• Home (Public Section)
"Elite of the
elite!"
©
Teddy
M. Terstegge
All Rights
Reserved
Comments or questions?
Please contact us
at: info@flashforce.org
|
EQUIPMENT
Our special operations units utilize a wide variety of equipment to assist in the completion of their missions. From load-bearing vests and protective body armor to small arms and laptop computers, the unit relies as much upon "tried and true" low-tech tools as much as it does upon cutting edge technological advancements. Regardless of their level of sophistication, the odds and the jobs would be much tougher without the "gear".
BREACHING TOOLS
The team breacher is repsonsible for helping the team gain access to the places it needs to go. The nature of the tools he uses ranges from the sophistication of an electronic alarm bypass device to the brutal, but effective, simplicity of the pry bar or ram.
Depending upon the obstacles encountered (fences, locks, alarms, or fortified structures, for example), breachers often use:
- Bolt cutters;
- Axes;
- Sledgehammers;
- Frangible lock-defeating ammunition;
- Explosives (and/or detonation or "det" cord);
- Pry bars;
- Chain saws;
- Cutting torches; and,
- Rams.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
OBSERVATION EQUIPMENT
Since teams must operate under an infinite range of conditions (with those being mostly bad to worse), vision-enhancement equipment allows them to see and operate effectively despite poor conditions presented by darkness, vision-obscurement, camouflage measures, distance, or hostile activity.
Some common observation devices team members may use are:
- Binoculars;
- Spotting scopes;
- Night-Vision Goggles (NVGs);
- Video monitoring and recording systems;
- Cameras;
- Infrared (IR) detection systems;
- Remotely-Operated Vehicles (ROVs);
- Flashlights or lighting equipment; and,
- Weapons-mounted lighting systems.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
SMALL ARMS
Special operations personnel must be as familiar with the weapons and small arms systems utilized by their opponents as they must be with their own. Team members themselves carry a variety of small arms, the manner of which often depends upon their team assignment, the nature of the mission at hand, and personal preference.
Some common small arms utilized by the teams include:
- Semi-Automatic pistols;
- Submachine guns;
- Rifles; and,
- Shotguns.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
LESS-LETHAL DEVICES
While the use of deadly force may be necessary to protect innocent lives against immediate and deadly threats (especially when one is faced by a determined and heavily-armed opponent) one of the goals of a counter-terrorist team is to capture their quarry alive whenever possible.
Teams may try to utilize less-lethal devices as an alternative to the use of deadly force.
Note: Devices in this category are referred to "less-lethal" rather than "non-lethal" because, however slight, there may be a risk of death to the intended target. Semantics notwithstanding, the risk of injury or death occurring from the use of a less-lethal device is significantly lower than that presented by a firearm.
Some of the less-lethal devices a team may employ include:
- Chemical agents ("pepper spray" or "tear gas", for example);
- Stun munitions or distraction devices;
- Less-Lethal ammunition (12-guage "bean bag" or wooden "baton" rounds, for example);
- Neuro-muscular disruption devices (such as the "Taser" or "stun gun");
- Impact weapons (batons); and,
- Capture nets, shields, or other restraint devices.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
LOAD-BEARING EQUIPMENT
With so much equipment being carried and utilized by operators in the field, it quickly becomes apparent that these necessary items must be transported efficiently--or they will become more of a hinderance than a help. Specially-designed items called "Load-Bearing Equipment" (or LBE) are used to protect, carry, and transport equipment.
LBE includes:
- Vests;
- Belts;
- Packs;
- Holsters;
- Pouches; and,
- Cases.
Some of the most adaptable and efficient components of LBE systems are attached to each other with snaps and/or Velcro so that they may be added, moved, or removed completely, depending upon mission needs and carrier comfort.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT
Little may be accomplished on any operation or mission if intelligence, unit needs, progress reports (SITREPS), or coordination instructions cannont be quickly relayed to and understood by appropriate personnel. With few exceptions, teams must remain in or be able to establish nearly instant communication with command, support, and other involved elements.
To accomplish this, teams rely heavily upon the following communications equipment items:
- Cellular telephones;
- Satellite phones and radios;
- Radios;
- Laptop computers;
- Helmet cameras and headsets;
- Monitoring and Surveillance Systems (audio and video);
- Encryption and decryption devices; and,
- Signalling devices (emergency beacons, flares, and smoke grenades, for example).
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
The greatest majority of equipment utilized by a counter-terrorist team is, by far, those items dedicated to safety. Since the safety of all concerned is paramount in any operation, teams utilize the following items:
- Body armor (vests, helmets, and pads, for example);
- Flotation devices (vests and suspenders for waterborne operations);
- Gloves;
- Boots;
- Protective clothing (chemical-resistant suits, for example);
- Goggles;
- Hearing protectors;
- Ballistic shields;
- First-Aid equipment;
- Air Purifying Respirators ("APRs" or "gas masks"); and,
- Chemical/Bio-agent Detection Devices.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
MUNITIONS
While they may not be utilized on every mission, some units may select from a broad range of specialize munitions to accomplish the tasks required of them. Use of these items is particularly hazardous for users and targets alike, and special training is required for those using them.
Such specialized munitions may include:
- Distraction devices ("stun" grenades);
- Fragmentation grenades; and,
- Anti-personnel mines.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT
A team cannot hope to be successful if it cannot move its resources and assets to where they are needed most. To help them reach the places they should be, teams rely upon the following navigational equipment:
- Compasses;
- Maps, charts, and blueprints;
- Global-Positioning System (GPS) Receivers; and,
- Laptop computers.
|
Image Credit:
Flash Force Public
Affairs Office
(Click image for
enlargement)
|
|
