Combat and Survival May 2014.pdf

Website: www.combatandsurvival.com

Editor: Bob MorrisonDesigner: Emily BedfordSenior Correspondents: Carl Schulze & Yves Debay (R.I.P)Firearms Tester: Greg RobertsGear Tester: Mike GormleySecurity Consultant: Robert ShawEditors Assistant: Jitka CajovaWebmaster: Daryl CrowtherAdvertisement Sales Director: Moira SpencerTel: 01484 435011Email: [email protected] Distributed by Warners Group Publications PLCThe Maltings, West Street, Bourne PE10 9PHPrint by Acorn Colourprint Ltd: Loscoe Close, Normanton, WF6 1TW

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May 14 Cover Image:

© Bob Morrison © M.A.I. Publications 2014

P16 Situation Report APHRODITE’S ISLANDBob Morrison updates on fifty years of division in the Eastern Mediterranean

P21 Frontline Firearms H&K 40mm UGLCarl Schulze looks at the under-barrel grenade launcher used by Britain and her allies

P28 Foreign Forces ARGAIRBob Morrison reports on the Argentinian helicopter flight which patrols the UN Buffer Zone

P32 Armour Focus TACTICABob Morrison photographs a British armoured personnel carrier used by Argentina

P37 Frontline Report ISAF NRU (Pt.2)Carl Schulze concludes his reports from Afghanistan on the Northern Reaction Unit

P44 Survival UNEXPECTED WEATHERMike Gormley gives hints and tips for drivers in case caught by severe storms

P49 Firearms WALTHER P22Greg Roberts describes and fires the compact .22 calibre Swiss semi-automatic pistol

P58 Kit & Camo UNFICYP UNIFORMSBob Morrison launches a new mini-series with a look at an Argentinian Blue Beret

P62 Survival GearTRIED & TESTEDMike Gormley trials, with the help of Jean, jacket, gillet, wellies, flask, gloves and boot proofing

P70 FootwearKESTREL PATROL BOOTBob Morrison field tests the latest issue BOOT, PATROL from YDS in the new MoD Brown

P05: Comms P33 & 56: ReviewsP66: Working Knives

P16

P21

P28

P37

P44

P49

P56

Combat & Survival 03


was very favourable. Some soldiers will always grumble about their issue kit, no matter how good it actually is, but on the combat boot front the British squaddie is being very well catered for at the moment. Let’s hope this lasts after everyone comes home from Afghan.

While on the topic of drawdown, we have been asked by a couple of people on the supply side if we are going to desert UK Forces now that high tempo operations are on the way out and troops numbers are declining. That question just shows that the people asking don’t understand C&S and don’t understand that though Regular Forces numbers might be reduced the overall combined number of trained Regular and Reserve personnel will actually be increasing and though operational focus may be reverting to preparations for Contingency Operations

there is still a massive future for our armed forces. We are in this for the long term and are excitedly looking forward to our next 25 years and to the challenges the future is bound to hold.

Finally, our Survival specialist Jason Polley has been on sabbatical to both finish off his book and take up more adventures in the wild. We are now pleased to announce that Jason’s How To Survive Outdoors title has been published in both the UK and the US by Hodder & Stoughton

and McGraw-Hill as part of the international and

prestigious Teach Yourself series. It is on UK bookshelves now, priced at £10.99 with the ISBN 978-1-44419600-9. With his batteries recharged, Jason will shortly be returning to the pages of C&S with a regular column. - BM

If you were to ask many readers what Britain’s longest-running military operation is I suspect Afghanistan would top the list of answers by a long way, but actually what these days is called Operation TOSCA by UK MoD has been going on for almost four times as long as Operation HERRICK. On 4th March this year the United Nations Force In Cyprus clocked up its 50th anniversary, though out in the Buffer Zone and the Green Line it was just another working day with only a brief Remembrance Service to pay respect to the 178 souls who lost their life on UNFICYP service.

B ritain has played a major role since the very beginning, volunteering troops as soon as UN Security Council Resolution 186 proposing

a multinational peace-keeping force was passed, but many other nations have played their part too over the half century of UNFICYP’s existence. In addition to working with the British Amy Regulars out in Sector 2, who we will cover in our July issue, we also spent a day with the Reservists from 3rd Battalion of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment forming the backbone of the multinational Mobile Force Reserve (see page 9), but in an attempt to cover the breadth of this remarkable mission we also joined troops from a number of other nations out on patrol that week. Over this and the next two issues we will be bringing you what we believe to be unparalleled coverage of much of the Force and its mission.

In July 1974, ten years into the UNFICYP mission, the Turkish military intervened in Cyprus in direct response to threats to unite the island with Greece. Forty years down the line the Cyprus is still divided, with large numbers of troops garrisoned on either side and some frontline positions still manned, but a little over two decades on from my first trip out to cover the Blue Berets in Cyprus I was pleasantly surprised by the less gloomy outlook of those I talked to on either side. On this latest trip, my first in five years, not only was I able to move comparatively freely backwards and forwards over the border between the Republic of Cyprus, in the south, and the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, including taking my hire car through five different border checkpoints and crossing on foot through two more,

but I also saw a great many Cypriots going back on forth over the divide for work or leisure.

The events of July 1974 and the subsequent partition of this lovely Mediterranean island, said to be the birthplace of Aphrodite, have to some extent diverted attention away from the reason that UNFICYP was formed in the first place ten years before - i.e. to try to prevent ethnic cleansing by neighbours who had previously coexisted for centuries. I have tried to briefly explain this part of the story, which some British friends and colleagues of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot descent still tend to look at from a distinctly blinkered perspective, on page 18. Looking in as an outsider I do not believe that their perceived differences, like those I encounter in Northern Ireland, are as major as they see them to be and it would be nice to think that in the not too distant future the last divided capital city in the world might see all barriers coming down and the islanders being truly united. We can but hope.

Changing tack, while out in Cyprus I not only had the opportunity to try out the last of the ten new brown combat boot makes introduced by UK MoD over the last couple of years - see page 70 - but I also had the chance to ask squaddies how they were getting on with them. Naturally some expressed preferences for one make over another, and quite a few had opted to privately purchase makes other than those they were offered by the quartermaster as they favour a particular brand, but on the whole the response to this major DE&S procurement contract

Not only is Jason Polley’s book on the shelves but he will soon be restarting

his regular Survival column

Royal Engineers, in MTP combat uniform

and brown combat boots, on foot patrol

along Sector 2 of the Buffer Zone in

Cyprus [©Bob Morrison]


Multinational Ops

10 Combat & Survival

Multinational Ops

The bulk of the ‘blue beret’ British Contingent serving with UNFICYP (United Nations Force In Cyprus) on what UK MoD calls Operation

TOSCA from autumn 2013 to spring 2014 were drawn from the Royal Engineers, and we will cover their contribution in a future issue, but as the Mobile Force Reserve requires an infantry company the Reservists from 3 PWRR were given this task. Their mission statement instructs them to: Maintain the MFR in a perpetual state of high readiness and training

to allow rapid deployment throughout the UNFICYP Area of Operations in support of operations as directed by the Force Commander in order to set the conditions to allow operations to continue to maintain a peaceful environment, within which a just and lasting solution can be found.

Just over half of the 106-strong MFR, three officers and 51 soldiers to be precise, is drawn from the British Army and no less that 46 of them are Reservists from 3 PWRR, serving in

On the sunshine isle of Cyprus, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, a multinational infantry company is on standby around the clock as a Mobile Force Reserve (MFR) for the 929-strong ‘blue beret’ United Nations mission (UNFICYP) in the buffer zone between the opposing forces (OPFOR) front lines across the divided island. British-led, the MFR currently comprises six officers and 100 soldiers, the majority drawn from the 3rd Battalion of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR) which is the Army Reserve infantry battalion for the south-east of England. C&S joined the ‘Tigers’ on patrol in March.

Main image: British and Argentinian soldiers working together in the same infantry section on foot patrol in the buffer zone between Greek and Turkish Cypriot positions

1: Although only around a dozen nations provide sizeable military contingents small numbers of uniformed soldiers and police officers from many more countries make up the 929-strong UNFICYP

Images ©BOB MORRISON

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Argentinian master corporal armed with a licence-built 7.62mm FN FAL rifle without magazine - the Argentinians were in the middle of their annual changeover during our visit to the MFR

British lance corporal from 3 PWRR armed with SA80A2 - he wears Multi Terrain Pattern camouflage and brown YDS Falcon boots in the Desert Lightweight Patrol category

2: A Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with two Glover Webb Tacticas from the MFR’s Armoured Personnel Carrier platoon

3: The MFR’s softskin vehicle pool consists primarily of white Toyota Hi utility vehicles in either two-door pickup or four-door crew cab versions

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roles from Rifleman up to Platoon Commander. Back on Civvy Street the Reservists’ jobs range from Aerospace Engineer to BT Operations Manager to Civil Servant to Software Developer, though interestingly about half of the lads were either unemployed or on zero hours contracts before they deployed on Op TOSCA.

Serving through the warm and sunny winter on Cyprus while the rest of us back in the UK were battered by incessant storms might look like a six month holiday, but while wearing the blue beret the British Reservists were actually undertaking a very serious job which required them to be at maximum two hours notice to deploy anywhere along the 180km long buffer zone in addition to providing security for the United Nations Protection area [UNPA] around Nicosia Airport (see page 18). The bulk of the Tigers - the nickname was inherited from the Royal Tiger badge of the Royal Hampshire Regiment which is still worn to this day - are formed into two nominally 38-strong rifle platoons which alternate every seven days between Operations and Security roles.

You don’t need to have a doctorate in Applied Mathematics to work out that 2x38 works out at more than 54,

and the answer to the question you are no doubt asking is that the Argentinian-led and Slovakian-led UN contingents policing Sectors 1 and 4 of the buffer zone also contribute to the MFR, which consists of a headquarters element and two rifle platoons plus an armoured personnel carrier (APC) platoon - see page 31 for the latter. The MFR HQ is commanded by a British major with an Argentinian lieutenant as his 2IC (second in command) the rifle platoons are each commanded by a Slovakian or a British lieutenant, with the combined APC/MT platoon being commanded by an Argentinian lieutenant; Argentinian, Slovakian and Hungarian troops (the latter forming part of the Slovak Contingent in Sector 4, as we will see next month) are fully integrated into each of the four rifle sections which make up each platoon.

While a rifle platoon is on its 7-day Operations cycle it is constantly on a maximum of two hours notice to move by either APC or helicopter (see page 28) to any point across the breadth of the island but in practice the sections on duty could be out of the door in a matter of minutes to respond to a crisis situation and in times of heightened tensions the whole platoon would be on standby. Typical roles performed include: public order duties, usually in

Main image: British and Slovakian Blue Berets from a multinational fire team out in the buffer zone

4: There are nine Slovakian soldiers and one officer sprinkled through the two MFR rifle platoons weapon is a Czech-made Vz.58V

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response to forecast events; provision of security to high level meetings between Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders and Negotiation Teams; support to de-mining operations, including surveying and clearing old minefields and providing escorts, incident command posts and casevac in the event of an accident; support to the contingents permanently stationed in the three buffer zone Sectors and Surge Operations, such as shows of presence, dismounted patrols, airmobile observation and ensuring enduring footprint on the ground, and ongoing buffer zone familiarisation patrols to ensure that if an incident should arise there is sufficient local

Multinational Ops

Above: The Tacticas are crewed by Argentinian drivers from the APC platoon and each rifle section usually contains two or three Argentinian riflemen or NCOs

5: The soldier providing top cover here is a Regular from the Argentinian Army but his colleage is a Reservist from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment

6: A routine two vehicle MFR patrol in the United Nations Protected Area around Nicosia International Airport - the troops are Argentinian, British and Slovakian

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knowledge of the area.The 7-day Security cycle is a little bit more routine in nature, but nonetheless can still be challenging for the multinational platoons who are essentially guarding the UN’s Main Operating Base and the United Nations Protected Area around the former Nicosia International Airport which sits right in the buffer zone and has been under the protection of the Blue Berets for close on forty years since the outbreak of open hostilities in July 1974. Duties include: access control to the area and perimeter security; provision of a round-the-clock QRF (quick reaction force) to respond to incidents; undertaking mobile

and foot patrols and creating vehicle checkpoints.

In addition to these standard cycles the troops also need to keep their skills brushed up so training packages are constantly organised encompassing incident management, public order, shooting, medical and languages. All of this takes place in an integrated multinational environment where, other than their off-duty accommodation at Airport Camp which is organised along national lines, every aspect of daily life involves soldiering alongside comrades of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds with, on the face of it, only the UN blue beret as a common bond.

Main image: Central Nicosia, looking north - the Green Line runs left to right through the centre of the shot with the Büyük Han (Great Inn) left of centre and Selimeye Mosque (former Agia Sofia Cathedral) to the right

1: The Varosha quarter of the city of Famagusta has lain deserted in the ‘Forbidden Zone’ for forty years and Mother Nature is slowly taking it back

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Situation Report

In 1878, after three decades of ownership, the Ottoman Empire handed Cyprus to the British Empire as a Protectorate in exchange for

military support against any Russian expansionism into Ottoman territories in Asia. The British and Ottoman Empires had fought alongside each other in the

Crimea a quarter century before so had been firm allies against the Russians, but on the outbreak of The Great War in 1914 the Ottomans ended up on the same side as the Germans, with Britain and Russia lined up against them leading to London annexing the island which remained under British rule until

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus, in mythology the birthplace of Aphrodite the Goddess of Love, is a beautiful but complex place which sits at the trading crossroads of the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe. Known to have been occupied by mankind for at least 12,000 years the island has had many masters over the last four millennia, having been settled or invaded by Phoenician traders from what is today coastal Lebanon and Syria to the east, then Greeks from the north-west, followed by Egyptians and Persians and Romans and Byzantines and Arabs and Venetians ... before falling to the Ottomans in 1571.

Above: Inside the passenger terminal at Nicosia Airport - an architectural classic dating from 1968 - rusting furniture and a thick layer of pigeon droppings are the evidence of forty years of abandonment

2: In early April 1964 fighting between Greek and Turkish extremists in the Tylliria region (pictured) in the mountainous north-west of Cyprus played a major part in the decision to create UNFICYP

3: The Green Line through Nicosia was originally a chinagraph marking mapping the front line between opposing forces at the time of the 1974 ceasefire - note bullet scarring around balcony doorway

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granted independence from the Crown in 1960.

Following World War II the Greek King declared that Cyprus, where roughly three out of four considered themselves to be Greeks with the remainder being of Turkish (i.e. Ottoman) stock, should be united with Greece and in 1950 influential leaders of the Cypriot strand of the Greek Orthodox Church threw themselves behind a campaign for union or ‘Enosis’. From 1955, under the leadership of Colonel George Grivas, the paramilitary National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston or EOKA), which Turkish Cypriots feared, took up arms against the British presence, specifically targeting the police and military, and these fears led to Turkish Cypriots requesting partition of the island; something which the United Nations favoured in principle.

To cut a long and complex story short, riots and inter-communal violence broke out and increasingly fellow Cypriots, rather than the British establishment,

became the targets; Britain by now having decided to give much of the island back to its inhabitants and to retain only Sovereign Base Areas as opposed to occupying all of Cyprus. Unfortunately, Greek leaders rejected British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan’s 1958 proposal to partition the island into self-governing Greek and Turkish areas so Britain then decided to grant

4: The Buffer Zone is littered with abandoned villages afflicted by the inter-communal violence which followed the granting of Independence in 1960 - this is Petrofani between Larnaca and Nicosia

5: Ledra Street in Nicosia photographed in December 1993 - this manned Greek Cypriot position right on the Green Line was one of the very few places where tourist photography was officially allowed

6: The very same spot in March 2004 - twenty years on the wall with firing embrasures has gone, the buildings have been refurbished and reoccupied and there is now a pedestrian border crossing


After several years this typical frontline bunker on the Green Line was abandoned as opposing forces mutually agreed to back off a short distance and cut down the number of their manned posts

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Situation Report


Cyprus independence as a separate state and drew up a new constitution which was eventually accepted by all parties.

Linking up with Greece (Enosis) or partitioning of the island (Taksim) were both prohibited and both Greek and Turkish Governments, along with the British Government, were drawn in as guarantors of the new independent nation of Cyprus. Both Greek and Turkish forces, in limited numbers, were to be allowed to be stationed on the island, a Greek President and Turkish Vice-President were to be elected by their respective communities, and a cabinet of seven Greek Cypriots and three Turkish Cypriots representing the roughly 3:1 ethnic split was to be chosen. On the face of it, the independent Republic of Cyprus, declared in August 1960 and which became the 99th member of the United Nations in 1961, should have had a fresh start at this point ... but ethnic intolerance and religious bigotry runs very deep indeed.

By December 1963 serious inter-communal violence and what we would now call ethnic cleansing broke out, prompting the Turkish military contingent stationed on the island to leave its barracks in the north and move to the outskirts of the capital, Nicosia/Lefkosa, to protect Turkish Cypriot interests. Britain, Greece and Turkey responded to the violence

by creating a joint peacekeeping force and a ‘Green Line’ was drawn delineating the two communities. However despite the three guarantor nations trying to keep the lid on the situation it deteriorated markedly over the next few weeks with much inter-communal fighting, hostage-taking, kidnappings and outright murder by paramilitaries.

On 4th March 1964 United Nations Security Resolution 186 was adopted unanimously and creation of a multinational peace-keeping force, UNFICYP, was then authorised. Ten years later, the situation deteriorated even further forcing Turkey to intervene.


Frontline Firearms

The British Army started to field the H&K UGL in 2003 - this British paratrooper armed with a an SA80 A2 fitted with the 40mmL123 A3 UGL was photographed in southern Afghanistan in 2011

1: The Laser Light Module 01 (LLM01) can be mounted on the right side of L123 A3 UGL - some of the six stabilising grooves are just visible in the barrel of this launcher

2: The ladder sight of the L123 A3 UGL – seen here extended - features aiming marks ranging from 50m to 350m in 50 metre increments

Images ©CARL SCHULZEunless noted

Seen during a patrol in Afghanistan this

Gurkha is armed with an SA80 A2

assault rifle fitted with the L123 A3 UGL - note the Laser Light

Module fitted to the right side of the UG

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Frontline Firearms

The 40mm Anbaugranatwerfer AG36 Underslung Grenade Launcher is a single shot weapon that can be mounted under the barrel of 5.56mm G36 assault rifle in place of the hand guard. It can be used to engage both point and area targets out to an effective combat range of 350 metres. Manufactured in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH the weapon, and variants of it, is fielded by several nations around the world; including UK Forces who field it under the designations L17A1/L17A2 and L123 A3 Underslung Grenade Launcher (UGL).

In this article C&S will provide readers with a quick briefing on a weapon that adds an additional punch to infantry sections. But

before we take a look at the 40mm AG36 launcher we would like to cover a little bit of the history of the High-Low Propulsion System technology used in the ammunition for this weapon.

TRACED BACK TO WORLD WAR IIOriginally the High-Low Propulsion System technology was invented by the Germans during World War II. It was designed for use with anti-tank weapon systems in order to allow the development of large calibre weapons with 80mm and 105mm diameters which had only limited recoil and therefore were less sophisticated to produce.

The actual history of the 40x46mm (i.e. 40mm calibre and 46mm long) ammunition, however, did not start until the 1950s. It was back then that the US Army discovered a capability gap in its infantry weapon inventory. Basically there was no adequate weapon available that could be used to engage targets in and behind cover, as well as light armoured vehicles, at a range beyond that of hand grenades but below that of the 60mm mortar. Of course there were rifle grenades, but these were deemed not accurate enough and their use was not favoured by the troops due to their strong recoil.

In order to address the issue the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey developed 40mm calibre ammunition that used the High-Low Propulsion System. This technology works as follows: The cartridge case contains a high pressure chamber in which the powder charge is situated; when the round is fired, the powder charge is ignited and creates a high pressure in burning off; once this has reached 2,400 bar it breaches predetermined breaking points in the chamber walls, allowing the powder gases to expand through vents into the low pressure chamber surrounding it; as a result of this the powder gas pressure is reduced to 200 bar; this lower pressure now propels the round out of the cartridge case, through the barrel of the weapon and towards the target.

Major advantages of the system are the low recoil and the low pressure the

The L123 A3 UGL is issued on a scale of one per four man fire team, so a standard infantry section can field two of the weapons - this RAF Regiment member was seen in southern Afghanistan in August 2010


barrel is exposed to. This allows use of barrels with thinner walls, reducing the weight of the weapon and requiring less material to construct it The disadvantage of the system is that the round flies at quite low speed and is prone to environmental effects, such as side wind.

Today a wide range of 40mm High-Low Propulsion System technology ammunition is available on the international market, including high explosive fragmentation rounds, shaped charge rounds, CS gas rounds, flares and baton rounds.

40MM GRENADE LAUNCHER M79To fire the 40mm High-Low Propulsion System technology ammunition the Picatinny Arsenal developed the 40mm Grenade Launcher designated M79. This stand-alone weapon, which looked a little bit like a black powder era blunderbuss, entered service with the US Army in 1960 and proved itself during the Vietnam War.

The problem with this weapon, however, was that the grenadier of the section had

to carry it as well as his assault rifle, troubling him to carry extra weight

in addition to his standard combat equipment.

Eventually this issue led to the development of

the 40mm Grenade Launcher M203 that entered service in the early 1970s. Still in service with US armed forces today, the M203 grenade launcher is a lightweight, single-shot,

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Frontline Firearms

breech-loaded, shoulder-fired weapon that can be attached to the M16 rifle and M4 carbine series of weapons.

FIRST HECKLER & KOCH GMBH 40MM WEAPONSIn the late 1960s and early ‘70s the first 40mm grenade launchers developed by Heckler & Koch GmbH were the Granatpistole HK69 grenade launcher and the Anbaugranatwerfer HK79 underslung grenade launcher, the latter being designed to be installed under the range of G3 assault rifles. From 1974 the HK69 entered service with the German Bundeswehr under the designation Granatpistole 40 mm AG40-1.

Both weapons were also procured by many other NATO members as well as by armed forces all over the world. With the L104A1 Riot Gun the British Army and the UK&NI constabularies procured a 37mm variant of the Granatpistole HK69 grenade launcher. This gun, still in service today, was and still is primarily used to fire baton rounds as well as tear gas grenades.

40MM ANBAUGRANATWERFER AG36As part of the development of the 5.56 mm G36 assault rifle Heckler & Koch also developed a new 40mm underslung grenade launcher in the late 1990s. H&K designated this weapon the 40mm x46 Anbaugranatwerfer AG36, with the 36 denoting the weapon it can be fitted

to is the G36. Under the designation Abschussgerät Granate 40mm AG40-2, it entered service with the German Bundeswehr from 2002 onwards and today is used with the G36A2, G36A2, G36A3, G36K, G36KA1 and G36KA2 assault rifles.

The Abschussgerät Granate 40mm AG40-2 comes complete with a new hand guard and fitting it to the G36 assault rifle is simply done by exchanging the old hand guard for the new one with the underslung launcher. The Bundeswehr also fields the Abschussgerät Granate 40mm AG40-2A1 which features a mount for the Laser Light Module (LLM) 01 and an additional sighting mark on the ladder sight for 30 metres.

Export SuccessHeckler & Koch designed the AG36 from the outset to be modified to fit other types of assault rifles and it soon became an export success. One variant of the AG36 is the Grenade Launcher Module or GLM which has the same function, characteristics and handling as the AG36. Through the use of special

adapters the GLM can be fitted to the HK416 and HK417 range of assault rifles and the M16, M4, C7 and C8 family of weapons as well as other assault rifles.

Also marketed is the AG-C Enhanced Grenade Launching Module or EGLM, which can be installed within seconds and without special tools on the MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail system, available under the hand guards of most current issue carbines and assault rifles. Variants of the AG and GLM family of underslung grenade launchers are in service with the armed forces of many nations including, in addition

3: German Gebirgsjäger armed with a G36A1 fitted with the AG40-2A1 - note the empty cartridge cases and the clearly visible pressure chamber of the High-Low Propulsion System

A Kampfschwimmer German Navy Special Forces member fires an Abschussgerät Granate 40 mm AG40-2 underslung grenade launcher fitted to a 5.56mm x 45 G36K A1 carbine

Here the 40 mm AG40-2A1 can be seen attached

to a 5.56mm G36A3 assault rifle from the latest Infanterist der

Zukunf Eweitertes System (IdZ ES) range of new

infantry equipment issued to the German Army

4: Estonia procured the 40mm Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) and is fielding it with the 5.56mm Galil assault rifle - the GLM is 285mm long by 99mm wide by 210mm high and weighs 1.27kg

5: Here the AG-HK416, used by a member of France’s Groupement de Commandos de Montagne, can be seen converted to a stand alone weapon by use of the retractable buttstock - note the folding handgrip under the weapon

6: The Royal Netherlands Armed Forces field the underslung grenade launcher, designated AG-NL, mounted under the Colt 5.56mm C7 assault rifle – this is a Dutch Marine

When Norway procured the

5.56mm HK416 assault rifle for

its armed forces the country also

procured the 40mm Grenade Launcher

Module (GLM) in the AG-HK416

configuration

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to Germany: Poland (AG-HK416), the Netherlands (AG-NL), Norway (AG-HK416), Estonia (GLM), France (AG-HK416) and Spain. In 2009 the US Army began to field the GLM under the designation 40mm Grenade Launcher M320/M320A1 and this is currently replacing the older and less capable M203 40mm Grenade Launcher.

IN BRITISH SERVICEIn early 2003 the British Ministry of Defence announced that it had decided to procure the weapon for UK Forces. Shortly after this two variants of the AG36 were fielded, one of which is in the configuration to be fitted to the Diemaco C8SFW assault rifle in service with British Special Forces and the Pathfinder Platoon under the designation L119A1 Carbine. The basic model of this was the L17A1 that features a ladder sight, while under the designation L17A2 a model was fielded that can also be fitted with the Laser Light Module (LLM).

The second variant fielded is the L123 A3 Underslung Grenade Launcher that can be fitted to the SA80 A2 assault rifle and also can be equipped with the LLM. The L123 A3 UGL is also sometimes called AG-SA 80. All UGL variants in British service can be fitted with the UGL Sighting System (UGLS) that incorporates an EOTech Holographic Weapon Sight.

TECHNOLOGYThe L123 A3 Underslung Grenade Launcher is a single shot weapon mounted under the 5.56mm SA80 A2 assault rifle. It has a weight of 1.12kg and after fitting it to the SA80A2 the weapon combination has a weight of 6.1kg.

Main Image: This US soldier is aiming the M320A1 40mm Grenade Launcher - by use of a retractable type buttstock which features several locking positions it has been converted into a standalone weapon [US Army]

7: According to the US Army TM 3-22.31 (FM 3-22.31) the M320A1 40mm Grenade Launcher weighs 3.178kg in the standalone version with buttstock - here a blue practice round has just been fired [US Army]

8: A member of the Polish Jednostke Wojskowa Agat, a Special Operations light infantry unit similar to the US Army Rangers, armed with a 5.56mm HK416 assault rifle with 40mm AG-HK416 underslung [Clemens Niesner]

9: Here a High Explosive Fragmentation 40mm DM101 round and two High-Explosive, Dual-Purpose (HEDP) 40 DM12 rounds can be seen side by side - the latter can be employed against light armoured vehicles

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Frontline Firearms

The L123 A3 basic components are the barrel, the receiver with barrel cover and grip assembly, the ladder sight, the barrel release assembly, the safety/fire selection lever assembly, the trigger assembly and the hand guard. Mounting points allow fitting a MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny Rail or an adapter for the Laser Light Module (LLM).

The barrel of the L123 A3 UGL is hinged at the front and for loading the rear of it is simply swung out to the left. This configuration means the weapon can be used to fire not only standard 46mm long 40mm calibre cartridges but also the longer 40x51mm cartridge. When operated by a well trained soldier the weapon can fire about five to seven rounds in a minute.

The ladder sight features aiming marks ranging from 50m to 350m in 50m steps. Usually installed on the left of the weapon, the ladder sight can also be installed on the right if required. The trigger is of the double action type and requires a pull of 60N (+/-10). The safety/fire selection lever can be operated from the left and right side and offers the settings Safe and Fire. In the Safe position the trigger of the weapon is blocked and cannot be pulled.

The barrel release lever is situated in front of the trigger and when pushed in the spring-operated barrel hinges out automatically. The length of the barrel is 280mm and it features six grooves. The weapon has a muzzle velocity of approximately 76m/s.

OF GREAT VALUEWithin the infantry battalions of the British Army, the Royal Marines and the elements of the RAF Regiment, the L123 A3 is issued on a scale of one per four man fire team, so a standard infantry section can field two of the weapons. With this launcher the infantry received an effective and accurate weapon that allows the engagement of point targets out to 150m and area targets out to 350m. It increased the firepower of the section drastically, while at the same time adding the capability to engage targets behind cover.

Initially the British Army fielded only High Explosive fragmentation and practice ammunition for the weapon but other ammunition types, such as Illumination and Smoke rounds are also in the pipeline. There are rumours that even a buckshot round for close-quarter battle is planned. During operations in Iraq and Afghanistan the 40mmL123 A3 UGL has already proved its value many times, especially when troops came into heavy contact.

Main image: A hive of activity inside the UN Flight hangar at the former RAF Nicosia base inside the United Nations Protected Area

1: Troop carrier Bell 212 over-flying the Buffer Zone on the morning of UNFICYP’s 50th birthday

2: The Hughes 500 makes an ideal observation platform for monitoring Opposing Forces front lines


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Foreign Forces


With a 180 kilometre long border to patrol and monitor round the clock with a combined force of less than 1,000 personnel, the United Nations Force In Cyprus is reliant on a small Flight of helicopters to rapidly move observers and, in times of heightened tension, the Mobile Force Reserve to areas of specific interest or locations where a reinforced Blue Beret presence is needed. Other duties undertaken by the UNFICYP UN Flight, as it is officially designated, include MEDEVAC and CASEVAC of troops and civilians in the buffer zone; resupply of UN posts; familiarisation flights for troops and police; command & control and liaison.

From 1964 through until 1994 the Army Air Corps provided helicop-ters and personnel for UN Flight, but as part of Britain’s restructuring

(Options For Change) which followed the end of the Cold War this commit-ment was ended. Argentina, which had joined UNFICYP in 1993 and as-sumed responsibility for Sector 1 of the Buffer Zone, volunteered to take over UN Flight and, following a two week handover period where British Army

and Argentinian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Argentina) helicopter personnel flew side by side, on 30th September 1994 the ARGAIR contingent was stood up to take sole charge of UN rotary aviation operations on the island.

The original ARGAIR helicopter fleet consisted of a pair of Hughes 500D aircraft, supported by sixteen FAA personnel, but in 1998 one of this pair was exchanged for a larger Bell 212 (UH-1N) helicopter which was more suited to the MEDEVAC/CASEVAC role. Today the UN Flight consists of three helicopters (2x Hughes 500D and 1x Bell 212) and at any time two are either in the air or on standby at Nicosia Airport in the United Nation Protection Area (UNPA). The all-Argentinian aviation detachment,

consisting of aircrew, ground crew and controllers, number 28 FAA personnel who are based at Airport Camp alongside the Mobile Force Reserve and work out of a large military hangar built when the airfield, still technically owned by the MoD, was RAF Nicosia .

At the time of our visit to UN Flight all three aircraft were in the hangar, with

Main Image: Huey undergoing routine post-flight checks two hours after the shot on the previous page

3: Officially designated the UN Flight, everyone refers to the unit as ARGAIR

4: In utility role the Bell 212 Huey can be configured to carry a mix of troops and cargo yet can be speedily reconfigured for rescue / medical evacuation roles

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one on standby, one undergoing post-flight servicing and the third under routine maintenance. However while we were out on the ground working with the MFR in the UNPA and the Buffer Zone one of the Hughes and the Bell overflew on routine patrols. All three aircraft, which only fly above UN controlled territory and do not stray into OPFOR (Opposing Forces) airspace, are normally unarmed but if necessary the Bell ‘Huey’ can be speedily armed with a 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun to provide close air support if that were ever necessary; however, for UN duties in Cyprus a Search & Rescue hoist is a more valuable bolt-on accessory as the primary role of the helicopter is life-support rather than combat.

For those unfamiliar with the types of helicopter used, the Hughes 500D or MD500 (the MD standing

Main Image & 7: UN Flight Renault 220 DC with Titan fuel bowser conversion on standby at the ARGAIR helicopter landing site at Nicosia Airport

5: This is the same Hughes 500D which overflew us an hour before while out on patrol with the MFR - it could be airborne again in a matter of minutes if needed

6: The second 500D was undergoing routine maintenance - two of the three helicopters are constantly available to support troops out in the Sectors

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Foreign Forces


for McDonnell Douglas who are the current manufacturers) is a 5-seat light utility helicopter derived from the OH-6 Cayuse from the Vietnam War era; the standard military variant is usually called the MD 500 Defender and the US Spec Ops attack helicopter variant is the MH-6 Little Bird, nicknamed the ‘Killer Egg’ because of its shape. The Bell 212 ‘Twin Huey’ is a larger twin-engined transport helicopter with two rotor blades (the Bell 412 has four blades) which can easily transport a full infantry section in addition to pilot and co-pilot plus door gunner and loadmaster or can be configured in the medical or casualty evacuation role by removing seating; the military variant is usually designated UH-1N Iroquois.

In addition to aircraft, the UN Flight also has a fleet of support vehicles at its disposal, including 4x4 pick-up trucks and fuel bowsers which allow the helicopters to operate from UN bases across the island. All pick-ups which I saw, including one rigged as a rudimentary firefighting and airfield crash tender, were Isuzu D-Max crew cabs rather than the Toyotas used by the rest of UNFICYP.

The official UNFICYP website states: “The Argentinian UN Flight

peacekeepers regularly demonstrate the skill and flexibility that are derived from working back home in wide-ranging and difficult terrain, such as Antarctica and the Patagonia region.” Talking to both British and Slovakian peacekeepers

working in the Sectors, and to the MFR troops who rely on them for rapid insertion at distant locations, I heard nothing but praise about the ARGAIR pilots and crewmen, who are clearly both valued and respected by all.


Main Image: A brace of Tacticas, T4 and T5, on patrol in the Buffer Zone on UNFICYP’s 50th birthday - Argentinian owned but British made, they are driven by Argentinian soldiers but commanded by British NCOs

1: The V-shaped hull is evident in this shot - note the OPFOR observation tower on the skyline to the left


1The armoured vehicles used by the United Nations multinational Mobile Force Reserve are bonneted versions of the Glover Webb Tactica; an armoured personnel carrier family built in Hampshire by the same firm that supplied the Land Rover One-Ten APV (Armoured Patrol Vehicle) used by the British Army in Northern Ireland. The forward control (i.e. cab over engine) version of Tactica used in Ulster was a specialist EOD team vehicle, but the variant used by UNFICYP is a less box-like steel bodied conventional infantry carrier with a V-shaped hull for mine protection and sloping sides and rear to help deflect bullets.

Although British-built, the nine Tacticas used by the APC Platoon of the MFR are actually Argentinian owned and main-

tained plus their drivers are always Argentinian even though the vehicle commander is nearly always British, and the troops in the rear are a mix of Argentinian, British, Hungarian and Slovakian. Standard vehicle comple-ment is commander, who is usually the section commander, and driver plus up to nine riflemen seated in the rear

Armour Focus

Main Image: Smoke dischargers on the wings and rotating circular roof hatch with GPMG mount are upgrades

2: The two-piece rear door provides access and egress for the rifle section - bench seat is just visible

3: Grilles in body behind front doors are for the air-conditioning pack - Cyprus gets very warm in summer

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on two inward-facing bench seats. The drivers belong to the 15-strong and all-Argentinian APC Platoon, commanded by a lieutenant with a REME-equivalent warrant officer as 2IC, which is also responsible for routine maintenance of the vehicles.

When the Tacticas were introduced in 1988 each had simple square roof hatch for the top cover soldier, but they have since been modified with circular rotating hatches alongside which a British 7.62mm GPMG (general purpose machinegun) can be fitted to provide covering fire. Four-barrelled smoke dischargers have also been added to the front wings, but other than this these nine vehicles are essentially to the same configuration as when they entered service. At this point I must say that, despite being in daily use for over fifteen years, the Tacticas have been superbly maintained by the Argentinian MT warrant officer and his team and they were immaculately presented. Indeed comparing against the photos I took of them in 1999, when they were just a few months old, it is hard to believe that these are the same vehicles.

The company Glover Webb, originally coach builders Glover Webb & Liversedge, was bought out by GKN in 1994, which then merged with Alvis, which then became part of BAE Systems. On the military side - they also built refuse collection and

cash transit vehicles etc. - Glover Webb was quite successful in the eighties and their Tactica family sold in reasonably high numbers, though totals given by different reference sources conflict and there is some confusion about which models are used by which countries.

The Tactica version pictured here is what


the manufacturer called their Armoured Patrol Vehicle, to differentiate it from their slab-sided and more bus-like Armoured Personnel Carrier model. Most sources state that Argentina bought ten Tactica APVs but only nine are deployed on UN duties; they are, and always have been, numbered T1 to T9. It is possible that a tenth was

Main Image: Note three firing ports with vision blocks above in each side - GPMG is only fitted if tensions are high

4: This shot of T4 was taken in January 1999, shortly after the Tactica fleet was introduced

5: Overhead shot of T4 taken in 1999 - note the square roof hatch and lack of smoke dischargers

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Armour Focus

bought as a spare and as a driver training vehicle, but I have been unable to confirm this so I think it unlikely.

In APV configuration, the Tactica has conventional front doors for driver and commander and two-piece rear doors through which the rifle section mount and dismount. There are three sliding firing ports in each side and one in each back door, with armoured vision blocks above. Windscreen and front door windows have armoured laminated glazing and are protected by mesh screens, as are the wing mirrors and the red & blue police-style light bar on the roof and the rotating roof-mounted spotlight. There is a brushguard in front of the radiator, with mesh panels in front of the headlights, and the rectangular rear light clusters are protected by mesh cages. The Tacticas are the only Internal Security vehicles available to the UN for riot control, hence them appearing more like police vehicles.

Although based at Airfield Camp, just to the west of Nicosia, the MFR Tacticas do patrol the entire length of the Buffer Zone and from time to time a couple of sections, or even a platoon, will redeploy for several days to patrol bases in the Sector 1 (west) or Sector 4 (east) with their Tacticas.

1: Flat packed configuration strapped to my camera bag

2: Platform was discreetly strapped to a fencepost on the cliff edge

3: Remote camera position several hundred metres away from the target - for the purposes of this demo we have not camouflaged the assembly

4: Tent pegs or even six inch nails (here) give stability and head allows full angle mobility

5: The targets - and everyone else too - are totally unaware they are being photographed


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Product Review

Problem: Your task is to photograph a meeting in a known public place by Mr Smith and Mrs Jones but as both targets are employing counter-surveillance techniques, they will arrive at the location from different directions, and will walk past each other at any hint of a camera, plus they have chosen the meet location so that no photographer could approach them unseen. It is evident that a camera positioned at least 300 metres away on a cliff-top will have to be used. However this position would both skyline the photographer and would risk detection by dog walkers and strollers.

Solution: Use a remotely (i.e. radio) operated concealed camera which can be positioned before the public are up and about on the

nearby cliff path. Ben Wall of CROps, whose company specialises in covert rural surveillance operations, mostly for industrial and commercial clients, regularly faces the problem of how to discreetly mount still and video cam-eras and realised some time ago that conventional mounts or tripods were far from ideal. His answer was to design the lightweight and highly versatile CROPS OPTICAL PLATFORM using a commercial quality multi-directional

tripod head mated to an alloy frame offering multiple attachment or fixing methods. Handy for wildlife photography too.

For details of this neat little solution, which will answer the prayers of many in the security industry, contact Ben direct through crops.uk.com or call 0752 631 8492

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Frontline Report

As the NRU is the only dedicated combat force under Regional Command - North (RC-N) the unit has a wide range of missions, the

main one being to provide a capable, highly mobile and uncommitted reserve for the German-led RC-N of ISAF. By do-ing this the NRU ensures that the RC-N maintains an ability to respond. It can conduct operations within the full mis-sion spectrum of the infantry, including fighting against irregular forces.

Another mission of the NRU is to ensure

the freedom of movement of ISAF forces within northern Afghanistan, for example along the major supply lines. The NRU also conducts Force Protection Operations, for example providing security for Route Clearance Packages (RCP) of the US Army while these keep the roads free from IEDs. Reconnaissance is another mission of the force; by gathering information the unit helps to improve the situational awareness of the HQ of RC(N). The NRU also supports the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) on request; for

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.

Main Image: Since the last Marder 1 A5A1 AIFVs have now been redeployed, the GTK Boxer A1 wheeled APCs of the NRU are the heaviest fighting vehicles of the German ISAF contingent

1: Members of the ISR Kompanie prepare a Luftgestützte Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs-Ausstattung (LUNA) UAV for launch - it has an operational range of 50km and can be fitted with sensor packages

Images ©CARL SCHULZE

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Frontline Report

example with capabilities they do not possess or only possess to a limited extent such as Joint Fire Support Teams or EOD Teams.

Establishing and maintaining contacts with the local Afghan dignitaries is also a task of the NRU.

MOUNTAIN INFANTRY, PANZERGRENADIERS, SCOUTS AND ENGINEERSOn 15th August 2013 the Mazar-i-Sharif based NRU reported its availability and initial operational capability. The unit more or less replaced the previous Partnering and Advisory Task Force Mazar-i-Sharif (PATF MES). In October that year the NRU gained command over additional forces after the German Bundeswehr pulled out of Kunduz, including a second infantry company, and through this finally became fully operational.

By late November 2013 the NRU numbered some 540 soldiers and was structured into: the Stabs- und Versorgungs kompanie (HQ and service support company); the 1. Infanterie kompanie and the 2. Infanterie kompanie; the Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Kompanie; and the Pionier kompanie (engineer company). Under the 32nd rotation of the German ISAF forces, the core of the NRU is provided by Gebirgsjäger bataillon 232 (mountain infantry battalion) and other units of the Gebirgsjäger brigade 23 (mountain

Main Image: The platoons of the infantry companies of the NRU are equipped with GTK Boxer, ATF Dingo 2 Transportpanzer 1 A7/A8 Fuchs - this is a Dingo 2 fitted with the FLW 100 remote weapon station

2: An engineer configuration Transportpanzer 1 A8A4 Fuchs wheeled APC of the engineer company - the vehicle is fitted with the FLW 200 remote weapon station

3: The brand new remote controlled Wiesel 1 Detektorfahrzeug detection vehicle is fitted with a ground penetration radar and a metal detector

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infantry brigade). Gebirgsjäger bataillon 232, for example provides the personnel for the Stabs-und Versorgungs kompanie and the 1. Infanterie kompanie.

The 2. Infanterie kompanie is mainly formed by personnel from Panzer grenadier bataillon 112 (armoured infantry battalion). The personnel of the ISR Kompanie mainly originates from Gebirgs aufklärungs bataillon 230 (mountain reconnaissance battalion) and the Pionier kompanie is composed of troops from Gebirgs pionier bataillon 8 (mountain engineer battalion). The structure of the NRU is based on that of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which was employed by the Bundeswehr in northern Afghanistan back between 2008 and 2010, although it was adjusted to fit current needs. The NRU features its own Joint Fire Support Coordination Team (JFSCT).

The infantry companies are structured identically; each consisting of an HQ element and three infantry platoons. The platoons are equipped with GTK Boxer Gruppen transport fahrzeuge A1 wheeled APCs (see March & April 2014 issues), ATF Dingo 2 protected patrol vehicles and Transport panzer 1 A7/A8 Fuchs wheeled APCs. In some cases the platoons are double equipped, which allows them a greater operational flexibility.

The Pionier kompanie consists of a command element, an armoured engineer platoon and two counter-IED/EOD platoons. The ISR company consists of an HQ element, a UAV platoon equipped with Luftgestützte Unbemannte Nahaufklärungs-Ausstattung (LUNA) UAVs, a human intelligence platoon and a light armoured reconnaissance platoon equipped with Spähwagen 1 A2 Fennek wheeled armoured reconnaissance

vehicles.

WITHDRAWAL FROM KUNDUZDuring the first three months of its existence the NRU was busy providing security and assistance for the German ISAF forces withdrawing from Kunduz. In addition to guarding convoys the NRU supported the withdrawal by securing the convoy roads. As part of the operation troops of the NRU also re-occupied the Observation Post (OP) North that only months before had been officially handed over to the Afghan National Army, in June 2013, after the bulk of its infrastructure had been removed.

Between the 25th and 27th November 2013 elements of the NRU provided security for a Route Clearance Package of the US Army employed to check the Salang Pass road for hidden IEDs

4: During a live fire exercise a Dingo 2 protected patrol vehicle of the NRU engages targets at a distance of 200m with the 7.62mmMG3 machinegun mounted in its FLW 100 remote weapon station

5: On patrol in the vicinity of Mazar-i-Sharif, the leader of an infantry patrol is just penning down the results of a successful reconnaissance task


Frontline Report

Parallel to supporting the withdrawal from Kunduz parts of the NRU were also deployed to Feyzabad in support of a US Special Forces operation. Up to December 2013 the NRU also provided a small contingent of troops that were deployed to Kabul in order to guard Camp Qasaba there. A couple of times during the second half of 2013 the NRU conducted three different operations at different locations in parallel.

Up to the time of writing the NRU had only had very few contacts with the insurgents. On the 10th of January, 2014, for example, one of its patrols came under fire 7km north of Camp Marmal, in the vicinity of Mazar-i-Sharif During this incident the patrol was engaged with an RPG that luckily missed its target.

NEW WEAPONS, VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENTDespite the fact that the withdrawal from Afghanistan is in full swing new equipment is still fielded from time to time. In the case of the NRU the soldiers of the Gebirgsjäger bataillon 232 were the first German

troops to use the new Infanterist der Zukunft Erweitertes System (IdZ ES) soldier system on operations. This system includes a range of modified weapons, new sights and optical equipment, new communications, information and navigation equipment, new protection equipment, a new combat helmet and a new range of combat clothing.

Not only the mountain infantry received new kit. The counter-IED/EOD platoons of the engineer company of the NRU field the first available

Fire and movement - during a live fire exercise held on the ranges close to Camp

Marmal soldiers of the NRU hone their combat skills

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components of the newly designed German Route Clearance Package range of vehicles. This includes the remote controlled Mini-Mine-Wolf, the also remotely controlled brand new Wiesel 1 Detektor fahrzeug detection vehicle that is fitted with a ground penetration radar and a metal detector, and the Bedienertrupp fahrzeug Transportpanzer Fuchs 1A8A12 wheeled APC which houses the control station for the Wiesel 1 Detektorfahrzeug.

VIEW TO THE FUTUREBy the time this article is published the soldiers of the NRU of the 32nd rotation of the German ISAF Contingent will already be on their way home. According to official sources, the NRU will be restructured and again renamed into Quick Reaction Force (QRF) on the 31st of March 2013. But whether the formation bears the name of either NRU or QRF, it is a certainty that it will remain the capable, highly mobile and uncommitted reserve for the German led RC-N of ISAF.

Footnote: Some German complex nouns have been broken down to suit column width and for easier reading.

Main Image: During a live fire exercise soldiers of the NRU use smoke grenades to hide their positions and movements - they wear uniforms in the Wüstentarn arid theatre variation of Flecktarn

6: The two counter-IED/EOD platoons of the engineer company field the TEODOR (Telerob Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Observation Robot) - here the robot has been fitted with a shotgun

7: While his section commander gathers human intelligence at an Afghan National Police checkpoint a soldier from the NRU keeps a watchful eye on the passing traffic.

Main image: Were you and your vehicle properly prepared for the exceptional and protracted bad weather encountered across much of western and southern Britain this winter?

1: If the weather turns too severe to travel onwards are you properly equipped to survive in comfort?

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Survival

As I sit here with wind and rain battering my window, having recently had a bit of an epic road trip, it leads me to consider the issues of survival in the sort of unusual weather we now frequently seem to be getting in UK and, for that matter, other parts of the world. Weather ‘events’ can crop up on us amazingly quickly, even if we are forewarned, but with some forethought and preparation, we can give ourselves, and others, a much better chance of at worst surviving ... or if just caught out, making life more manageable.

I am assuming for the purposes of this article that we are vehicle-based, at least to begin with. Primarily I am working on the season being

a British winter but, with adaptation, the same basic rules can apply to anywhere and most climates. These days we sit there in our comfortable

vehicles and can become very removed from conditions outside ... until things go pear-shaped; and that can happen in an instant, converting comfortable to a drama in a few seconds.

Many things can cause this. In UK right now it is persistent floods, incessant

rain and exceptionally high winds with perhaps snow, ice, hail thrown in too. I had them all recently in a one day trip. If you are in other parts of the world it may be similar or perhaps, as my son Bruce found in the last few days in Morocco, you could be caught in an unexpected violent sandstorm. (That one was so

2: Vehicle survival kit from the back of my Freelander - much of this stays in the vehicle all year round

3: Winter survival clothing and accessories for Jean and myself when we are any distance from home

Images ©MIKE GORMLEYunless stated otherwise

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widespread it even affected Cyprus at the other end of the Med. at the start of my recent assignment. Ed.)

We may be expecting these events or they may come on us without warning, but either way being prepared is not hard and could be a lifesaver. Expect the unexpected and a drama can turn out to be no more than an inconvenience and may never develop into a survival situation. Also, consider that although you may be fine and be able to deal with things, an old lady on her own or a young mum with baby may well need your help. Some basic preparation for forethought could save a life, and not just yours or your companions.

Vehicle type can of course be important and if we are able to choose a more appropriate one for adverse weather, it will help. A substantial 4x4 is a good start as it will give you an edge, but if you are in a more ordinary car you have more to be concerned about. Perhaps you are in a truck which may be susceptible to wind and bad road conditions. Assuming

you have your own vehicle, you have a head start and you can ensure you can have a full time emergency kit tailored to meet all eventualities that you might encounter.

First, make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Start with good tyres at correct pressures, including the spare, and with a jack you know how to use - especially in the dark, cold and wet. Fuel? You are going nowhere without it so keep the tank topped up if conditions are suspect, and perhaps carry some spare in a safe and appropriate container. If stuck in snow you will want to have the engine running from time to time to keep you warm and that could be for a long time.

Your vehicle can be a safe haven if all goes wrong so make sure it is fit for that purpose. A sleeping bag is close to essential, as is a blanket. Those with

a plastic back are even better, for lying on outside if needs be. And make sure you can get to it without having to go out in the cold or shift a load of luggage or cargo.

Know your vehicle and its ability; especially the depth of water it can wade, which if a conventional car this may be very little. Even a military vehicle like a Land Rover or Land Cruiser usually needs extra preparation to ford more than 500mm or 18 inches of standing water, and many lesser 4x4 SUVs won’t come close to that depth. Above all else, find out where the engine air intake is.

Also know how to operate your particular vehicle, especially if four wheel drive, as some now have situation specific operating features that can be very handy but not all 4x4s use the same systems. Learn how to drive in snow,

Main image: Know your vehicle’s capabilities and limitations and ensure it is prepared for the conditions it may face

4: Sleeping bag, bivvy bag, emergency shelter and insulated jacket could be lifesavers in severe winter weather

5: Emergency food and drink - if stuck in a motorway closure or stranded by heavy snowfall would you have sustenance on board to see you through a cold night?

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Survival

water and sand before you need too - a day of tuition at an off-road driving centre is fun as well as being a potential life-saver. As for driving, take it steady is perhaps a good base line. Keep your vehicle in tiptop condition, your wipers in good order and your washer bottles full. All basic stuff you should be doing anyway. If you can, get some driving experience in difficult conditions.

Pack recovery equipment in case you, or others, get stuck, in water or snow. A few basic items of kit will help a lot to get things moving again. a good tow rope or strap is essential, along with shackles to allow it to be attached to both your vehicle and others. Keep a shovel of an appropriate type for conditions - snow, mud, sand etc. - close to hand and not at the bottom of the boot under a pile of stuff. Mats, old carpet is good, placed under wheels can be very handy and also good to kneel or lie on in wet and snow. If knowingly driving in extremes, an air jack is a good item to have. A recovery kit bag is a good idea, not only to keep your equipment together but also to put it back into when it is wet and messy.

If you have to leave your vehicle, you will need to be prepared and suitably equipped. If you are reading C&S it is safe to assume you may have most of this gear to hand, but it has to be actually with you to be of any use. If you are in your own vehicle this will be

much easier, but if in someone else’s it is even more important to be prepared.

Having a rucksack is a good start, not only to contain your survival items but also if you have to walk out this will be the best option by far, though a kit bag or even a tough plastic bag could do. However it is easy to get a bit carried away with ‘kit’. Choose the right items and you will not find yourself filling the full load space of your vehicle – just in case!

As for clothes, you will need to have appropriate items to keep you warm and dry; both top and trousers. You will also need gloves and hat to keep extremities warm and prevent heat loss. You will also need good footwear and should assume you may have to walk some distance in difficult conditions. You will quite probably not be wearing appropriate clothing when things go wrong, so carrying a full change may be appropriate. A fluorescent waterproof jacket is a good idea to carry as a back-up, not just for extreme weather but for

roadside emergencies. You must aim to stay dry as it may be hard, and take time, to dry out again and also to stay warm.

Always carry some food and drink.

6: Even relatively shallow flowing water can sweep vehicles away so understand your car’s limitations

7: Expect the unexpected - there should have been a bridge here but Mother Nature decided otherwise

8: In addition to being an outdoor gear tester the author has been a military vehicle off-road trials and demonstration driver for decades [image courtesy Jankel]

If you have to leave your vehicle to go for help will you be properly prepared to survive in comfort?

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Cold drink is easy to leave in your emergency kit, as are some basic rations. ‘Rat Pak’ meals are a good one as they can mostly be eaten cold. A flask of hot drink and even hot food/soup is a great moral booster apart from anything else.

Maps are a ‘must have’ in my view but essential if you have to plan a re-route. GPS can be very handy to find out exactly where you are. If not in-car, a hand-held is perhaps better especially if you have to walk out and many have OS detail maps, but remember electronics only work if they have suitably charged batteries.

Walking poles are useful if you have to walk in difficult conditions and could perhaps assist other less able people that may end up with you. They are also very handy for searching for open drains when wading through floods

and for depth testing water and snow. However a suitable stick will do, so improvise if you have to.

In extreme weather fallen trees are a very likely hazard you will have to deal with. If conditions are knowingly bad and you have one, a chain saw and relevant kit is no bad idea, but an axe and/or a folding saw will be very useful and if they are good quality ones will enable you to deal with fallen branches and small trees at least. Work gloves are also a really good idea.

Handy essentials for your kit? Loo roll, First Aid kit and strong paracord / light rope; enough to pull someone from water with or just for general use. Cable ties are invaluable. Old hand towels too scruffy use at home are good to dry and clean with in adverse conditions.

Things go wrong at night so a good

torch, preferably a head torch to give free hands, and spare batteries is a definite. Perhaps also a hand torch/flash light and emergency beacon. A warning triangle is a good thing, and indeed in many countries it is now compulsory to carry one in your vehicle.

Finally, remember the Five Ps - Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Don’t be a poor performer. A drama can happen near to home and nine times out of ten it will be when you least expect it, at night and when you are tired! Sh!t happens ... so be prepared and be a survivor.

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Firearms

The Walther P22 Pistol semi-automatic pistol is manufactured by Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen in Ulm, Germany. The P22 is a three-quarter scaled .22 calibre rimfire model of the 9mm Walther P99 centre-fire pistol and was introduced to the market in 2001. Scaled down .22 calibre versions of full size centre-fire pistols have been around since 1931, when Colt offered the .45 ACP calibre M1911 pistol as the .22 calibre Colt Ace. In the 1930s Walther also developed their popular PPK pistol in .22 rimfire calibre as well.

One immediately noticeable differ-ence, besides the reduction in size, is the P22’s external ham-mer. The frame is made of poly-

mer and the slide is manufactured from zinc alloy while the barrel, recoil spring guide, extractor and ejector are made of steel. An interchangeable backstrap allows the grip to be customised to the shooter’s hand. The sights consist of a polymer ramp front sight with a white dot pressed into the slide and a polymer rear sight adjustable for wind-age with two white dots. An additional two front sights come with the pistol to adjust elevation to suit different brands of ammunition.

The P22 features an ambidextrous magazine release lever located at the bottom rear of the trigger guard. This pistol comes with two magazines that each hold ten rounds of ammunition. The magazines are constructed of stainless steel with a polymer follower and bump pad. The 10-round capacity magazine drops freely with the activation of the magazine release lever. Within the polymer frame is a lock work consisting of stamped and Metal Injection Moulded Steel components. The moulded and stippled grip is designed to allow any size of hand to be

Main Image: The P22 is supplied in a customised carry case and comes with two 10-round magazines

1: The front of the frame on the P22 has a Picatinny rail which allows different types of lights or sighting devices to be attached

2: The magazines on the P22 can be easily disassembled to allow for regular cleaning.

Images © GREG ROBERTS unless noted

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Firearms

able to control the pistol. On the front of the frame is a Picatinny rail for the mounting of lights, lasers and other sighting accessories. Another internal feature is a magazine safety; the pistol will not fire without a magazine properly inserted into the grip of the frame.

On the range several magazines shot with the P22 produced groups of around 100 to 125mm (four to five inches) at with the target set at 15 metres. Both group size and functionally will vary with different brands of ammunition. With any .22 calibre pistol you need to test different types of ammunition to check for each brand’s functional reliability and accuracy. A test range of 15 metres is a good distance to test a pistol of this type. Also remember keeping this pistol lubricated will help to improve the functional reliability.

The P22’s sights are excellent as there is plenty of light between the front sight blade and the rear sight. The trigger pulls for both the double action and single action trigger were good for a compact .22 pistol. On the pistol used these were just over twelve pounds double action and just under five pounds in the single action mode.

VARIANTSThe Walther P22 is available in several different variants, which include a five inch barrelled target model, a target military trainer model and several colour variations. For those who use full bore double action / single action

semi-automatic pistols as duty guns, the P22 will make an excellent trainer, due to the low cost of .22 calibre ammunition when compared with the cost of centre-fire pistol ammunition. A threaded barrel variant is available, which has the ability to have a suppressor attached to it.

A .22 semi-automatic pistol is good to have to practice with the availability of cheaper ammunition prices and easier ability to shoot this low recoiling pistol when compared with high recoiling centre-fire pistols. The slide of the P22 is very easy to manually cycle pull and the pistol grip size is great for all sizes of hands. The Walther P22 is also almost identical in size to the Walther PPK.

With the three dot sights, targets are easy to line up and focus on. The P22 is an excellent trainer pistol for new shooters and beginners. The version of the Walther P22 that we used in our C&S review ceased production in 2012;

its successor is the Walther P22Q which has some design changes and product improvements. We will produce a review on the P22Q pistol in a future issue.

The trigger pull is a typical double

Top left: The magazine of the P22 will hold 10 rounds of .22 calibre rimfire ammunition

Top right: The sights on the P22 use a three white dot configuration and are both clear and easy to align

3: Field stripped for cleaning the slide, recoil spring and recoil spring guide rod of the P22 can easily be removed

4: The .45 ACP M1911 pistol shown beside the P22 has also been made available in .22 calibre variants as well

Main Image:The small grip circumference of the P22 makes it easy for both young and female shooters to use

5: Muzzle flash with short barrelled pistols is always present even in daylight

6: The magazine will drop cleanly from the P22 when the release lever is pressed

7: With a .22 calibre pistol testing of different types of ammunition is necessary to obtain 100% reliability

8: The Walther P22 easily produces good groups on the centre of the target

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action / single action set-up with little noticeable creep and no real over travel. Three dot adjustable sights are good for a little pistol. The front sight is a plastic insert available in varying heights to accommodate different ammunition and their points of impact. The accuracy of the ammunition will vary depending upon the type and quality of the ammunition that is being used at the time. There is an array of accessories available for the P22, varying from holsters to suppressors to mounted rail options.

For these types of pistols you need to keep up a very good cleaning and maintenance regime and proper selection of reliable ammunition. Doing this will prevent the flow of reliability problems that can occur with rimfire calibre pistols.

There are two separate models of this handgun. The standard Walther P22 has a 3.4 inch (87mm) barrel and the Walther P22 Target model has a 5.0 inch (127mm) barrel with a barrel mounted weight compensator that matches the profile of the slide. The Walther P22 with its 3.4 inch barrel weighs in at just one pound and one ounce (480g). The barrels are easily interchangeable between the two models and packages that included

both barrels can be obtained. The colour options from the factory are numerous. The P22 Black is the standard model with a black frame and black (blued) slide. The P22 Nickel has the same black frame with a nickel-finished (silver) slide. The P22 Military has an olive drab frame combined with the standard black slide. The P22 Anthracite / Brushed Chrome mates

Main Image: A wide variety of holsters and accessories are available for the P22

9: Post-WWII Walther established their design and manufacturing facility in Ulm in the newly created West Germany[courtesy Walther]

10: As well as the .22 copy of the Walther P99 centre-fire pistol Walther also make a .22 rimfire version of the Colt M4 rifle

11: The grip inserts on the P22 can easily be changed to accommodate different sizes of hands

12: The sight picture on the P22 is a three white dot pattern and is easy to pick up and align with the target

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Firearms

an anthracite frame with a brushed chrome finish on the slide.

SAFETYThe magazine disconnect on a P22 works by using a strong spring to apply downward force against the trigger bar, such force being sufficient to overcome the action of the relatively weaker trigger spring which interacts with upward force on the same bar. When a magazine is not inserted into the pistol, the downward force of the magazine disconnect spring causes the trigger bar to pass beneath the internal lock work of the pistol when the trigger is pressed.

Once a magazine is fully inserted into the pistol the actuator surface on the front of the magazine pushes against the magazine safety. This overcomes the magazine safety’s strong spring and thereby serves to allow the trigger bar to spring upward under the force of the less powerful trigger spring. When this occurs the trigger bar is in a position where it engages the lock work when the trigger is pulled, thus allowing the pistol to fire.

The P22’s slide mounted safety, when engaged, performs two functions. First, it serves as a ‘hammer block’ by rotating a portion of the metal surface of the safety into a position that prevents the hammer’s contact with the firing pin. Secondly, it acts as a firing pin lock by rotating a portion of the safety into a notch on the underside of the firing pin, thereby inhibiting forward movement of the firing pin.

The P22 uses an additional passive safety mechanism to protect against accidental discharges in the event the pistol is dropped. When the action is closed, a small metal button on the underside of the breech block is actuated by an arm surface extending from the sear. In this state the firing pin is mechanically blocked and cannot move forward to strike a chambered cartridge. When the trigger is pressed, the sear moves downward in such a way as to move from its interaction with the firing pin safety, which in turn springs downward under the force of a captive spring within the breech block. This disengages the firing pin safety, allowing the firing pin to move and the pistol to fire.

The Walther P22’s exterior design slightly resembles the Walther PPK pistol, which is most commonly seen in .380 ACP calibre. The pistol’s magazine capacity is ten rounds in a single stack design. The magazines have a spring loaded thumb plunger on the side to help load the .22 rimfire cartridges. There is a slide mounted, thumb operated, ambidextrous safety and an external hammer. Instead of a magazine release button placed on the grip, the P22 has an ambidextrous magazine

13: The P22 is supplied with strip down tools and additional front sights of different heights to allow adjustment of the point of impact to match the ammunition being used

14: The Walther P22 is available in a version with a 4-colour camouflage frame

15: There is also a Desert camouflage frame variant of the Walther P22

16: Walther have also aimed the P22 at the female shooter market by producing a version with a pink frame

A version of the Walther P22 with threaded barrel allows the attachment of a silencer and the M1913 Picatinny rail on the front of the frame allows an optical sight to be attached

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release lever located at the rear of the trigger guard. Some other types of semi automatic pistols utilise a similarly designed magazine release.

The pistol features an ambidextrous magazine release that is located on the underside rear of the trigger guard, making it possible for both left handed and right handed people to remove the magazine with ease. The magazine can easily be disassembled for occasional cleaning. When using .22 calibre ammunition the ability to disassemble the magazine to allow all of the various contaminates that will build up during prolonged firing to be removed is a must have facility to have.

The P22 has a conventional double action / single action trigger, meaning that the first shot may be fired with the hammer in its forward position. The double action trigger pull will first cock and then discharge the hammer. The trigger pull in the double action mode is approximately 12 pounds and in the single action mode is approximately 5 pounds weight.

The weapon operates by the blowback system of operation where the pressure generated by a firing cartridge is countered by a combination of the inertial weight of the slide assembly

and the force of the recoil spring. The action will not open until the projectile has left the barrel and the pressures have dropped to safe levels.

CONSTRUCTIONThe Walther P22 has a synthetic cast polymer frame with zinc alloy frame receiver inserts made from metal injection moulding. The barrel is two parts consisting of an outer steel sleeve that houses a rifled steel insert. The internal parts of the pistol are made with a combination of metal injection moulded cast steel and steel stampings.

The Walther P22 has an adaptable grip that allows the firearm to fit comfortably and snugly into both large and small hands alike. The P22 is supplied with two interchangeable grip inserts that attached to the frame with a single pin. One of the plastic pieces has a deeper arc to accommodate a larger hand while the other is flatter, making it ideal for small hands. Both pieces fit flush against the rear of the grip portion of the frame to complete the pistol’s grip.

Changing the grip is quick and easy and is done by removing a single pin at the bottom of the interchangeable plastic piece and sliding it out. The whole process takes less than a minute and can easily be done on the range to accommodate different

shooters. This is especially useful feature when you are teaching young or female shooters and others with small hands how to use this pistol.

To disassemble the P22 pistol you pull the slide to the rear and pull down on the disassembly block and then lift the slide upwards and then the slide, recoil spring and guide rod will move off the barrel. The disassembly method will be familiar to those who have experience of

WALTHER P22 PISTOL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Top Left: Grasping the pistol grip and pulling upwards will release the P22 from the Fobus holster

17: Fobus make an excellent holster for the Walther P22 that is belt mounted and will securely hold the pistol

18: The Fobus 6922 double magazine pouch will securely hold two Walther P22 magazines

19: Fobus Holsters make a suitable holster and double magazine pouch to suit the Walther P22 pistol

20: Walther have recently introduced their PPQ pistol to replace the P22 pistol - also available in 9mm and .40 S&W calibres it is shown here is the .22 rimfire calibre version

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Firearms

the Walther PP / PPK pistol.

During our C&S review and range test of the Walther P22 we were able to use the excellent Fobus holster and double magazine pouch designed for the P22. The draws of the pistol from the holster and magazines from the double magazine were smooth. This pistol has plenty of accuracy, with the fixed barrel contributing to this aspect of the gun’s accuracy. With the P22 being very light, it is easy to manoeuvre and the sights come into alignment quickly, enabling the user to get fast accurate hits on the target.

As mentioned, the version of the Walther P22 that we used in our review ceased production in 2012 and its successor is the Walther P22Q, which Walther unveiled at the SHOT Show in the USA. We will produce a review on the P22Q pistol, which has some design changes and product improvements, in a future issue of C&S and we also plan to review the excellent Walther manufactured .22 Rimfire calibre versions of the 5.56mm NATO Colt M4 and Heckler & Koch 416 service rifles.

For further information check out carl-walther.de or in the USA see waltherarms.com. The Fobus Holsters website is fobus.com

Walther P22Double Action / Single Action.22 Long Rifle3.4 inches and 5.0 inchesDetachable box magazine10 roundsSix grooves with one revolution in 16 inchesRight Hand Rifling TwistThree white dots.Rear sight adjustable for windageManual, firing pin block and magazine safetyPolymer with interchangeable backstrap inserts6.3 inches17.6 ozBlued with various coloured variantsBarrel wrench, front sights, spare back straps

Model:Trigger Type:

Calibre:Barrel Length:

Magazine:Magazine Capacity:

Rifling Type:Rifling Direction:

Sights:

Safety:Frame:

Length:Weight:

Metal FinishAccessories:

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In never ceases to amaze us not only how many different ways it is possible to wear a BUFF, that simple tubular headgear item made from seamless stretchy fabric, but also how Buffera the Spanish manufacturers keep reinventing it with fabric tweaks and treatments that offer additional benefits and advantages. The latest INSECT SHIELD variants of the standard tubular BUFF design, released this spring and now widely available, not only provide 95% protection against ultraviolet rays but also deter bugs and creepy crawlies, making them ideal for those travelling or deploying to hot countries or theatres for holiday, sport or work.

We at C&S have been using the BUFF, which scrunches up to take up minimal space in pocket or pouch, on as-

signments for about seventeen years now; both as conventional headwear/

neckwear or desert dust mask plus as a lightweight top to preserve our models’ modesty when doing costume changes outdoors. Indeed many of the girls ask to keep the BUFFs afterwards as they make ideal beach and festival garments.

The new INSECT SHIELD BUFF comes in a wide range of civvy colours, geared towards the likes of cyclist, surfer, hiker and biker outdoor types, but the plain olive green version is called Military (as that is the shade most popular with soldiers) and there is also a brown four-colour disruptive camo version, called Naria. This is not based on any specific camouflage that we can identify, but it works quite well with pre-Multicam / pre-Digital era temperate camo patterns.

For those unaware of the many ways a BUFF can be worn, the display card comes with diagrams of several methods. However if you go to the websites - buffwear.co.uk for Britain and buffwear.com for North America - then click on [Product Information > Ways to Wear] you will find some excellent demo videos. You can buy BUFF online through that UK website, but you will also find the range stocked by many outdoor pursuits shops and some military gear outlets.

Top Right: Made with Coolmax Extreme, High UV Insect Shield BUFF will wick sweat away from your skin faster than any other fabric whilst offering protection from pesky insects and bugs

1: Ladies, by simply looping a spare bootlace you can turn a BUFF into an improvised bikini top

2: The olive green BUFF - this is the Insect Shield version - is called Military in the catalogue

3: There’s a countless ways of wearing a BUFF - many are illustrated on the display card

4: Here Victoria is wearing the Naria Insect Shield BUFF as a simple Alice band

Model : VICTORIA


Naria, worn here as a top, is the latest

camo pattern BUFF and offers bug and

UV protection

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A total of 33 Argentinian military personnel, two officers and 31 from the ranks, serve with the UNFICYP Mobile Force Reserve, with fifteen of their number forming the APC Platoon. The remainder, excluding the MFR second in command, serve with the Rifle Platoons as riflemen though all are actually NCO volunteers broadening their career CV



Our recent assignment in Cyprus, covering the main contingents serving with UNFICYP on its 50th Birthday, gave us an unique opportunity to photograph several different camouflage uniforms in a similar format and over the next few issues we will present each one individually. Hopefully our images and notes will be of use to our uniform / camo collector readers and to badge collectors, and possibly to Living History re-enactors too. Each soldier has been photographed in the same way - kneeling, front, left, back and right - plus there will be close-ups of both camo pattern and badges worn.

This month we kick off the mini-series with an Argentinian Cavalry Master Corporal from 2 Section of 2 Platoon of the multinational

Mobile Force Reserve, who wears the Argentinian-produced version of US three-colour ‘coffee stain’ desert cam-ouflage. His uniform, consisting shirt worn over a stone T-shirt and trousers, is tailored in the style of US BDU (Bat-tle Dress Uniform) and he wears the standard United Nations blue beret. His weapon is the FN FAL, but no magazine is fitted (the Argentinian UN contingent was in the throes of annual

handover during our visit). His 9-eyelet high leg combat boots are of Argentin-ian manufacture, with tan leather and nylon uppers, and trousers are worn tucked inside.

The shirt, which is manufactured from ripstop polycotton, has four pockets on the front and all are bellowed down both edges. Sleeves are worn rolled up, the top button is undone and the collar is pressed flat, and there is a button and tab adjuster each side at the waist. Name and EJECITO ARGENTINO tapes are worn over right and left pockets respectively and rank patches are worn on both arms. Trousers are also BDU style, with large pleated and bellowed cargo pockets on each outer thigh.

The three-colour ‘coffee-stain’ pattern consists of large rounded blobs in a sandy earthen shade on a light stone background with thin reddish brown wavy shapes as the tertiary colour. Primarily intended for desert or arid theatres, this camo does not work particularly well in Cyprus in spring, where the background is quite verdant for much of the season. However in summer and autumn, when much of the Cypriot landscape turns to a universal cappuccino shade, as one of the Slovakian officers succinctly described it, this camo is quite well-suited and is much more appropriate than the four-colour US Woodland camo which ARGCON was wearing when I first

photographed them for the April 1999 issue of C&S.

Looking at the insignia in detail, the M/Cpl stripes are the desert version with black and light khaki stitching on a light stone background, the MFR patch initials are in very light blue stitching on a black bordered light sky blue backing, the UN patches are in azure blue with mostly white stitching, though UNFICYP and ARGENTINA are in deep yellow, and the national flag is light blue and white with a golden sun over a black bordered ARGENTINA in black stitching.


Personally I am never quite sure about the gillet style of garment - they sort of seem to be jackets with arms missing. However, I do find them good for some extra warmth as a mid-layer or useful in warmer, dare I say spring-like, conditions when it is chilly but not full-on jacket worthy. Also if travelling to warmer climes where evenings get chill they do have a place for sure and are clearly popular for many.

The Craghoppers Downlite, as the name suggests, is down and feather filled and it is also light and compacts down well. It has a built-in zip pocket to keep

it compact when packed away this one also makes a good garment to have ‘just in case’. It does what it says it does and I am finding I am using it more than I thought I would.

On an early spring day on Dartmoor the Downlite was perfect to keep the chill off while walking

Images ©MIKE GORMLEY

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Wellies? Not really a favourite item of footwear for me, although over the years I have spent many hours wearing them. Normally I would use high leg military style boots in preference. However, this attitude has been turned on its head for me over the past weeks. Enter BOGS boots.

Sort of appropriately named really. Both Jean and I have a pair, Jean’s Herringbone style being well-suited to the female users with much

more ‘design’ about them. Mine are very definitely a man’s boot and built for use, not as a fashion statement, but that’s not to say the Ladies boots are not for working in. They are!

As I write, I have been spending a lot of

1: BOGS Ranchers as new – that didn’t last long

2: In cold running water the wearer’s feet stay warm and dry in the Ranchers

3: Lady Herringbone BOGS have good looks a well as being practical

4: Jean makes appropriate use of her Herringbone BOGS in the cold and wet

The Packaway has a fitted hood which proved not only useful but a good fit on a very windy day but with hood down it makes a good high protective collar and the front pockets are good hand warmers too

Jean has really liked testing this jacket. It’s light, fits well and certainly does the business as far as keeping warm is concerned. As the photo shows, she was wearing it on a day I was ‘storm chasing’ to get some wild weather photos at Hartland Point, when the wind was almost too strong to stand up in on exposed locations. It was definitely not warm and the rain was driven by the wind.

That particular day this jacket cer-tainly proved itself and has gone to a high position in the pecking order of what to wear when the weather

is inclement. When not in use it does as the name suggests and packs away into its own small sack, which makes it is a good option as a ‘just in case’ jacket for all sorts of circumstances. Jean likes the colour was well!

time in wet and muddy conditions where it has also been cold; often working in flowing water such as streams etc. The BOGS have been just great. I would normally end the day with cold feet, even when using double and very appropriate socks, but not so with these boots.

This footwear is far from the standard rubber wellie. The boots have Neo Tech insulated and flexible uppers with a rubber ‘foot’ and have anti-bacterial inners. The soles grip well and, as boots go, they are perfectly comfortable to wear all day. For me these are a quantum leap forward in the world of the wellie boot and have certainly got me wearing them again, especially as they have the convenience of a slip-on boot as opposed to a high leg lace-up.

Definitely worth a look.

Product - UK Contact: Craghoppers/Craghoppers BOGS/Anatom Telephone/Web: 0844 8111 022/craghoppers.com 0800 0323 505/anatom.co.uk

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Gloves can be a tricky one. They need to be warm, perhaps water-resistant too, but leave you with the ability to do what you need to do; and for me, and I am sure you are much the same, you need to be able to do things on the go. Seldom when hiking do we wander along without having a map, compass, GPS, or camera we need to use often. It is a pain to have to keep removing gloves.

These gloves from Craghoppers are a very good compromise. Somewhat warmer than they look, they have good grippy palms and fingers and,

as the name suggests, are soft. They have elasticated wrists but a cuff that is sufficiently long to offer good protection over the wrist and to tuck in under a jacket over a base or lid layer. This opening is quite wide so to look at a watch is easy, but by use of a Velcro strap it can be closed up to fit tight and keep that cold out. Good ones these. I use them a lot.

Over time I have got to like and trust products from Grangers. I find they do what it says they should.

This proofer is seen here treating some now well-used Alt-Berg Yan Tans, which were beginning to hold water in the uppers (but not leaking

I hasten to add!). A clean and treatment with this proofer saw the water being shed and leaving the boots less to do, especially on long wets days such as we had over the winter.

As it says, this is a ‘universal’ proofer so can be used on Nubuck such as the Yan Tans as well as on full grain leather, fabric and it is compatible with Gore-Tex and other such membranes.

SIGG have built a name for design, established over many years, and are of course famed for their aluminium SIGG bottle. The Thermo Bottle has a definite family resemblance to this and is both elegant and practical.

The screw cap is of a very similar design to the standard bottle and as such is easy to use, even with gloved or cold wet hands. It has a

double seal and can be part-opened to allow your drink to be poured out without losing too much heat. The large capacity mug slides on either end, which allows it to cover the top or, if fitted to the base, allows for the top to be used to secure

the Thermo to kit using the ring.

If the mug is fitted to the base it could also be used to store items such as tea bags, beverage sachets etc. The mug is also large enough to get both hands around to warm them up - a bonus! Both mug and bottle have rubber non-slip bases.

For its design, practicality and efficiency this is perhaps the best flask about and can be found in 0.75 or a full 1.0 litre capacity the with mug models. We most probably all use flasks and this one certainly does the job. The non-tac white could easily be sorted out if needs be with good old green or camo ‘gaffer tape’.

5: The SIGG Flask showing good size mug removed - note screw cap with ring

6: With cup fitted the 0.75 litre version is a good shape to slide into a kit pouch

7: Here the mug is fitted to the base end with practical screw cap removed - note seals and anti-slip base on the mug

8: Seen here on a cold and windy day out in the Lakes they were perfect, allowing easy use of walking poles and giving the ability to navigate without taking the gloves off

9: The Grangers Universal Foot Wear Proofer having just treated my well-used Yan Tans

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Product - UK Contact: SIGG/SIGG Grangers/Grangers Telephone/Web: 01284 774 741/sigg.com 01773 521 521/grangers.co.uk

Working Knives


Thinking beyond the established industry barriers has allowed Spyderco to introduce new and radical innovations to knife design. These include one-handed opening, full or partly serrated blades on a folding knife and a clip to attach a knife to a pocket. Spyderco researches and develops new improved and better performing materials, with function and reliability being the key. The recognisable appearance of Spyderco knives is a result of designing a pocket knife to be an ergonomic functional tool.

SPYDERCO C90 STRETCHThe C90 Stretch started as a pet project lock back knife design. Spyderco’s owner and chief designer made it for his personal use, incorporating features he desired. He wanted high performance blade steel with edge retention super powers for outdoor cutting, such as wood, rope and anything encountered in the wild, but it will also work equally well indoors

on cardboard boxes and envelopes. This knife is sized to fit into a working environment. The handle is peel-ply carbon fibre with a four-way clip, either left or right hand, and tip up or tip down.

The blade is full flat ground and is made from ZDP-189 blade steel. ZDP-189 is the hardest and highest performing blade steel used in the knife industry today. Some 3% of its component

ingredient is pure carbon making the steel harder and in turn extending its edge retention. Spyderco is one of a handful of cutlers around the world working with ZDP-189 blades, offering it on several models including the C90 Stretch folder. The C90CFP exemplifies all that is Spyderco, such as function, high performance, advanced materials and workmanship in an ordinary package.

Main Image: In their test facility Spyderco examine blade sharpness retention, rust resistance and check the force needed to open and close a knife - they also actively search for higher quality and performance enhancing blade steels and handle materials

1: The Spyderco C90 Stretch and C101 Manix2 knives have keen sharp blades and positive blade lock mechanisms

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Main Image: The pocket clip on both knives is reversible and can be attached to a pocket or inside a backpack

2: To date these Spyderco knives have been used to prepare numerous deer, in both the field and the larder, throughout the current game shooting season

3: The blades on Spyderco knives have a keen edge that will neatly slice through muscle and sinew to make clean cuts in the meat when preparing for the larder

Images ©GREG ROBERTS

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SPYDERCO C101 MANIX2 G-10 PLAIN BLACK BLADEA recipe for folding knife success: Start with hard-use rated lock; add a blade made of exotic high carbon steel; manufacture it in Golden, Colorado using precise tolerances; then add a healthy dash of American innovation. These ingredients are the Manix2, a concoction of solo features which, when combined, make one of the strongest knives from Spyderco to date.

Patented by the company, the Manix2 has a Ball Bearing Lock; a hardened free-floating ball bearing contained in a custom hi-tech polymer cage. The round ball bearing allows the lock to self-adjust across a large surface, smoothly and consistently locking-up with solid confidence. Evolving over time, the Ball Bearing Lock’s strength withstands hard work with a secure, versatile and comfortable grip.

Ergonomics are peerless in this design. The blade is 154CM and hollow-ground with aggressive thumb serrations (jimping) above a super sized 14mm Spyderco Round Hole. The jimping doesn’t stop there. With full steel liners the scales have jimping that extends beyond the G-10 handle scales scalloping areas of the handle’s perimeter. This one is not slipping out of your hand and works well with gloves on!

The liners pull double purpose by adding rigidly and lightweight strength to the handle. A three-screw clip is left/right-hand carry, positioned for comfort and deep pocket carry. The knife also has a large lanyard pipe hole to which you can attach a lanyard to attach your knife to

yourself to a specific location.

Blade Type: PlainBlade Steel: 154CMHandle Material: G-10Weight: 4.25 oz (120 g)Length Overall: 8 in (203 mm)Length Closed: 4 5/8 in (117 mm)Blade Length: 3 3/8 in (86 mm)Blade Thickness: 1/8 in (3 mm)

Making knives that consistently deliver reliable high performance requires an ongoing commitment to research & development and testing. In their test facility Spyderco examine blade sharpness retention, rust resistance and check the force needed to open and close a knife. They also repeatedly test for stress, wear, optimal heat treating and also actively search for higher quality and performance enhancing blade steels and handle materials. When you purchase a Spyderco you are buying a high quality reliable cutting tool with a comfortable handle, which is designed and manufactured for peak

performance. Those who want a quality knife carry a Spyderco.For further information on the range check out spyderco.com and for UK online sales go to mindyourfingers.co.uk or telephone 0845 127 0464.

Security Industry


The Cold War has been over since the late 1980s, when the inner German border fell uniting East and West Germany: Soviet soldiers moved back from Eastern Europe to face redundancy and reductions in manpower and equipment; the West watched as fleets of Soviet ships, aircraft and tanks were scrapped, used as range targets or left to rot as they were more expensive to cut up than they were to make; the Soviet Union broke up, ceased to be a superpower and slowly the Eastern European countries became closer to Western Europe and NATO.

These former members of the Warsaw Pact have not only contributed to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan by providing

troops and equipment but also to the Global War on Terror in general, by providing the use of airbases or detention facilities on their home-land. Russia itself cooperates with the West on matters of terrorism, as the issue affects us all and yet lately, Russian forces have annexed the Crimea and have invaded the sover-eign nation of Ukraine with para-troop forces inserted by helicopter.

In response, NATO air forces have deployed F 16 aircraft to Poland and have increased their ISTAR aircraft

visibility over the region. We might be the closest to conflict with Russia since the end of the Cold War,yet with the smallest numbers of men and equipment due to the current fiscal environment. So what does this mean to the West and are we going back to the days of the Cold War?

To understand what is happening in the Crimea we must firstly understand Russians and their culture and then put the Crimean issue into a context. The reason the Russians occupied most of Eastern Europe after the Second World War and didn’t return home wasn’t just to impose a communist regime but to provide a ‘buffer’ of countries that would provide time and space in event of an invasion. We must bear in mind that Russia has been invaded by European countries in the comparatively recent past including by Napoleon’s France and Germany (twice) with on two of those occasions the invader almost entering Moscow.

What beat the invaders in each case was the time taken to

capture ground before reaching the ‘centre of gravity’, i.e. Moscow, which meant the onset of winter, led to loss of momentum and gave time for the defenders to prepare. Therefore the Russians liked having a ring of ‘buffer’ states and naturally were not too keen on giving them up, especially when seeing those countries becoming tied militarily to NATO and the West. During the Cold War we in the West were afraid of the Soviets invading us, but the Russians on the other side of the border were also afraid that we would invade them.

Since Vladimir Putin took control of Russia he has pursued a policy of military modernisation and expansion. He has tried to regain the popularity, credibility and capability of the Russian forces and has modernised them. He does not want to lose any more territory than he has already and has shown his will to engage with force, as we saw with the Russian operations in Chechnya. He has also renewed maritime surveillance aircraft operations against the UK and the countries on the Northern Flank of NATO.

This is not just for the sake of rekindling Cold War memories, but is a systematic evaluation of Western air defence across the North Pole. Although there is no threat to Russia from NATO, this is quite far forward-looking, as we know there are a lot of natural resources on the seabed that are now accessible as the ice cap has retreated; and as natural resources get scarcer, this could be a potential area for conflict over them.

The port of Sevastopol on the Crimea is home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and some 30,000 troops which are

stationed there, which gives Russia access to the

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a subsequent treaty in 1997 - it is still considered a strategic operational force by the Russian military and is therefore important to them and on their perception of how the world views them.

Russia has had to pay rent for the use of the base and its facilities, with the terms and conditions causing a lot of tensions, since the split and if Russia can annex that terrain and save the money then why wouldn’t it? The Russian economic recovery has in no small part been due to the selling of natural resources, such as gas, to European customers

and Russia’s half of the Black Sea Fleet (or Chernomorsky Fleet) has the operational role of ensuring the security of this gas whilst being transported.

The Crimea was gifted to the Ukraine in 1956 at a time when the breakup of the Soviet Union and Ukraine’s independence would have seemed impossible and never envisaged. The whole thing was really a paperwork exercise with Russia never believing for a moment that it might lose the terrain at all. Even as the Eastern states have gained independence, the Russian security and intelligence

services have ensured that they in some way retained a measure of control and installed pro-Kremlin governments.

Once the Ukrainian people rid themselves of their pro-Kremlin leader Russia saw itself as having no choice but to step in to save itself losing vital ground at Crimea. So, realistically, the West should not be surprised that the Russians have taken the Crimea. The Putin regime will not be affected by the sanctions imposed by a disunited Europe and since Europe is heavily dependent on the energy provided by Russia it cannot be too strident in its complaints nor impose meaningful sanctions and it’s not likely to risk military action, so we will leave Crimea to its fate………… hang on, didn’t all this happen in Europe back in the 1930s?


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.

This month we have been trialling the last of the ten new brown boot styles being issued to UK Forces by the MoD, and as our test samples

arrived just before I departed for Cyprus to spend a week working with UNFICYP troops patrolling the Buffer Zone, Green Line and UN Protected Area this was very opportune. One of two choices in the MoD’s BOOTS, PATROL category (the other being the Bates Tactical Sport 8” model tested last month) these boots are intended primarily for use where the combat threat is medium to low and patrol pack weight is light - i.e. just the type of duties British personnel on a six month tour with the UN undertake. How-ever for the warm conditions encoun-tered in Cyprus the BOOTS, DESERT PATROL category is the ideal choice so many UK sappers working in Sector 2 have been issued with the YDS Falcon suede sibling of the Kestrel.

I tested the Falcon in the new MoD colour last year and was very happy with the boot, so I was pretty confident that the very similar, though smooth leather, Kestrel would be up to the job. It was. Indeed so confident was I that not only were the Kestrels the only 8” combat boot that I took with me (I flew in my

Inside the box, in addition to a pair of YDS boots you should also find spacers to reduce by half a size if needed (read the enclosed leaflet) plus spare laces and a tube of MoD brown SALAMANDER brand waterproof cold climate boot polish

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more civvy-looking Aku Pilgrims) but I even took them off on assignment before they had been broken in. At the end of my first day with the Blue Berets when the lead image for this article was taken - hence the unfamiliar vegetation - I was perfectly happy with my choice of footwear as these boots felt like they were old friends rather than brand new.

YDS Kestrel lightweight brown patrol boots, made in Turkey by Yakupoglu who are one of the world’s major uniform and combat boot manufacturers, have 1.8-2.0 mm beige full grain cow leather and knitted CORDURA uppers with soft 3D mesh 100% polyester lining and Coolmax inner lining. The cushioned sole is dual density with a polyurethane mid layer and a hard wearing durable

YDS nitrile rubber outsole with a multi-terrain tread gives superior mobility and balance over rough terrain and when scaling or traversing obstacles. The removable EVA footbed is anatomically shaped, washable and quick drying. Lacing system is a mix of nylon eyelets and tunnels with an open hook lace lock. For more see ydsboots.co.uk


STOP PRESS

Above: Medical personnel of the Vanguard Field Hospital working on an amputee role-player casualty[© Bob Morrison]

FORCE TROOPS COMMAND - Combined CapabilitiesOn 1st April the new Force Troops Command, the first major implementation of the Army 2020 doctrine, was launched and just a few days beforehand C&S was invited to its Wiltshire HQ for a display of its capabilities. This new Command brings together those specialists with the skills required to facilitate the preparation and delivery of operations at home and abroad. Delivering combat, command and specialist support, the 36,000 troops of FTC, essentially one third of the whole force of the British Army, comprise the largest of its formations. Together their purpose is to: enable deployment on operations; support the fulfilment of standing military commitments; and ensure the effective delivery of training in the UK and overseas.

Through Exercise GRIFFIN HER-ALD, an interactive exhibition with live demonstrations and static dis-plays, held at Upavon Airfield, the

115 units and formation headquarters of FTC illustrated how they work, both together and as discrete elements, on the wide range of tasks the Army will focus on in the future. As its first fully

integrated Regular and Reserve forma-tion, with units nationwide, through FTC the Army is benefiting from the skills, knowledge and expertise of bringing to-gether specialists who combine military and civilian experience.

To showcase how this new approach recognises the strength of individual assets, the exhibition broke the skills and specialisms of the units into Contingency, Resilience and Up-stream capacity building bubbles. There was also a demonstration of the Vanguard Field Hospital at work and a display of working dogs; both of which stand alone as key assets within the Command.

Major General Tim Radford DSO OBE, General Officer Commanding Force Troops Command said: “Force Troops Command is the enabler which brings

everything together. So the analogy would be a three legged stool and we are one of the legs - if we are not there that stool will fall over.

“Bringing all the specialists together means that we can prioritise, and make it much more efficient by delivering packages of expertise into an operational area.”

Formed in September 2013, Force Troops Command formally launched on 1st April 2014 and by July 2015 the command will settle into its Army 2020 Structure. It will be the largest 2-star formation in the British Army in terms of manpower and will it hold 45% of all Land Forces Equipment. When complete FTC will consist of:-

1st Artillery Brigade & HQ South • West8 Engineer Brigade• 1st Signal Brigade• 11th Signal Brigade & HQ West • MidlandSurveillance & Reconnaissance • Brigade104 Logistic Support Brigade• 2nd Medical Brigade• 1st Military Police Brigade & the • Security Assistance Group (SAG)

In addition, the command is responsible for co-ordination of the Engineer and Logistics Staff Corps and the Army elements of Joint Ground Based Air Defence.


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