Gordo_Viper

D, It's not an issue mate. We can still update your key without any issues to the new key type.

At least across most of the NATO and ABCA (especially) nations there has been quite a lot of standardized equipment. The training across ABCA and some of the NATO SOF is quite similar too. There is quite a lot of cross polination of unit visits and also Liason Officers. It's becoming pretty hard to pick which ABCA SOF unit is represented in a picture from Afghanistan (except for the National Flag)!

Like that is ever going to happen. Nice, Gordo! Makes me want to pull out my VBS discs again. Too bad my computer can't handle it any more. Zjj, If you ever get a PC that can run it let me know. @Rocky: No problem at all mate. For the VBS2 PE users out there VBS2 2.0 will be provided to you guys as a free update as well. Ground Branch is going to be a great title...no doubt about that. You only need to look at the heritage of games that group have delivered to the market. ArmA3 is going to be another good title...and for the more hard core stuff DCS series is pretty damn good for the air side of things. Start with a PM to gordo requesting a quote. Riley. VBS2 is used by most of the Worlds militaries for training; we do sell a Personal Edition for serious gamers. But it's in no way priced like normal computer games and it doesn't have a campaign or any single player missions that ships with it. It does however have a very powerful mission editor (3D) and the ability to record the action and provide an AAR and also run time authoring (changing the scenario on the fly). If you're interested shoot me a PM! VBS2 is mainly a military tool. So it has some things that tend to set it apart from most other titles out there. -very large terrain areas. VBS2 2.0 can support multi map technology allowing 500km by 500km terrain areas and larger -After Action Review tool (records all the fun) -Correlated Terrain i.e. Real World Locations -HLA/DIS capability allows it to link in with other simulation systems And yes GR1 is the grand poo bar for a lot of excellent FPS games out there.

G'Day mate! Been way too long. Looks like it would have been an excellent demo to witness! I've seen a few down here in Australia over the last few years and they are impressive! Though i was a little bit closer then the video was taken from! There is talk of creating International SOF capabilities based on regions. I.e. sharing more intel and resources...could be a good thing.

VBS2 2.0 Video: Note does contain fairly detailed wounding model; might disturb some people.

International SOF Conference

Pretty good docco... covers SASR/CDOs and IRR Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Excellent. I'll be sure to look for a game (most likely on the weekend!)

Yeah it's a grand old time. Any interest in Co-Op play with other Gr.Net players?

Oh he's a hero. But typically with the case with guys like that he's pretty damn humble about it all and can't understand why he was selected out of all his mates to be awarded that honor. As to the floods down here...yeah Northern Australia has been copping it again. It's our wettest summer in quite some time; but ironically we've had bush fires on the Western side of Australia. Nice and dry where we are at the moment. Had a 110+ per day week back here about three weeks ago.

Will do mate. Be good to catch up. Likewise if you get down to Australia!

RIP Sam. Condolences to his family and his friends.

http://www.defence.gov.au/special_events/Roberts-Smith/index.htm

I'd say a lot have watched it. It aired in the U.S. a few years ago and it's been on YouTube for as long. DS Had heard the A3 416 was having some issues. But it appears to work pretty well otherwise!

They go for about 30,000 a pop. Link: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/xm25-supergun-that-shoots-round-corners-goes-to-us-troops-in-afghanistan/story-e6frg8yo-1225964999015 Apparently the troops in theatre are nicknaming it Punishment . They did some of the test/eval using VBS2:

Yeah Crowie. Loved the comment one guy made...gee I didn't realise North Korea was that big lmao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX4k_8lJaWM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll67pGwCPnk&feature=related

Ruin, Live training is always a good thing. Simulatior training prior to the live stuff makes it more effective. Neat little system at Bragg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G067gF94wZk Para, Yeah that'd be VBS2 mate. There not the only ones using it in theatre.

JTOIC Article Pretty interesting read.

Hey Mate! Good to hear you're doing well and have a new hobby! Take care of yourself! BTW I've seen some artwork representing you in a SOF book published in Australia (based on SOF and PMCs operating in Iraq). Will have to scan it for ya!

Awesome series on the NZSAS. 18 Part Series...really well done. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPQ6OFG8ZnU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdfIYsmHAR0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4BKDeW1dm4&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CSxIy7y8PI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W757lcYfRkw&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OFcMM5KxcM&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i53FN1WXnG8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L3IJmFirRU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsYd3aXj4b8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufgkeYe8WkU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuLLUzcoy48&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN9qtdJvGh0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P7DDvRv27M&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNGCJAwhnQA&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R82QeqpvjY&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECynTmCeW8o&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZhsRWAvHMc&feature=related Two Part interview with Willie Apiata VC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5-8ueEEWvE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdmto41Lmu0&feature=related

Amputee Graduates SWC Sniper Course

Winged Warrior 2010 Exercise Winged Warrior once again offered some pre-deployment training for the next rotation of personnel from 430 (Tactical Helicopter) Squadron, based at Valcartier, Que. who are headed for Afghanistan. The exercise, based in virtual reality using high tech simulation, was set in contemporary Afghanistan and challenged CH-146 Griffon and CH-147 Chinook helicopter crews with a variety of scenarios and the "unexpected" that comes with operating in a hostile environment. The simulated environment gained another level of realism at this year’s exercise by increasing involvement by other nations including Germany and the United Kingdom. Lieutenant-Colonel Rudolf Fendt, a squadron commander in Germany, along with Lieutenant-Colonel Christoph Hegele from the German Army, came to observe the exercise from a simulation standpoint. “We are trying to get as much information about the exercise as possible,” said LCol Hegele. “I have never personally worked with the Canadian Forces before, and I am very impressed with the organization here. For us to reach this level of organization would take a lot of work, but it’s a goal for us to reach the level you have.” While the German forces have been a strong coalition force in Afghanistan, they admittedly do not have the same “work-up” training as the CF. They observed the simulation portion of the training in order to bring back the lessons 1 Wing Kingston has learned. Colonel Christopher Coates, 1 Wing Kingston Commander, invited other nations to the exercise in order to increase the level of realism, as Canadians work with coalition forces in Afghanistan. He also knows how valuable a training tool Ex Winged Warrior is, and was eager to share the knowledge that can be gained by such an experience. LCol Fendt saw the potential to learn as soon as he found out about Ex Winged Warrior and contacted Col Coates through European military channels in order to participate. “We would like to introduce simulation for [our] NH 90 [helicopters] being sent to Afghanistan, so we [wanted] to see what the CF [was] doing in terms of simulated training that we haven’t learned yet,” LCol Fendt said. Two officers from the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom, Flight-Lieutenant Steve Hewer and Captain Neil Simons, participated in the exercise as Chinook helicopter experts and pilots. Although they say there are similar training exercises in the UK, the Canadian exercise is advantageous because it trains everyone at the same time, including commanders and aviators. “That’s an improvement here, because [the exercise] trains everyone from high command all the way down to the crews. That’s an advantage, because you know everyone has been put through the paces. We train our components separately, and augment them in theatre, making our headquarters there a mish-mash of personnel,” Flight-Lieutenant Hewer said. Another added benefit of Ex Winged Warrior, says Col Coates, is it gives crews the chance to fly their respective types of helicopters together in a simulated environment before having to do it in Afghanistan. “It’s pretty hard to train aircrew on a platform which Canada doesn’t possess on home soil. This is the only chance Griffon and Chinook crews have to fly together before they arrive in theatre,” said Col Coates. The exercise has been so successful that the British forces hope to return for the next Winged Warrior exercise, with even greater expectations than this time. “I would like to see [even greater] British participation for the next Winged Warrior. I would like to send a Merlin crew, an Apache, and maybe a Sea King, but that might be tough to accomplish,” said Flight-Lieutenant Hewer. Ex Winged Warrior originated as a live-flying, live-firing event in 1981 as the final performance check of the Advanced Aviation Course. It still serves this function for the now Advanced Tactical Aviation Course but was converted from a live to a synthetic environment in 2006. The latest version of the exercise served solely as a step towards achieving a state of high readiness for the next rotation of CF personnel headed for Afghanistan, which includes tactical helicopter personnel from 430 (TH) Sqn.

DS, Yeah mate. Apparently the normal Aussie cammo pattern for the regulars is going to change as well. @Ghostbusters comment: That's the local Police force the chicken stranglers work with...they've trained and equipped them to a pretty good standard.

DS; Aussie SOF are using the Multi-Cam now as well mate...just to make things interesting: http://www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/gallery/2010/20100616/index.htm