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Subject: MOUT warfare
GOP    9/8/2005 11:20:43 AM
We have had the Jungle Warfare thread, but now to urban enviroments. How would you arm a platoon whos primary job was kicking in doors and going on daily patrols inside a large city (say, like Baghdad or Basrah)?

 
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shek    RE:MOUT warfare   9/8/2005 11:23:39 AM
Exactly how the US Army has armed its rifle platoons.
 
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shek    RE:MOUT warfare   9/8/2005 11:36:15 AM
To clarify my response, for dismounted platoons, the US Army is right on target - I'm sure that other armies as just as well and appropriately equipped, I just can't speak smartly on their equipment. So, to go over some of the basic equipment: -Close combat optics for all soldiers except those with high powered optics -Small handheld or wrist worn GPS -Easy access at the company level and below to imagery software -Mechanical breach kits consisting of hooligan, sledge, bolt cutters, and battering rams at the squad level in most units -Specialized breaching tools with platoon master breacers (pre-made shape charges, Broco Torch, quickie saws) -Skedcos for quick dismounted CASEVAC and resupply capability -Squad designated marksmen with high powered optics and 7.62mm capability -Snipers at the company level that can be attached to a platoon -Intrasquad radios for the entire platoon and MBITR radios for squad leader and up to allow for comms with platoon, company, battalion, CAS, rotary wing, etc. -Bendable fiber optic viewers that allow for covert observation where it can fit -Knee and elbow pads to allow for more comfortable firing positions and prevents laceration wounds from urban debris That's not an all inclusive list, but goes pretty far. In the end, tactics and training are equally important as the training. The M68 Aimpoint CompM2 doesn't do you anygood if it's not zeroed and you don't have the muscle memory to conduct fast, accurate, reflex shooting.
 
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flamingknives    RE:MOUT warfare   9/8/2005 1:36:01 PM
Lots of grenades. Something to allow them to see round corners without getting their heads blown off. A bonus if this also allows them to aim round corners. Easily handled rifle. Some more grenades. Anti-structure rocket of some description. The SMAW-D is a good example. Explosives. Grenades
 
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TriggaFingaz    Hooligan   9/8/2005 3:43:50 PM
To Shek: Hooligan definition one: a roughly bipedal humanoid who often but not always reeks of alcohol, bearing improvised melee and throwing weapons (ie, bottles, 2x4s, stones). Often encountered following soccer matches. What's the other 'hooligan' in your list of breaching tools? Is it some kind of battering ram, like used by SWAT teams to enter crack dens?
 
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TriggaFingaz    MOUT gear:   9/8/2005 3:46:51 PM
Apart from the weapons and tools mentioned by earlier posts? A small shaving mirror mounted on a bayonet with chewing gum, like used by Tom Hanks' Captain in Saving Private Ryan's opening to spot the German gunners. Improvised smoke producing devices, C4 blocks and propane cylinders- there's an AAR written by 3/1 Marines about the Nov Fallujah experience that was posted on SFTT several months back. That's where they mention these devices.
 
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shek    RE:MOUT gear: hooligan tool   9/9/2005 7:07:16 AM
Trigga, It's a tool used by fire departments to open locked doors - it's basically a huge, specialized pry bar. The sledge hammer is used to set the hooligan tool - the biggest mistake in mechanical breaching is to see guys try to use the sledge hammer as the breaching tool. Nothing funnier (during training, of course) than seeing some soldier try to breach with a sledge and then it plows right through the wooden door and becomes stuck. But, embarassment is a powerful training method, and I can guarantee that those that find themselves in this situation never try to use the sledge as an independent breaching tool again. Try a Google for "hooligan tool" and you should turn up a handful of companies that make them.
 
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Yimmy    RE:MOUT gear: hooligan tool   9/9/2005 9:58:40 AM
Isn't the idea with hammer type breaching tools, to hit the lock?
 
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AlbanyRifles    Halligan Not Hooligan   9/9/2005 10:26:51 AM
Its actually called a Halligan, named for the fire captain, Mike Halligan, who invented it. (If I hadn't have been a soldier, I'd have been a fireman!) link
 
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shek    RE:Halligan Not Hooligan   9/9/2005 1:29:28 PM
AR, Thanks for the real story. I was corrupted by the guys from Ranger Regiment who called them hooligan tools. Sounds cooler. This is similar to "technical" vehicles, terminology used to described pickups with mounted machine guns. Turns out that they were called "techno" vehicles in Somalia due to the techo music that typically blared from them. Not very good noise discipline, but then again, you need to do something to show off the most tricked out vehicle in the neighborhood. If only I can get myself properly orientated! (although it's actually now a word in the Webster Dictionary, whose definition is "to orient" - nevertheless, it's still a wasted syllable to me)
 
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Horsesoldier    RE:Halligan Not Hooligan   9/10/2005 6:04:05 PM
Our master breacher where I presently work also insists on the "Halligan tool" terminology, which, while correct just doesn't play well. In modern usage it's a Hooligan tool or a Hoolie tool.
 
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interestedamateur    RE:MOUT warfare   9/12/2005 4:26:14 AM
There was an interesting article in JDW regarding urban warfare equipment in the UK army in the future. A company of the Kings Reg't was given all sorts of natty equipment such as SA80-A2's that have a joint so they can bend round corners and micro-UAV's in the sections. They were supported by an electronic warfare troop that was particularly effective (appparently) at detecting hidden locations of enemy units as soon as they tried to communicate with each other. Lastly the A-D troop of the Royal Marines was rerolled as a mini-UAV troop and given halogen balloons to which small camera's were attached.
 
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Carl S    RE:MOUT warfare   9/12/2005 8:27:01 AM
The recent issue of the Marine Corps Gazette has a long artical on MOUT operations in Iraq. Specificly it is the observations by four Marines of the Scout/Sniper platoon of 3/5, while in Falluja last Fall. Speed was one essential. The squads of 3/5 were responsible for clearing 50-60 structures a day. Since the enemy was thinly spread this pace was possible as clearing most buildings did not involve combat. Due to this speed and the number of clearing actions there was not enough explosive for entry breeches, or time to do many with engineer vehicals. Entry was commonly gained by shooting off the door lock (nearly all observed by the authors were locked) with a shotgun slug, or less often with a M16 round. Breeching with hammers and Halligan tools was descibed as too slow, & exposed the Marine handling the tool to being shot through the door. Many steel doors were opened by hitting them with a M203 round fired from 50+ meters. Small squads were dangerous. The authors are not clear, but a 8-9 man squad seems to be the absolute minimum for clearing the average building in Falluja. The authors go into a lot of detail on this. The bottom line is squads of seven men or less got into trouble when they encountered opposition. Of course the authors empahsise training. They extend this to training during operations. Whenever a squad, platoon, or company stood down for a few hours a discussion of lessons learned was essential. Then as the lessons of reality accumulated the squads and platoons had to adjust and practice their drills. Like all battle plans school solutions dont survive combat very long.
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:Halligan Not Hooligan-Shek   9/12/2005 10:40:31 AM
Well, were pacific on how you wanted to be orientated? BTW, how's the wall coming?
 
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shek    RE:Halligan Not Hooligan-Shek   9/13/2005 12:07:36 AM
AR, I almost went there with pacific, but I wasn't sure if anybody would get it. My first introduction to pacific was from a platoon TAC NCO at IOBC. He could barely teach a class with 7-8 open right in front of him. Made me scared for his soldiers. It almost made me stifle laughter when the BN CDR would talk about the cadre being the best and brightest. The wall's coming fine - there's two main sections and I'm almost complete with the first one. Between all the stone, fill dirt, top soil, and retaining blocks, there's over 50 tons of material. I wish I had the $$ to just hire out. At least it's getting me in shape.
 
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AlbanyRifles    RE:Halligan Not Hooligan-Shek   9/13/2005 8:59:06 AM
I remember when I was in IMPC and the instructor talking about looking for the astridge when we looked up data in our firing tables. I was "What the .... is an astridge?" After awhile, I figured it out. He meant asterisk! Gotta love BSEP!!!
 
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