From the Archives, 2014 The following video was sent to be by a good friend who routinely trains with a former Spetsnaz member. At first glance, most people’s reactions are the same “This is CRAZY!!”but not until the end where Larry “arfcom” Vickers explains these are extremely advanced RUSSIAN FSB MILITARY…
Category: Tactics
Know Your Cold War History: Operation Protea and Beyond…
Operation Protea was launched on 23 August 1981. Its objectives were to destroy the South-West Africa People’s Organisations (SWAPO) command and training center at Xangongo as well as to destroy its logistic bases at Xangongo and Ongiva. The South African forces reached Ongiva on 26 August 1981 and attacked the combined SWAPO/FAPLA forces dug in […]…
Know Your WW2 History: The Iron Fist – 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
Marder I, 17 SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen 17. SS commander Werner von Ostendorf (left) plans the attack on Carentan with Fallschirmjager commander Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte (centre). Thrown into combat on 10 June 1944 near Carentan, the reconnaissance battalion of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division fought the American paratroops of the […]…
China updates its ‘Art of (Hybrid) War’
China updates its ‘Art of (Hybrid) War’ I have emphasized the importance of understanding 4GW, aka “Hybrid” or “Asymmetrical” Warfare for some time on this blog. Understanding how War can be waged in every strata of society without a bullet ever being fired is mind blowing to some but none the less a painful…
On War: Understanding the Importance of Doctrine
Doctrine is an important topic in warfighting, and perhaps the most important area for an intelligence officer to understand. Doctrine defined is The guiding principles that an adversary uses to plan and execute his operations. When we understand adversary doctrine, we’re better informed about what he might do in the future because we understand what… via…
The Reality of Extreme Close Contact Shooting
From the Archives, 2016 When you are talking about Close Quarters Shooting, there are always varying degrees of “close.” We have all heard the terms “Reach out and touch someone close”, “Bad Breath Distance close” (Listerine Close) but this video shows a whole different kind of close: EXTREME CLOSE CONTACT CLOSE, which is basically around…
The Combat Realities of Trigger Reset
From the Archives, 2016 Trigger reset is one of those skills, that if you were like me, when you learned it, it pretty much changed your level of accuracy instantly, especially with a pistol. I remember one of my trainers summarizing it for me: “Unlike a rifle, where the barrel is 16 to 20 inches…
Transition to Third-Generation Warfare
For further reading on this subject. I highly recommend The Breaking Point, Sedan and the Fall of France 1940. At 4:45 a.m. on September 1, 1939, the German army invaded Poland. By September 19, they forced the surrender of the last Polish army in the field. Eight days later, they completed mopping up the…
Urban Guerilla Sniping v3.0
“History is nothing else than a long succession of useless cruelties.” (Voltaire) When you look at the situation in Syria, you see the logic in Voltaire’s prose. I suppose it is the hopeless romantic in me that wishes for a world that is not filled with asshole tyrants and despots that take advantage of…
“Aim Small, Miss Small”: A Primer On Building Designated Marksman Skills
One of the maxims of marksmanship that most of us have probably heard is “Aim Small, Miss Small”, meaning, aim at a tiny portion of a target and you’re likely to hit the target. Absent many of the realities of combat, its sound advice that’s endured over centuries for a reason. In a modern context,… via…