12Alfa

Leo 1's loadout is Sabot ad Hesh ad may have smk on board due to tasking Leo 2 is same but no Hesh, so Heat is carried

4ptl Coy, when deployed as on my tour, and yes they have anti-amour (Carl G and eryx)

I fail to see how a "entire battalion less the CRP,their forward runup positions" is any way tied to what we have been facing in the last 20+years of fighting. And this is my point. Place what ever unit into a COIN environment with a enemy and see how that unit will do. From what I've seen we still have a long way to go. We are training for a Fulda gap enemy, and as anyone can see that enemy is now gone and has been replaced by a non-conventional one. We need to move on.

I find JCATS artificial in that it's a training tool for a course. It is controlled environment for the students. The enemy is planed and used to teach basic lessons. For JCATS to be effective to determine whether LAV's will or will not get slaughtered (and they will)would mean that the operators controlling the enemy force would have free rein on how and when they engage, they don't. It all goes to smooth when the enemy follows a set of rules. We all know that the real enemy does not, so training this way can be counter productive. For getting drills down it works, other than that I have found it is a make work project for civies. They will not let the enemy rum amok, thus giving the training unit a real taste of what could/will happen to all of their well though out plans. Real life is a bitch, as we have learned the hard way. Free up the enemy! I have attended FTX;s in Germany where the enemy is doing just this, causing chaos to units with their unconventional war-fighting methods. The same methods our current enemy is using. Some units adapt quickly, some locked in drills and sop's don't do so well. To me this is effective training, a enemy that can disrupt a unit by having no set of controls linked to how we think the enemy will fight. We need to move on, the wall is down I hear, a CBT can not maneuver on a piece of ground littered with IED's as our last 20 years deployments have shown. The time of maneuvering in ground that is safe is over, our enemies know this. Or.. outfit all our AFV's with mine/rollers/plows/IED kit.

It is in a support role, eng, etc. Inf units are LAVIII based for the most part. Our last venture in Afghanistan has changed how we use the LAVIII's (as much as some would disagree). But in the end they are not tanks, they will need support. The IED/mine protection is not there also. The RG-31 has a better protection history. Anywhere place that does not have a IED/mine problem they would do well, their mobility is very good on hard ground/roads. Our LAVIII's are going through a mid-life retofit, the desert has shorten their life a bit, but it shorten mine also....

UK Tank Sqn/Tp Please, might even get some other Canuks to tag along.

You are correct. This is based on standard combat operations, last deployment saw some changes although minor. We operated in some areas without the Leopards. We use the combine team approach generally, tanks supporting the LAVIII's.

En:biggrin:joy!

Most users ever online was 195 on December 10, 2011 at 19:24 PM.:eek2:

In our army we move in fire-teams (two tnks per FT), at the troop level much like the above. I would say that the teams (commanded by the TP ldr and the TP WO) know the plan for movement via orders and a map recce before the mission. Of course things will change along the way, however the basic plan keeps all on the same plan of the Sqn CO. The plan is discussed within the two fire teams as well .Sit reps are given to keep the whole troop updated on the move,terrain, and enemy situations along the way as required (usually stated in orders). When in a three tnk setup, we would go to over watch with the single tank taking the first bound covered by the two covering to give max support, switching up for the lead would be done to give the lead tnk a break for a while. We call this caterpillar movement.

Ya the life we lead. I'm on a break from the unit till mid Jan. It's ice to have no travel plans i the ext month, I may get to like it...:shocked:

Ok back home:biggrin:. Lets try for a session this Friday 2 hours b4 TGIF.:shocked:

Over my 40 years in the army I have done many flights in combat helos. That being said all of what I was told,taught, and trained in such aircraft was not the reality of flying in the desert of southern Afghanistan. We did fly some breathtaking profiles due to enemy fire, So to say it's just Hollywood is not true. When the red tracers are coming up from the ground (day or night) flying such profiles is a necessary and not Hollywood . Fast, changing altitude as well contour flying at high speed is the way to stay alive in such a fragile machine. The danger is just not from flying. Try to board a Chinook in the night (in blackout conditions) with no visible light in a dust shit storm that they create when on the ground with a full fighting kit on. You can't see shit, can't hear anyone, you just walk to the noise in the dust and try to find the blast of heat coming from the turbines, now you make your way to the rear to a ramp that may be lowered or not. Once on the blacked out helo you must walk on a floor(in the dark) which has two sets of rollers for moving cargo and try to not fall possible setting off you wpn (s). We don't train for this enough due to the safety regs in place to keep us safe in peace time. Flying is in the hands of the crew, I don't care how they fly to keep me safe, I just want to get to my location.If it means flying like a mad man so be it, it's what we do to keep alive in combat. The same for the airbase, I saw some crazy shit there as well, the line up on approach and departure profiles are just not there for combat aircraft/helos. Once off the ground it's fair game, the wild west of flying. It must be great to be a pilot in theater, it sure looks and feels fun. Best flying in my life, you feel alive, and yes we get air sick, it's part of the ticket (no charge):biggrin:

I'll let you know as I'm snowed in here in Labrador, hoping to get out in the next few days. The dog sled option is looking good at the moment.......

When I know the date I would like to take a shot(no pun) at a CBT position if possible.

Welcome back Steve!! Can we get together this Friday b4 TGIF for a short session? I'll be back from the north this Tue and ready to blow shit up:debile2:

Sorry, my use of words has not been correct (i'm cold:frown:). I should have wrote that Leo 1 skins have been in constant upgrading from day one (SB-1) for us Canadians who play here. Their have been so many I've lost count, and somewhere in all my SB data there piling up. After-all the 1 CAD has been one of the first units within the sim.:shocked: I'm returning from the cold to eastern Canada tomorrow and my grey matter will (hopefully) start working again. I have helped build a Inuit komatik, now my hands are sore.

Canadian skins have been here from SB1 days:shocked:

All points can be argued to a end state. However. The data shows (if one looks at the studies in the last 10-15 years). that if recces is given the wpn systems other than self defense, the crew will adopt a hunter/killer mindset.:redface: One can not do recce with a TOW wpn system without the crew trying to blow shit up. :debile2: And if said crew is blowing said shit up it is not doing a recce task to it's full potential, meaning seen and report without engagement.:shocked: Recce does fight for info, however it's not the best way to gain info. Info is best gain in the passive mode, not in the active mode. As for tanks holding ground, I would think that it's a tactical mater pertaining to a country's ground warfare sop's, usually based on past history and or resources. We, in our country are taught that only the infantry can hold ground at our schools. I personally don't see this as being a hard fact. Many a time I have been told that after a attack the troop will hold a certain piece of ground.:confused:

The Mi -24 in the sim is as stated many times was to provide a target for us tankers, and to make one think of the air threat. If the Hind had the fidelity of a Leo 2E we would not do so well I would think in the sim. :eek2: All this talk about the Hind in the Afghan conflict is one side I think. History has told us that the Hinds they used were doing a good job with effective tactics at the time, so much so the Freedom fighters asked for help for uncle sam (no pun intended). Some of you suggest that they were a poor wepond platforms, then there would be no need for the Stingers:confused:. The fact of the matter is shown that they indeed were very effective, so much so they have been reported as the most effective wpn in that conflict to the point the fighters were willing to ask for outside help. Most of you know that in that country, as in that part of the world they don't ask for the west help that often, it shows the bad shape they thought they were in when dealing with the MI-24's. I know that the CIA had a role to play as well as the ISI, but that came after the request for help. A MI-24 in the hands of a good crew is as effective a s a good tank crew on the ground, unlike our sim or the Simnet. Lets cut the SB's Hinds some slack until they are further developed to the point of the MBT's.:remybussi::smilelove-1:

Welcome. I'll post a date within two weeks. I'm up north for unit mentoring. Mark Publicover?

Hi: I'll e-mail you on the next gathering of 1CAD. I'm away on the far north for 5 days:confused:, how ever when I return I'll contact the rest of the troops and we shall do a online session.:biggrin:

Welcome back.

Yes:biggrin:

I will able to help out on what ever side needs help:biggrin: