Author Archives: N.R. Jenzen-Jones
Saudi Arabian Army ammunition in Syria
Much has been made of the recent BBC News article featuring an image of a shipping crate marked for delivery to the Royal Saudi Arabian Land Forces (Saudi Arabian Army), found in a Free Syrian Army base in Aleppo, Syria. Whilst the BBC article uses the term ‘Saudi weapons’ in its headline, the crate rather […]
ML40AUS grenade launcher high-speed video
I’ve got two articles on the Thales Australia EF88 and the new Madritsch ML40AUS grenade launcher assembly (GLA) in the works. The first will appear in the next edition of On Duty Magazine (which is free for AUS military personnel, LEOs, paramedics, and other front line professionals) and a second, slightly more technically-focused piece, will appear in an […]
RPG-7 Projectiles in Syria
A variety of RPG-7 projectiles have been observed during the Syrian conflict, originating from a range of countries. As well as PG-7V or similar unitary HEAT projectiles from Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Egypt, a few of the more uncommon examples are as follows: PG-7VR (Russia) The PG-7VR projectile, seen here in Hama, is a Russian-made […]
Photo of the Day: TNI-AL Boarding Party during Exercise Kakadu
An Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut; TNI-AL) boarding party with Captain Mal Wise, Australian Commander Task Group after a simulated boarding exercise conducted on HMAS Perth (FFH 157), during Exercise KAKADU 2012. Interesting to note the integration of Indonesian Naval SOF, KOPASKA (Komando Pasukan Katak; Frogman Commando Team), operators with a regular Navy boarding party. Australian boarding […]
Hands-on evaluation of the new EF88 (F90) assault rifle
By N.R. Jenzen-Jones The author firing an EF88 with 20″ barrel (with 4x ACOG and Harris bipod) out to 600yds. Photo courtesy of Julian Elliott (Thales Australia). Last week I was in Lithgow at the invitation of Thales Australia, and had the opportunity to conduct a test and evaluation of the new EF88 assault rifle […]
The Netherlands’ De Zeven Provinciën class frigates
N.R. Jenzen-Jones HNLMS Evertsen on patrol off the Horn of Africa, as part of NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield. HNLMS Evertsen is one of four De Zeven Provinciën class air defence and command frigates in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine). Evertsen is the youngest of the four, having been completed in 2003 and commissioned in 2005. These ships superseded the two smaller Tromp class frigates, decommissioned in […]
A cautionary UXO tale
I am currently reading Peter Birchall’s The Longest Walk, a fascinating look at the world of EOD and related work in the British Army. It is a little dated (1997), but full of rich history, solid research, and amusing anecdotes nonetheless. One such anecdote highlights the importance of following basic safety principles, regardless of an […]
Singapore’s Formidable class frigates
N.R. Jenzen-Jones All six Republic of Singapore Formidable class frigates conduct a formation exercise. Singapore’s Formidable class frigates are considered amongst the most advanced surface combatants in Southeast Asia. Built around a substantially modified version of the French La Fayette class, they feature an advanced stealth design incorporating a range of Radar Cross-Section (RCS) reduction features. The inclined planes of the […]
240mm Heavy Mortars in Syria – a closer examination
N.R. Jenzen-Jones Identifying weapons systems can sometimes be a tricky business. Often, practitioners are forced to make educated guesses, or give ‘best estimates’ to stakeholders. Nonetheless, it is important that any such assessments are characterised accurately any time they are repeated, and the requisite caveats included. One recent incident highlights this pertinently. Some video footage […]
US MARSEC Capability Development Programs in West Africa: Current Status and Future Prospects
By N.R. Jenzen-Jones & LT Chad R. Hutchins, USN This piece originally appeared at Information Dissemination. USS NICHOLAS (FFG-47) Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) team members train Kenyan naval personnel on proper apprehension techniques while in port Mombasa, Kenya during Africa Partnership Station – East 2010. West Africa[1] today is plagued by a variety of […]
The Rogue Adventurer 