I am a big fan of British Pathe, they have some really great content and tweeted this one a few moments ago. thought it topical.
Click the image to view
The description is funny, probably unintentionally
LS of plane flying overhead. VS of a Royal Navy SRN6 Hovercraft being backed out of a hanger by troops. Shots in cockpit of hovercraft as it moves around the seas around the Falklands. Shots of penguins on beach with hovercraft in background. More shots of penguins in large colony. Some of the penguins appear to be moulting. Shots of the penguins swimming in the waves on the shore. More shots of penguins. Good shots of the hovercraft coming and going from the beach. More penguin shots. There appear to several different species of penguin.
Cracking stuff, anyone know where on the Islands this was?
Great stuff.
Even better on http://www.britishpathe.com/video/army-on-land-sea-and-air/
Unless you know better, I think the mexeflote is the only piece of kit in the clip from Ex Wagon Trail to still be in service. Anyone any idea why some of the plant/MHE is painted yellow ? is this trials kit ? (one of the POL trailers has makers logo painted on it !)
Twecky
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2012/08/the-amazing-jerry-can/
Do you recognise the fuel containers
Not sure why the plant is yellow, maybe it was from MEXE or even god forbid an RAF station, didn’t they used to paint all their stuff yellow?
“Hangar”, British Pathé, “Hangar”!
Doh ! Of course I recognised the APFC (or b0ll0ck) but it slipped my mind in the excitement of the hovercraft and all those army landing craft (anyone recognise the smaller craft /workboat/cutter ?)
“It is impossible not to smile when observing penguins” – even I almost became cheerful when watching this!
Hang on, what nationality are all those penguins…
They are trotting about on wet, wind-swept beaches and moorlands with a cheerful demeanour; Kelpers or possibly Royal Marines?
If the Penguin inhabitants choose to, they can remain British.
At least someone’s got their priorities straight. <3
Penguins, penguins, penguins, hovercraft with penguins, penguins, more penguins, invading Martian Tripod (penguins in the foreground), penguins, some penguins, the Kraken (swimming with penguins)….
Didn’t recognise anything but a bit of Brunel 45 seconds in . . .
Oh, they were just 42 years ahead of this USN & USCG wargame about how to deliver the missions required in Arctic-like conditions:
“Amphibious ships were highlighted as especially useful for the types of missions anticipated for the Arctic. “The LPD-17 has a flight deck, hanger and well deck as well as personnel and
Fleet Arctic Operations Game Report
[p. 34]
equipment carrying capacity and medical capability.”
LCACs were also utilized frequently during this game as part of the amphibious capability necessary to respond to the various scenarios provided leading to much discussion on the value of retrofitting existing LCACs. “A re-fit of our LCACs would work. Doing that, we can at least take some of the effort for SAR and show a continued presence.” Using another approach, it was noted that “the problem is so overwhelming with respect to lack of appropriate hulls and infrastructure to support larger hulls that we probably need to think more out of the box and smaller…getting a smaller vessel with decent legs such as the Tuuli (Finnish „Arcticized‟ ACV) which has already been tested might just be the way to go.”
The lack of weather protected surface connectors in lieu of open bay small boat transfer vessels (LCUs/RHIB) which do not protect personnel from extreme weather conditions was found to be a limiting factor in mission planning. A mitigating strategy identified included the need to increase the number of trained boat crews and reduce crew rotation time intervals until such time that cold weather canopies or heated modules which can provide protection can be developed.
Admittedly
- more like sustained operations to contain infiltration than an-all out counter-strike to oppose a landing
- but which one is the more likely scenario [and should be exercised, at least as a war game]?
Patrol hovercraft are now available as self drive 3 man units, and able to assist in finding UXO, see http://www.patrolhovercraft.com
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