Title: Dogs of War
saver111 - June 29, 2009 05:10 AM (GMT)
They're Britain's dogs of war
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
Defence Editor
Published: 21 Jul 2008
DOGS will lead the way in SAS raids after being parachuted in to spy out rebels for troops, The Sun can reveal.
Fearless German Shepherds are being trained to jump from aircraft at 25,000ft wearing their own oxygen masks and strapped to special forces assault teams.
Once down in hostile terrain in Iraq or Afghanistan, the dogs will be sent in first to seek out insurgents’ hideouts with tiny cameras fixed to their heads.
The cameras will beam live TV pictures back to the troops, warning of ambushes or showing enemy leaders’ locations.
The amazing tactic – on which The Sun has been fully briefed – has been devised to cut down the Who Dares Wins regiment's soaring casualty rates.
Three SAS troopers have been shot dead on raids in Iraq in two years and at least eight seriously wounded.
An SAS source said: “The dogs will be exposed to very high levels of danger on these operations and you never know what’s going to be behind a door. Nobody wants to see the dogs get killed but if it’s their life or a man’s it is obvious which the CO would prefer.”
The dogs will be used in a highly-skilled technique called High Altitude High Opening, jumping as much as 20 miles from their targets and gliding towards them for up to 30 minutes.
America’s most elite unit the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force, has pioneered the skills for jumping with dogs from heights over 20,000ft and its instructors have been sent over to 22 SAS headquarters in Hereford.
Dogs were first trained to parachute in the Second World War by the British on rescue missions. But they have never jumped from high altitude, the best way for small groups of men to get behind enemy lines undetected. The dogs have big advantages over soldiers in that they arouse less suspicion approaching targets, can squeeze into tighter spaces and can sniff out booby-trap explosives.
Two have been issued to each of the regiment’s four squadrons with troopers specially selected to be their handlers.
The squadrons’ job is to hunt down High Value Targets – insurgency leaders and old Saddam henchmen – but they are also on permanent standby to carry out rescue missions for hostages.
In line with special forces policy the MoD would not comment on the dogs. But The Sun was given clearance to run the story by security officials.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...icle1447714.ece
Is this fur real?
By TOM NEWTON DUNN
Defence Editor
Published: 21 Jul 2008
DOGS will lead the way in SAS raids after being parachuted in to spy out rebels for troops, The Sun can reveal.
Fearless German Shepherds are being trained to jump from aircraft at 25,000ft wearing their own oxygen masks and strapped to special forces assault teams.
Once down in hostile terrain in Iraq or Afghanistan, the dogs will be sent in first to seek out insurgents’ hideouts with tiny cameras fixed to their heads.
The cameras will beam live TV pictures back to the troops, warning of ambushes or showing enemy leaders’ locations.
The amazing tactic – on which The Sun has been fully briefed – has been devised to cut down the Who Dares Wins regiment's soaring casualty rates.
Three SAS troopers have been shot dead on raids in Iraq in two years and at least eight seriously wounded.
An SAS source said: “The dogs will be exposed to very high levels of danger on these operations and you never know what’s going to be behind a door. Nobody wants to see the dogs get killed but if it’s their life or a man’s it is obvious which the CO would prefer.”
The dogs will be used in a highly-skilled technique called High Altitude High Opening, jumping as much as 20 miles from their targets and gliding towards them for up to 30 minutes.
America’s most elite unit the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force, has pioneered the skills for jumping with dogs from heights over 20,000ft and its instructors have been sent over to 22 SAS headquarters in Hereford.
Dogs were first trained to parachute in the Second World War by the British on rescue missions. But they have never jumped from high altitude, the best way for small groups of men to get behind enemy lines undetected. The dogs have big advantages over soldiers in that they arouse less suspicion approaching targets, can squeeze into tighter spaces and can sniff out booby-trap explosives.
Two have been issued to each of the regiment’s four squadrons with troopers specially selected to be their handlers.
The squadrons’ job is to hunt down High Value Targets – insurgency leaders and old Saddam henchmen – but they are also on permanent standby to carry out rescue missions for hostages.
In line with special forces policy the MoD would not comment on the dogs. But The Sun was given clearance to run the story by security officials.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/...icle1447714.ece
Is this fur real?
valiant - June 29, 2009 05:38 AM (GMT)
Israel has a better camera platform - their own robot snakes - which dont need oxygen during HAHO jumps nor food .
saver111 - October 20, 2009 08:04 AM (GMT)
Sergeant Major Damir Mikocinec from Croatia's Army ISAF contingent exercises with his dog named Cash inside their base in Camp Warehouse in Kabul October 16, 2009.
REUTERS/Nikola Solic (AFGHANISTAN CONFLICT SOCIETY MILITARY)
Sergeant Major Damir Mikocinec from Croatian's Army ISAF contingent and his dog named Cash check the personal luggage of the Bulgarian contingent before they leave their base at Camp Warehouse in Kabul October 16, 2009.
REUTERS/Nikola Solic (AFGHANISTAN MILITARY POLITICS)
In this photo taken Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, a U.S. Marine dog handler with Alpha Company - Task Force Raider, 2nd Recon Battalion, walks with Pinkie, a bomb-sniffer, as his unit arrives at a forward operating base en route to a mission in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Task Force Raider is a strike force which conducts raids targeting Taliban networks in the Helmand province. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Senior Airman William Bailey and Robby, an explosives detector dog, train together at Camp Taji, Iraq. Airmen Bailey is a Joint Expeditionary Tasking Airman from the 732nd Air Expeditionary Group attached to the Army's 1st Calvary Division. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Lionel Castellano)
Staff Sgt. Sarah Merklinger restrains Bojar, a military working dog, on their way to board an HH-60 Pavehawk helicopter at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 14. Kadena's working dogs participated in familiarization training to get used to the loud noise from helicopters and disturbances associated with flying during deployments. Sergeant Merklinger is a dog handler from the 18th Security Forces Squadron,.(U.S. Air Force photo/Airman Chad Warren)
Staff Sgt. Mark Reidl, his partner Lord, an 8-year-old German Shepherd, and 1st Lt. Kristen Congelosi (foreground) react to "hostile fire" Oct. 26 during a two-week pre-deployment integrated base defense course known as Creek Defender at Baumholder U.S. Army Garrison in southern Germany. Sergeant Reidl is a K-9 handler with the 435th Security Forces Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and Lieutenant Cogelosi is with the 100th Security Forces Squadron at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, England. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Scott Wagers)
Australian army Cpl. Tony Baker and Axle keep watch over a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber on July 27 at Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin during exercise Green Lightning. The exercise tests U.S. capabilities and provides operational familiarity in the region for the Pacific bomber presence while also serving to enhance relations with the Australians. Corporal Baker is a K-9 handler with the Royal Australian Defense Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/ Tech. Sgt. Shane A. Cuomo)
Army Pfc. Samuel Medrano and Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell McLaughlin load up materials for making improvised explosive devices found Dec. 8 in the village of Tall Qabb, Kirkuk Province. Private Medrano is from Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, and Sergeant McLauglin is a K-9 dog handler attached to the 25th Infantry Division. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Samuel Bendet)
K-9 handler Staff Sgt. Alissa Jones and 7-yr-old "Marco" wait at Baghdad's Camp Liberty helicopter pad for air transportation to Forward Operating Base Falcon. Sergeant Jones and her explosion detection Belgian Malinois patrol dog are deployed to Iraq from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Scott Wagers)