Posted on 10/22/2001 7:55:51 AM PDT by dead
Hard as ice: the men who go further than the SAS
An elite British unit is preparing to join the hunt for Osama bin Laden in the mountains of northern Afghanistan, defying the myth that the onset of winter will stall military operations.
The first snows are expected by the end of the month, bringing fierce storms, near-zero visibility and temperatures as low as -20C.
But the 24-strong Brigade Patrol Troop has expertise in the extremes of winter warfare and could be the force on which the hunt for the al-Queda leader and his men may ultimately turn. Recruited almost exclusively from the Royal Marine Commandos, the troop practise and refine their skills in northern Norway.
The troop, based in Plymouth, comprises six four-man teams, each with its own medic, signaller, sniper and patrol commander.
All are parachutists, and their weapons of choice are the M16 assault rifle or the L96 infantry sniper rifle, but at least one will have a Belgian Minimi light machine gun, which has a better rate of fire. They can also carry anti-tank weapons.
During the Cold War they were used alongside regular Royal Marine Commandos as the first line of defence for NATO's northern flank against a Soviet invasion.
They pride themselves on their ability to operate in weather conditions considered extreme even by the standards of special forces. They have no equivalent in the United States armed forces, and such are the selection standards that only a handful of SAS troopers have managed to join their ranks.
The men must be able to live in snow holes for weeks on end as they seek, and then destroy, the enemy. Their other skills include laser target indication for air attacks, ice wall and mountain climbing, resistance to interrogation and escape techniques.
As intelligence on the dispositions of the Taliban and the whereabouts of bin Laden arrives at US Central Command in Tampa, Florida, and the Joint Force Headquarters in Britain, the men will be inserted by helicopter to cover the high passes that al-Qaeda may use to move into lower valleys, where weather conditions are less hostile.
On arrival at their landing sites, the commandos will establish a ring of covert observation posts dug deep into the snow. From here they will observe any movements and, with encrypted signals sent in high-speed bursts, report to their commanders at forward bases in Afghanistan or neighbouring countries such as Pakistan or Uzbekistan.
Their task will be to assess possible routes, supply lines and secret locations so more heavily armed special forces troops, such as the SAS, can be flown in to intercept. But if they identify bin Laden or any of his lieutenants they will be cleared to open fire.
Alternatively, if an al-Qaeda camp is located, the information they provide will allow planners to bring spy satellites on line, allowing the mountain troops to call in air strikes using conventional satellite and laser-guided bombs, or cruise missiles.
The Telegraph, London
Belgian Minimi light machine gun
Is that pronounced Mini-me? Cute...
Looking at Clintoons nose makes one think he could be called an "iceman".
But in all seriousness, I don't know what the big deal is about working in winter conditions that would be normal for most of people in Alaska and in the northern tier of American states and Canada. Can't there be gun mounts installed on snowmobils?
Yeah, I know that in unknown terrain and adverse conditions it gets harder to accomplish tasks, but outside the average combat soldiers capabilities? Come on.
Historically, training of almost any kind has been anathema to the US Army. Napoleon once wrote, "The more inferior the quality of a body of troops, the more artillery it requires." In America, we have taken that to heart by providing lots of firepower and not bothering to train our infantry.
We went to Alaska from Micronesia, it was 120 plus inside the aircraft when we departed. Arrived in Elmendorf it was a balmy -20 in the afternoon. The grunts from Ft. Wainwright had been out in the boonies for long time before we arrived and they were still there when we left. In fact I think a few shot at us, not sure. hehehehe
With all due respect, 10th Mountain is based at Camp Drum in northern New York...and their training ground is the Adirondacks. Winter is not for the soft in those parts.
The wide-eyed kids from Saudi and Qatar don't function any better than our regulars at 13,000 feet up.
I have trouble going to Denver to visit customers. Imagine trying to haul 100 lbs and fight at the top of Pikes Peak, to get an idea of what our guys go thru.
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