I said: “If the enemy is hiding behind a wall 800m away of even 300m away then there is no firefight. If you are receiving effective fire then the enemy can see you to aim at you. Likewise then you can see them and direct fire on them.”
Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
Beaten zone of a PKM at 800m? Chance of spotting the firing point if it's a 8 x8 inch whole knocked in a wall?
Beaten zone? Don't know at that range but I have my doubts that the fire could be effective fired from a bipod. There is another thing here. These long range contacts where people actually take cover. Why are troops walking around in such open areas? Are they expecting to find the TB hiding under the stones? So then they get caught out in the open where the field of vision is 400, 500, 800m and they take cover????????

It seems that sometimes they have vehicles, then why don't they lay down some supporting fire and then carry the troops forward. Or has something changed recently? I was taught that the role of the infantry was to close will and kill the enemy. Not sit back and lob a few mortars then go home for tea.

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I said: “Moral of this story seems to be don't get your soldiers out of the projects but rather go find them out in the farm lands or get the physical training component of training up a few notches.”

Well today there are very, very few farmers and the guys from the projects have a great deal to offer, especially when working in urban terrain.
Sure, I've seen hard lads from East London, terrified and confused by their first night in the woods, but they quickly get used to it, plus they know about 30 different ways to steal almost anything - which can be useful.
Maybe not farmers but there are still a lot of rural boys whose day includes a high degree of physical labour. But then if the skinny malnourished city kids are recruited into the army then the physical development component (not just the physical exercise component) needs to be scientifically introduced into both training and the regimental life thereafter.

Some say the kit is too heavy. Too heavy for whom? Any kit will always be too heavy for weaklings but where is the benchmark in all this? I hear people say that the MAG and 500 rds is too heavy. So I ask again, too heavy for whom? Can you see where I'm coming from?