The Baltic states (catch all)

[Stan Reber]

We were using our aging 5-year old platform known as the REMOTEC MK6A when the Estonian government decided to provide us with some investment funds. Our MK6A had done exactly what we wanted and even a bit more. Little did we know what (GSA) 90 grand would now get us, and when the F6A arrived, we thought our MK6A was stone-age. Our F6A looks much like this link, but with several advantages. We can now link two CBRN detectors and remain a full 300 feet away via fiber optics or radio.
Still wondering ?
Included in the price, an instructor from TN came over and we took the robot apart, put it back together and operated it until all was clear.

A fantastic USA-made robot. Ask Kim or Royce in service for quotes.

http://www.es.northropgrumman.com/remotec/f6a.htm

BTW, our dual disrupters are from Royal Arms, CA. Call RJ Brills in Oregon and check out his 12 gauge ammo.

No, this is not a sales pitch, just experience with the robot, its disrupters and the excellent service staff at REMOTEC, and wanted to pass it on.
Regards, Stan

[Tom Odom]

Stan,

Are you guys using dogs--ala RONCO? And are you doing removal or destroy in place?

the stuff you are dealing with is old and I woul assume quite unstable; is that the case?

Best
Tom

[Stan Reber]

Tom,
RONCO's dogs are very expensive, say 15 grand or more. They get dogs at a premium like the USAF as they often buy as many as 50 at a time and we only have 7 at any given time in country. Our dogs are mostly shepherds and trained locally for Explosive Detection (Dogs) (EDD). At least 5 to 7 different types of explosives must be detected, or back to square one and a new dog.

The robot simply permits us some distance with IEDs. Normally we don't use the robot on cleared military ordnance, as one "high order" detonation together with fragaments would destroy the robot.

We typically clear with Vallon detectors and MB4 data recorders. No more signal sweeping, which would drive you nuts in under an hour. That is, the VMH-2 with a larger search head and data recorder means we can "silently" sweep 50 square meters in under an hour and download the targets. From there the "privates" begin to dig

Most of the ordnance is WWII era and some WWI. The German stuff looks like new even after 40 years underground. The Russian stuff (ahem) also looks like the day it was made...horrible, rusty and unlikely to go even with a shape charge

That said, if it's German and the projectile already went down range once (the ogive and obturating band shows rifling) we would most likely destroy in place. If the fuse looks like it will gently come off, we dawn an EOD 8 or 9 and unscrew the fuse. Most of the time, the lead or senior with the response team gets to decide and nobody, not even the police argue. A 50-gram shape charge means 60 to 70 meters stand off distance and low order (breaks in two or three pieces and one hell of a bang). Trouble with the German stuff, the projectile walls are thick and the rounds back then, 170mm carried 11 kgs of high grade Comp B (similar to the USA). Our copper shape charges have in the past bounced off. You already know, without a secondary explosion, the charge went elsewhere and do again.

I have thousands of jpegs, and we often work with ATF and FBI when we find stuff. Sometimes they help and sometimes we help.

Regards, Stan

[Stan Reber]

I hope the attachment made it here. It was dug up and cleaned in September of 04. An RGD33 right out of the movies.
Stan

[Stan Reber]

What do you think ordinary people do when they find this #### ? Put it in the basement and wait for WWIII of course. There is no wonder what criminals will do once they get ahold of this stuff.

Stan

[Stan Reber]

Keep in mind these still work !

[Stan Reber]

four 50 kilo airial delivery bombs. Did you notice, the boneheads forgot the fuses. Could have killed a whole lot of fish back then.
Stan

[Tom Odom]

The German ordnance is amazingly well-preserved. I wonder how much temperature range affects degradation over time. In Sinai the ordnance went quick; same in the Libyan desert. Both places though it became very unstable as the heat allowed the explosive to "melt" and pool. It made for leaky mines and rounds that you just did not want to touch. Rwanda the stuff was "new" as in freshly used and certainly more modern than what you show here. I attached a ppic of a box of Italian AP mines we found on Iwawa after the RPA took the island in Nov 95. These little nasties were what narrowly missed changing me into a soprano forever; I knelt by one unknowingly that 3 hours later blew off an RPA troop's foot. Overall the RPA had 6 WIA to these in the 48 hours after the operation ended. My deminers came in and they found other ferrous mines (like an AT mine where we had beached our boat) but these caused problems. That led me to ask for dogs and we got 10 or so from RONCO. And yes they were expensive. I almost took a RONCO team to Angola after I retired but that war started again so the contract went tango uniform.

Best

tom

[Stan]

Ilves to Estonians: “...those who do not vote will be voiceless for four years, without the right to criticize the wellbeing of the state."

http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/2152/

“Let us show we are not indifferent.”

Estonia’s Independence Day was impressive for many reasons, perhaps most so because of the demonstrative open-mindedness of Estonians. In a room lousy with politicians, poet Peeter Volkonski took the stage with a rock band, citing politicians by name and challenging them to be reasonable people.

Volkonski shouted “aru” (“sense” or “reason”) and was rejoined by a children’s choir singing “pähe” (“into your head”) from behind a curtain. Following his performance he received a whistling ovation.

In a speech which ought to be copied and sent to apathetic non-voters around the world, Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves delivered a matronly admonition in his Independence Day address for Estonians to either put up or shut up: “...those who do not vote will be voiceless for four years, without the right to criticize the wellbeing of the state. Thus, let us use the opportunity to create, with democratic choices, a state for ourselves that we like. Let’s show that we are not indifferent.”

In his speech, Ilves was not short on criticism of his own people. “If Estonia has enemies, we find these in ourselves: indifference, cold-heartedness towards others, arrogance, and not caring about others. Lying, corruption and buddy-protection are our enemies. Hatred, pointless criticism of others, envy and self-centeredness are the enemies of Estonia doing well.”

Bravo, Mr. Ilves, for saying what needs to be said.

If you're wondering where President Ilves learned his communication skills, the answer is easy: http://www.thilves.ee/eng/index.php?content=cv

1976 Columbia University (USA), BA in psychology
1978 Pennsylvania University (USA), MA in psychology
1974-1979 Research Assistant, Columbia University department of
Psychology
1979-1981 Assistant Director and English teacher, Open Education Center
Englewood, New Jersey
1981-1983 Director and Administrator of Art, Vancouver Arts Center
1983-1984 Lecturer in Estonian Literature and Linguistics, Simon Fraser
University, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Vancouver

[John T. Fishel]

Stan--

Thanks for posting this. Would that more of our politicians, from both sides of the aisle, heed his admonition!

John

[Stan]

Hi John,
Good question, but my senior NCO (still inside me) says no

Estonian's tend to be more verbal and straight forward in all matters. That's why I thought it was important to note that the President spent many years in the States and Canada learning, so that we don't jump to some conclusion of him being European.

Other than Clinton trying to play his Sax, not many of our politicians permit a rock band to abuse them and hold them accountable, in front of grade school children in the choir.

Regards, Stan

[Stan]

Sunday Election forecasts: Centre Party

http://www.citypaper.ee/paper/articles/2172/

The Estonian dailies, Eesti Päevaleht and Postimees, have published poll results by Estonia’s two leading polling firms. Both polls predict that the Centre Party will win the elections to take place Sunday. According to one poll, the Centre Party is supported by 25 percent of respondents and the Reform Party by 19 percent. The second poll suggests the Centre Party would receive 35 seats in parliament with 31 going to Reform.

Foreigners, while not allowed to vote in Estonia’s elections, are not shy about voicing their opinions. The consensus seems to be that if the Centre Party would actually be allowed to implement its campaign promises (e.g. 1,600 euro per month salaries for public sector employees), it would throw the economy into a downward spiral.

1,600.00 a month is more than double the average salary. The current levels simply cannot keep up with the EU or inflation. So, other than foreign execs with companies "offshore", all are in favor of a better life.

[Stan]

http://www.valitsus.ee/brf/?id=282027

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip presented his vision of the ten most important topics facing future governments and called for all citizens to actively participate in elections.

“Those are wrong who believe that everything will continue in the same manner by itself or that no matter what we do, things will still go well for us. No, it is not so,” Ansip said. “In order that our good life and welfare continues to grow, we need to act with purpose, prevent apparent stupidities and avoid laziness of thought or just plain laziness”.

[Stan]

Prime Minister Andrus Ansip's coalition government (comprised of the People’s Union, Center Party, and Reform Party) won in elections that ended on Sunday!

Good news for Estonia's military ! Minister Ansip has been a staunch supporter of our missions in support of coalition forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Estonia must fulfil the duties it has assumed as an active member of the European Union and NATO."

http://www.valitsus.ee/?id=6458
Earlier in February the Minister has this to say regarding support to the coalition:

According to Ansip, participating in international operations is an essential part of Estonia’s security policy. “It is very easy to maintain a northern placidity and hope that other countries will contribute to international peacekeeping operations. Or to think that crises in the Balkans and outside Europe do not concern us. However, by contributing to foreign missions, by helping others, we also stand for our own interests and strengthen our own security,” he said.

[Stan]

http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17438/

The newly-formed Estonian Greens were welcomed to the political sphere by collecting six seats in parliament, or 7.1 percent of votes. It represents an impressive debut for the Greens, who performed as well as the established rural party the People’s Union, who also collected six seats and 7.1 percent of votes.
Ansip claimed a double victory. Not only did his party win the election, but the prime minister also set a new record for the most number of individual votes by collecting 22,556 votes. He can now claim to be the nation’s most popular politician.

[SWJED]

Stan - thanks for the reports and insights - Dave

[Stan]

Thanks Dave,
Seems to be my corner (of the world) herein
Regards, Stan

[Stan]

MAKING FRIENDS: After a surprise win in Estonian elections, Prime Minister Ansip looks to form a new coalition.

TALINN – The center-right Reform Party, winner of Estonia's parliamentary elections over the weekend, decided after discussing the results of preliminary consultations to continue bilateral coalition-building talks with the right-wing Pro Patria and Res Publica Union, the Greens and the center-left Social Democratic Party.

More here:

http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17445/

[Stan]

Firefighters managed to gather the remains of almost all the bodies

RIGA - Latvia’s notorious fire safety record made international headlines last week when a blaze ripped through the attic of a three-story convalescent home for disabled people, taking 25 lives and once again raising difficult questions about fire prevention and personal liability. The fire in Alsunga, a town in western Latvia some 15 kilometers from the Baltic coast, was triggered by either an electrical overload or someone smoking in bed.

The remainder of the story:
http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17402/

[Stan]

http://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/17443/

The chairman of Estonia's Russian-speaking Constitution Party, Andrei Zarenkov, was the third party leader to announce his intention to step down over the party's poor performance in the March 4 parliamentary elections.
Zarenkov said in a letter to fellow members of the party on Tuesday that at a forthcoming joint meeting of the policy-making council and the Nochnoi Dozor (Night Watch) movement he intends to raise the question of confidence in his own leadership and questions about the party's future existence.
The Constitution Party collected only 5,470 votes across the country – 1 percent of total votes.
The leader of the Left Party, Sirje Kingsepp, and People's Union chief Villu Reiljan have already announced their intention to resign as well.