Well, at least the hostage takers are dead. So are the hostages, but that's not the point. The point is if there's going to be killing, you betcha it's going to be done by the special forces. So, screw you terrorist.

No tear gas was used. Tear gas + kids = disaster.

Plus, if you look at the pictures of the entry team going in, none of them were wearing gas masks. Deploying tear gas without gas masks is not very wise.

The smoke that came out of the building was actually from a fire extinguisher the perp used against the entry team.

Shot was taken by the entry team, not by the sniper. Apparently the perp tried to ambush the entry team on the staircase. The team responded with one shot.

Anyone read this entry from Malaysian Defence?

http://www.malaysiandefence.com/?p=1637

Apparently, there is more to the Brits offer for the Typhoons. If it's true, it would actually be a very good buy.

Now, before some of you say tl;dr basically, the Brits are offering Malaysia to purchase 10 Tranche 3 Typhoons. With this purchase, they will also throw in 20 Tranche 1 aircraft from the RAF (part of the cost saving program the UK is going through).

What's the difference you say? Well, Tranche 3 is the true MRCA variant of the Typhoon. Tranche 1 is for air interceptor role only but can be upgraded for an air to ground role.

We still have to pay for support, training, ordnance and various other equipment but still, not a bad deal for 30 aircraft.

This post has been edited by DeFaeco: Aug 5 2011, 12:10 PM

Why are they dressed for a direct action type mission? Shouldn't they be wearing all camo to blend to the environment?

Or are they just wearing that as a safety measure for the SPIE?

Why? We're not at war with Israel, we just don't recognize their existence as a sovereign state.

How do you get in trouble for taking pictures with women from a country that doesn't exist?

What specialization if any is available in Wataniah?

Will you be able to become a specialist like a sniper or EOD in this regiment?

So there are no specialization at all within the regiment?

You're either a soldier or a paratrooper? No medics or radioman or recon elements, etc?

Do you get to choose what specialization you want when joining wataniah? Or do you need to work in a related field in order to become one?

For example, you need to work in a hospital with medical knowledge in order to become a medic in the regiment?

I've always wondered something about the honour guards; Why are they using M16's? Shouldn't they be using the Lee Enfield rifle instead considering it was the first rifle we used to defend the nation?

The yanks uses the M1 Garand for obvious reasons and the Brits uses their current service rifle (L85 now, used to be L1A1).

The m16 was neither the first rifle we used nor is it our current service rifle. So, what's the deal?

I've never been a fan of the whole "honorary beret" they keep bestowing to VIPs. If you want it, go through the course and earn it.

I've read recently that the Sultan Johor's son was bestowed the beret because he participated and passed the Special Forces Specialist course. That's fine, but he clearly did not go through the commando selection process, where most candidates will drop out.

The selection process is vital because it separates the wannabe wankers from the ones who really, really want the honor of wearing the green beret. It's what makes a commando, well, a commando.

This post has been edited by DeFaeco: Oct 25 2011, 12:41 PM

Training (weapons, tactics, etc) is one of the phases to become a commando. My gripe is that these "VIPs" would usually bypass the first phase of becoming one, which is the selection process.

They would proceed straight to advanced training without the need to prove themselves worthy to partake said training.

I don't care if your daddy is the Sultan. If you don't prove yourself by going through all the phases including the much dreaded selection phase like all the commandos before you, you should not be worthy to wear the beret.

Take the SAS for example. They made Prince William an honorary member (due to the fact that he will become the future King) and he will be wearing the sand beret only for ceremonial occasions. However, he was not given the SAS wings because he did not go through all steps required to become an SAS trooper.

Do we have similar practices here?

This.

See, if we had the source code for the F-18's, we could use the IRIS-T's on the hornet's as well.

You see what I'm trying to get at?

Mana ada.

Even Turkey, after many years of buying and using F-16's only recently received the source codes.

It's a way to ensure that with American planes, you can only buy and use American armaments.

Wait, what? RMAF is getting another 18 brahmos ready Su-30MKM's?

The article states that 18 new Brahmos ready SU-30MKM's will be purchased AND the 18 we already have will be upgraded.

That can't be right. The upgrade, yes. But the new planes?

Doubt it. As with any other VIP's in the military, it's probably an honorary gesture. She wears the beret but no wings. I could be wrong though and I want to be wrong but alas, such is life.

Ejection seat initiated but the canopy charges did not go off? Ouch.

Sukhois will jettison the entire canopy when the ejection sequence is initiated. So, even if the ejection was initiated accidentally, the canopy will not be in the way.

Hawks on the other hand, does not. It uses charges on the canopy to shatter the glass, so the pilot will actually go through it. If the sequence is initiated accidentally and the charges does not go off, you go full force into the canopy.

The problem with Strykers is that they are using it for the wrong reasons.

The main complain received when the Stryker was fielded is that it does not provide better protection than the humvee. That's because it doesn't.

The Stryker was not meant to replace the Humvee. The MRAP is.