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Seasoned Vet
 
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I added the bold. Having tech to improve detection is good, but what happens when rounds are coming down? A mortar barrage can hit a barracks and then you go from 'enough to do the job with the equipment' to 'not enough'. I am always suspicious when the number of guards on a site is cut a lot.
http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/F719BCEB884B64F585256D8D003DCC16?opendocument
Security Forces switch out, Airmen stand airfield guard
Submitted by: Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa
Story Identification Number: 200382571459
Story by Sgt. Bradly Shaver
CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti(August 25, 2003) -- Airmen of the 60th and 375th Security Forces Squadrons recently became the 87th Expeditionary SFS by relieving the 822nd SFS, who was tasked with providing security for Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa's air assets.
The Air Force ESFS members aboard Camp Lemonier protect resources and personnel to include the helicopters, cargo aircraft and equipment on the flight line, as well as any transient aircraft that comes through the Horn of Africa, according to Air Force Master Sgt. Jim Dokken, security forces flight chief.
"Our primary mission is airfield security," said Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Jonathan Sheldon, acting executive officer 87th ESFS. "We are trained and equipped to make sure the air assets are able to perform their mission and interrelate responsibility."
The responsibilities the 87th ESFS will carryout will help the mission of CJTF-HOA in support of the war against terrorism ready to disrupt, defeat and deter terrorist groups in the region.
"Nobody gets onto the flight line who is not authorized to be there," Dokken said. "We have security checks for all those who come onto the flight line as well as patrol coverage around the perimeter. We look for anything out of the ordinary, anything suspicious that could be detrimental to the flight line."
On the airfield, the 87th ESFS does mounted and unmounted patrols, giving the squadron a greater distance to detect terrorist threats.
"We have technologies that are force multipliers, allowing us to have less manpower than traditionally required and still mitigate potential threats," Sheldon said.
Within the last 12 months, the 87th ESFS has been a very mobile unit, transferring from one area to another. Upon arriving to Camp Lemonier, they quickly modified their operating schedule to fit the CJTF-HOA mission.
"The squadron is able to deploy to austere areas in the world and setup security," Sheldon said. "The Random Antiterrorism Measures we conduct are tailored to threats throughout the (region). They are specifically designed to act as a deterrent, positioning us to mitigate terrorist threats and counteract to them.
"If terrorists were looking for a soft target, they would see the 87th ESFS as a well-trained disciplined force that is prepared to counter at anytime," he expressed.
"It's a nice change of pace for us to be here," said Dokken, "We like to deploy places and handle our job in different environments. Standing security at one duty station for an extended period of time can get monotonous."
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Go with God, but make Him walk the point.
If you load a mudfoot down with a lot of gadgets he has to watch somebody a lot more simply equipped - say with a stone axe - will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a Vernier. - Robert Heinlein
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Seasoned Vet
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Bagging aside, I am glad to see them there.
Go with God, but make Him walk the point.
If you load a mudfoot down with a lot of gadgets he has to watch somebody a lot more simply equipped - say with a stone axe - will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a Vernier. - Robert Heinlein
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Regular Joe
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rickdog,
I totally agree with your statement. As history has shown us 75% of all airfields attacks have been standoff. The tech systems they are referring to (TASS) is to be used as a force multiplier to enable the security forces to push out beyond the designated perimeter of the airfield and operate patrols on named areas of interest and dominate the TAOR and the SAM footprint. Defense in Depth is in our doctrine and is taught, but until we get the "old hats" out of control they will defend the airfield in a "lets hold hands around the airfield and hope red rover doesnt send someone over" concept. Its a circle the wagons thought that we are FINALLY moving from. There are units out there who do the job properly 786CRG(USAFE), 820SFG(ACC) and 613CRG(PACAF) but when a home station unit replaces those units they tend to fall back on the "wagon" approach. Its going to take a SAM attack on an inbound A/C to make the old boys realize that we cannot sit around patting ourselves on the back saying we are successful just because we were lucky enough not to lose a resource.
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do!--Lewis Cass
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Regular Joe
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One more point, TASS is an EWD. It is there to DETECT with no capability to deter, delay and destroy. It definitely has no way of shooting back. So again, what happens when the rounds come in?
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do!--Lewis Cass
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Seasoned Vet
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Totally ignoring high tech, what about a truck mounted 23-4 * under a canvas? What about even simpler with a 82mm or 61mm mortar? Those can hit two clicks away easy.
* 4 23mm machineguns, like the ZSU 23-4 ( based on T-54 chassis)
We send forces to third world countries where the average person has never seen a cow, much less eaten one and we take multimillion dollar stuff to defeat multimilliion dollar stuff and nothing to defeat crap.
Go with God, but make Him walk the point.
If you load a mudfoot down with a lot of gadgets he has to watch somebody a lot more simply equipped - say with a stone axe - will sneak up and bash his head in while he is trying to read a Vernier. - Robert Heinlein
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Regular Joe
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From what I understand, the ZSU 23-4 is a tank that normally travels behind a battalion(leading element). Though that weapon system can be very effective in the assault of an airfield, it is primarily used as an air defense umbrella for their defense not an attack on airfields.(from what I have read) This is cateogorized as a level three threat in the AF. We typically do not train to defend such measures as it would be near impossible to attack AF bases with this weapon system due to their locations. We are trained and set up to defend no more than a level two threat and this weapon system is a level three based upon its usage.(AFI31-301/AFI31-302) As far as the 82mm and the 61mm that is what we train and plan on defending against along with SA-16, .50cal and improvised rocket launchers. We use the same concept, we look at the critical resources in our AO on the map or overlay and determine the types of threats based on what the S2 has provided and determine what the TAOR is and what the SAM footprint is based on approachs and climb outs of the aircraft that come to that particular airfield. This is also used while looking at SCIF's, C2 nodes and the like. Once established, we dominate that area whether it be 5000m for an 82mm mortar or 1800m for a .50cal. Whatever the threat based on S2 reports, we control that area to keep our AO secure. I agree with you that tech is in no way a substitute for troopers on the line. Tech is merely a tool to assist us in defending an airfield. I am not a big fan of tech, you must have defenders securing the flight path and the runway to ensure success
People may doubt what you say, but they will believe what you do!--Lewis Cass
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Strac Trooper
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August 27, 2003: Ground radar, used for spotting troops and vehicles, has been around for decades. But a new, lightweight, ground radar has proved exceptionally useful in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans. MSTAR (Man-Portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar) weights 83 pounds and can be carried to a location by two men. It's effective range is from 50 to 52,000 meters. But accuracy depends on what it's looking at. A walking man can be identified at 12 kilometers, a small vehicle (a car or jeep) can be identified at 24 kilometers, a larger vehicle at 36 kilometers. An artillery shell impact can be accurately identified at 15 kilometers. Getting an accurate GPS location depends on range. At 15 kilometers, MSTAR will locate the target to within about 60 meters. A laptop computer, running the Windows operating system, is used to run the radar. The radar draws less than 75 watts and can be run off a generator or vehicle electrical system. Over 500 MSTAR systems are in use. A popular use is base security. In these cases, the MSTAR operators can carefully check out the area scanned for dead spots and reposition the radar to insure that there is no protected route intruders can use to avoid the radar.
Welcome to another Red Devil rehersal, only this time it's for real
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Seasoned Vet
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| I was referring to towed multi-machinegun AA guns set up to hit planes on approach | | | |