Opfor dress

[Come-quickly]

Is it really beyond the resources of the DF to keep brigade stores of non issue equipment (OG combats where would we get them?) and perhaps even weapons (again FNs?) for enemy parties on exercises Im aware that some units have but really it should be standard practice especially for Brigade level exercises and career courses.
Even at company and battalion level it would be good not to get into the habit of shooting at people dressed in Irish DPM.

[Goldie fish]

I agree. Last time we acted as enemy for the PDF,we wore dpm,but had FNs,which I understand are shortly to be permantly withdrawn from RDF stores. In any ex we run ourselves,most of the enemy have access to OG Combats, but these are becoming more scarce.

[The Joker]

But whats to say that in a reall life situatition the enemy wouldnt be dressed and equiped similar to ourselfs?

[yellowjacket]

Originally posted by The Joker
But whats to say that in a reall life situatition the enemy wouldnt be dressed and equiped similar to ourselfs?

Plain common sense perhaps?

[futurepilot]

Originally posted by yellowjacket
Plain common sense perhaps?

Well considering the current "DPM lookalike" thread, We have troops in Kosovo and Irish troops could well find themselves shooting at people using Serbian camo.

[Goldie fish]

However you could be sure that this would be the exception,rather than the rule? Unless we decide to start shooting at the french?

[Muzzle]

DPM is more realistic then OG wouldn't you say?

That or civie clothes...

[The Joker]

Ever noticed that when DPM gets very dirty it get really hard to see the pattern. Now imagine that the enemy is also wearing some sort of DPM which also has gotten dirty...

[Muzzle]

Hows about the opfor cover the little IrIsh flag and the friendly force dont.

There, all sorted!



Seriously though, I do agree that shooting at ourselves is not ideal, but how ideal is some of the tactical stuff we do. Look at the Candian videos that went around where they restructured the exercise away from "section in attack" stuff. Is that somthing we should be looking at (or is it just mya Bat that sticks the the tradtional stuff)?

[Come-quickly]

Canadians still learn section in attack because the drills are vital for platoon company and battalion attacks they just meant that they dont think on such unrealistically small terms anymore.

As for the cover up the 2'' flag type arguments (whether the person that posted it was serious or not some individuals will seriously agree), how the hell are we supposed to see that little black patch from 200m even in ideal conditions, DPM can be told apart, if you cant tell British from US woodland or Flora B then it reflects badly on your own fieldcraft.
Id expect my girlfriend to have trouble telling DPM and Irish DPM apart not people with at least 2 or 300 hours of military training.

[ex pat 007]

I found stores of black BDUs and Plastic Aks for OPFOR use at a large central storage facility. We never use these and I have been curious as to why, I suppose there may be additional paperwork so thats out! Unless were at NTC or JRTC opfor usually just wears their blouse inside and wear a bushcap or watch cap.

[strummer]

Just turn your top inside out. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy !!!

Later.

[irishrgr]

At some of the training centers here, the resident OPFOR wear a different uniform, some wore OD green, others black and even the old desert "chocalate chip" uniforms. Otherwise all kit, etc was mostly the same US stuff. Some units did use the AK's, but not widely.
Honestly, in the woods (as mentioned above) cammo is cammo is cammo. When I was at JRTC (primarily infantry trainign center) it was the AK's that made them easily ID'd as OPFOR, the uniforms did'nt matter at all, especially at night. However, as the evaluators pointed out, what's to say the real enemy wont be wearing our uniforms and using similar weapons. All part of the fog of war. As far as Ireland, I agree, keeping something like the FN's which are already there would be an excellent training aid at minimal cost.