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This Week in the Blackwater Tactical Weekly…
Afghanistan–Pakistan Developments
Homeland Security–First Responder
From Our Friends at Total Intelligence Solutions If you are having trouble viewing this please Click Here |
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| QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
“This tragedy is not going to be erased, but it is something we can help the Polish people come to terms with by acknowledging our admiration for them.” |
| WEEKLY SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS |
Afghan Taliban Issue Third Video of Captured American Soldier Bowe BergdahlTimes OnlineThe Afghan Taliban have released a video of the only American soldier in captivity, offering to release him as part of a prisoner exchange. Private Bowe Bergdahl, who was taken hostage in Afghanistan last June, is pictured saying he wants to return to his family in Idaho and that the war in Afghanistan is not worth the number of lives that have been lost or wasted in prison. |
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| U.S. DEFENSE NEWS |
Osprey Crash Kills 4 in AfghanistanMilitary NewsA U.S. Air Force tilt-rotor aircraft crashed in southeastern Afghanistan, killing three service members and one government contractor. Other personnel aboard were injured and were taken to a military base for treatment, NATO said. The CV-22 Osprey went down about 7 miles (11 kilometers) from Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, NATO said. The cause of the crash was under investigation. Full StoryAssault Breacher Vehicles Beat Bombs in AfghanistanPopular MechanicsThe civilian mechanics at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama usually only fix vehicles for the Army, not design them for the Marine Corps. But as Marines push into contested areas of Afghanistan, their engineers face a persistent threat from roadside bombs. The mechanics at Anniston saw they could build a safe ride for these military engineers by adding off-the-shelf equipment to an M1A1 Abrams battle tank. The result, called the Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV), maximizes the depot staff’s experience at fixing the M1A1 and their ability to mount heavy engineering equipment, including a 12-foot plough, onto its hull. The Army donated excess tank parts from its inventory to create the ABV. Full StoryBAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System Ready for Production and DeploymentMarket WatchBAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) has been declared by the U.S. Navy ready to enter production. The decision, known as "Milestone C," signifies that the APKWS development program has met its objectives and the system is ready to be deployed. The system will now enter low-rate initial production, with the first systems expected to be fielded later this year. APKWS, developed by BAE Systems in partnership with the U.S. government, provides aviators with a highly precise weapon that is effective against soft and lightly armored targets while minimizing collateral damage -- important in urban areas and other situations in which non-combatants or friendly forces are near hostile targets. The U.S. Marine Corps will initially deploy APKWS from AH-1W Cobra helicopters. Full StoryCombat Blimps Head to AfghanistanStrategy PageThe U.S. is shipping dozens of aerostats (tethered blimps) to Afghanistan. In the last few years, the U.S. Army has combined communications and electronic eavesdropping gear and software, with day/night camera towers, and aerostats, to produce BETSS-C (Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance Sensors-Combined). The observation towers have been used since 2003, in Iraq and Afghanistan. The army has purchased 300 more towers for Afghanistan, so every U.S. base, even if temporary, has one. Full StoryWounded Warrior Shooters – Ability Not DisabilityAmmo LandSome of today’s wounded warriors have lost limbs, feeling in their arms or legs, or the use of both eyes but they haven’t lost the feeling of inspiration, motivation or commitment to succeed while still serving their country. Wounded Soldiers from around the Army came to Fort Benning and the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit Mar. 29-Apr. 1 to learn from the military’s best shooters in preparation for the inaugural Warrior Games. Air Rifle and Pistol are among the athletic events wounded, ill and injured service members from all branches will compete in at the inaugural games May 10-14 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Full Story |
| INTERNATIONAL MILITARY NEWS |
Trophy Tank Defense System Ready for Deployment in IsraelDaily TechThe governments of most nations around the globe spend untold sums of money developing weapons that strike at enemies with heavy force, or on a smaller scale through the use of unmanned drones. Many of these nations also spend great sums of money on defensive technologies to protect their troops from enemy weapons. In August of 2009, Israel Defense Forces announced a new system for defense of tanks that is called the Trophy Active protection system. Full StoryPakistan To Test-Fire Italy Air Defense MissilesDefense NewsPakistan will test-fire in July the Spada 2000 air defense system acquired from MBDA Italia, a source at the firm said April 7. The Spada test-firing will follow the delivery of the first of ten Spada batteries ordered by Pakistan for 415 million euros in 2007. Antonio Perfetti, CEO of MBDA Italia, said that delivery of the battery was currently underway. Iran Boosts Air Defenses with New Missile SystemDefense TalkIran has developed and successfully tested its first domestically-built air defense system capable of destroying aircraft at low and medium altitudes, Press TV cited the country's defense minister as saying. Ahmad Vahidi announced that the new system, dubbed Mersad (Ambush), is equipped with sophisticated radar, an advanced launcher, and modern guidance and target acquisition electronics. German Soldiers Under-Equipped and Under-Trained, Says PoliticianDefense TalkA leading defense expert has criticized the training received by German Bundeswehr soldiers being sent to Afghanistan. This was in response to an attack in Kunduz last week, where militants killed three German soldiers. Germany's out-going parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces, Reinhold Robbe, on Tuesday publicly criticized the way German soldiers are trained before being sent to Afghanistan. In addition to agreeing with Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's recent arguments that Germany's involvement in Afghanistan is "war", Robbe told German public broadcaster ARD that soldiers were insufficiently trained to operate armored vehicles. Pakistan Launches Biggest Ever Military Exercise at India BorderHindustan TimesPakistan launched its biggest ever army exercise on Saturday, involving 50,000 soldiers, to train them to prepare for the threat of a conventional war with India in the Cholistan desert along the country's eastern border. The Azm-e-Nau (New Resolve)-3 exercise started with the demonstration of "dispersal techniques" by troops in a "battle-like situation." The exercise is the culmination of a year-long training process initiated in light of army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani’s directive to observe 2009-10 as the "year of training." |
| AFGHANISTAN–PAKISTAN DEVELOPMENTS |
Afghan Marksmanship: Pointing, Not AimingNew York Times BlogThis blog has recently been examining poor Afghan marksmanship, focusing on remarkably bad Taliban performance with rifles in combat and some of the probable reasons behind it. We’ll shift now to a discussion of Afghan government units, which regularly provide an opportunity to assess outgoing fire. Puncturing some of the legends of Afghan fighting prowess has value for at least two reasons. IEDs in Afghanistan Double in Past YearAssociated PressThe number of crude roadside bombs in Afghanistan has doubled in the past year, prompting U.S. officials to rush billions of dollars of new protective gear to troops and double the number of road-clearing teams. The campaign against the deadly devices, described Thursday by senior officials, follows Pentagon warnings of an increase in casualties in the months to come. President Barack Obama has ordered the deployment of more than 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, and already, more U.S. deaths have accompanied the rise in forces. How to Save Afghanistan From President Hamid KarzaiNew York TimesIn February, the Taliban sanctuary of Marja in southern Afghanistan was attacked in the largest operation of the war. Last week, President Obama flew to Afghanistan and declared, “Our troops have pushed the Taliban out of their stronghold in Marja …. The United States of America does not quit once it starts on something.” But what is that “something”? And, equally important, does Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai, have to be a part of it? Full StoryBritish Army Search Dog Finds Taliban Bomb FactoryTelegraph.co.ukThe Belgian Shepherd called Chocolat sniffed out enough explosives to make 10 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during a recent search of a bazaar in the Nad-e-Ali region of Afghanistan. His handler Private Steve Purdy said the animal's behaviour made him realise that bomb-making equipment was hidden in a shop. He said: ''Chocolat totally right-angled, went in, and wouldn't come back. Normally he would never go out of my sight. That's how sure I was. It was enough for me to pull him back and say that there was something there.'' Full StoryLive Ammo Removed From Afghan Soldier's HeadABC NewsRisking a deadly explosion in the operating room, doctors at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan surgically removed an explosive device from the head of an Afghan National Army Soldier last month, according to the Air Force News Service. The 2.5-inch unexploded ordnance became lodged under a portion ofthe patient's skull during an improvised explosive device attack. But when the patient arrived for treatment, doctors thought it was only a piece of scrap metal, the Air Force reported. Full Story |
| HOMELAND SECURITY–FIRST RESPONDER |
New York Police Department Shifting Anti-terror Cops To The StreetsCBS NewsHard hit by budget cuts the NYPD has decided to fight spiking crime rates by reassigning anti-terror cops to street patrols in tough neighborhoods. But not everyone thinks shifting patrols is a good idea. Outside the Empire State Building, one of the top terror targets in the city, some New Yorkers were outraged by the shift and had some strong words for Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Full StoryDHS Completes Incident Planning for a Moscow-Type Explosive AttackGovernment Security NewsDHS has identified 15 hypothetical terrorist attack scenarios, but has completed the incident planning work on only one of those scenarios – referred to as “Terrorist Use of Explosives” – which happens to be the scenario that so-called “Black Widow” female Chechnyan suicide bombers appear to have followed when they detonated explosives in two subway stations in Moscow during the morning rush hour on March 29. Michigan Militia Chief Advocates Killing CopsPolice OneA Christian militia leader accused of plotting the mass murder of law enforcement as a prelude to a larger war against the government hoped killing police would help keep people from joining the force, according to a transcript of a secretly recorded audio tape. The Associated Press obtained the transcript Thursday. It lists David Brian Stone of rural southern Michigan as saying: "You kill enough cops, you can't get enough people to take the job. |
| FROM OUR FRIENDS AT TOTAL INTELLIGENCE SOLUTIONS |
United Kingdom: Jihadists Studying Low-Cost RocketryHighlights
More traditional suicide, IED, gun attacks remain biggest threat to UK in near-term A discussion was recently posted to the English-language section of a popular jihadist website, TIS-600045, encouraging British radicals to build DIY cruise missiles to attack passenger jets. The forum explains how to manufacture fuel engine missiles using details extracted from operating manuals for the Russian 107 millimeter Katyusha rocket. Another post contained highly sophisticated computer-designed plans regarding the construction of a two-stage missile that would use a parachute to drop a bomb on a target. A related discussion was posted to the Arabic-language section of the same website, promoting George P. Sutton’s Rocket Propulsion Elements as a potential instructional tool for jihadists seeking new ways to conduct attacks. The post calls upon bi-lingual extremists to volunteer their language services by translating a portion of the English book into Arabic to “fill the gap” in rocket expertise. Several jihadists have already begun translating portions of this work, focusing particularly on the chapter covering “Solid Propellant Rocket Fundamentals” and how to manufacture rocket fuel. Although discussions regarding terrorists’ use of rockets and missiles against Western targets date back to the early 2000s, newly heightened security measures are bringing the topic back to the forefront and increasing the likelihood that terrorists will turn to low-cost cruise missiles (LCCM) and rockets to attack heavily fortified Western nations from within. Although this particular forum is targeted at extremists residing in the United Kingdom (UK), where according to one forum user, “Jihad is as British as afternoon tea,” this is potentially a rising threat for enemies of Islamic extremists around the globe. Nevertheless, given the difficulties jihadists have had in the past in their attempts to use homemade rockets, we believe more reliable and cost-efficient suicide bombings, IEDs, and coordinated gun attacks remain the biggest threat to the UK, particularly leading up to the May 6th general elections. Full ReportThe preceding article is part of subscription service created byTotal Intelligence Solutions (TIS). For additional information, please contact Brad Slade at bslade@totalintel.com. Follow Total Intelligence Solutions on Facebook and Twitter (search TIS Online) |
| BUMPER STICKER |
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| FRANKS REVIEW |
Tactical Equipment EvaluationThor GDG Tr-15 RifleI supposed this should be considered a “bonus” tactical review, but since there are plenty of shooters who use their AR-style weapons for hunting and/or competition, I’m leaving it as a Recreational Review. The product under report is the AR-15 Basic Kit from Fail Zero. Fail Zero manufactures products that use EXO Technology (more on that below) to provide permanent DRY lubrication to metal surfaces. Anyone who’s ever cleaned all the carbon and grit out of a well-lubricated rifle will understand how dry lubrication can be quite desirable. How well does this dry lubrication work? Let’s take a look. Recreational Equipment ReviewFail Zero AR-15 Basic KitI supposed this should be considered a “bonus” tactical review, but since there are plenty of shooters who use their AR-style weapons for hunting and/or competition, I’m leaving it as a Recreational Review. The product under report is the AR-15 Basic Kit from Fail Zero. Fail Zero manufactures products that use EXO Technology (more on that below) to provide permanent DRY lubrication to metal surfaces. Anyone who’s ever cleaned all the carbon and grit out of a well-lubricated rifle will understand how dry lubrication can be quite desirable. How well does this dry lubrication work? Let’s take a look. |
| CHAPLAINS CORNER |
THESE TIMES…If you read this message, please read all the way to the end including the closing comments at the end of the message. Read those closing comments slowly and with full attention. Sometimes we need to renew what they might re-inspire in us if we read slowly and take it all in. Most of us are in too big a hurry most of the time. Reading is often one of those times we are in too big a hurry. |
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