HESCO seem to have put their RAID system in a hot wash…
As if RAID wasn’t clever enough
http://www.hesco.com/prod_raid.asp
Introducing the CART barrier system
Still has to be filled though!
Combat Engineering
The HESCO Chair
Seen whilst lurking on a Royal Engineers Facebook page, is there anything that
a) you can’t use HESCO Bastion for
b) A Sapper can’t build
Whatever next, bridges!
Micro Minewolf
As part of the Talisman Route Clearance and Proving capability UK forces use the Minewolf Systems Mini Minewolf, a remotely controlled engineering vehicle. Minewolf have shown off their newest model, the Micro Minewolf at a recent exhibition in the Middle East
Read more about the Micro Minewolf here and Talisman here
Although it seems like the Talisman route clearance capability will remain in service it is difficult to envisage continued investment at any significant scale.
The Golden Egg Bridge
A great collection of images from 21 Engineer Regiment
Read more about the bridge at the links
http://britisharmy.wordpress.com/2012/11/06/golden-egg-the-laying-of-a-bridge/
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/in-pictures-british-sappers-lay-golden-egg-in-afghanistan
http://bfbs.com/news/afghanistan/new-afghan-bridge-stand-test-time-61976.html
It is what is called a Non Equipment Bridge, or construction bridge.
No handy kit of parts, just design, survey and tradesman skills in abundance as they stripped out a non UK MGB (the world and his wife uses the MGB) and replaced it with a more permanent fixture
Spacers being hammered into position during a bridge construction by a Sapper from 21 Engineer Regiment.
Troops from 21 Engineer Regiment replaced an important bridge to assist the local population.
The bridge known as ‘Golden Egg’ links the main highways and local communities within the city of Gereshk in Nahr-e Saraj. The bridge helps the Afghanistan National Army (ANA) maintain communications and gives them the freedom to operate bringing further stability and security to the region.
The original bridge was blown-up by insurgents and replaced by the Danish who christened it ‘Golden Egg’, a traditional name given to a bridge made for armoured vehicles. The Danish bridge was temporary and 21 Engineer Regiment has now replaced it with a permanent structure.
And not completely unrelated is this video from BFBS about the RE Specialist Team Royal Engineers (STRE) and their work with the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority (HAVA) to restore a damaged canal.
No sangars, no C-IED, no explosions, just solid combat engineering.
Two great stories
PS
Did anyone notice on the video a Foxhound out in the wild?
Lieutenant John Rouse Merriot Chard,V.C. Royal Engineers
Zulu is of course on the TV this Christmas, its on right now in fact, Channel 4.
Rorkes Drift is an amazing subject to read about, much more than even the film, which, lets face it, is one of the best films ever made.
John Rouse Merriot Chard VC RE was in command.
From his London Gazette entry
For gallant conduct at the Defence of Rorke’s Drift, 22nd and 23rd January 1879. The Lieutenant-General reports that had it not been for the example and excellent behaviour of Lieutenants Chard, Royal Engineers, and Bromhead, 24th Regiment, the defence of Rorke’s Drift would not have been conducted with the intelligence and tenacity which so eminently characterised it. The Lieutenant-General adds, that the success must in a great measure be attributable to the two young officers who exercised the chief command on the occasion in question.
Read more at the links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Chard
http://www.rorkesdriftvc.com/vc/chard.htm
http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/zulu/vc_john_rouse_merriott_chard.htm
http://www.soldiersofthequeen.com/SouthAfrica-JohnChardVC.html
This last link has lots of detailed information
http://www.weavo.co.uk/hatch/colchard.htm
http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bsco-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B007G9WTK2http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bsco-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0330445936http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bsco-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1848325835http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bsco-21&o=2&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=1855325063
The Expeditionary Elevated Sangar
Like many words that have found their way into the British Army’s common vocabulary Sangar has its origins in India. According to uncle Wikipedia it comes from the Persian for stone (san) and built (gar) although a more learned source describes a more complex origin;
The etymology of this word will be traced in Pushto and other languages of Indian sprachbund (Indian language union or linguistic area). Lahnda: sãgaṛh m. ʻ line of entrenchments, stone walls for defense ʼ.(CDIAL 12845) گ • (sang) m, Hindi spelling: संग stone, weight; association, union (Persian. Hindi)
Whatever the origin it was commonly used by the British Indian Army to describe a small temporary fortified position used on the North West Frontier where it was impossible to dig trenches.
The official description is;
A sangar is a protected sentry post, normally located around the perimeter of a base. Its main function is to provide early warning of enemy/terrorist activity/attack in order to protect forces both within the base and those deployed within sight of the sangar
Originally using stones and rocks the Sangar developed to include sand bags, construction materials and in some cases, concrete culvert pipes.
Wherever the British and Commonwealth Armies fought they would make use of sangars.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8301470842/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8300416881/
The Britain’s Small Wars web site has good photographs of Argentine sangars around Stanley, click here
In Northern Ireland the sangar was developed even further to include RPG screens, bulletproof glass observation panels and sophisticated surveillance equipment.
In Afghanistan the Sangar has been transformed by Hesco although wriggly tin, timber and sandbags are still in widespread use.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8308631292/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8308630488/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8307581163/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8308630866/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8308630600/
Stones and rocks are so last century and with the advent of Hesco and Defencell gabions the build times and resources used have greatly reduced.
They even get the occasional VIP visitor
The website of the Coldstream Guards has a good article on the Royal Engineers production of a Hesco Sangar, click here for some great before and after images.
In my post on Generic Base Architecture (GBA) and FOBEX I had a look at deployable Super Sangars and the Marshall Safebase system
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/7388460470/
Although not as sexy as the exotica on display at FOBEX the latest evolution of the humble sangar is the EES, the Expeditionary Elevated Sangar.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/7150472093/
The EES is a prefabricated kit of parts with the elevation being taken care of by a Cuplock scaffold tower. Cuplock scaffolding has been used for many years in the Army but mainly for elevating water tanks, see the details on my post on water supply.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8610870777/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8611975806/
The Cuplock scaffolding and DuAl beam system (data sheets here and here)is made by Harsco Infrastructure (formerly SGB), a British company, although it is widely copied.
It uses an innovative node point that allows up to 4 components to be connected at the same point.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8300900349/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8301951150/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8300900231/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8301952398/
The loading jib on new Iveco Tracker Self Loading Dump Truck (Protected) is long enough to fill the Hesco bastion containers but where this or other long reach plant is not available they have to be filled by hand, lifting 16 tonnes of aggregate in bergens, nice!
The EES is a clever design because it minimises the use of labour and it is labour that is expensive. It also means that a finite number of always in short supply combat engineers can ‘do more’
So how much is one of these marvels of British military engineering?
We can get a few clues by looking at the military aid budget and export control publications. One source lists the cost of an EES at £25,942 and another describes how five of them cost £120,921.
All of them were gifted to Afghanistan.
Abacot
A nice picture, courtesy of 21 Engineer regiment Royal Engineers
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8196880018/
The caption
After arriving in Afghanistan and completing the familiarisation package, I was ready to get settled in and acclimatised to life on tour. During week two I was fortunate enough to be tasked with training on and operating the new remote controlled mine clearance machine, strangely called ‘Abacot’. At first glance of the machine, with all its attachments, different functions and cameras it all seemed very complicated but that all changed after getting some good hands on and spending a few days putting the Abacot through its paces.
The controls are via a remote system, it will be used to ensure areas are clear of IEDs and therefore providing safe passage for our troops. It is also designed to keep its operator (Me) out of harm’s way. I am now all trained up and looking forward to getting the Abacot out on the ground and using it for the purpose it was designed for saving lives both military and local national.
An Overbridge
In the UK Military Bridging series I briefly touched on the concept of over bridging but I found an image that I think illustrates perfectly what it is, saves a thousand words and all that 🙂
https://www.flickr.com/photos/73614187@N03/8195786631/
With thanks to 21 Engineer Regiment
Paxcon Blast Mitigation
I had a quick look at spall liners in a recent Vehicle Protection Factors post. Paxcon from the US firm Linex is a good example so a more detailed look is in order.
An even more interesting application is that of blast mitigation for buildings field defences.
Because it is lightweight and easy to apply it can be used on existing buildings with ease.
Neat stuff
Genesis – The Sapper Version
The final part of this trilogy, with due thanks to the Shoot Forum, Pete and Simon
In the beginning was the word, and the word was God.
In the beginning was God, and all else was darkness and void, and without form. So God created the heavens and the Earth. He created the sun, and the moon, and the stars, so that light might pierce the darkness. The Earth, God divided between the land and the sea, and these he filled with many assorted creatures.
And the dark, salty, slimy creatures that inhabited the murky depths of the oceans, God called sailors.
And He dressed them accordingly.
They had trousers that looked like bells at the bottom. And their shirts had little flaps on them to hide their tattooed necks. He also gave them long sideburns and shabby looking beards. God nicknamed them “tars” and banished them to a lifetime at sea, so that normal folks would not have to associate with them.
To further identify these unloved creatures, He called them “petty” and “commodore” instead of titles worthy of red-blooded men.
And the flaky creatures of the land, God called soldiers.
And with a twinkle in His eye, and a sense of humour that only He could have, God made their trousers too short and their berets too large.
He also made their pockets oversized, so that they may warm their hands. And to adorn their uniforms, God gave them badges in quantities that only a pick ‘n mix shop owner could appreciate. And He gave them emblems and crests… and all sorts of shiny things that glittered…and devices that dangled. (When you are God you tend to get carried away.)
On the 6th day, He thought about creating some air creatures for which he designed a postman’s uniform but in a fetching shade of sky blue especially for Royal Air Force. But He discarded the idea during the first week, and it was not until years later that some apostles resurrected this theme and established what we now know as the RAF.
And on the 7th day, as you know, God rested.
But on the 8th day, at 07:30hrs, God looked down upon the earth and was not happy.
No, God was not happy!
So He thought about His labours, and in His divine wisdom God created a divine creature.
And this he called the Sapper.
And these Sappers, who God had created in His own image, were to be of the air, and of the land, and of the sea. And these He gave many wonderful uniforms. Some were green; some were blue with red trim. And in the early days, some were even a beautiful tan.
He gave them practical fighting uniform’s, so that they could wage war against the forces of Satan and evil. He gave them service uniforms for their daily work and training. And He gave them dress uniforms… sharp and stylish, handsome things… so that they might promenade with their ladies on Saturday night and impress the hell out of everybody!
He even gave them jack-knives, so that people who were not impressed could be dealt with accordingly.
And at the end of the 8th day, God looked down upon the earth and saw that it was good.
But was God happy? No! God was still not happy!
Because in the course of His labours, He had forgotten one thing:
He did not have a Sapper uniform for himself.
He thought about it, and thought about it, and finally God satisfied Himself in knowing that, well… not everybody can be a Sapper!
Exactly
Think Defence 