companies.
Conventional munitions are those
manufactured by the state and range
from nuclear weapons, conventional
aircraft delivered bombs and sub-
munitions, through to rockets, missiles
and artillery shells to mortar bombs,
grenades and SAA. These items are
normally termed Unexploded Ordnance
(UXO) or ‘blinds’. This means they have
been fired, either in wartime or in training
on ranges and have not functioned as
intended. As the items are generally Main Image: The
unsafe to move, the EOD operator author surveying
will use a donor charge, or another abandoned
technique, and blow them in place. conventional air-
dropped munitions
Alternatively, the items for disposal may
not have been fired at all and might be
awaiting disposal
surplus or obsolescent stock. These [BS]
means of disposal usually take place
on a licensed demolition ground and 5: Destruction
in large quantities. This part of CMD is of conventional
known as ‘logistic disposal’. Both types munitions to ensure
of CMD require procedures that limit they do not fall into
the amount of expensive, serviceable insurgent hands
high explosive used to initiate the [BS]
unserviceable or blind items and
minimise the amount of fragmentation
and debris created by the detonation.
Where the filling of the ammunition is • ROBERT SHAW
chemical or biological, then specific of Optimal Risk
procedures and equipment are used Management Ltd.
and this field is termed Biological and (OptimalRisk.com)
Chemical Munitions Disposal (BCMD). is a former British
If the weapon is a nuclear one, then it Army ATO and
is termed Nuclear Weapons Disposal IEDD/ WIS Operator
(NWD). In both the cases of BCMD and turned EOD Threat
NWD the items to be disposed of are
and Counter-IED
state manufactured and have fusing
systems that provide safety in storage,
Trainer and
transit and firing. If they are used with Consultant.
a different, improvised fusing system,
then that comes under the realm of the
Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
CMD is the core of EOD. Whether
military or civilian, whether destroying
mines recovered through humanitarian
de-mining, single or multi-item ‘blind’
5
ordnance or large scale disposal
of obsolescent items, all require
knowledge of safety procedures, the
equipment required for disposal and
how ammunition works; the effects
of explosives, how to make up basic
charges, where to place charges,
accounting for serviceable ammunition
and explosives and damage mitigation
techniques and equipment. Not all
ammunition is disposed of by using
a counter charge of serviceable high
explosives. There are also techniques
for burning the explosive content of the
munitions, whether as an individual item
that cannot be moved or on a logistical
scale with a furnace to dispose of
obsolescent items. In some cases, items
such as sub-munitions are disposed
of by kinetic attack to disrupt them.
This can be done by firing at them
with calibres ranging from 5.56mm to
12.7mm ammunition.
Conventional ammunition also includes
those munitions that have a chemical
and biological filling as opposed to high
Combat & Survival 59
 Security Industry
An American EOD
operator examines
an arms cache and
deliberates how
to best neutralise
the anti-armour
weapons [BS]
explosive. The training required to dispose
of these types of ammunition tends to
be an additional period to CMD for EOD
operators and is called Biological and
Chemical Munitions Disposal (BCMD).
The training has some similarities to CMD
in that the EOD operator must know all
about the ammunition to be disposed
of and how it works, whether enemy
ammunition or allied. The operator must
also know the effects of the filling and
the safety equipment and procedures
he must use during the RSP, including
the breathing apparatus and chemical
resistant suits. The ammunition needs to
be contained and is then normally sent
back to a specialist facility for disposal
where the ammunition is cut open and the
filling burned. Mitigation techniques and
downwind hazards areas are also subjects
taught during BCMD training, as are
decontamination techniques.
Traditionally, the storage of ammunition
and weapon systems has also been
connected to EOD. A country’s own
storage facilities were a logistical
function, but when it came to dealing
with large scale captured enemy stocks
and ammunition storage areas (ASAs),
in wartime, then this was the job of the
military EOD force. As well as dealing
with stocks of enemy ammunition, the
EOD operator would also have to deal
with any unexploded ordnance fired in
the fighting for the ASA, which could also
include aircraft bombs that had failed to
detonate. The clearance of such areas can
be a long term operation, a problem now
60 Combat & Survival
faced in Libya where their ASAs were hit 6
hard by NATO aircraft bombs and most
of the bunkers are now unusable. The
areas are also covered with UXO, are
sometimes surrounded by protective
minefields, and have unexploded NATO
aircraft bombs in them as well!
Humanitarian and commercial de-mining
companies have had to move into
the field of the ASAs and ammunition
management as the current post-
conflict countries they are clearing up
contained a large amount of ammunition
stockpiles. Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya
all contained stocks on a scale beyond
that which was required for national
6: Abandoned 7
defence and the size of their armed
forces. This, in part, was due to the
artillery rounds
large stock being a status symbol for in Libya in 2012
the countries’ leaders and to intimidate - during any
their neighbours throughout the region. post-conflict power
Of course, arms companies and foreign vacuum there will
governments exacerbated the issue by be concerns that
pushing the sale of large amounts of explosives could
ammunition and weapon systems as fall into the hands
well. of international
grade plastic explosive, man-portable air
insurgent networks
This situation, has brought the defence systems (MANPADS) and even
clearance of ASAs into the realm of
[BS] chemical and biological ammunition.
counter-proliferation, as during any This situation is currently seen in Syria,
post-conflict power vacuum there are 7: These left- where extremist Islamic terrorists fighting
genuine concerns that the ammunition overs from the to overthrow the government might
and weapon stockpiles will fall into the Russian invasion of well gain access to, and control, the
hands of insurgents and terrorists to Afghanistan, destined country’s chemical weapons. These
increase their capabilities. This includes, for use as IED filling, could then, in theory, be sold and
not just simple ‘ready use’ items, such are still deadly smuggled across the world to be used
as small arms ammunition (SAA) and [BS] in IEDs against European nations or the
RPGs but, more worryingly, military USA.
 Personal Survival

A while back I reviewed

the Snugpak SJ 3 and SJ 6
jackets. Just great, and in
continued use ever since. The
SJ range is relatively new in
the Snugpak inventory, and
is a more ‘designer’ product
with appeal to the civvy user,
though it has military uses
too.

I
did not cover the SJ 9 in my previ-
ous review as I did not have the
appropriate weather; this category
being aimed at the colder climates,
rated as -10 to -15°C. Since then
I have overcome this. Jo, a family
member and a Royal Navy Chef, has
recently been to Arctic Norway with
the Royal Marines on Winter Deploy-
ment. Temperatures encountered
were down to -25°C, so a highly
appropriate environment to give
the SJ9 a proper go. Prior to this,
Jo had been making good use of
a MultiCam SJ6 during work up
pre-Norway training and was more
than happy with it at 00 nasty
o’clock on stag.

All SJ range jackets use

Snugpak’s Softie Premier
insulation and are far more water
resistant than one might thing
- I have tested this and can
confirm! They also pack down
small and light so great to
‘carry with’ when not required
but there when you need that
extra warmth and protection.

The SJ 9 has a permanent

hood as well as relevant pull
cords to prevent the warmth
getting out and cold getting in,
as well as water resistant zips.
Jo’s partner Dan (ex-Navy) also
has an SJ9 in civvy red/black
although he is UK based these
days it is in daily use. The SJs

62 Combat & Survival

 Product - UK Contact: Snugpak/Snugpak Zamberlan/The Italian Outdoor Company
Telephone/Web: 01535 654 479/snugpak.com 0161 432 0319/ zamberlan.uk.com

Main Image 2
opposite: Jo
‘posing’ in Arctic
Norway at around
-25C with her SJ 9

1: Back in UK - the
SJ9 has a weather-
resistant zip, high
cut collar and
insulated hood

2: The civvy SJ9

in signature red/
black - it has the
same features as
the military version
less the Velcro
patches days it is in daily use. The SJs come in
a good range of both military, including
camouflage, and model-related civilian
colours.

Snugpak SJs seem to dominate around

here. Milady just bought one, as have
some of my friends who are soon off to
Finnish Lapland for an exped. (My SJ6
in A-TACS camo saw me through the
worst of the weather while covering the
Somerset floods, Ed.) On top of all this,
the SJ range is UK-made at Snugpak’s
own factory in Yorkshire.

3 3: Bruce about to
board the ferry
with Land Rover
and partner Abi
on their way to
Morocco - he
is wearing
the universal
Zamberlan SH
I have been waiting for the right opportunity for
Crossers as his these shoes, and now is that time. My son Bruce
choice for the trip took these to try out and they have become a
favourite of his, being well suited to his home
4: Crisp and new territory in the Lake District, but he kept them
Zamberlan SH good for a suitable trip. As I write he and the SH
Crossers - they are Crossers are now on an overland trip to Morocco.
both good looking

T
he SH Crosser model was new to the Zamberlan range
and practical for
in 2013. They are light and tough, using a combination
adventure travel of Kevlar and Cordura as well as having a Gore-Tex lining
in case things get wet. They are well protected in the toe
Images © and heel area so if Bruce does his normal thing and goes ‘up
MIKE GORMLEY a few hills’ on his North African trip they will be well suited and
up for the job. The soles are ‘grippy’ and again aimed at a bit
of scrambling.

For what is potentially a hot and dry expedition, but with wet
potential and a lot of driving thrown in, these are a suitable
multi-purpose shoe. Zamberlan do comfy, and right now stuck
at home writing this in the howling storm I would much prefer to
be in Bruce’s shoes!

Combat & Survival 63

 Product - UK Contact: Seal Skinz/Seal Skinz
Telephone/Web: 01553 817 990/sealskinz.com
Personal Survival
These are precisely what they
say there are ... and a bit more
besides. They have super grippy
material on the palms and finger
tips, but also have a special
material on each index digit
so you can use a touch screen
with gloves still on. Good idea
and definitely works. If you
use another finger there is no
response from a touch screen.
T
hese gloves are close-fitting, com-
fortable and windproof but, unusu-
ally for Seal Skinz, not waterproof.
However it is not always raining (did
I say that? Writing this in January!) but if
you need dexterity and the ability to use a
mobile phone, GPS, or other touch screen
device while still keeping your hands
warm these are a good choice. If really
cold these would make good inner gloves.
Another item that Jo took to
Norway is the appropriately
named Swiss Soldier’s Knife
from Victorinox. Clearly aimed
at this specific end user it
is a good, robust general
purpose, 111mm long when
folded, pocket knife from a well
respected maker.
A
ppropriately coloured and suitably
featured, with six blades stowed
inside the green handle, this is a
good choice for those in uniform. It
is now a permanent part of Jo’s kit, often
made use of and, in her words, “it is in-
valuable when out on training exercises”.
64 Combat & Survival
Sea To Summit/Burton McCal Victorinox/Burton McCall
0116 234 4600/burton-mccall.co.uk 0116 234 4600/burton-mccall.co.uk
Above: Sea to Summit Drysacks come in
various sizes - these black outer with white
inside are aimed at the military end user
In the Norwegian snow a drysack is close
to essential to keep your kit dry and ice free
- this 20 litre version is ideal for a bergen
side pouch
Above: The Seal 5
Skinz gloves did
well on a cold
windy day in the
Lake District, being
both dexterous and
warm enough
5: Here you can
see the grip panels
on the palm side
of the glove and
on the three outer
fingers - the
special index pad
works perfectly on
touch-screens such
as on this Magellan
GPS
There is nothing new about the
concept of dry bags. However,
Sea To Summit have taken a
new look at them and produced
a range well suited to military,
and civvy, use.
A
s well as being of tough construc-
tion and having a good closure
system, they have addressed the
issue of military personnel groping
about in the dark looking for their kit. No
white light? These Military Drysacks have
black outside but white inside.
Jo, my ‘in-house’ military tester, has
been using these, during both training
expeds and in Norway, and found them
Above: The Victorinox Swiss Soldier’s Knife - with a pedigree such to work well in the real world that they are
as this it really should be fit for purpose designed for.
 Counter-Insurgency
“THE COLOUR CHANGE WAS
OBVIOUS, THE REGULARITY
MORE SUBTLE. A CHANGE IN
THE OPERATOR’S POSITION,
PLACING THE FIRST ‘SIGN’
(I.E. THE INITIAL CLUE LEFT
BEHIND BY THE INSURGENT)
BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE
SUN, INCREASED THE AMOUNT
OF CONTAINED SHADOW
CREATED BY THE EMPLACER’S
FOOTWEAR. ANOTHER SHIFT
OF POSITION, AND THE
DISTURBED SOIL CREATED
BY THE BURYING OF THE
PRESSURE PLATE WAS CLEAR
TO SEE. WITHIN SECONDS
THE PRESENCE OF A LOW
METAL CONTENT DEVICE WAS
CONFIRMED. WHILE EXPERTS
MADE SAFE THE DEVICE,
OTHERS SET OFF TO FOLLOW
THE DISTINCTIVE TRAIL LEFT
BY THE EMPLACER AND AS
A RESULT HE WAS DETAINED
IN HIS COMPOUND A SHORT
DISTANCE AWAY ... AND WITH
OTHER BOMB-MAKING ITEMS IN
HIS POSSESSION AND HANDED
OVER TO THE NATIONAL
POLICE FOR PROSECUTION.
Dean Williams MBE
66 Combat & Survival
C
IED Sign Awareness (CIED SA) is
a derivative of Combat Tracking,
which is the ability to actively follow
and pursue a quarry or target in
order to gain information or to close with
and interdict. It has enhanced the ability
of both military and law enforcement
personnel to identify the visual and in
some instances non visual (scent, audio
or even 6th sense) action indicators
associated to/with an IED placement.
Fused with the considerable technologi-
cal advances made in detection and
surveillance equipment over the last
eleven years this extra skill has now
been proven to increase both Military
Main Image: Dutch updated version of what is widely termed
and Law Enforcement Officers’ surviv- Marines trackers Awareness Training and have actively
ability by 70-80%. in training interpret encouraged the fusing of technology to
‘sign’ found on soft enhance what is ultimately a low level
ground to their yet undeniably crucial tactical skill-set.
So, are CIED Sign Awareness and
Combat Tracking (CT) purely a defensive Pencari instructor Combat Tracking Information
Force Protection capability, therefore (left, wearing Exploitation, or CTIX as it is more widely
only suited to the realms of a Defeat the PenCott GreenZone known, an area in which British company
Device concept? Or is there scope to camo) Pencari excels on the international
offensively utilise CT as an Information
scene, is a successful method for
Exploitation (IX) asset, enabling active
Follow & Pursuit style operations and
1: Learning to age training the Force to both identify and
therefore truly Attacking the Network, ‘sign’ is crucial subsequently exploit areas of insurgent,
whatever that Network may be? Former - there was a 24 or even criminal activity including IED
hour time lapse placements, ambush sites, lying up
serving military personnel, using skills
between these points and materiel distribution points,
learnt in high IED threat operational
to name just a few. CTIX a is teachable,
areas like Iraq and Afghanistan, have footprints multi-faceted skill which works hand in
been working towards a fresh and
 2

hand with technology such as C-IED rapidly developed.

Metal detectors, UAVs and with other
ISTAR3 assets such as hand-held and
vehicle mounted optics, cameras and
even thermal devices. It is not, however,
reliant on any of this technology for its
successful application and therefore
does not add additional weight to the
Operator in the form of extra equipment.
The key to CTIX is enhanced training
and knowledge that weighs nothing yet
delivers a punch in the form of valuable
‘immediate use intelligence’, negating
any sacrifice for speed of manoeuvre
imperative to already over-burdened
and heavily laden troops. It is a skill
suitable for all environments and
weather conditions; not every ISTAR
asset can make this claim. For example,
climatic and geographic problems
such as cloud cover or triple canopy
rainforest are not conducive to Satellite
or UAS penetration, but in a close
country tropical environment Combat
Trackers can, and will be, a primary
source of intelligence along with both
HUMINT4 and EW5.
One area where conventional ground
tracking skills have had to be adapted
to modern warfare, and even to counter-
poaching work, is mobility information
exploitation. Looking for and positively
identifying ‘sign’ from an elevated
position while moving at speed is very
different to that of a foot patrol or an
EOD Operator making a slow and
methodical approach towards an IED,
and new techniques have had to be
Additionally, in today’s changing world
it has to be presumed that future
contingency style operations may take
conventional forces anywhere from
jungle to arid desert regions, so CTIX
training must be geared towards multiple
environments. With current and future
conflicts revolving around, and at times
entering into, population centres the urban
environment must not be forgotten either
so a portion of each CTIX training package
should also dedicated to operating within
this hazardous environment, factoring on
both Force Protection and Information
exploitation alike.
The Law Enforcement and some
Commercial Security Sectors, especially
the Oil and Gas industry, are also
recognising CTIX as a valuable force
multiplier. For example, the US Border
Patrol agency has employed combat
tracking and various exploitation
techniques successfully for many years,
both as a means of identifying cross-
border incursions and also, along with
other assets, actively pursuing and
interdicting illegals. Likewise, UK Police
forces and European based Forensic
Agencies are increasingly using the skills
associated with the CTIX to prevent or
decrease the escalation of metal theft from
critical infrastructures such as national rail
networks and critical communication hubs.
“The Tracker moved stealthily along the
‘trackline’, every few feet confirming his
quarry’s ‘sign’. He could clearly identify
Main Image: A where the emplacer had squatted,
Pencari instructor while resting and smoking a
(wearing PenCott cigarette. The ‘sign’ was becoming
BadLands camo fresher, they were gaining on this
guy and he didn’t even know it! Now
trousers) points
that the insurgent’s direction was
out evidence of established, additional assets were
insurgents having being brought to bear on his path of
passed to Kenyan flight. A UAV was already flying along
SF troops on a the search cone. The real-time video
counter-insurgency feed linked back to an Operations
training exercise Room ready to launch an interdiction
force, by vehicle or helicopter. For the
2: To the trained CTIX trained operators the outcome
eye it is obvious was inevitable......”
that the quarry
• C&S was briefed on the basics of
has stepped on CTIX SA by Dean Williams MBE of
this stone when PENCARI Ltd., who deliver bespoke
crossing an area training solutions to both military
of relatively hard and law enforcement professionals
ground worldwide. Former Commando Dean
has more than a quarter century
Images © of military service under his belt,
having held every rank from marine
PENCARI
to major. If interested in CTIX training
packages contact PENCARI Defence
and Security via their website
pencari-training.com.

Combat & Survival 67

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 UK Kit News
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.
T
his month we have been trial-
ling the ninth of the ten new
brown boot styles being issued
to UK Forces by the MoD and
next month we hope to bring you
the tenth which, like the BATES
Tactical Sport 8” model seen here,
is classed as BOOTS PATROL. This
70 Combat & Survival
BP category is intended primarily
for use where the combat threat is
medium to low and patrol pack weight
is light, so it is the type of boot many
who are not deploying to, or based in
a desert / arid theatre, are likely to be
issued with.
Our initial impressions on this boot are
favourable, especially for a combat
boot which retails on the civvy market
for under £90, though I have to say
that I disagree with the supplier’s
claim that it “takes no breaking in”
as I found it to be rather stiff in front
of the ankle for the first few wears;
but that might just be me, as I found
similar with a couple of the HAIX
boot models. Although called the
Tactical Sport, this model has been
specifically designed to meet military
requirements so don’t let the name
put you off.
Uppers are full grain leather with
1680 denier ballistic nylon tongue,
back and side panels. The collar
is padded and the durable PK

mesh lining is both breathable and
absorbs perspiration. The PESU II
insole is also breathable, is comfort
cushioned and resists odour as well
as being removable and replaceable
(spares are included in the box along
with spacers to reduce width fitting
if necessary). There is also a nylon
shank to maintain stability, with instep
support from heel to ball, and the
shock-absorbing EVA midsole is
lightweight and flexible.
The Enforcer UltraLites rubber
outsole, cemented to the uppers, is
both slip-resistant and oil-resistant
with a mini lug tread design to give
traction on both grassy and smooth
The most unusual thing surfaces. The sole pattern is also
about these BATES rather ‘curvy’, which the manufacturer
Boots is the sole, which says provides flexibility and I cannot
does not have an overly disagree with them on that score.
aggressive tread pattern This is unlike what we have seen in
the past on MoD combat boots and
yet it offers good grip on
is more reminiscent of some police
both pavement and grass
patrol boot or off-road trainer soles,
while self-cleaning quite but that is not a bad thing for a boot
well - the non-metallic category which is intended primarily
lacing system has for second echelon use rather than
eyelets, an open hook as frontline footwear for a war zone.
lace lock and two pairs Our review samples were supplied via
of lace tunnels niton999.co.uk
Combat & Survival 71
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74 Combat & Survival