Friday Foto

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Strikehold

Overwatch

A machine gun crew with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, sets up an overwatch position during a foot patrol May 8, 2012, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

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Special Operations Forces Industry Conference (SOFIC)

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Strikehold

Special operations delegates from 96 nations gathered this week in Tampa, Fla. for a conference that U.S. Special Operations Command hosts every few years.

Navy Adm. William H. McRaven, Socom’s commander, and his counterparts from Australia and Colombia briefed the press on the final day of the international gathering.

The conference “is always a tremendous opportunity for us to get our partners, our allies, our friends from around the globe to come and interact with each other,” McRaven said, adding that this year’s theme was “Building the Global SOF Partnership.”

McRaven was joined by Maj. Gen. Peter Warwick Gilmore, Special Operations Commander Australia, and Brig. Gen. Juan Pablo Rodriguez Barragan, commander of the Colombian National Army’s Fifth Division.

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UK Army and RAF step up training for close quarters combat

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Strikehold

Two new training facilities have opened this week as operations in Afghanistan draw down, and the Army and the RAF Regiment are preparing for possible future operations and the need for urban warfare skills.

Soldiers are relearning their urban warfare skills in a new course launched this week at Copehill Down, Salisbury Plain, while a newly built RAF training facility for recruits at RAF Halton has been officially opened, tried and tested by the RAF’s Assistant Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Training, Air Commodore Russell La Forte.

Army instructors learn new Close Quarters Battle skills at Copehill Down on Salisbury Plain. (Picture: Sergeant Russ Nolan, Crown Copyright/MOD 2012)

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Stuff other people wrote about this week…

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Strikehold

We’ve all been busy with other things the past couple of weeks, so we haven’t posted much here.  But we’ve still taken the time to find cool stuff to share with you guys and gals here and on our Facebook page…

Line of Departure took an interesting look at an airborne assault of the future:  High Tech Airfield Assault

CNN gave us an insight into a pretty cool information warfare unit in the State Department:  Targeting Al Qaeda Online

Soldier Systems was covering the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Florida this week.  I noted this piece in particular:  PCU Level 9 Kneepads System

UK MoD News wrote about how the Royal Canadian Mounted Police have been guarding Buckingham Palace:  Canadian Mounties take over Royal duties at Horse Guards

Strategy Page reported that the US Marines have adopted the Switchblade mini-UAV / “cruise missile”:  USMC adopt mini-cruise missile

Brandon Webb at SOFREP delivered a well-written and thought-provoking article on women serving combat roles in SOF units:  The First Female Navy SEAL

Our friends at PredatorBDUblog gave us a heads-up on the ultra-lightweight MRZR from Polaris Defense:  Polaris Defense MRZR Ultra-Lightweight Warfighter Vehicles

 

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Friday Foto

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Strikehold

Switzerland’s special forces, Armee Aufklaerung Detachment 10, do a capabilities show-and-tell for VIPs – including the Swiss Defence Minister.

Note that these particular operators are wearing combat clothing from Claw Gear in the Swiss national camouflage pattern.

 

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