In May 2015, the Pentagon initiated a secret program dubbed Combat Dragon II. $20 million was allocated to activate an experimental unit of two OV-10s, acquired from NASA and the State Department. Its purpose: to test the viability of the low-cost, Vietnam-era OV-10 Bronco in combat scenarios against ISIS. The primary weapon during the aircraft’s deployment to Iraq was 7- and 19-tube rocket pods loaded with the highly accurate laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II rocket, or APKWS II. Two OV-10Gs were assigned for light attack operations in Iraq under the “Combat Dragon II” program and completed 120 missions.
Why the OV-10 Bronco May Be the Ideal Plane to Combat ISIS
The OV-10 Bronco is the Swiss Army Knife of military aviation, faster than a helicopter, more maneuverable than a jet, and able to provide optimal support for troops on the ground in the most difficult of environments. The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin-turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a forward air control (FAC) aircraft. It could carry up to three tons of external munitions, internal loads such as paratroopers or stretchers, and could loiter for three or more hours.
Why the OV-10 Bronco May Be the Ideal Plane to Combat ISIS
New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS) operators are a highly-trained component of New Zealand’s Special Operations Forces, who are ready to deploy at short notice on a variety of operations at the request of Government. The selection process for the NZSAS is rigorous; those selected will be self-starters, able to follow instructions and think for themselves, and it goes without saying that they’ll be able to meet the physical and mental demands of the job. In this video we take a behind-the-scenes look at the training environment, including at the purpose-built Battle Training Facility, where our NZSAS operators train and excel.
New Zealand Special Air Service Battle Training Facility (NZSAS BTF)
The New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) new Battle Training Facility (BTF) was officially opened today by the Prime Minister, Rt Honourable John Key at a ceremony in Auckland. The $46 million modern purpose-built facility in Ardmore took two years to build and replaces outdated and obsolete training facilities for Special Air Service (SAS) personnel in Papakura. It includes facilities for all-weather training, live firing, use of helicopters, and scenario training based on specific environments and structures such as, aircraft fuselages, ship’s bridges, and public transport.
New Zealand Special Air Service Battle Training Facility (NZSAS BTF)
In the previous facilities SAS personnel could not fire their primary operational weapons, however the new BTF allows for live firing and up to advanced full-mission rehearsals. The BTF will primarily be used by the SAS; however it is an important resource for the whole of NZDF. Security threats have become more complex, so it’s vital the NZDF have modern facilities to train SAS personnel who are required to operate in high risk and complex environments. The BTF will also be used by other government agencies with a security role, including the NZ Police Special Tactics Group. This is a capability that is of significant benefit to the whole of the NZDF and it is futureproofed in its design and built to a world class standard. The Papakura Base will still remain in use by the SAS.
New Zealand Special Air Service Battle Training Facility (NZSAS BTF)
The Royal Navy has launched a new recruitment campaign for the UK’s world-renowned amphibious force, the Royal Marines Commandos. The campaign gives new meaning to the Royal Marines’ long-running line “It’s a state of mind” by showing that to become a Royal Marine, you have to change what you think is possible. The launch film, ‘The Mist’, was created by Engine’s creative agency, WCRS, and shot by multi award-winning director Nicolai Fuglsig along with a team that included Oscar-winning director of photography, Matyas Erdly.
Royal Marines Commandos Recruitment Campaign
‘The Mist’ shows a team of Marines quietly paddling forward into a foreboding mist, surrounded by the ruins of a recent battle. The ad demonstrates how to become a Royal Marine, you must overcome mankind’s primal fear of the unknown. “The Mist” shows a team of Marines quietly paddling forward into a foreboding mist, surrounded by the ruins of a recent battle. The ad demonstrates how to become a Royal Marine, you must overcome mankind’s primal fear of the unknown.
Royal Marines Commandos Recruitment Campaign
To keep each film as authentic to Royal Marines operations as possible, they were shot with the Royal Marines on deployment, and each features real, combat-ready Royal Marines Commandos. The new campaign went live on 20th August, video on demand and social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. These films really highlight the essence of ‘It’s a State of Mind’ but critically that if you become a Royal Marine you can change what you think is possible.The next film in the campaign, “Spider”.
Russian BMD-3 airborne vehicle loaded on Il-76MD on the eve of Vostok 2018 active phase. Russia has the largest paratrooper force in the world. Well-trained and equipped with air-droppable armored vehicles for mobility and firepower on the ground, the Vozdushno-Desantnye Voyska (“airborne forces,” or VDV) are the Kremlin’s expeditionary assault troops, leading the invasions of Afghanistan in 1979 and Crimea in 2014. Vostok 2018 which means East 2018 in English involves a total of 300,000 troops, 36,000 vehicles and 1,000 aircraft and is taking place from September 11 until September 17 in eastern Siberia. Significantly, Russian soldiers are being joined by their counterparts from China and Mongolia for large parts of the exercises.
Russian BMD-3 loaded on Il-76MD
Russian Air Force currently has about 120 Il-76 transport aircraft, Russia’s equivalent of the U.S. Air Force’s C-17 transport. The entire available fleet of Il-76 military transport aircraft is enough to paradrop two regiments with a standard set of weapons and military equipment using one sortie. The Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin design bureau. The Il-76 has seen extensive service as a commercial freighter for ramp-delivered cargo, especially for outsized or heavy items unable to be otherwise carried. Because of its ability to operate from unpaved runways, it has been useful in undeveloped areas.
Russian BMD-3 loaded on Il-76MD
The Russian Airborne Troops or VDV (Vozdushno-desantnye voyska Rossii) is a military branch of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. First formed before World War II, the force undertook two significant airborne operations and a number of smaller jumps during the war and for many years after 1945 was the largest airborne force in the world. Unlike the rest of the mechanized units, which use variety of APCs and IFVs such as the BMP series, BTR series and MT-LB, the VDV uses exclusively BMD family vehicles. There are over 1,800 armored fighting vehicles, mostly BMD-1 (since 1969) and BMD-2 (since 1985). There were also over 100 BMD-3 (1990) that were partially upgraded to BMD-4 level. The BMD-3 (Boyevaya Mashina Desanta) is an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) originating from the former Soviet Union. This armored fighting vehicle is one of the lightest in its class and is intended to be a fire support platform for use by airborne and air assault units.
The Pontifical Swiss Guard (Papal Swiss Guard, Swiss Guard; Pontificia Cohors Helvetica, Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia Pontificis; Italian:Guardia Svizzera Pontificia; Päpstliche Schweizergarde; Garde suisse pontificale) is a small force maintained by the Holy See that is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace. The Swiss Guard serves as the de facto military of Vatican City. Established in 1506 under Pope Julius II, the Pontifical Swiss Guard is among the oldest military units in continuous operation.
Pontifical Swiss Guard
The dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance. The modern guard has the role of bodyguard of the Pope. The Swiss Guard is equipped with traditional weapons, such as the halberd, as well as with modern firearms. Since the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, a much stronger emphasis has been placed on the guard’s non-ceremonial roles, and has seen enhanced training in unarmed combat and small arms.
Pontifical Swiss Guard
Recruits to the guards must be Catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces and can obtain certificates of good conduct. Recruits must have a professional degree or high school diploma and must be between 19 and 30 years of age and at least 174 cm (5 ft 8.5 in) tall. In 2009, the Pontifical Swiss Guard commandant, Daniel Anrig, suggested that the Guard might someday be open to recruiting women, but he added that the admission of female recruits remained far in the future. Qualified candidates must apply to serve. If accepted, new guards are sworn on 6 May every year in the San Damaso Courtyard (Cortile di San Damaso) in the Vatican (6 May is the anniversary of the Sack of Rome). The chaplain of the guard reads aloud the oath in the languages of the guard (German, Italian, and French).
Torpedo SEAL is swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV, SEAL Pod) designed and developed by British company James Fisher Defence (JFD). The Torpedo SEAL is a result of JFD’s partnership with Swedish company DCE AB, a leading consultancy and manufacturer of specialist marine crafts. Torpedo SEAL may also be easily stowed within the multi-purpose tubes being designed into future submarine designs, or beneath the outer casing of the submarine. Torpedo SEAL is controlled by a single pilot and is able to accommodate an additional passenger, plus equipment.
JFD Torpedo SEAL Swimmer Delivery Vehicle
Torpedo SEAL transits within a 533 mm NATO-standard torpedo tube. Once removed from the tube, Torpedo SEAL is fully extended and ready for use. It is then able to transport two divers and equipment, fully submerged, over a range of 7.5 nm. Torpedo SEAL is controlled by a single pilot and can also accommodate one passenger and equipment. Torpedo SEAL can be used for mission profiles including; extending the operating range of a combat team; underwater survey and reconnaissance; delivery of explosive ordnance; counter narcotics and harbour patrol; and mine countermeasure operations.
JFD Torpedo SEAL Swimmer Delivery Vehicle
Torpedo SEAL carries an advanced Lithium Polymer battery coupled with one or two thrusters, depending on customer requirements. The Steering Information Navigation Control (SINC) system is common to all vehicles in The SEAL Pod. In Torpedo SEAL, the system provides operators with real time location, sensor and communications data. This swimmer delivery vehicle (SDV) has a sprint speed of 4 knots, can dive to a maximum depth of 50 meters and has a range of 10 nautical miles.
The Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship is a class of Landing Platform Helicopter (LPH) amphibious assault ships operated by the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). The Landing Platform Helicopter was built by Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction in Busan, the requirements for the amphibious landing ships were to enhance South Korea’s current amphibious operation capability, both in terms of assault and military operations other than war (MOOTW) type operations. Dokdo is the largest vessel in the South Korean Navy. It has almost similar specifications compared to the Spanish Navy’s aircraft carrier Príncipe de Asturias and the Thai Navy’s Chakri Naruebet light aircraft carrier. The ship was named after the Dokdo islets in the East Sea.
The lead ship in its class, ROKS Dokdo (LPH 6111), was launched in July 2005 and commissioned into the ROKN in July 2007. The ROKN also planned to deploy two similar ships intended for strategic mobile units. The second and third units will be named Marado (LPH 6112) and Baengnyeong (LPH 6113). The Landing Platform Helicopter can also be deployed in a range of operations including in support of national overseas policy, peacekeeping operations, disaster recovery, counter-terrorism operations and national prestige enhancement.
The Landing Platform Helicopter has an overall length of 199m, a width of 31m and a draught of 7m. The standard displacement of the vessel is 14,000t and full load displacement is 18,000t. The LPH can carry over 700 marines, 10 trucks, six tanks, six AAVs, three field artillery pieces, 10 helicopters and two LCACs. Dokdo can complement more than 330 crew members. The hull is divided into four decks to accommodate helicopters, assault amphibious vehicles (AAV), landing craft air cushion (LCAC), tanks and trucks. Accommodation facilities, command posts and crew life support systems are located on deck 2. It has been said to be one of the most advanced vessels in the Asian Pacific.
Korean news agency Yonhap reported in December 2017 that the Korean military was considering operating F-35B aircraft from the Dokdo-class amphibious assault ships. The flight deck is covered with Urethane to withstand the heat created by the aircraft during operations. The ship can operate short-range and VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft such as the Harrier or F-35B, when equipped with a ski jump board module. Currently, this ship operates mainly UUH-60 helicopter and the AH-1 attack helicopter. The second ship of the class, Marado, was built with some changes compared to Dokdo. The flight deck is adapted to accommodate two V-22 Ospreys, while Dokdo was able to only carry one.
The ship is fitted with two goalkeeper close-in weapon systems (CIWS) supplied by Thales Nederland. The system provides close-point defence against incoming missiles and ballistic shells. The seven barrelled CIWS can fire 4,200 rounds a minute for a maximum range of 2,000m. The Landing Platform Helicopter is also armed with RIM-116 RAM (rolling airframe missile) system. RAM is an infrared homing surface-to-air missile used against anti-ship cruise missiles. The missile can travel at a maximum speed of Mach 2 while carrying a blast fragmentation warhead for a range of 9km. The ship’s long range volume search radar is the Thales SMART-L. The radar can detect and track targets within the range of 400km. The ship is also equipped with MW08 surface search radar and AN/SPS-95K navigation radar.
Dokdo’s propulsion system is based on combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) plant. The propulsion system integrates four S.E.M.T. Pielstick 16 PC2.5 STC diesel engines. These engines were licence built in Korea by Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction. Each engine, rated at 7,650kW, is equipped with sequential turbo charging (STC) system. The CAE Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) monitors and controls the hull, propulsion, electrical distribution, steering and battle damage control systems. The propulsion system provides a maximum speed of 23kt and cruising range of 10,000nm at 18kt speed.
