Call them “snap HVCPs”…
My good friend from Fox News Greg Palkot has landed an embed with US Special Forces in Zabul province Afghanistan and posted some awesome video of their operations.
ZABUL, AFGHANISTAN Special Force teams have been in Afghanistan ever since the days after 9/11. Now more than ever, they’re at the “ tip of the spear,” in places like Zabul province in the southeast, where the Taliban is…“everywhere.”
“Whether it’s two or three local Taliban or foreign Taliban,” the “Major” (that’s all he goes by for this report due to security reasons) said, “It’s safe to assume they’re in every village.”
The “Major,” the commander of a company of Special Force A-Teams, says the new US counter-insurgency strategy is all about what the Special Forces have been doing here. Green Berets are involved in civil affairs programs in various Zabul villages, supporting schools, manning clinics, building bridges.
One of them shows an interesting new tactic they’re using to nab bad guys infiltrating from Pakistan and moving insurgents around in the wide open spaces and unmarked roads of Afghanistan’s south. Watching the video, it looks as if the SF is executing what I’d like to call “snap helicopter vehicle check points” (they call them helicopter-vehicle interdictions)…like a scene from Blackhawk down the operators scope out a suspicious vehicle from high up and swoop in on them with a flock of Blackhawks, running from the crew compartments with weapons drawn.
Talk about a psych job! You’re just meandering along with your six madrassa buddies hanging for dear life onto the back of your Honda motorbike for your Jihad University graduation party and with the sun at their back, a bunch of bearded spacemen come swooping down to rain on your parade. Seems like an expensive way to nab a few blocks of C4 and some wayward suicide bomber-wannabes from NoVa, but maybe it’s all a game of perception.
Also, on the gear front…Seeing a lot of Multicam, ACU and old-style three color desert camo mixed around. Also, looks like the beard restrictions have gone out the window. And the host of weaponry these guys are carrying? Was that an LWRC 6.8 PDW I saw on that second takedown?
Thanks to an anonymous tipper for the links.
– Christian
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Beards are a symbol of manhood in the Middle East. It’s advantageous for our soldiers to have beards (albeit well trimmed I’m sure) in order to create close ties to the locals.
We in the West have a tendency not to trust people with beards. They don’t trust people without them.
Afghanistan is not in the Middle East. Also, beards are not a symbol of manhood in the Middle East. Mustaches are in some countries, but not beards.
You'll find that they're definitely a symbol of manhood in Afghanistan. Plenty of soldiers and reporters have commented that the Afghans tend to be dismissive of men without facial hair.
you are a retard, have you ever served over there at all, before you talk about stuff you know nothing about, research it.
U mean 6.8 PSD? Why do u think so? Cause of the buttstock? And no solid front sight? Dont think that SF guys have enough 6.8 coming in.
"interesting new tactic"
I wouldn't say this tactic was new by any means
I'd say the the rifle you're thinking of in the second take down is a 10.5" M4 with the new Block 2 Daniel Defense MK18 RISII rail. Recent upgrade for SF I think.
I sense the possibility of ambush with this tactic. I can only imagine a HVCP dropping in on a car and muj jumping out of the rocks with RPGs.
I imagine this tactic would kick twice as much ass if done at night. Granted sound travels farther, but even so…
More vidoes please love these SF guys!!
Considering SOCOM bought a pile of them back in 2004, it's likely the weapon is a HK416
the commentator on that vid was way too excited. But good footage.
I think the Americans wore a mix of ACUPAT and Mulitcam, while the darker three color was worn by Afghani commandos
Correct. Afghans often wear Woodland BDUs.
Usual tactics specnaz USSR in Afghan the companies allowed by 1986 to supersede bands on their bases in Pakistan. Then the USA and their ally began to deliver mojaheds stingers for struggle with верталетами. Will be the big irony if the taliban will apply stingers against armies of a coalition.
This tactic does seem to be one that can put fear into people minds. By making the Taliban on edge all the time as they never know when they will be apprehended or searched helps reduce the confidence of the average fighter.
We need more things like this being done. It’s like the drone in the air, I am certain most Taliban now are a bit apprehensive about doing things in the middle of the day on an open road.
Good luck getting a Stinger that's 30 year old and been carried around Afghanistan on a mule to fire and track. I'd be more worried about RPGs and HMGs. The chances that they can ambush the HVIs are slim-how do you know when and where they are going to land? I'd also bet there are ISR assets checking the surrounding are before the insert.
top: The old tactic of having informants pass along info as to when an aircraft is leaving is always good. Putting hidden troops nearby along a valley or ridgeline and running patrols on the lower ground and waiting for someone to appear is a waiting game, like fishing, but they only need to win once (however there is a possibility that instead of an ambush they might just fire a missile).
That realy seems an expensive traffic stop(but it was probably just publicity stunt for Fox),and a random operating method which is probably not overly effective and poor use of air power.Maybe they should start by checking convoy escorts as taliban are paid(800-2000 $ per truck) for to protect US supply convoys for most of their way from pakistan to Kabul so for much of the trip they actually escort the trucks.
This will make Taliban forces nervous, certainly. But, it will also make everybody else nervous, because nothing in the description (helicopter checkpoint?) indicates that it is well targeted. Would you trust someone who dropped out of the sky and pointed several guns at you or one of your neighbors?
Afghanistan is all about convincing the Afghan people to side with the current civilian government, rather than the Taliban. This approach sounds like the stick without the carrot, and illustrates graphically for all involved that the U.S. Forces don't know who is with them and who is against them.
In the end it's a matter of out-carrotting the Taliban or out-sticking the Taliban.
On soldiersystems.com there is a video of a task force in Afghanistan wearing UCP-Delta on patrol. I think it looks a hell of a lot better than the current camo and blends very well with the terrain. Check it out. Is UCP-D a variation of German camo?
100k $ traffic check ,innovative ways to throw cash and much needed air assets away for random vehicle search.And why 4-5 helicopters ,and even if you do it like this you could more likely than not handle it with 2x AH/MH-6 and a fraction of man power. And if you are just searchin to pick a fight go ask the brits as they have running firefights in Helmand province on daily basis ,but unlike the us forces wery limited air assets.
Its a matter of ousting coruption and getting the taliban out doa..
Of course they will not show the caravans they blew sky high ,but good work done fast ,dangerios.in /out the way well enter and leave ..
Link not working anymore
. First link says page not found, Youtube link says video is private.