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It is pleasing and refreshing to see that the Brits can still produce visionaries in their Military. An officer that can learn from history and apply the lessons in a commonsense approach is a rare bird indeed. I hope he gets the support he needs and isn't ground down by the sausage factory thinking.
Cheers
Spanner

Hi Dubliner! Hi Folks!

- Dubliner

Its an interesting article on the patrols carried out by light British forces on the Iran border, and while I was reading it I was wondering what some of the 11ACR vets on the DG would think about Labouchere's approach?

Sounds like Lt.Col. Labouchere has a good handle on what he needs to do and how best to do it in the area where his unit is.

A fixed base will always draw fire if it remains in place for an extended period. Sounds like a good idea to move out of that place he was using for a base of operations.

He has FAC's with his units however I am not sure 15 minutes is fast enough for air support if a unit gets trapped. I guess that is good enough for the area he is working. I for one, like the idea of being within range of artillery which can be on target much faster.

It sounds like his squadrons are staying within range of a fixed support base so helicopters can resupply most of the unit's needs. When I was with the C and G Trps of the 11th ACR, we had daily CH-47 resupply missions bringing in everthing that was ordered the night before along with rations and diesel fuel. Most of the time it was not possible for a convoy to reach the Troop's NDP location. A few times we would stock up and conduct operations for a few days without daily resupply.

A comment on the way his troops are living. They are in field, living like troops in a war zone. Troops that live in a base camp, sometimes forget they are in a war zone and will pick up garrison type habits.

I find it odd that the reporter would write that the Lt.Col. doesn't have any weapons heavier than 7.62mm machine guns. Yet he wrote that there are 30mm cannons on Scimitars. If you have NATO 7.62mm machine guns and 30mm cannons, what else do you need? Those two points make me wonder about that reporter.

I feel sorry for that drone team. Just because it's a new gizmo, doesn't always mean it is going to be helpful out in the field. Besides, if they could not fly that drone around a large helicopter, sounds like they needed some more training time.

A few comments about Lt.Col. Labouchere's approach in Maysan province. Not so sure about his idea that it would also work in an urban jungle.
My 2 cents,
Sgt, Scouts Out!

FAC - Forward Air Controller
NDP - Night Defensive Position