opswarfare

Visit to aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis

2012-02-01T23:36:00.000+08:00

The US Embassy recently sent an invite to visit the USS John C. Stennis. I quickly responded with a "Yes", and looked forward to my second visit to a aircraft carrier. (1st visit to USS George Washington in October 2011)

I reached Changi Naval Base (CNB) before the designated time of 1pm. Chatted with the US sailors on duty while waiting for the rest of the visitors to arrive. A quick security check, then onto the shuttle bus. Spotted a South Korean destroyer, ROKS Munmu the Great, docked in CNB also.

First highlight was seeing a submarine. A check later revealed that it was the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class submarine. Pity it wasn't available for a visit.

Once onboard the Stennis, we were given a quick intro by the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Harrell (I hope I got his name correctly).

We were then allowed to roam around the hangar to take photos and mingle with the sailors.

Lt. Cmdr. Michael Morley, PAO for Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC), provided an interesting comparison between the Seahawk helicopters and submarines. He felt that the choppers were more useful because of their versatility.

Next, we took the elevator to the flight deck. We were introduced to a EA-6B Prowler pilot (from VAQ-133), who explained the main feature of the Prowler, which is to jam enemy radars.

She also highlighted that the squadron will be transitioning to the EA-18G Growler soon.

Yours truly then took a tumble, courtesy of one of the arrestor cables; super malu :)

I was rushing to the stern of the carrier, where a E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft (from VAW-112) was open for viewing. It was eye-opening to be able to view the interior of the Hawkeye. Space was cosy, but not too cramped.

Last but not least, it was great to be able to see the famous "Ouija board", which provides a "live" view of the position of the planes on deck. There is also a corresponding board for the hangar deck. We were introduced to the different objects used to represent the status, e.g. a purple nut indicates the plane needs to be refuelled. (the refuelling crew on board wear purple vests)

A new touchscreen system will eventually replace the Ouija board. The officer joked that he hoped to play "Angry Birds" on the touchscreen.

Photos of the visit at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.231756460241585.57129.100002216990104&type=3&l=7a9357ccd3

p.s. I found myself using the 18-55mm kit lens exclusively. Lighting conditions were good, and most shots were shot at 18mm (around 27mm in 35mm format).

p.p.s. For a glimpse of life on a carrier, do view this 2008 PBS documentary "Carrier". Episode 1 here.

Afghanistan: the Battle for Helmand

2012-01-25T21:38:00.000+08:00

Ross Kemp: Back On The Frontline

2012-01-23T23:19:00.001+08:00

Episode 1, Part 1 of 3

Combat Tactical Challenge - Help Me!

2012-01-23T23:05:00.000+08:00

The Centre for Army Lessons in the Australian Army publishes a series of Combat Tactical Challenges.

More details in the link below.

http://opsw.blogspot.com/2011/08/combat-tactical-challenge.html

opswarfare hopes to keep an archive of the scenarios presented.

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Background

Tropical Cyclone Baldrick impacted on the North Queensland coast between Cardwell and Ingham, causing major damage to infrastructure (roads, buildings, power and water) in several towns along the coast.

You are deployed as part of Op BALDRICK ASSIST to provide immediate assistance to the town of Ingham and surrounding areas. You are among the first responders to the scene; your arrival is just 4 hours since the region was impacted.

You are the brick commander whose primary mission on this day is to clear debris from a series of roads on the southern approach to the town. This will allow emergency response vehicles into the town so that they can begin to set up infrastructure to support the local population.

Upon hearing the sounds of your chainsaws, your brick is immediately overwhelmed with civilians asking for assistance to clear their properties. Several comment that they lost their roof in the cyclone, and others have had significant structural damage.

Three civilians with serious injuries have been carried to you; one has a head wound which is bleeding profusely, while two others have significant limb injuries.

A heavily pregnant woman believes she has gone into labour and hasn't been able to call emergency services as the phone lines are down. She has no support with her, as her husband was caught out by the cyclone, and is stuck in Townsville unable to get through.

One of your soldiers helping to clear the felled trees is bitten by a snake.

Your only reliable form of communication is your own personal mobile phone. Emergency services are not able to get through the debris to you.

What Would You Do?

Several hours later, you have managed to clear one lane into the centre of the town when you hear word that the support vehicles coming up from Townsville have been involved in a mass vehicle accident, and will not be arriving with the extra fuel, food, water, and other supplies.

You estimate you have only an hour's supply of chainsaw fuel left, and three of your eight chainsaws have broken down. You are receiving significant pressure from emergency services to clear the road quicker, and civilians are stepping in to help with clearing the roads.

How do you manage this situation?

You receive new orders to send half your brick and yourself to the centre of town to assist local police with a spate of looting that is occurring in the town's electronic and hardware stores.

You and your soldiers must approach the town on foot, as the roads into town are still littered with debris.

Approaching the town centre, you observe several youths smashing store front windows. When they observe you coming towards them, they begin to throw rocks and other debris at you and your men.

You are not armed, and are not wearing any PPE.

How do you respond?

It is not the intent of the Combat Tactical Challenge to provide all the specific information necessary for a ‘DS solution'. As such, write down any assumptions you may have made and then come up with a solution.

Myanmar Signs Truce With Ethnic Rebel Group, the Karen

2012-01-23T22:44:00.001+08:00

NYTimes.com

Glad to see that 2 of the conflicts featured in opswarfare's series of current conflicts in South-East Asia have been resolved with ceasefires. The Burma/Myanmar government has signed ceasefire agreements with both the Shan State Army - South and the Karen National Union.

Communist Party of Philippines / New People's Army

2012-01-23T18:28:00.000+08:00

Part 3 of the ongoing series on current conflicts in South-East Asia.

The Philippines vs Communist Party of Philippines / New People's Army

Note: As opswarfare will concentrate on combat operations, it will refer to the group as the New People's Army (NPA). [The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of Philippines]

A excerpt from Jane's on the current situation

"Over the years, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has launched several military campaigns, the most recent being Oplan Bantay Laya II, and declared the insurgents' irreversible decline at least twice since the end of the Cold War and the decline of communism worldwide."

The NPA's objectives are slightly different compared to the 2 groups highlighted earlier in this series. The Karen National Union and the Shan State Army - South aim to get autonomy for their respective regions.

The NPA, in contrast, seeks to overthrow the entire Philippine government. As a result, it is active in several regions of the Philippines. It is also an ideological movement, compared to the ethnic groupings in Burma/Myanmar.

Tactics

NPA has a history of attacking foreign-owned companies, targeted assassinations ofFilipinos who are critical of the NPA, specifically politicians,security officials, and members of thenews media.

One recent attack provides a good example.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/69905/npa-hits-3-surigao-mines

The NPA attacked 3 mining companies. Tactically, this seems counter-intuitive, as the mining companies are not legitimate military targets. The "official" explanation of environmental concerns sound a little contrived, making the NPA look like some kind of green vigilantes, assuming that the explanation is true.

The explanation offered by the Philippine military is economic in nature, claiming that the NPA earn the bulk of their funds through extortion.

Another example highlights the usage of landmines.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2011/12/02/mayor-urges-rebels-surrender-193787
The indiscriminate nature of landmines means its usage may be counter-productive in a war of hearts and minds.

Postscript

While conducting research for this article, opswarfare came across a news story that warrants further analysis.

Hunt on for Palparan

Mekong River four-nation patrols begin after attacks

2011-12-12T21:52:00.000+08:00

BBC News

opswarfare came across this news story by chance while looking for another article. Tactical details of the "so-called" joint patrols are not known.

It is not yet clear how they will link up with their Burmese, Lao and Thai counterparts, how far along the Mekong the patrols will go, or if officers from one country will be able to perform arrests in others' territorial waters.

If the details are ironed out, it may point the way towards a similar arrangement for the disputed Spratly islands.

The end of a painful chapter

2011-12-08T09:25:00.001+08:00

Al Jazeera
US troops are finally leaving Iraq, a country they invaded for the wrong reasons.

While most eyes turn to Afghanistan, we should not forget the errors committed, when the international community was misled into supporting the war.

Shan State Army - South (SSA-S)

2011-12-04T00:28:00.000+08:00

opswarfare embarks on Part 2 of the series on current conflicts in South-East Asia.

Myanmar vs Shan State Army - South

The Shan State Army - South (SSA-S) is one of the rebel groups in Burma/Myanmar. Similar to the previous post on the Karen National Union (KNU), the status is of a low-intensity conflict.

Jane's description of this group below.

Active on the southern border with Thailand, this 'new' SSA became known as the Shan State Army - South (SSA-S) to distinguish it from the original SSA, which was still at peace with the government, and which became known as the Shan State Army - North (SSA-N).

The objective of the SSA-S is to establish an autonomous Shan State within a federated Union of Myanmar. It seeks to use force to coerce the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) - the military junta that rules Myanmar - into complying with this demand.

Military tactics

With a low-intensity conflict, guerilla tactics are to be expected. According to this report, attacks on the logistics network (in this case, food) is one of the tactics employed.

Like many other rebel groups in Burma/Myanmar, the SSA-S does publish regular updates of its military operations, including detailed statistics (example) on casualties, date/times, location, etc.

This form of "information warfare" is a useful tool in a low-intensity conflict. It is a way to inform the civilian population, who may be suffering from the effects of the conflict, so that they are "kept in the loop". It is also used to publicise their cause and to highlight military abuses (if any) to foreign media & interest groups.

Other issues?

The drug trade in the Golden Triangle contributes significantly to the international drug market, and the SSA-S knows that adopting a strong stance against drugs will have indirect benefits in terms of implicit support from neighbouring governments like Thailand, and also moral support, better recognition and legitimacy from international groups.

Future trends?

As of the date when this blog post was published, the SSA-S has just signed a ceasefire agreement with the local government in the Shan state.

While ceasefire agreements are not rare (and have been broken previously), it is possible that recent political changes in Burma/Myanmar may finally result in some form of tangible peace in the ethnic regions also.

Conflicts in South-East Asia (Updated)

2011-11-27T21:12:00.000+08:00

The Uppsala Conflict Data Program website has updated it's map of the world's conflicts in 2010 (PDF).

The updated list for South-East Asia is below

Myanmar

Gov. vs KNU
Gov. vs DKBA S
Gov. vs SSA-S

Philippines

Gov. vs CPP
Gov. vs ASG

Thailand

Gov. vs Patani insurgents

Not many changes from the previous list.

Citizen journalism of another kind

2011-11-13T00:19:00.001+08:00

Watch Bad Voodoo's War on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

A great idea for the soldiers to shoot video footage in Iraq, and pass it back to the PBS Frontline team to edit and create this video.

NSCS's Addendum to the President's Address

2011-11-08T11:36:00.000+08:00

A little belated, but below is the addendum to the President's address by the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS).

PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (NATIONAL SECURITY COORDINATION SECRETARIAT)
(Addendum to the President’s Address)

The Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (Mr Teo Chee Hean):

Terrorism remains a persistent threat. Recent terror attacks in Indonesia, India and Norway are clear reminders that acts of terrorism are not exclusively associated with any one sector of the ideological spectrum. “Lone Wolf” terrorists, who act without formal links to an established terrorist organisation, aided by easily available tools and methods propagated by the internet, are much more difficult to prevent. Besides terrorism, the incidence of cyber attacks has escalated over the years and the consequences are becoming increasingly significant.

Whole-of-Government response
Our security agencies have remained vigilant but we cannot be complacent. The National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) promotes collaboration across government agencies to mitigate threats in a holistic manner across domains such as aviation, maritime, land transport, critical infrastructure and cyberspace. A collaborative approach creates synergies between agencies and optimises the use of scarce resources.

Developing a vigilant and resilient society
A well coordinated government response has to be complemented with the participation of all Singaporeans. NSCS continues to organise and coordinate national security awareness and outreach programmes to engage all segments of our society. Collectively, we must be able to withstand an attack, bounce back and recover quickly should the worst come to pass.

Leveraging technology
Technology is an effective force multiplier. Given Singapore’s limited resources, we need to harness advanced technologies to address threats to our national security. The National Security Engineering Centre (NSEC), set up in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), supports this through a national security technology roadmap that prioritises and develops technological applications.

Risk assessment and horizon scanning
NSCS has developed a Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning (RAHS) capability to raise Singapore’s strategic anticipation capability, and to promote cross-domain and cross-agency sharing of perspectives on national security.

Behind "The Untold War" with Professor Nancy Sherman

2011-11-07T16:56:00.000+08:00

From The Editor's Desk - Military.com Podcasts

I was "lucky" to have a few hours of spare time between 2 gatherings while out in town. This gave me time to finish the prologue in this book, before deciding to borrow this book at the National Library.

Jump to a few weeks later, and the book is now slightly overdue, with me scrambling to finish it before returning after the end of the long weekend.

Anyway, long story short. I found a common thread between 3 sources on the issue of unwise orders. This book, "The Untold War", the recent sacking of Major General Peter Fuller for his comments on Afghan leaders, and the recent Star Wars Clone Wars episode "The General".

It really is not easy to stand up to an unwise order.

"It is precisely in uniform, and in order to be true to that uniform, that military personnel may have to disobey, question authority, choose not to bow to institutional pressures, if what they are being asked to do violates conscience. To be sure, cases of unwise orders present difficult tests for moral judgment, far harder than outright illegal or immoral orders."

Discussions on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and contemporary armed conflicts

2011-11-05T23:53:00.000+08:00

31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent

One of the reports to be presented at the above event is the 3rd report on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and the Challenges of Contemporary Armed Conflicts.

New topics raised in the report

the notion and typology of armed conflicts;
the interplay between international humanitarian and human rights law;
humanitarian access and assistance;
IHL and multinational forces;
new technologies of warfare;
the use of explosive weapons in densely populated areas;
the Arms Trade Treaty; and
the conflation of IHL and the legal framework governing terrorism

Updates of existing topics

expert project on the law of occupation
Montreux Document on private military and security companies

I also recently listened in to an enlightening live web seminar on "Challenges to the Application of IHL to Afghanistan", which discussed the following issues

The role of IHL in regulating hostilities, particularly issues related to targeting, status of individuals, and the question of the geography of armed conflict
The current nature of detention operations in Afghanistan, and the legal framework(s) by which these operations are regulated
The state of humanitarian operations, the role of humanitarian actors such as the ICRC, and the challenges of access to vulnerable populations

To listen to the web seminar again (plus see the slides presented), click on the link below.

http://www.hpcrresearch.org/events/live-seminar-38-challenges-application-ihl-afghanistan

The audio can also be downloaded as a podcast. Use the link below with your RSS reader.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/LiveSeminarSeries

Combat Tactical Challenge - Roving security to a warehouse

2011-11-02T22:41:00.004+08:00

The Centre for Army Lessons in the Australian Army publishes a series of Combat Tactical Challenges.

More details in the link below.

http://opsw.blogspot.com/2011/08/combat-tactical-challenge.html

opswarfare hopes to keep an archive of the scenarios presented.

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Background. You are the SECT COMD tasked to provide roving security to a warehouse within Al Nearhere, currently being used by several non-government organisations (NGOs) to store humanitarian aid. Your platoon has the wider task of providing convoy escort security to the regular aid convoys moving from the warehouse to the outlying areas.

Your section was taken off convoy duties to provide security within the compound due to a recent rise in civil disturbances. These disturbances have primarily been youths trying to break into the warehouse and throwing stones at the convoys as they leave the compound. It is assessed that the motivation for the youths is dissatisfaction with the Government, boredom, and annoyance that the aid is not being distributed within their neighbourhoods.

You have your complete section and 1 x PMV (for comms and mobility) parked in the compound ready to move out. You have a fire team manning the front entrance and the remainder of the section conducting random two-soldier patrols around the perimeter. There are two NGO warehouse supervisors and their four locally employed civilians (LEC) within the main warehouse building.

The next convoy is expected in 20 minutes and will take approximately 90 minutes to load before leaving.

There is a makeshift police vehicle check point (VCP) 400 m to the South. The VCP consist of five police and a Hilux.

Physical Terrain. In accordance with the imagery provided below, you are in a mid-high density built-up urban area. Houses are basic single brick with corrugated iron roofing structures. Your location has a mudbrick outer compound wall (razor wire on north side only) as indicated by the yellow perimeter line and two large swing gates on the north side which the PMVs and trucks fit through. Due to the small compound, trucks often have to wait on the road out the front while the others load.

Human Terrain. The population within your area are accepting of your presence, but not overtly supportive. There have been frequent insurgent attacks within the urban area in the past 3 weeks - predominantly IED attacks on coalition convoys and local police vehicles and kidnappings of key local leaders that are supportive of the coalition. As already indicated, the youth are the main antagonists and obstructionists to the convoys and could be easily paid and motivated by the insurgents.

Situation

Your PL COMD last reported 5 minutes ago over the radio that the convoy was 15 minutes out from the compound. His report was given ‘blind' so that he did not have to switch off his electronic counter measure.

As you begin to issue final orders over your personal role radio to the section, there is a loud explosion to the south, which thumps through the compound driving your body armour into your chest and raising a cloud of dust off nearly every object in the immediate vicinity. Your two-soldier team completing a check of the perimeter reports that there has been some sort of explosive device detonated on the south-eastern corner of the compound wall, and a section of about 2.5m has collapsed. They report that they are okay, but they can observe a group of about 10 youths approximately 150m east of the breach, who are cheering and chanting towards the compound.

Moments later, your 2IC who is on the front gate reports that he can observe a group numbering at least 20 moving down the main road from the east towards the front gate – now at a range of about 300m. They too are cheering and chanting and some appear to be carrying what looks to be poles or bars and have their faces and heads covered.

The time is now 1535 hrs.

What Would You Do?

Detail to your section what your immediate reaction/response is to them with regards to further observation and dealing with the breach and forming crowds.

Take a few minutes to think through your options for containing the situation and how you are going to deal with the arrival of the convoy. Consider the need to secure the perimeter, disperse the crowds, protect the stationary convoy, protect the warehouse and the NGO/LEC personnel and enable the convoy to load and depart.

What is the priority of tasks?

At what stage would you raise the PL COMD? What could be a TTP for getting messages through as they get closer to arriving?

What is your assessed reason for the detonation on the compound wall?

What consideration was made in the use of the local police?

What would be the impact of doing nothing about the crowds?

Do you have any other considerations or comments on this challenge?

Singapore Armed Forces Donates Motorised Boats to Royal Thai Army

2011-10-30T14:22:00.000+08:00

MINDEF - News

Nice gesture by SAF, to donate boats to help in flood relief efforts in Thailand. I know I often criticise the SAF, but this is one time where it needs to be complimented.

Marine surveillance target acquisition team takes down Taliban in Sangin

2011-10-28T20:27:00.000+08:00

Am trying hard to justify how this video showed the "proper" way to conduct sniper operations. Some concerns below.

was there positive identification of the target?
how was a camera crew allowed to follow a sniper team, especially on an actual operation
there did not seem to be proper employment of cover and concealment

I suppose most parts of this video was a re-enactment

Combat Tactical Challenge - Presence patrol in an urban area

2011-10-27T10:54:00.000+08:00

The Centre for Army Lessons in the Australian Army publishes a series of Combat Tactical Challenges.

More details in the link below.

http://opsw.blogspot.com/2011/08/combat-tactical-challenge.html

opswarfare hopes to keep an archive of the scenarios presented.

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Problem

You are the patrol commander of a presence patrol in an urban area of Timor Leste. You have conducted similar patrols in your tactical area of operations. Your role on the patrol is to interact with the local community, gauge the mood of the community and to hear of any problems or issues which may be occurring in the community.

When the situation is normal, schools and businesses are in full operation and there are several groups of children who enjoy joking and playing with your patrol.

The ISF has very good relations with this community and the chief of this particular village. You have not personally met the village chief, but you know who he is. You have a strong rapport with a group of children, two of whom are the village chief's children. There are 6 children in the group. You have played football and baseball with this group of children before.

Two patrols previous to this patrol, children within this group threw a number of small stones at the patrol. You thought they were trying to get your attention. This was not the case and they appeared to be playing a game or showing off to two new children in the group.

The previous patrol to this one, the children threw larger stones, but when you approached, they ran to the village chief's house. You noticed the two new children were present in the group. You chose to do nothing.

As the patrol approached the group of children, they again threw rocks and one of the rocks slightly injured a soldier.

As in the last patrol, they ran to the village chief's house where they made a rude gesture at you before they went inside the house. The village chief's car is parked outside the house, indicating he is probably inside.

You need to develop a plan to deal with the situation without further injury to your soldiers and offending the chief and local community. If in your plan you choose to talk to the village chief, what do you say?

Considerations Regarding the Problem:

What are the strengths and weaknesses of doing nothing again?
What courses of action are open to you? How do you de-escalate this situation?
Why are the children behaving like this? Is the rock throwing a game, showing off to the new children or is there a more malicious intent?
If there is a more malicious intent, who would be behind this?
By hiding in the village chief's house, are they using the house as a cover?
Is having not been introduced to the village chief going to be an issue in how you deal with this situation?
Should you talk to the village chief directly? Do you talk to the children? Do you involve the Timor Leste Police Service (TLPS)?
What do you say in your post patrol report? Could you recommend combined patrols with the TLPS? Is there a ROE issue? What would be the ethics of using force on these children?

Combat Tactical Challenge - Snap Vehicle Checkpoint

2011-10-27T10:37:00.000+08:00

The Centre for Army Lessons in the Australian Army publishes a series of Combat Tactical Challenges.

More details in the link below.

http://opsw.blogspot.com/2011/08/combat-tactical-challenge.html

opswarfare hopes to keep an archive of the scenarios presented.

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Situation

Topography

You are in an overseas country, assisting the local police with peace keeping operations. A snap VCP has been established on one of the sealed single lane roads leading into the adjacent town, approx 3 km from the south eastern edge of the town. This is a rural area with no nearby houses. The town's hospital is approx 4 km away, on the western side of the town.

Threat

Local clans are smuggling illegal wpns from the rural areas into the towns. These wpns are used by the different clans to attack opposition clans. The local clans have avoided initiating contact with ADF units. Reports from the Int Section has been that a dark gray or blue twin cab utility has been used to smuggled wpns into the town.

Friendly Forces

You have two Land Rovers and a total of 8 section members.

Other section-strength snap VCPs have been est on other approach roads. The nearest section is approx 1.5 km away. PHQ is 2 km NW. A section-strength QRF, mounted in a Bushmaster, is located with PHQ.

Civilians

The majority of civ have been supportive of the ADF provided that the ADF do not disrupt their day-to-day lives.

Attachments & Detachments

You have a female driver with you to conduct pers searches of female civ and children.

You have no civ police with you at the VCP. Two civ pol are co-located with PHQ.

Mission

To operate a snap VCP on the town approach road IOT prevent movement of illegal wpns into the city until 1200 hrs.

Execution

Co-ord Instructions

Operate VCP from 1000 to 1200 hrs.

ROE

Can direct pers not to move through VCP unless they agree to a search of pers and veh.

Can use reasonable force to prevent pers or veh moving through VCP.

Cannot use potentially lethal force to prevent pers or veh moving through VCP.

Can seize any dangerous things found.

Can detain pers found in possession of dangerous things.

Can use up to lethal force to protect self, other members of ADF and civ pol.

Background

The VCP has been established for approx 5 minutes and one car has been through the VCP without incident when a blue Rodeo twin cab ute (fitting the description of the suspect veh) approaches the VCP from the south east.

There is the single male driver in the front and a man and lady in the back. The driver is angry at being stopped as his pregnant sister is in the back seat with her husband. He says that his sister is in labour and he must get her to the town's hospital immediately. The lady appears to be pregnant and is very distressed. The husband is also becoming angry at being stopped.

There are several crates in the back under a tarpaulin that appear to be full of builder's tools.

A yellow sedan travelling NW has been stopped by the SE sentry and the 2 male occupants have got out to see what the commotion is about.

Tasks

Take a moment to evaluate the situation.

Detail to your Section what your reaction is to controlling the members of the yellow sedan, searching the Rodeo ute, assisting the woman in labour, etc.

What is the priority of tasking, given your mission?

At what stage do you inform PHQ?

Do you have sufficient troops to conduct this type of snap VCP?

Are your ROE sufficiently specific?

How would you deal with this problem?

Is there anything else that needs to be considered?

Canadian troops test new helmets

2011-10-25T00:36:00.000+08:00

Interesting experimental helmet on trial; One would have thought that the chin guard would interfere with firing a rifle, but the video shows that it is possible to fire with it mounted.

Surviving the Cut

2011-10-18T23:12:00.000+08:00

Surviving the Cut : Discovery Channel

This series, already onto its 2nd season, provides an intimate look at the training of various specialised units. opswarfare has just started reviewing Season 1. The first episode features Ranger training.

The list of episodes for Season 1 can be found here.

MINDEF's Addendum to the President's Address

2011-10-17T23:56:00.000+08:00

Been trying to find the actual text of MINDEF's Addendum to the President's Address. Thanks to a fellow forumer from militarynuts.com, below is the text. [Source]

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MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

ADDENDUM TO THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

1. A secure environment lays the foundation for peace and progress in Singapore. A strong defence safeguards our sovereignty and vital interests and enlarges our political space in the pursuit of a better future for Singaporeans.

2. This need for stability is especially pertinent given the uncertainties in the regional environment driven by global strategic shifts. The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis is still unfolding as the US and Europe face considerable economic difficulties. There have been dramatic changes in the Middle East but the ramifications of this “Arab Spring” remain uncertain. The fight against terrorism has not ended even though Osama bin Laden is dead. In our region, we continue to see flashes of tension in the Korean Peninsula and over the South China Sea. The interplay of relations between US and China will continue to have an impact on ASEAN and our region.

Participation in multilateral meetings and operations

3. Singapore works closely with our friends and like-minded partners through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Our efforts seek to strengthen relationships with individual partners, while actively encouraging an open and inclusive regional security architecture with ASEAN at the centre. We have pushed for greater regional cooperation through fora such as the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus. The Shangri-la Dialogue will continue to be an important and useful platform for security leaders to meet and share perspectives.

4. Beyond our shores, Singapore will continue to play our role judiciously as a responsible member of the global community to ensure peace and stability in our region. The SAF makes niche contributions to international security operations and participates in the multinational stabilisation and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. We currently have a team of 10 Military Institutional Trainers, a 13-strong medical team and a six-man Imagery Analysis Team in Afghanistan. We will continue to play our part in the international efforts to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden, as part of Combined Task Force 151.

A Strong, Integrated and People-centric SAF

5. The SAF is respected as a credible and professional armed forces, ready to defend the interests of our country. Our prudent and steady investment in defence will enable us to build an SAF with capabilities for a wide spectrum of operations, primarily to protect our nation against direct threats and also respond flexibly in peacetime to transnational security challenges posed by terrorism, piracy, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and natural disasters.

6. The SAF will continue to modernise and upgrade its capabilities into an integrated, network-centric force, with the ability to sense quicker, manoeuvre forces effectively, and strike targets precisely.

7. In our transformation efforts, we will continue to rely on the dynamism, will and professionalism of our people. As our systems and operations become more complex, our people will need to build deep professional expertise, and engage in knowledge creation and continuous learning. We will continue to enhance our training methods, curriculum and learning environment, and provide fulfilling careers and opportunities for professional development. There will also be more opportunities for continuing education and training as part of our servicemen’s professional development.

Commitment to Defence

8. National Service remains a crucial and indispensible element of Singapore’s defence. National servicemen form the backbone of the SAF. We must ensure that training is realistic and effective to raise a potent fighting force. At the same time, we will do the utmost to ensure the well-being and safety of our National Servicemen, and work on enhancing their motivation and morale. We will continue our efforts to engender pride in Singaporeans for the institution of National Service and enhance their commitment to defence.

9. MINDEF continues to actively engage the public. Our Advisory Council on Community Relations in Defence, or ACCORD, draws members from a wide spectrum of society. Their inputs and expertise allow MINDEF to strengthen our awareness of public sentiment and respond to the concerns of the public.

10. We will continue to work towards strengthening national resilience and collective commitment to defence through our annual Total Defence campaign. MINDEF will continue to adopt a personal, inclusive and ground-up approach to our engagement efforts. We will also tap on new channels in social media to connect with the public.

11. In partnership with all Singaporeans, MINDEF will stand steadfast and alert in our task to ensure that Singapore remains safe and secure for all.

Karen National Union (KNU)

2011-10-09T20:58:00.002+08:00

As mentioned in my previous post (long, long ago), on to the first case.

Myanmar vs Karen National Union (KNU)

Quick summary & history from a New York Times article

The Karen union is one of more than a dozen ethnic groups that for decades have sought greater autonomy from Myanmar's central government. Many other groups have signed formal cease-fires with the military leaders of the country since 1988, but the Karen never reached a formal agreement to lay down their arms.

The group once had a powerful guerrilla army in Myanmar's eastern border region, but Myanmar Army offensives, coupled with divisions within the organization, reduced the guerrilla group's military presence considerably over the past decade. Most of the group's senior leadership resides in Thailand, while its military bases are mostly located just across the border in Myanmar.

Military tactics

This article from Mizzima details some of the tactics employed by KNU troops. A bit difficult to check the authenticity of this article, but still interesting reading nonetheless.

Hit-and-run tactics are not new for low-intensity conflicts, but some of the points highlighted are worth discussing.

1. highlighting command-detonation

Using command detonated Claymore mines reduce civilian casualties, as compared to conventional pressure-activated landmines, thus "showing" that the KNU is more humane.

2. standardisation of booby traps

Presumably, this allows for easier deployment (less trial-and-error), and indirectly also possibly reduces malfunctions (e.g. failure to explode, accidental detonation).

3. avoid fighting at Thai-Burma border

The KNU understand the importance of keeping the border open, both in terms of supply lines, and also implicit support from Thailand.

4. showcase deep-strike capability

This is perhaps a "show of force" to tell the Myanmar government that no place is safe for its troops.

5. highlighting lack of civilian support for opposing side (DKBA)

Legitimacy is key here. Having the support of the local population is important, but things can sometimes change quickly.

Other issues?

- targeted killings/assassinations?

This CNN article highlights a tactic common to counter-insurgency operations, of targeting the rebel leadership. It is key to note that the KNU leader was killed in Thai territory, hence the implied admission that high-value targets are worth risking a raid across borders (and the inherent possibility of a backlash by the neighbouring country).

- humanitarian issues

The UN IRIN news service reports the following

"Fierce fighting in eastern Karen State at the border with Thailand in June 2009 forced more than 3,000 refugees to flee across the border for safety, according to the regional office of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Bangkok."

This results in increased suffering for civilians, but strangely, also helps counter the oft-used argument that Myanmar's issues are internal, and that it's national sovereignty must be respected.

- child soldiers

Myanmar is a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and Concluding Observations have highlighted the use of child soldiers by both sides.

Future trends?

With the Myanmar government restarting peace talks, the next few months will be one of tension, with KNU likely to be wary of the government's intention. As for it's armed groups, it will be a time of consolidation. Recent news of a reunion with DKBA will make things even more interesting.

UAV video feeds are unencrypted?

2011-10-09T13:38:00.001+08:00

Computer virus infects drone plane command centre in US

Wired magazine reports that a keylogger malware has infected computers at Creech Air Force Base. However, the bigger issue is that video transmissions to ground troops are unencrypted. Hopefully, news of this latest breach will accelerate the introduction of encrypted video streams.

Postscript: Original source Wired article.

Civil war between Myanmar and Karen National Union

2011-08-14T23:57:00.001+08:00

The world's longest ongoing war - 101 East - Al Jazeera English
One of the lesser known low-intensity conflicts happening in South-East Asia, the long running civil war between the Myanmar junta and the Karen rebels have not received sufficient limelight, in terms of efforts to move towards peace, or the tracking of human rights abuses.

Marines press the "Reset" button

2011-08-06T18:38:00.006+08:00

Politico

"One of the main goals of the exercise is to reacquaint Marines with their basic mission as America’s expeditionary force in readiness. That means getting Marine units out of the barracks and into the field, where they live in tents and have to purify their own water, Davis noted."

The USMC's reason for existence, amphibious operations, has been watered down.

Long overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have "degenerated" the Marines (and other Army units) into a pseudo-police force. This blog has previously argued that police or paramilitary forces are more suitable for conducting counterinsurgency operations.

Another thing. The Marines seem to revel in "doing more with less". This gungho attitude is great, and essential in combat, but the Pentagon should realise how much better the Marines can be with better equipment.

Combat Tactical Challenge

2011-08-02T23:12:00.001+08:00

Centre for Army Lessons - Australian Army

"A Combat Tactical Challenge is a combat scenario where the reader is provided with a combat situation that requires them to utilise certain resources to achieve a tactical outcome. Not all considerations for the situation can be provided in this forum, so the reader is given scope to make assumptions when developing a solution."

A rather interactive method by the Australian Army to discuss lessons learned among soldiers and encourage them to put on their thinking caps. In the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), "thinking soldier" is sometimes used in a slightly negative (or perhaps ironic) manner.

Using realistic scenarios will make it more engaging for our conscripts, and allow them to feel that SAF is not so "wayang".

This type of "war games" reminds me of the book, The Defense of Jisr Al-Doreaa, which opswarfare highlighted earlier this year.

Quite a few acronyms used in the example. opswarfare may need to decode some of them before a proposed solution can be attempted.

Desert Lions: Canadian Forces Mentors in Kandahar

2011-07-27T23:22:00.005+08:00

"Desert Lions delivers a gritty, candid view of Canadian army mentors working to professionalize the Afghan National Army during the summer of 2010. The Desert Lions are a nine-man team deployed at Combat Outpost Lion in Nakhonay. Eight Canadians have been killed there in the past year. The heat is brutal, the living conditions are primitive and frustrations are numerous. Canadians and Afghans struggle to communicate with one another, but traces of humour abound. Tensions increase dramatically however following a deadly ambush on 22 August. The documentary depicts the immediate aftermath of this attack and its emotional aftershocks in the following weeks."

It's 1 hour long YouTube video, but worth every minute of your time. The full transcript can be found here.

Some thoughts below

army reservists fighting in theatre; a progressive idea, especially when the Captain in the unit is a policeman back in Canada; quite sure a policing mindset (as compared to a combat mindset) is useful for counter-insurgency
the raw living conditions really highlight how a long war puts additional pressure on logistics; simple things like laundry and rubbish come into play
language and culture are key; the Canadian Corporal that speaks Urdu and is of Pakistani-origin is able to communicate with the Afghan troops without the need for interpretors, which is extremely important, as you cannot be too reliant on the field translators to provide accurate and truthful translation
the cultural differences, and how the 2 forces adapt, is a lesson on patience
the female commander in Nakhonay, shows that gender equality is alive and kicking in Canada; kudos to them
the push-pull negotiations at the shura is a fascinating look into the tools of the trade used by both sides at the negotiation table; e.g. changing the topic, talking on after the shura, etc
the long discussion between Captain Reintjes and Master Warrant is yet another look into team dynamics, on how the 2 works things out
the reaction to the IED attack was measured and decisive; i.e. change to ops setup (getting engineer assets), and changing the terrain (clearing the vegetation in front of the camp)

Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and TIME magazine discuss the troop cuts

2011-07-18T23:11:00.002+08:00

The classic "lose-lose" situation being articulated...

U.S. Is Intensifying a Secret Campaign of Yemen Airstrikes

2011-06-09T11:16:00.001+08:00

New York Times

Drone strikes may seem to be a safe solution for fighting terrorist organisations, but things are never so simple...

"The recent operations come after a nearly year-long pause in American airstrikes, which were halted amid concerns that poor intelligence had led to bungled missions and civilian deaths that were undercutting the goals of the secret campaign.

Officials in Washington said that the American and Saudi spy services had been receiving more information — from electronic eavesdropping and informants — about the possible locations of militants. But, they added, the outbreak of the wider conflict in Yemen created a new risk: that one faction might feed information to the Americans that could trigger air strikes against a rival group.

A senior Pentagon official, speaking only on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday that using force against militants in Yemen was further complicated by the fact that Qaeda operatives have mingled with other rebels and antigovernment militants, making it harder for the United States to attack without the appearance of picking sides."

Corruption and the arms trade: sins of commission

2011-06-07T14:41:00.002+08:00

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

SIPRI has released its 2011 Yearbook. First chapter is on corruption in the arms trade.

Studies suggest that corruption in the arms trade contributes roughly 40 per cent to all corruption in global transactions. This corruption exacts a heavy toll on purchasing and selling countries, undermining democratic institutions of accountability and diverting valuable resources away from pressing social needs towards corrupt ends.

Apache helicopters to be sent into Libya by Britain

2011-05-24T07:39:00.001+08:00

The Guardian
Yet another escalation of the war in Libya, some interesting developments besides the deployment of Apache helicopters from naval warships.

Gaddafi forces have shed their uniforms, are using civilian vehicles and hiding armour near civilian buildings, including hospitals and schools.

The French newspaper le Figaro said their helicopters would be assisted by target identification from French special forces who have been on the ground in Libya since the start of the allied operation there. The UK Ministry of Defence does not comment on special forces' operations.

The first international Stabilisation Response Team has arrived in Libya, the UK international development secretary Andrew Mitchell has confirmed . He said Britain would continue to provide humanitarian help and medical and emergency food supplies.

Update (4th June 2011): Video of first Apache strike missions from HMS Ocean
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13652388

Taliban destroy two Pakistan navy P-3Cs

2011-05-23T23:47:00.000+08:00

Flight International
This latest attack is a little puzzling at first glance. The Taliban does not gain militarily with the destruction of maritime patrol aircraft. The terror angle is also limited, as it was a specific targeted attack on a military facility and not a civilian target.

The only "victory" that I can think of for now is to show the incompetence of the Pakistan armed forces. They have done it before, with an earlier attack on an army base.

Defence cuts & National Service

2011-04-25T21:10:00.002+08:00

RSIS

An RSIS commentary on why cutting the budget is a bad idea, and why National Service is still needed.

I must first say that I'm biased on both issues. I think the defence budget is not a sacred cow, and that we are better served by a regular force.

I do agree with the last point about engaging the public about defence matters, but that point was not fully developed. All too often, we are told that some defence issues are too sensitive or secret to be discussed in public.

It is too easy for defence planners to hide behind that "shield". One look at the open source material available on some developed countries will show that we are just giving excuses.

Back to the defence budget. Without number crunching, it is premature to dismiss arguments about budget cuts simply by citing that we live in a different neighbourhood.

As for National Service, it is precisely because of our unique features (small land mass, lack of strategic depth) that calls for a regular force. We may not want to admit it, but the majority of our standby Air Force and Navy assets are manned by regulars. Turning into a regular force will also mean turning professional.

Worth more discussion, this debate.

‘Fighting evil’: Warriors Are Our Achilles’ Heel

2011-04-21T18:43:00.003+08:00

Kings of War
A long article, but definitely worth reading. The number of prosecutions for war crimes are few and far between. Often brushed off with excuses like the "fog of war" or "self-defence", military tribunals are often reluctant to prosecute soldiers, let alone their commanders.

Postscript: a special edition of Military Review, mentioned in a comment to the blog post, focuses on ethics in combat.

Doing the simple things right

2011-04-14T19:25:00.000+08:00

"Wohlgethan also complains about the lack of qualified training personnel and that driving instruction is given on Unimog trucks before drivers are deployed to Afghanistan, where they have to learn to drive Dingos in country."

Sometimes, it's not about the fancy weapons you have. The real issues on the ground may seem trivial, but they are critical for mission success.

Schwarzbuch Bundeswehr (Black book of the Bundeswehr) by Achim Wohlgethan, a book about the German Army's experience in Afghanistan, highlighted the above issue about using different platforms for training and in theatre. [via Aviation Week's Ares blog.]

Libya, Cast Lead, and KSK

2011-04-06T10:29:00.001+08:00

Quick post; have been following the 3 developments above, but not enough time to write a coherent analysis.

Hope to do so soon, but my initial thoughts below.

Libya - airpower has limits; we seem so forgetful

Cast Lead - Richard Goldstone's "retraction" has overshadowed the new report on that past conflict.

KSK - Going back to Guantanamo is a mistake. A terrorism case does not belong in a military tribunal.

Women in combat

2011-03-24T22:46:00.001+08:00

http://marines.dodlive.mil/2011/03/21/women-in-combat-will-it-happen/
Good to see the Marines being open to this discussion on gender equity. Actually, female soldiers around the world are already serving under "non-combat" vocations like signals, medics, intelligence, etc.

These vocations are already practically frontline deployments. Hope to see the day when they are allowed to serve in all vocations.

The perils of the "CNN effect"

2011-03-22T01:08:00.001+08:00

CTV News

Note: this video predates the UN approval of it's "take all necessary measures" resolution.

Really glad to see a media company readily admitting that not everything is what it seems, and that it's own presence is potentially affecting the conflict. Some quotes from the clip (This is the only way to document the video until I find a way to save Flash videos).

"Each day, each battle here, invites different versions of the truth."

"This is a conflict where credible information is at a premium."

"What we've observed...is a zeal...to shoot off assault rifles, anti-aircraft guns, even those SA-7 shoulder-to-air missiles. They do it out of paranoia, but mostly just for the cameras."

Libya conundrum

2011-03-22T00:03:00.001+08:00

Of old wine, new bottles, eggs and omelets: Humanitarian Intervention Redux | Kings of War
A concise blog post that looks beyond what most mainstream media mistakenly call "enforcing a no fly zone"

Security Council Approves ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya

2011-03-20T11:15:00.001+08:00

Security Council Approves ‘No-Fly Zone’ over Libya, Authorizing ‘All Necessary Measures’ to Protect Civilians, by Vote of 10 in Favour with 5 Abstentions

Operation Odyssey Dawn has begun quickly after UN approval of resolution 1973. A snippet of the text below.

“Protection of civilians

“4. Authorizes Member States that have notified the Secretary-General, acting nationally or through regional organizations or arrangements, and acting in cooperation with the Secretary-General, to take all necessary measures, notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970 (2011), to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory, and requests the Member States concerned to inform the Secretary-General immediately of the measures they take pursuant to the authorization conferred by this paragraph which shall be immediately reported to the Security Council;

“5. Recognizes the important role of the League of Arab States in matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security in the region, and bearing in mind Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, requests the Member States of the League of Arab States to cooperate with other Member States in the implementation of paragraph 4;

Ship of Spies

2011-02-21T23:31:00.000+08:00

BBC World Service Programmes - The Monday Documentary
Disturbing comments from some speakers and attendees of this so-called "SpyCruise".

Finding the Right Tool to Tell a War Story

2011-02-19T14:19:00.000+08:00

Damon Winter in Afghanistan - NYTimes.com
Great set of photos taken by a camera phone. Proof that sometimes the better camera may not be the right camera. But perhaps more importantly, the stark photos show the realities of fighting a war in Afghanistan.

1 RCR conducts counter-insurgency operations

2011-02-04T22:44:00.000+08:00

Candid comments on the operational side of things. Also great to see a female officer commanding a combat unit.

Buying Peace?

2011-01-13T20:03:00.001+08:00

Kings of War blog: Department of War Studies, King's College London
Fantastic idea. Instead of directly thinking about buying shiny new equipment, or planning a shift in doctrine, it would be great if the armed forces of the world are able to start from the basis of how much the change will enable "more peace" (bad English notwithstanding).

Really needs a paradigm shift (I hate to use this overused phrase), and apt since I'm currently in camp, undergoing reservist training...

The Defense of Jisr Al-Doreaa

2011-01-03T00:35:00.003+08:00

Homepage

Picked up a gem on New Year's Eve at the Central Public Library by chance, while waiting for a dinner gathering that evening.

Written in the style of The Defence of Duffer's Drift, The Defense of Jisr Al-Doreaa is a great tactical guidebook on counterinsurgency. The fictional story in the form of 6 recurring dreams allow a platoon commander to learn 16 lessons, step by step.

US Afghan war review: On track, down a cul-de-sac

2010-12-26T18:29:00.000+08:00

Editorial | The Guardian

"Mr Obama's war strategy will fail because the two essential ingredients for a successful counterinsurgency campaign are missing: a legitimate and functioning national government, and the ability to deprive insurgents of external support."

'It's taken a year to move 20km'

2010-12-26T18:08:00.004+08:00

A video clip from the Guardian newspaper on US Marines in Helmand, and also US Air Force para-jumpers.

IDF officers finish course on reducing civilian casualties

2010-12-26T12:27:00.001+08:00

The Jerusalem Post
Signs of a positive reaction to the Goldstone report. However, it would be more ideal if all combat troops underwent Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) training, instead of only relying on a staff officer.

Marksmen share skills during AFSAM

2010-12-25T19:38:00.000+08:00

Video showing the participation of the Canadian Army in the Armed Forces Skill-at-Arms Meeting (AFSAM) organised by the National Guard Marksmanship Training Center (NGMTC).

Some of the competition events included obstacle clearing and simulated casualty evacuation.

The effects of mines on the battlefield

2010-12-24T00:54:00.004+08:00

It's supposed to be a video on the trials of leadership, but I found it painful to watch the effects of an anti-personnel mine. Really glad that the Mine Ban Treaty is in place, although countries like the United States and Singapore have yet to ratify the Treaty.

NATO Singapore assistance

2010-12-09T18:31:00.001+08:00

Germany details end of conscription

2010-11-29T22:11:00.003+08:00

All-Volunteer Bundeswehr
The details of the end of conscription in Germany's armed forces are finally out.

"The Afghan campaign has involved not just mission creep but mission multiplication"

2010-09-08T01:53:00.002+08:00

IISS

"Strategic Survey 2010 does not seek to lay out a new comprehensive strategy for Afghanistan. It does however argue that for Western states to be pinned down militarily and psychologically in Afghanistan will not be in the service of their wider political and security interests. The challenge of Afghanistan must be viewed and addressed in proportion to the other threats to international security and the other requirements for foreign-policy investment. With economic, financial and diplomatic activity moving at such a pace and with such varied outcomes internationally, military operations in general have to be all the more carefully considered. Precision and adaptability will be essential watchwords. For heavy, large, military deployment, the longue durée will be seen as an attitude for other times, other centuries.

The Afghan campaign has involved not just mission creep but mission multiplication; narrowing the political-military engagement to core goals as described will allow for proper attention to be paid to other areas posing international terrorist risks, and indeed to other matters affecting international security."

Will this be the final signal for global leaders to wake up? Maybe too early to tell, but we can always hope...

Conflicts in South-East Asia

2010-03-01T21:44:00.004+08:00

This post introduces a series of articles looking into current conflicts in the South-East Asia region. Since this blog started, I have been trying not to just cover major conflicts, but also other conflicts which may be lower in profile. As usual, opswarfare will try to concentrate on the military aspects of the conflicts (and try to reduce politics to a minimum).

Followers of the opswarfare Twitter feed may have seen a tweet on the list of current conflicts in the region, based on data (PDF) from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP). The list is reproduced below

Myanmar vs Karen National Union (KNU)
Myanmar vs Shan (SSA-S)
Philippines vs Communist Party of the Philippines (and it's military wing, the New People's Army)
Philippines vs Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
Thailand vs Patani insurgents

As readers can probably guess, the conflicts are mostly, if not all, civil-war type conflicts. Also, most can be classified under Low Intensity Conflicts.

Next post will be Myanmar vs Karen National Union (KNU).

p.s. I have not posted in 2 months. Apologies for the delay.

p.p.s I have just borrowed a book from the library called "Conflict - Journeys Through War and Terror in Southeast Asia" by Nelson Rand. Quite apt for this series of articles that I'm embarking on...

European Security and Defence Policy

2009-12-29T22:40:00.003+08:00

opswarfare came across an European Union (EU) website a while ago which offered to mail some of its hardcopy publications to anywhere worldwide. Well, they appeared in the mailbox today.

The European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) is something like the military "face" of the EU, taking up peacekeeping missions in Europe, but also in other areas like Africa and Asia.

2 interesting initiatives spotted in the ESDP newsletter. (Summer 2009 edition)

EUPOL Afghanistan
Regular readers will note opswarfare's earlier comments on using policing techniques (as compared to military tactics) on the situation in Afghanistan. It is therefore heartening to see the EUPOL mission, specifically training the Afghan government forces on police, law enforcement, and justice issues.

EU Satellite Center
The availability of satellite assets provides a force-multiplier effect, allowing increased intel and also more accurate maps. It can also be used to record physical changes to the terrain, which will be useful for battle-damage assessment, and early-warning initiatives.

p.s. the link to the free publications webpage can be found here.

(Organisational) Culture and Carnage

2009-12-04T21:47:00.002+08:00

Kings of War
A great discussion going on at the King's College London, Department of War Studies blog. As someone who is interested in military operations, and yet a supporter of human rights, this topic is right up my alley :)

Postscript
By accident, I stumbled upon the U.C. Berkeley War Crimes Studies Center. It documents many war crimes, going into detail in each case, explaining what happened, and how the Court came to its conclusion. Interestingly, I found the webpage after searching for "Singapore" on the HuriSearch website. It seems that some Japanese war crimes were on trial in Singapore after WWII.

The lines between the Police and the Armed Forces get blurrier

2009-10-19T21:45:00.002+08:00

It's been happening for quite a while already.

The Police looked mainly looked at issues within the country, and concentrate on smaller groups like companies, individuals, etc.

The Armed Forces mainly looked at issues outside the country, and dealt with countries and states.

But look at the threats facing countries now. International terrorism, transnational piracy, internet crimes, etc.

Generally, the armed forces are "infringing" into policing duties, more so than the other way round. This has significant consequences on the threats above. opswarfare's personal view is that a policing mindset is more suitable for such threats.

The concepts of counter-insurgency sound more similar to a police force, than an army. Instead of using new methods to counter terrorists, perhaps using different tools can also be considered.

Upping the ante via multiple attacks

2009-10-15T19:09:00.001+08:00

NYT
The militants are taking the initiative by bringing the fight to the urban areas, and deliberately targeting defence/security locations. They then up the ante by conducting multiple concurrent attacks. Sadly, it is all working for them, and the Pakistani armed forces are clearly struggling. Spillover effects are likely in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Pakistan gunmen 'take hostages'

2009-10-10T23:42:00.002+08:00

BBC NEWS
The attack (and subsequent hostage taking) on the Pakistan military headquarters indicates a new tactic to spread fear among the population. It also showcases a deliberate attempt to select prominent targets which will attract media coverage. This attack follows another recent attack on United Nations (UN) offices in Islamabad on 5th October 2009. The security situation in the AfPak region deteriorates while the world remains unsure of how to resolve this dilemma.

Note: It's strange to see a deliberate refocus by opswarfare be overtaken by world events. opswarfare continues to collect open-source information on the situation in Mindanao and southern Thailand, but will not hesitate to highlight pertinent military issues.

PBS Frontline - Obama's War

2009-10-06T21:31:00.003+08:00

Just watching the first 5 minutes was enough to make my eyes water. Even though opswarfare has previously stated a desire to look beyond the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is tough to ignore the 600-pound gorilla in the room...

Upcoming changes to the blog

2009-09-26T12:25:00.001+08:00

First up, apologies for the drop in blogging rate at opswarfare. I have been busy, but have in the meantime introduced some new content (besides blog posts).

Readers may have noticed the recent inclusion of Twitter feeds, and an app that shows visitor stats. Both have been useful (in my view), but for the Twitter feed specifically, I felt that it was indirectly reducing my blogging rate, as I realised that I leaned towards Twitter for a quick blurb instead of a careful considered blog post on several occasions. I'm still reviewing whether I should continue with the Twitter posts.

A Change in focus
Since the very beginning, opswarfare has consciously avoided a US-centric focus, because not everything revolves around them. On hindsight, this has been a good decision, as it "forced" me to look beyond the usual US-centric military news (e.g. Iraq, Afghanistan, or major US weapons) but to look for more "leftfield" news.

I have now decided to further modify opswarfare's focus to concentrate on regional issues in Asia and South-East Asia. Frankly, the milblogs of Ares, Kings of War, and The Dew Line, etc are great at what they do, and opswarfare does not want to replicate their good work. Also, many regional military news are being under-reported. Examples include the tensions in Mindanao, southern Thailand, and Burma. opswarfare hopes to start off this new phase by looking at these 3 areas.

Another small submarine in the market

2009-08-10T22:22:00.002+08:00

Russia Increasing Surface Warship Fleet | AVIATION WEEK

Scroll down to the bottom of the linked page to see the P-650E.

After the SMX-23 and the 210Mod, this looks to be yet another small submarine for smaller nations (and first time buyers). A crew of 9 sounds unbelievable...

More info on the Piranya (Piranha) class of mini-subs here (PDF).

Is this the future of ISTAR?

2009-07-28T22:09:00.003+08:00

Flight International - BAE to explore new UAV technologies for Australian DoD
The key paragraph of the article below

"...key focus points...increased autonomy during target detection and recognition, on-board image processing to reduce bandwidth demands, and the use of simultaneous location and mapping techniques to reduce reliance on GPS guidance."

3 issues are highlighted

the Mark I eyeball is still often the "device" used for spotting (and identifying) targets when an UAV flys over area of interest
bandwidth problems still persist, as the demand for full-motion video outstrips the supply of data bandwidth available
defence planners are already thinking of future scenarios where enemy forces may have the ability to jam GPS signals, which many assets (not just UAVs) are currently relying on

The recent mushrooming of manned ISTAR aircraft is also a partial "solution" to the issues highlighted above, with humans on board being able to sieve through the footage in real-time, without having to transmit it to a ground station (which would eat up vital bandwidth), plus help to navigate the aircraft manually.

This "information management" will become more and more critical as ground commanders get increasingly "addicted" to having an extra pair of "eyes in the sky". For example, instead of just simply driving out on a patrol, a commander may first ask for an UAV to fly over the area in question before he/she sets off.

p.s. almost forgot to highlight the Taranis UCAV mentioned at the end of the article. opswarfare waits with bated breath to see which UCAV will go into production first...

Air International - more snippets

2009-07-26T21:25:00.002+08:00

Following from a previous post, opswarfare was able to borrow a few recent issues of Air International from Tampines Library. Some highlights from 4 issues below.

October 2008
Israel Moves its Transports to Nevatim

Israel Air Force moved its heavy transport wing from Lod Air Base 27 to Nevatim Air Base 28
C-130E/H Hercules, IAI-1124N Seascan, KC-707/VC-707, G550 Nachshon Eitams, and GV Nanchshon Shavit involved

AT-6B for ANG

A AT-6B has reportedly been ordered for the US Air National Guard, due to be delivered in 2009. It is expected to be evaluated for potential use in Afghanistan & Iraq

Su-34 Fullback tactical bomber

1st 2 series aircraft delivered on 15 December
no more production seen since

November 2008
UK seeks RC-135

notification (PDF) of possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS)
conversion of 3 USAF KC-135R Stratotankers to RC-135V or W standard
Nimrod R.1 was involved in upgrade programme "Project Helix"

prototype XP-1 Maritime Patrol Aircraft handed over to Japanese defence ministry

anticipated that 70 P-1 will be built for JMSDF to replace current fleet of P-3C Orions

Russian strategic bombers in Stability 2008 exercise

Tu-160 & Tu-95MS participated, carrying 6 and 12 Kh-55 (AS-15 Kent) missiles respectively
They were involved in live-firing exercises
Tu-22M3 also involved, exercise runs from 22 Sep to 21 Oct

Super Hind Mk V on display

upgrade programme by South African firm Advanced Technologies and Engineering
composite blades, PALL sand filters, Carl Zeiss Optronics sighting system, Denel 20mm cannon, and Thales chaff and flares

Gabriel to be modernised

Thales selected to upgrade ELINT system on Transall C160G Gabriel from 2011 onwards
2 C160Gs are flown by EEA 11.054 Dunkerque from Metz-Frescaty

Georgia Air War analysed

Georgia - 4 million people, army of 17,000,
Georgian Air Force - 9 combat capable Su-25 Frogfoots, 9 Mi-24 Hind attack helicopters
Russian response to Georgian offensive was swift, as troops of the North Caucasus military command had been preparing for this scenario for the previous 2 years
first columns of Russian 58th Army moved towards South Ossetia as dawn broke, which suggests that logistic support was pre-prepared
they were supported by elements of the 76th Air Assault and 96th Airborne Divisions
opportunity to combat-test the Iskander-M tactical missile
absence of C4ISR architecture for Russian forces
few night-vision devices,
Georgia deployed Buk-M1 (SA-11), Osa-AK (SA-8B), and Osa-AKM SAM systems
Russian Air Force flew around 200 sorties during the 5-day conflict
lack of night-vision equipment meant it operated mostly during the day
no suppression of of enemy air defence (SEAD) campaign, Anti-Radiation Missiles not used

USAF 1st Special Operations Wing

AC-130U Spooky set to receive upgrades - AN/APQ-180 fire control system/synthetic aperture radar
this is an enhanced version of the APG-70 radar on the F-15E Strike Eagle
other planned modifications are ALQ-172 ECM and ALR-56M RWR
AFSOC is investigating the possibility of using C-27Js for gunship role
AFSOC has ordered 14 HC/MC-130Js
CV-22B due to deploy in October to trans-Saharan Africa for Exercise Flintlock 09

Harrier in RAF service

3 (F) squadron deployed 8 GR.7s to Kandahar since Sep 2004
CVR-7 70mm rocket has been weapon of choice when low collateral damage is the most important consideration
Harriers usually sortie in pairs with mixed loads
One will carry CVR-7 rockets and 688lb or 1,113lb general purpose bombs, while the other will be armed with 1,201lb Enhance Paveway II laser/GPS-guided weapons
They use the Sniper pod purchased under UOR, and also regularly use the Digital Joint Reconnaissance pod (DJRP)
latest weapon cleared for use is 496lb GPS/laser-guided Paveway IV bomb

Reconnaissance airborne pod for tornado (RAPTOR)

DB-110 dual band electro-optical/infra-red
CCD day sensor with nominal 110in focal length lens
55in mid-wave indium antinomide infra-red sensor
72km EO, 36km IR
Derivative of senior year electro-optical reconnaissance system (SYERS)
rapid deployment electro-optical system (RADEOS)
Withdrawal of Canberra PR9 caused a loss of capability since the tornado could not carry RAPTOR to anything like the altitudes achieved, giving shorter stand-off range and imposing limitations (of graze angles) when operating over mountainous terrain
Falcon Prowl trial
Polish F-16 Peace Sky fitted with new 3 POV

December 2008
Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) cancelled due to Nunn-McCurdy breech

OH-58Ds to be upgraded in the meantime

Armed Grand Caravans for Iraq

2 Cessna 208B Grand Caravans, armed with a pair of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles
An electro-optical/infra-red sensor is mounted under the fuselage on the port side
to reduce distortion for the sensor produced by heat haze, the exhaust shroud for the aicraft's turboprop has been extended to starboard

reopened Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) contract expected in 1st quarter of 2009

38 aircraft
further update here

Mi-17 for Thailand

6 to be acquired

concept design and proposals for proof of concept - DARPA submersible aircraft

envisaged to clandestinely infiltrate small teams into coastal regions
carrying 8 people, including the crew, and a payload of 2,000lb (910kg), it would have a range of 1,000nm (1,850km) in the air, 100nm (185km) on the surface of the sea, or 12nm (22 km) under it
air for vehicle's powerplant supplied via snorkel, limiting the depth the vessel can travel at
once personnel have been deployed, the craft would loiter for up to 3 days

Ac-27 Stinger II

16 aircraft under the AC-XX Gunship Lite project
either a 30mm or 40mm cannon
able to carry precision-guided munitions such as Viper Strike

E-4B

National Airborne Operations Center
now with 1st ACCS, 55th Wing

Diamond DA42MPP Twin Star

Multi-Purpose Platform (MPP)
wide variety of equipment
laser scanning, synthetic aperture radar, photogrammetric and hyperspectral scanning, a beyond line-of-sight and in line-of-sight microwave downlink, high definition/infra-red (HD/IR) video systems
range of over 2,500km
low noise signature makes its virtually undetectable at much lower altitudes and its composite construction results in a reduced radar profile
MPP with Scotty system - nose-mounted observation camera (thermal imaging & visible light) and beyond line-of-sight satcom link with a mechanically-steered high-gain satellite antenna in an external radome fitted on the upper rear fuselage
ability to upload and download data (up to 4 channels, each 64kbps transmitted via Inmarsat, allowing for simultaneous transmission of voice, data and both stored and real-time video)
17 MPP aircraft completed till date
6 ordered by Venezuelan government, 2 recently delivered to Niger
2 to British company, DO Systems, allocated military serials ZA179 & ZA180 - speculation that they are linked to a RAF ISTAR programme

Exercise Crown Condor

joint RAF and Swedish Air Force exercise
part of Exercise Joint Warrior 2008 Serial 2
practice of close air-support, including sorties in an urban environment designed to replicate current operational missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, convoy support and time-sensitive targetting

Trial Imperial Hammer

NATO counter terrorism exercise
flying assets assigned to Blue Force
'terrorists' of Red Force consisted of ground troops that had air defences and could jam GPS signals
missions included SEAD, intercepting contraband weapons on land and sea, locating hostages, escorting civilian and military convoys, locating and deactivating IEDs, and CSAR
IED jammer named 'Jedi' tested - manufactured by RESTOGE
Italian Air Force tested the Reccelite reconnaissance pod on its Tornado aircraft
SIGINT aircraft deployed, including a Spanish Air Force Boeing 707 (TM.17-4, 47-04, of 47 Grupo Mixto), Italian Air Force G.222VS (71° Gruppo), and USAF C-130H (with 'Senior Scout' module)

January 2009
RAF Shadow R.1

based on King Air 350ER airframe
assigned to 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron
acquired under UOR to provide additional ISR over Afghanistan
carry a large number of communications antennae, an EO sensor in a ball turret, and a canoe-like fairing under the fuselage which seem to have windows pointing forward and to the sides
possible that this fairing contains an EO system similar to that deployed by the US Army in its Constant Hawk aircraft
these record ground activity so that perpetrators of attacks can be identified

Brazil orders Hinds

12 Mi-35M ordered
will be used in conjunction with Super Tucanos against the narcotics trade

Flankers for Indonesia

3 Su-27SKM and 3 Su-30MK2
due to be based at Hasanuddin air base on Sulawesi, alongside 4 others delivered in 2003

Hawgsmoke 2008

biennual weapons contest for A-10 pilots
strafing, dropping practice bombs, and firing captive carry TGM-65 rounds

Exercise Jebel Sahara 2008

event in Morocco to support Royal Gibraltar Regiment, and also to familiarise with conditions similar to Iraq and Afghanistan
allowed crews to learn how to spot safe landing sites, recognise the first signs of rapidly changing weather conditions, and operate their helicopters at the limit of the engines
rear aircrew also taught how to give pilots positive voice 'patter' on approaching obstacles, rotor and fuselage clearances on difficult mountain landing zones ranging from boulder and tree-strewn areas on the lower levels, to deep snow on the higher peaks

Afghanistan: Battle in Helmand Province

2009-07-18T21:07:00.000+08:00

Getty Images photographer John Moore was embedded with British forces in Southern Afghanistan in 2007.

Information overload

2009-07-18T20:45:00.002+08:00

The situation has been getting tougher by the day. RSS feeds allowed for consolidated viewing via a RSS reader, but it does not reduce the huge amount of military news and analysis floating around in cyberspace. Twitter has made the situation worse, with reporters able to post quick tidbits, even before their full blog posts are completed. opswarfare has reduced the number of its blog posts, as info found while trawling the Net is now usually tweeted instead of expanded upon in a proper blog post. opswarfare is monitoring the situation, and hopes to resume its production rate, and more specifically, will seek to blog about info from new sources.

French urban warfare tactics

2009-07-16T01:04:00.004+08:00

Currently watching a TV5MONDE (french TV channel) programme featuring the French Army, possibly in conjunction with Bastille Day.

One of the segments involved the use of the FELIN system at a french urban warfare training facility called CENZUB

In one scene, the troops drive their VBCI armoured vehicle to the side of a building and climb out of the top hatch to storm a building via a window on the 2nd floor. No sure if other forces do this, but it's the first time opswarfare has seen this. It looks like a viable alternative o the usual methods of clearing from 1st level windows, or from the roof down.

The oldest trick in the book

2009-07-05T01:33:00.001+08:00

BBC NEWS | South Asia | US soldiers killed in Afghanistan
While a massive offensive kicks off in the South, a deadly attack on a camp occurs in the East. This is classic insurgency warfare. Lie low when the enemy comes in force, strike them hard at their weakest point (or the point where they think is the safest).

It's relatively "easy" to make an IED and detonate one as a vehicle drives past. That is a target of opportunity. In comparison, it takes quite some effort to plan an attack on an army camp, using a mixture of troops, mortars, and a suicide truck. This is a deliberate target.

There are no easy solutions in sight for the war in Afghanistan.

Delays for Heron UAV programme in Turkey

2009-06-15T23:25:00.004+08:00

Timeturk
Incorporating a customer package into a weapons system is often tricky, as can be seen in the delay to the Heron UAV programme in Turkey. Quite a few countries like to be "nationalistic" by requiring a certain proportion of local content in a foreign-acquired weapon. The other common requirement is technology transfer from the overseas manufacturer. This often results in less bidders, slower delivery (more time to incorporate local content instead of the original specification), and possibly, poorer performance. opswarfare remembers that Turkey's attack helicopter programme has been delayed for a very long time for similar reasons.

Chinese Fishermen Serving as Early Warning?

2009-05-30T19:57:00.002+08:00

Ares Homepage
Interesting intel on the North Korea situation. As usual, great comments too, furthering the discussion. There is no easy solution, as even limited airstrikes on nuclear facilities may result in a full-scale North Korean attack on South Korea and Japan.

Parliament query on Mine Ban Treaty

2009-05-28T19:22:00.001+08:00

OrderPaper5.pdf
The following question was tabled in Parliament today.

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
1. Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence
(a) whether Singapore is working towards ratifying and acceding to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction;
(b) what impediments still exist to Singapore doing so; and
(c) if he will provide an update on what steps Singapore has taken to address the humanitarian concerns surrounding the use of anti-personnel land mines.

opswarfare will be tracking it to see MINDEF's response.

Tested Early by North Korea, Obama Has Few Options

2009-05-27T20:33:00.001+08:00

NYTimes.com
As mentioned in my twit, the article seems to suggest that Resolution 1718 hasn't been fully utilised. I'll be verifying this, but in the meantime, another question that begs to be asked is whether a naval blockade would work, or rephrased, how would North Korea react to such a move?

opswarfare thinks the chances of the Obama government trying it is slim. But if it did so, North Korea might try to circumvent through its land border with China.

More likely is an increase in alert status in the short term, and an increase in troops in South Korea in the medium term. Overt monitoring of traffic (short of a full naval blockade) is also possible.

And I'm sure all the Aegis ships in the region are been reprepped for missile interception...

North Korea’s Nuclear Test: Another Fizzle?

2009-05-26T21:34:00.000+08:00

FAS Strategic Security Blog
A friend was asking me today what all the fuss was about North Korea in the news. Well, this is what the "fuss" is about; whether they are calling a bluff, or are they for real. Iran's provocations look manageable in comparison...

Traditional media vs blogs - an unscientific but quick comparison

2009-05-23T11:01:00.003+08:00

opswarfare previously wrote about the standoff between Somali pirates and the US Navy.

The 20th April 2009 edition of Aviation Week & Space Technology (AWST) had a short article in its 'News Breaks' section. (see below)

SHIPBOARD UAVS PROVE COMBAT NEED Use of Boeing/Insitu's Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle, flown from the USS Bainbridge to monitor Somali pirates' treatment of a hostage U.S. ship captain on board the pictured lifeboat, showed both strengths and weakness.

On the plus side, the aircraft can use its persistence to sit on top of an event with an unblinking infrared (IR) or electro-optical (EO) eye, provide critical 3D situational awareness and be directed by the tactical commander, explains Capt. J.R. Brown, the program executive officer (PEO) for Navy and Marine Corps UAVs.

However, Scan Eagle presents users with a low-resolution picture and cannot provide both EO and IR coverage during a single flight, Brown notes. "Warfighters want more and they want better."

So the Navy plans to replace the Scan Eagle with a specialized, small tactical UAV-competition for up to 56 systems officially started Apr. 2-which simultaneously would provide EO/IR real-time, high-resolution, full-motion video around the clock; a communications relay for a much larger surveillance footprint; and the ability to look into Afghanistan's deep valleys, says Gary Kessler, deputy PEO for unmanned aviation.

But, with the increasing demand for surveillance capabilities, the Scan Eagle's intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services will be shifted to smaller craft, such as smaller littoral combat ships and boats, as they are replaced by larger capital ships. The small, tactical UAV is scheduled to be operational in 2012.

So how does this article compare with the opswarfare post? The AWST article comes across as more techy and also manages to look into the future. My post comes across as newsy, with video and additional focus on the SEAL snipers that eneded the standoff. Looks like I still have some way to go...

LFWA Exercises Desert Ram, Western Defender, Total Ram

2009-05-18T21:45:00.002+08:00

Canadian Army
A major training exercise to prepare Task Force 3-09 for their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Plenty of coverage and stories, with a good variety of topics, from simulation to safety, and also links to coverage by TV stations.

Hercules tanker to take on multiple roles

2009-05-18T21:17:00.001+08:00

Harvest Hawk modification to KC-130J Aircraft
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is implementing a fast-track project to obtain a "gunship-lite" capability, by bolting on a 30mm cannon and Hellfire missiles on existing Hercules tanker aircraft. With the installation of targeting sensors for firing the cannon, the Harvest Hawk may also be able to serve as a surveillance platform.

Imdex Asia 2009

2009-05-17T21:47:00.002+08:00

Military Nuts
Photos and discussions from the Milnuts forum. Some of the forumers got the opportunity to visit the visiting warships. opswarfare attended during the previous IMDEX, and it was a blast, including a memorable tour of an Australian Collins-class submarine.

Spirale missile launch warning satellite demo

2009-05-17T15:20:00.004+08:00

Ares Homepage

Great to see a non-US missile warning satellite in development. The proliferation of various ballistic and cruise missiles warrant a defensive system to counter them. First mentioned in a previous Ares post, opswarfare will be monitoring on the progress of this system. By the way, SPIRALE is a French acronym for "Preparatory System for IR Early Warning".

More details here and here.

Live firing - Simulating return fire?

2009-05-15T00:18:00.003+08:00

Headlines | Canadian Army | National Defence and the Canadian Forces

I was watching the video clip in the above story when I suddenly hit upon the idea of having a speaker at the base of the drop-down target. This could simulate the sound of return fire, which would make the live-fire training more realistic.

Simulating returning fire may "encourage" soldiers to fire from behind cover, instead of firing in the open.

Instead of a target that pops up, the target could simply stay in a figure 15 exposed (head showing) position, and then emit the opening shot for the soldier to react and take cover. The soldier then returns fire, and when hit, the target drops down, and stops emitting sounds of rifle fire.

Closing the loop

2009-05-13T21:25:00.009+08:00

Previously, ISAF commanders complained about the futility of fighting Taliban forces stationed near the border, as they easily slipped to neighbouring Pakistan. With no permission from Islamabad to pursue them over the border, the ISAF forces found themselves hampered severely.

This problem was later partially mitigated with the (perhaps semi-illegal) use of armed UAVs to attack targets within Pakistan from the air.

However, daring attacks in major cities on government buildings, and the conciliatory measures like the implementation of radical forms of Sharia law, made the situation bleak.

The recent "sacking" of the US general in charge of Afghanistan showed that serious reforms were being implemented to try to turn back the tide.

With the renewed Pakistan offensive in the Swat valley, one natural question that pops up, is whether ISAF forces are stationed at the other side of the border, ready to "mop" up the Taliban forces that may be retreating from the offensive.

The first part of the answer would be find out where Swat is, and what lies on the other side of the border.

A new BBC map made the work much easier.

So it seems Swat is not near the border. But the "famous" regions of North and South Waziristan are near the border. So are these areas being actively reclaimed by Pakistan forces? Not yet it seems.

But it could happen soon, according to this Daily Telegraph report. Another new development is the inclusion of Pakistani input in UAV flights over Pakistan.

The next few months will be critical to see if the loop is being closed...

A GEOINT Analysis of Terrorism in Afghanistan

2009-05-06T22:39:00.000+08:00

Secrecy News
Its high time proper scientific analysis is brought to bear on the world of warfare. Although such analysis should not replace a shrewd commander's instinct on the ground, the snippets obtained should at least be considered for further intel collection.

Global Express 'mystery aircraft' deployed to Afghanistan

2009-05-01T19:20:00.003+08:00

Jane's
Another prototype deploys to Afghanistan. opswarfare recently twitted about a mysterious UAV operating in Afghanistan.

Extracts from the full article on page 7 of the magazine (via Zinio)

Launched circa 2004, Northrop Grumman's BACN is described as being an Internet Protocol (IP)-based communications relay and information server that links radios and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems for US Department of Defense networks.

BACN extends the range of line-of-sight radios, while its 'forward-edge tactical server', as Northrop Grumman terms it, provides real-time access to situation awareness, surveillance, imagery and network management information for air- and ground-based units.

BACN is controlled from the ground and its airborne processor manages ad-hoc IP networks together with bridging tactical data and voice networks.

The practice of testing prototypes in actual warzones is relatively rare. These 2 instances could be an indication that

the Western forces operating in theatre feel that they have complete air supremacy (and so there is no danger of these precious prototypes being shot down), or
the utility provided by these prototypes are so useful (or perhaps even critical) that it is worth it to deploy them to a warzone.

Anyway, these are good signs of a conscious attempt to fast-track the procurement of new platforms.

SIPRI: Significant rise in arms transfers to the Middle East

2009-04-27T22:56:00.001+08:00

SIPRI mainpage
New data from the Swedish think tank. The effects of the global financial crisis on the sale of arms remain murky for now.

Hunting pirates with the French Navy off the Somali coast

2009-04-27T22:05:00.000+08:00

France 24
As the various navies confront the issue of piracy around the waters near Somalia, they come up against issues that remain sticky

rules of engagement
prosecution procedures for pirates caught at sea
is food aid that lands safely at Mogadishu really being distributed to the needy further inland?

With most countries acknowledging that a comprehensive (read: land forces) solution is required, the fear remains of a repeat of the "Black Hawk Down" incident.

opswarfare believes that the African Union peacekeeping troops play a big role here. A regional solution may be more acceptable to the Somalis...

Improving International Responses to Armed Conflict

2009-04-27T21:37:00.001+08:00

ReliefWeb
When the latest Israeli-Gaza war (Operation Cast Lead) started, many observers were speculating over how long it would last before public opinion would "force" the IDF to stop.

IPI have done a paper detailing the options available in such a situation.

One conflict that could use a bit of the options described is the war in Sri Lanka.

Adaptive Army

2009-04-26T23:12:00.000+08:00

Australian Army
The Aussies are restructuring the Army in a big way. Basically, the Army will be divided into 3 groups

Headquarters 1st Division (current operations)
Forces Command (force development & strategic planning)
Special Operations Command (pretty much self-explanatory)

A quick review of the information paper (PDF) reveals that the changes proposed are sound. It will enable their Army to be more ops-oriented while a separate group looks after longer term issues.

Welcome back AEL

2009-04-19T13:50:00.001+08:00

Army Electronic Library (AEL)
The Canadian Army Electronic Library is back on public access, well sort of. I remember the days when it was one of the few (if not the only) non-US repository of Training and Doctrine (TRADOC) materials available online. Then a few years ago, it was taken of public access, no doubt due to concerns about Operations Security (OPSEC). Recently, the website has allowed some documents to be placed back on public access. There's also a useful Publications Explorer which shows a bird's-eye view of the documents available.

Concealment does not equal Cover

2009-04-16T22:00:00.000+08:00

Publications/Handouts from "The Basic School"

2009-04-15T22:07:00.005+08:00

United States Naval Academy Leatherneck program
A list of useful handouts from The Basic School, which trains all newly commissioned United States Marine Corps officers.

Regular readers should know that opswarfare has an inclination to discussions on urban warfare, specifically defensive operations. Below is an extract from B0386 - Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) [PDF].

The cover and concealment available, coupled with restrictions to normal observation and line of sight in urban terrain require special attentiveness to all-around defense and mutual support to counter enemy observation and infiltration.
Movement is generally restricted to the streets, roads, and alleys. Therefore, defending infantry seek to barricade these and all other avenues of approach to deny an attacking enemy freedom of movement and to canalize the enemy into established kill zones or engagement areas. At the same time, the defender must plan to improve his own ability to move within the built up area and even within certain buildings.
Surveillance of the flanks and rear is intensified, and the defense must be flexible enough to permit defense in any direction to prevent encirclement. Three dimensional security - above, below, and adjacent to the defensive position - is imperative.

The X-Files: Low-Tech, High Payoff

2009-04-14T22:27:00.002+08:00

SIGNAL

A good idea by the Marine Corps to package Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) in a pocketable form, for easy reading and usage in the field. Keeping the text short (only 1 booklet is more than 50 pages) make it more likely that users will read it too.

Navy commander: Trio of shots ended sea standoff

2009-04-13T21:40:00.006+08:00

The Associated Press
The dramatic ending to the standoff (between the US Navy and Somali pirates) is beginning to sound even more amazing as new details emerge.

3 shots, 3 dead. The images mentioned in the above article, taken by a Scan Eagle UAV are below, from the US Navy website. It should be clarified that when the shooting took place, the lifeboat was not so far from the USS Bainbridge.

From BBC News

The lifeboat, which had no power, was attached on a tow line about 100 ft (27 metres) behind the warship after the pirates had accepted an offer to be moved out of rough seas.

Amazing resolution from a video grab, showing the lifeboat, on which Capt. Richard Phillips was held captive.

opswarfare previously wrote about helicopter snipers, and wondered how they could shoot on such a platform. In this incident, what the SEAL snipers did was no mean feat.

The 2 images above also show the usefulness of a shipborne UAV. A persistent stare capability, coupled with a bird's eye view, enables better situational awareness for a warship.

To end off, a video clip from msnbc, which includes animation of what possibly happened during the shooting.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Shootout! : Guadalcanal

2009-04-10T23:53:00.000+08:00

Northrop Grumman settles DOJ defective parts suit

2009-04-04T02:56:00.001+08:00

The Associated Press
US$325 million minus US$325 million equals zero; unbelieveble. But perhaps more importantly, how was the US spying capability affected by the problematic satellite spare parts?

Malaysia details Astros II plans

2009-04-02T20:55:00.001+08:00

From JDW...

18 March 2009

Malaysia will take delivery of an additional order of 18 Brazilian Avibras Astros II multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) in September, Malaysian Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin announced on 1 March.

The new MRLs will form a second regiment to add to the Malaysian Astros II regiment already in service. The 18 launchers, their various support vehicles and munitions were ordered in 2007. Deliveries of munitions for the launchers have commenced, with most of the material already in country.

Malaysia currently has 18 Astros II MRLs in service from an earlier order that was delivered in 2002. The second regiment, 52 Artillery Regiment, will be operationally ready in 2010 and will be based in the state of Kedah as part of the 2nd Division. The regiment already in service, 51 Artillery Regiment, is currently based in Negri Sembilan state as part of the 3rd Division.

Meanwhile, plans for the army to procure a self-propelled artillery capability have been postponed to the timeframe of the 10th Malaysian plan (2011-16) owing to budget constraints. Similarly, plans to buy an additional nine Denel G5 155mm guns as replacements for some of the 28 G5s currently in the inventory have also stalled due to a lack of funding.

Israeli drones destroy rocket-smuggling convoys in Sudan

2009-03-29T14:47:00.001+08:00

Times Online
Further info on the airstrikes in Sudan, and the first time that the rumoured UAV involvement has been reported in mainstream media. Many have suspected for a long time that Israeli UAVs can fire ordnance (like a US Predator UAV)...

NATO advances towards landmark in coalition ISR

2009-03-24T07:01:00.004+08:00

Jane's
Besides the sharing of C-17 transport planes (under a project named Strategic Airlift Capability), NATO is now also looking at sharing intel from UAVs. This will benefit the poorer nations that can't afford a mid-size UAV.

Exploring Humanitarian Law (EHL) Virtual Campus

2009-03-23T22:12:00.001+08:00

ICRC
Saw this site a while ago, but just recently realised that I hadn't highlighted it yet. Ample educational resources for teaching humanitarian law to students. Should really make use of it one of these days...

Disaster management - an Air Force angle

2009-03-23T01:35:00.001+08:00

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
A humanitarian situation for an training exercise. Good to see some variety being injected into validation exercises.

Pacific alert
17 March 09
By FLTLT Carl Lorrigan
THE scenario: flooding on a scale never seen before has hit a Pacific neighbour, destroying infrastructure, causing outbreaks of vector-borne diseases, food shortages and simmering tribal tensions. Not for real, of course, but it raises the question: if it did really happen, how would we help? That was answered positively when the Northern Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron (NECSS) Command Post (CP) team went to work on just that situation for four days last month as part of Exercise Night Watch. For the purposes of the scenario, the stricken country was dubbed Stunod.

NECSS was required to establish Air Point of Departure (APOD) services at Stunod Airfield, assist with the supply of essential provisions and provide combat service support to an Expeditionary Health Flight. Night Watch is a newly-developed training activity by HQ 396 Expeditionary Combat Support Wing in the form of a CP exercise. It was specifically designed to validate the online status of NECSS before going online on March 1. WGCDR Neville Donnelly, from the HQ 396ECSW validation team, said he believed it was the first time this type of exercise had been developed and executed specifically for an ECSS CP. “Exercise Control tested CP staff by generating a wide range of scenarios and communications from all command levels,” he said.

The exercise started after NECSS executives participated in lessons regarding the roles and responsibilities within a CP and set up of the squadron CP at RAAF Base Tindal. While having to maintain command and control of APOD services, the team was faced with a diverse range of realistic injects testing CP procedures within an uncertain environment. Scenarios included past challenges and incidents that still occur within a deployed environment. Night Hawk was conducted successfully and all exercise objectives were achieved. The NECSS command and control elements met the challenges posed by the exercise. HQ 396ECSW has also further developed a workable ECSS CP exercise model for future training applications.

Dealing with land mines and/or IEDs

2009-03-22T17:03:00.001+08:00

The landmine/IED threat is significant for operations. Some of the methods to mitigate the dangers are as follows

foot patrols with sniffer dogs
transport long distances using airlift (e.g. heli-insertion) instead of convoys
avoid known IED routes

However, there are disadvantages when adopting the above

slower movement to contact
insufficient firepower of dismounted troops (less organic heavy weapons)
insufficient airlift capability to deal with required missions
reduced choice of routes to target location

A DTI article highlights some further technological solutions

spectroscopic imaging to detect nitrogen plume from explosives
x-ray backscattering can reveal the outline of bombs under clothing or in vehicles
imaging in the terahertz region

There are also several ongoing projects that utilise IED detection devices on UAVs, allowing commanders to "scan" a route before deploying a convoy.

sentinel hawk
warrior alpha
green dart
copperhead sensor on tiger shark
yellow jacket

Interestingly, several ASEAN countries have not ratified the Mine Ban Treaty. (List below accurate as of 1 Sep 2008)

Laos
Myanmar
Singapore
Vietnam