Troops Under Contact - Ch4 News 13 Feb

[seafuryfan]

This report is a must see. No sanitised reporting here, but showing our forces war-fighting.

We salute you. Respect also to the camera crew.

[Double Zero]

OK, is it me or there's no link to what you're on about ?!

Certainly respect to all out there including camera crews - I'm a photographer with semi - military background but couldn't get near despite requests.

Here's hoping all goes well,

DZ

[Just This Once...]

It was a very good report, free of overzealous editing and the usual overdramatic commentary.

The troops acquitted themselves rather well too!

[airsound]

Try this
Embedded with British troops in Helmand - Channel 4 News (http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/uk/embedded+with+british+troops+in+helmand/3539237)

[bakseetblatherer]

Man, that was an eye opener, so much respect for those guys. Sitting in a jet above Iraq, even with AA and the occasional SAM, was nothing like as intense as that!

Two things pop into my head:
1. They keep their humour throughout, great to see.
2. How much weight are those guys lugging around on a day patrol, I doubt I'd be able to move!

[Faithless]

Man, that was an eye opener, so much respect for those guys. Sitting in a jet above Iraq, even with AA and the occasional SAM, was nothing like as intense as that!

Two things pop into my head:
1. They keep their humour throughout, great to see.
2. How much weight are those guys lugging around on a day patrol, I doubt I'd be able to move!

Have to agree. As I've said before you can take our lives and limbs but you will never take our humour.

An the kit saga with Gormless Brown will continue forever more while his worthless, penny pinching sh!ts are in power.

Banter aside I do think more respect should be show to the brown jobs now days....Look how young they are.....That may well be your son out there!

Respect boys ......our thoughts are with you be it Day Night Rain or Shine.

Stay Safe and come home in one piece.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Chugalug2]

Very impressed by the command of the section Lance Corporal, earning ever quid he gets paid for that single stripe. I wish I had as much confidence in those paid for their stars rather than stripes to do their duty so ably!

[Argonautical]

Watching that I am becoming more and more convinced that our guys have the wrong infantry weapon for that type of open terrain. With the exception of the GPMG and the 7.62 sniper rifle, the 5.56 weapons are totally inadequate. They simply don't have the hitting power at those sort of ranges. If I was there, I would feel a lot better if I had my old FN or G3 when I knew that even at 400 yards the round would go through small trees and bushes, thin walls, and cause real damage with rock splinters and ricochets not to mention dropping the enemy in their tracks with one hit. It is a good job the Taliban don't make more use of weapons that use the old powerful 7.62 Russian round. If they did, you wouldn't catch me exposing myself (making myself visible to the enemy) to return fire.

[gijoe]

It was an excellent piece of filming and showed the chaos and situations that these men find themselves in daily.

This is nuts and bolts Afghanistan - dirty, hard, thirsty work that is sometimes very scary indeed.

Well done unknown R Anglian LCpl :ok:

FN - G3 ? I don't know. Agility and mobility is everything as seen on the film and the weight on the man is already horrific. The L2 is good and light compared to others.

G

[will fly for food 06]

"New Sharpshooter rifle goes into training ahead of deployment"

New Sharpshooter rifle goes into training - British Army Website (http://www.army.mod.uk/news/18798.aspx)

Do you think this will help?

[Raincheck]

Excellent stuff, and all credit to the guys in the patrol, especially the section leader. However credit must also go to the poor old cameraman whose work is also demanding and also very dangerous and enables us to be amongst the guys in the front line.

[airborne_artist]

"The Sharpshooter rifle will fire a 7.62mm round and will enhance accuracy of engagement during longer-range firefights with the Taliban....More than 400 of the semi-automatic Sharpshooter rifles have been bought as a £1.5M Urgent Operational Requirement.....Army units deployed in Afghanistan are very keen to get their hands on it."

Which makes it pretty clear that the SA80 is not all that it could/should be.

[Razor61]

There is an amazing difference between a few millimeters in calibre as shown here in this series on Discovery channel.
YouTube - Future weapons - Mk48 versus Mk46 machine gun (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOm3dfYYNeI&feature=related)

M46 is a 5.56 NATO round and the M48 is a NATO 7.62 round. Take a look at the penetration and stopping power of the M48 over the M46 in a demonstration against a specific target.

Why did NATO choose the 5.56mm round? Was it due to the cost? Or did they consider the 7.62mm a little overkill for the European theatre?

Considering the enemy have 7.62 AK's we seem to be a one sided fight here when it comes to penetration of body armour (which i'm sure some of the Taliban have).

[VinRouge]

Razor,

I believe it had to do with the number of rounds that could be carried.

[Razor61]

Thanks VinRouge.