Pathfinder Platoon - Afghanistan (part 1/5)

[@JimmyG228]

Salute from Canada, you Brits are just awsome. God Save the Queen

[@dellawrence4323]

Thanks Canada, we feel the same about you, our oldest and most faithful allies.

[@elite4124]

JimmyG228 pathetic

[@EFChartley]

Love from the UK 🇬🇧

[@defundthebbc1552]

@@elite4124 whats up with you? Give your head a wobble lad

[@rhysshaughnessy4757]

@@elite4124 you're one to talk

[@EScott-zx2gs]

Worked with a number of allied/partner forces and all are great but there is just something different/special about the relationship us "yanks" have with the Brits. That bit of history between us might be why. Both are fiercely competitive, proud, and incredibly loyal. I'm truly grateful to be on the same team and to be able to call them my brothers. Semper Fidelis

[@Dischingo]

@@syphontoastie6265 Did you know your mother gave birth to you?

[@bozimo1]

I am ex 3 Para... you guys make me so proud ...

[@EJLSWE]

Salutations from Sweden, you English are just awesome. God Save the Queen! //Swede

[@TheJapanChannelDcom]

I love the no-nonsense style of the British military. None of that "rambo" gung-ho bollocks we see from some others :-D

[@humphreyaugustus2932]

That's right mate

[@geraldwills4392]

1qa1à1aqaàqqqqqqq1q1qa1qàqqqqa a

[@elchuzalongo4339]

@@geraldwills4392 ?

[@elchuzalongo4339]

@Adrien Sutton I hate you scam bots

[@8lackbeard791]

@TheJapanChannelDcom you mean the American's XD

[@spetsnazalfa]

sgt (now colour) jones! he was my platoon commander at brecon! told me off when I threw up in the lecture hall after tab. he was an all round good bloke.

[@jbusername217]

general purpose machine gun... you brits are awesome!

[@TheQuantumPotato]

GMGP: I'm the General, and I'm firing this Machine Gun with fucking Purpose!

[@audentesfortunajuvat3297]

hahahha using yanks round

[@XxBloggs]

@@audentesfortunajuvat3297 huh?

[@rhysshaughnessy4757]

@@audentesfortunajuvat3297 what's that got to do with anything 😂😂😂

[@jaccon6106]

@@audentesfortunajuvat3297 theyre nato rounds you mug 7.62x51mm nato

[@Retrosicotte]

Furthermore, this was the Jackal 1. The Jackal 2 upgrade program kicked in shortly after the time this engagement took place which layered more armour upon it anyway and increased the sweep of the main gun. Bear in mind, this is the Pathfinders. Their job is naturally more dangerous to get closer. If you add windows, you've got to add framework. If you add framework, you need support. Suddenly you've gained 4 tons and the vehicle can no longer do its job. The lads WANT it like this tosee out.

[@ellajitka]

The love of my life was there, his voice yelling out orders many times haunts me.................... I wish all best the boys that have survived; I pray daily for them all. May their Mums and Dads, wifes and children always know that there are few that say a prayer daily, and may my silent prayer bring comfort to you. To all the fallen heroes after and before this op. YOU WERE THE BEST, 'Gringo' said so. xoxoxo AIRBORNE!!!!

[@eliteukforces]

Pathfinders do HALO/HALO and the SA80 is not rated/cleared for that whereas the C8 SFW is (used by SAS/SBS also)

[@non-masturbatingtyrannosau3476]

Not true the pathfinders used the l85 in early 2000's

[@Retrosicotte]

They've more protection than you might think with those high sides and armour plates. Definitely more than an LSV or WMIK. It's always worth remembering, the Jackal is not a heavy MRAP. It's a light recon vehicle and amongst light recon vehicles it's by FAR the heaviest armoured of the lot.

[@muskra66]

I watched this program a couple of years back, I had flu and was dying to go to bed and rest but I couldent stop watching it lol

[@skittlesareyum48]

The UK and the US have the BEST militaries in the world. You guys kick ass. I hope I get to serve with some of you guys once I'm a Marine.

[@ArrowSmith95]

much respect from Canada ! Sgt smith

[@UncleSpunken]

Watch the documentary by the BBC "Defence of the realm: Phantom platoon" it's on the BBC iPlayer, it's the bit where the Brigadier is on the range with the PF platoon when they're shooting the Barrett, he tells the camera man that because of the lack of funding he's resorted to buying some of the PF kit from the black market, skip to 23:30 on the program on the iPlayer to see.

[@markbutler805]

Nothing like the clipped unhurried tones of the British army under pressure

[@dellawrence4323]

I recognised Kent straight away.

[@geographyinaction7814]

They are using Colt Canada, formerly Diemaco C8's, not M4's; British designation L119A1 and A2. The new L85 A2 is an excellent weapon, but the C8 is used by the SAS, SBS, Para Pathfinders and others for reasons that they chose.

[@transonicbuoy1]

Yes mate. Bloody `ell - looks like the Long Range Desert Group.

[@humphreyaugustus2932]

The Hardnut Platoon

[@mikep250981]

Although the L85 A2 is deemed one of the most reliable and accurate weapons around it is limited by the fact that because it is a bullpup design it isn't ambidextrous like the M4 family is. It's not for left or right handed shooters, it's so that you can fire round either left or right sided cover without exposing your whole body. Also the weight comes into it as well. I did the same role that these guy's are doing in Afghan but my unit was standard infantry so we just used the L85 A2's

[@TheAustralianArmy]

@04GUITARPLAYER04 Pathfinders are Parachute Regiment Special forces. They are the "makewayers" (if you know what I mean) for the Regular Army. Unlike special forces regiments (SAS/SBS) who carry out covert, close Protection and CQB etc. missions. So that's why they carry Special Operation rifle (M4 instead of the standard Army rifle (SA80) :)

[@UncleSpunken]

I read the book yesterday, Dez' wasn't a bootneck he was a Mechanical and Electrical engineer attached to the Marines.

[@TaZ101SAGA]

Perhaps, but the actual weapon is just built in Canada, it wasn't designed there or originally built there. It's basically an M4 with some slight improvements, they are not exactly the same.

[@darthjarjarthewise3279]

TaZ101SAGA M line of rifles have greater stopping power but the C have less weight

[@Retrosicotte]

That'd be why it's a universally adored, trusted and effective vehicle that cut casualty rates significantly and has done an amazing job for half a decade now then?

[@createdeccentricities6620]

Worthy successors to the LRDG.

[@petehumphries3359]

Don't mention kajaki to a para!.... Bless all and family who was hit that day..

[@JimmyG228]

@Raizo1988 I've seen the specs on it & I agree fully, it looks like a great piece of kit, however I only consider a rifle worth mentioning if it's battle proven. The KH C416 has seen limited service in Afghanistan & Iraq but only limited service. Regardless I give it benefit of the doubt, it looks great. HK has always made the best rifles including my all time favourite, the HK G3

[@Retrosicotte]

These are C7 Carbines. Not M4's. However, they are pretty much identical, so the points you make are still very much valid. The precise reason the Pathfinders use them is because they do HALO and HAHO jumps, which the L85A2 is a bit heavy for.

[@Necroid000]

all of the isaf forces are doing a hell of a job out there, germany, britains, americans, everyone involved to help there do a mighty good thing, more people should see that side and support the soldiers that are stationed there, first and foremost our country has to have more support for our fellow comrades there, greetings from germany!

[@UncleSpunken]

Bollocks according to ex-PF Platoon 2ic Captain David Blakely, it was because of the malfunction in Sierra Leone that the PF platoon decided that the L85 was too unreliable for their operations so the OC of the Airborne brigade did a deal with the lads in Hereford to get their hands on the M16 and later the C8 Carbine, they were able to do this as the PF platoon was not officially funded, the Brigadier of 5 Airborne even admitted getting weapons off the black market for the PF platoon.

[@trident1314]

Black market and black economy are military terms to describe a unit that is not official and not funded...it doesn't mean the brigade commander did a deal with some shady arms dealer

[@syproful]

Then you come back, and never get the same kick again.

[@Adleist]

Love the guy at 4:50 shaking his head as the journalist shoot

[@EFChartley]

HUGE EXPECTATIONS FROM UK FORCES 🇬🇧

[@MookyManster]

''First In, Last Out''

[@XxBloggs]

Far more professional than the US forces videos.

[@Peter-vu5wl]

2nd guy made it into SAS now has a coffee shop I believe

[@JammyDodger45]

I pity anyone who criticises his coffee and cakes.

[@jonesey1978]

360 degree arc of fire is the priority. The Pathfinders (who are the troops not the vehicles) like to be the aggressors. I read it in Blakeley's book!

[@Freepepsi42]

@justsomerandomdude22 The rifles Pathfinder Platoon use are Canadian C7's, are variant of the M16A2.

[@fikonfraktare]

It's a C8 SFW - L119A1

[@Fedaykin24]

It isn't the first time they were on TV, there was a documentary about them in the late 90s.

[@et0474]

For Queen and country lads 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@TaZ101SAGA]

Yeah, which are Canadian built M4's..An American rifle.

[@ಇಲ್ಲ]

TaZ101SAGA Who gives a fck where the weapon comes from. Best one for the job I’d say. U defo don’t want the British version that just loves sand 🤣

[@Terracecasualx5]

TaZ101SAGA it’s not an M4 mate,it’s a Diemaco C7. A Canadian copy of the M4 probably built under licence of course.

[@nicholson313]

@EJLSWE Dont forget us Scots!!!

[@lesliehall7683]

Why not when your independent you will be in the new eu army run by the germans, how ironic

[@jimmyrichardson67]

Scots are British aren’t they🤔

[@petrolhead1960]

@@jimmyrichardson67 We think so but they don’t. They rather be part of the EUSSR.

[@soultraveller5027]

Some Scotts want independence from UK regardless of the consequences the "old enemy the English " still lingers from previous generation past down to the young generation. Continues they have been watching the movie brave heart to much ..there's a few sitting on the fence hedging there bets stay or go deciding still and there's the the loyal Scotts who want the status quo so if the scotts get another vote and vote for independence which means. Yeah they will be in the euro army the Germans and the French. Will be in charge for sure we'll it's there choice let them decide without bitterness

[@Retrosicotte]

The Jackal is well known for its protection. Look at part 5, the one that runs over an IED loses a wheel, a bit of frame damage and has one man with damaged legs. If that had been a Humvee or land Rover, every man in the vehicle would have been dead. The only reason they got shot in this was the American ammo in the GMG failed to fire. That'd be why the MoD cancelled out order of Mk19 ammo then...the stuff just sucked. It's for mobility, recon. It's not an armoured assault vehicle.

[@adam3adam363]

The guy at 5:20 looks like Ben Garwood. He became 22 SAS if I am correct.

[@Danny-vj4fy]

It is him!! Haha

[@Farlioz]

4:47 Lol at the guy shaking his head while watching the reporter learning to use the machine gun.

[@randomoldguy3967]

The Jackal looks like all of Britains enemies got together and designed a vehicle that kills troops easily before they even get to the battle.

[@andybawn1]

it's been done before in 1941 LRDG and SAS, no helicopter back up to bring you a spare part in them days though :(

[@TheMaximilianMck]

@thefierce123 no worries, the comment was merely meant to highlight the fact that aren't using the SA80, and by the way I'm not a smug yank, UK here.

[@UncleSpunken]

Actually, just to be pedantic; no member of the Naval service has ever passed Pathfinder selection, that includes the booties.

[@jonesey1978]

There was an ex-Royal Marine in Blakeley's Pathfinder troop. They rip him for constantly showering.

[@Retrosicotte]

Those aren't M4's, they are C7 Carbines. They're Pathfinders, they need lighter weapons than the heavier L85A2 (Not an "Enfield") due to the role they play of being very light, quick and agile infantry in a recon role. Also because they do HALO and HAHO jumps, the L85A2 is too heavy to do them with. The C7 is probably the best one they could get to come as close as they can to the L85A2's crazy good accuracy in a light package.

[@TheMaximilianMck]

I do enjoy the fact that they all use the american m4...

[@christian199212]

I passed my prmc. I did not carry onto training though. PRMC puts things in perspective. your be surprised what you see. Im just going to join regulars now.

[@blarson27]

when i saw that 50cal i nearly shit my pants

[@larkin54]

Afghanistan is the one just war we've been engaged in

[@Retrosicotte]

They're L85A2's, not "Enfields." That was just Black Ops that took the old Enfield prototype that looks a lot like it. it's also a very VERY good rifle (As opposed to the A1, which was wank) with pretty incredible accuracy, bullpup design and top notch reliability.

[@dirtyhabit92]

Yeah, more like the 75th Ranger Regiment than F Company, 4th & 5th Battalion, 101st Airborne who are designated as "Pathfinder", of the F Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Airborne. Rangers are actually a fighting force rather than reconnaissance .

[@Box63682]

2:59 biggest stiff upper lip ever

[@OChristie]

Yeah Pathfinders use the C8 Demarchi, Decent Weapon System, anyone else who has used it can back that up

[@niceguyspools]

Don't forget Yemen, Northern Saudi Arabia, Waziristan. All have very high rates of militants that fight in Afghanistan. A strategy similar to the British campaign in Borneo must be adopted. Again once poverty is eliminated and education abound in the middle east all conflicts will cease to exist in the region.

[@JimmyG228]

@TheAustralianArmy The British SAS don't use American M16s or M4s, they use the Canadian variants of the American rifles, the C7 & C8s respectively. The reason being, the Canadian variants are built to a higher quality & are all around much better then the American rifles. Don't quote me on this, but I'm told Australians now use the Canadian variants too.

[@TomWGraphics]

they still use them, sa80a2 is a fantastic rifle and one of the best in its class but it doesn't meet sf/sfsg/elite units requirements.

[@Sakkehattu]

"Yet to hear bad report" Well a guy got shot in one of them... on this series :d. They are under so much fire, I would sacrifice some scouting capabilities for extra protection because currently it requires 1 sniper with any skill to shoot the driver while they are stationary, and then they are sitting ducks.

[@tonyyates2012]

All of the squad know how to drive the Jackal.

[@crouchtrac]

@Louisthefish23 well no, technically the Royal Marines are the green berets of the UK.

[@cwills1985]

Great documentary. Saw this when it was first broadcast on Sky News. Would be great if they could do documentaries on the SAS, SBS and the SFSG. Doubt it, but it would be great - obviously... :) Might encourage more ppl to join the military and try for the special forces. It's not as if we have recruitment shortages or anything.

[@MrPhotodoc]

Too Much! Can you imagine what the enemy could do if they ever captured one of the vehicles used by the UK soldiers?

[@shootrecordlife]

and its shows the public people that your trying to get them to trust you when they can only see a tank

[@Aliasify]

@preaacstal Which is why women and old men have passed the Royal marines course but not P company ;)

[@michaelcrossman9692]

I don't understand the concept of an open cab in the Jackel Recon Vehicle. If it rolls over onto soft ground, the single bar will not provide much protection. In addition, open targets for enemy small arms fire. ? Appreciate any explanation. God Bless your professionalism and give you strength and courage against all enemies.

[@PaddyInf]

Open architecture vehicles are excellent for recce tasks. They allow for all round visability and much better situational awareness and 360 degree firepower. We have always used open top vehicles in this role. There are always compromises between firepower, protection, mobility and visibility. We are willing to reduce protection in favour of operational effectiveness.

[@PaddyInf]

@TJ Murphy You take risks on Ops. The level of risk you deem acceptable is determined by operational need. You can wrap people up in armour all day, but if this reduces operational effectiveness so much that they can't carry out their task then what is the point of being there? The desire to protect troops at all costs is driven by people with limited or no military knowledge or experience and the aversion to seeing troops killed. While no one wants soldiers to die it is unfortunately a hazard of going to war, and calculated risks have to be taken to achieve aims.

[@Dischingo]

The hull of the Jackal makes it ideal for Afghanistan due to the risk of IEDS and mines. Far better than say a Warrior IFV in this regard which is flat bottomed.

[@Sakkehattu]

But he has a point, no bullet resistant windows or anything, you must admit that its weird not to have those.

[@MrLedFarmer0331]

What is with the M4? Not feeling the L85?

[@Elitepoosniff]

This is nearlly the same as them filming the British SAS in this way.

[@Retrosicotte]

Ah, ta for the clarification. Not a huge amount of visual difference that I spotted.

[@Aivar09]

Where is the enemy? Advertising cars on the background of Afghanistan see, and there is no enemy.

[@xthewallhitmex]

@TomHartill yeah, british designation is L119. its canadian made but you probably already knew that :)

[@andrewwallace4821]

@lesterjames007 mobility in rough terrain and extreme speed and reliability. they replaced the Scimitar light tanks, which did offer a lot more protection, but were prone to mechanical failures, most crews of jackals are ex scimitar crews (not these guys, these guys are paras)

[@TommysAlright]

I've already checked it out, You have to pass the selection Cadre

[@TommysAlright]

Do you have to be a para, or can you apply if you have para wings but are with another unit i.e if your in the marines or the rock apes? My knowledge is not upto scratch.

[@ARM_DM]

'Mates' listening to Nickelback, can't say I ever saw that coming

[@Retrosicotte]

They have plenty if you've ever actually ridden in one.

[@shinobiJin91]

@wolfyys its simply a better weapon, with more 'punch' than brit weapons and it tends to jam less and need less cleaning, in other words it can take a beating

[@jamesg3456]

See foz expect hard rugged voice conveying a sturn resilience foz* Wiltshire accent. Can't tell if that more scary than

[@FlatRangeOperator]

So the English pathfinders are equivalent to U.S. Army Rangers?

[@Retrosicotte]

You sit lower in the Jackal than might be obvious in this, it's a surprisingly encompassing vehicle and if you need to you can always lower the seat height. Trust me, I'd rather be in one of these things than an uparmoured Humvee or a Snatch. Adding windows would only hurt it in its job though. Again, recon vehicle, not armoured assault. :p Think of it as more similar to the Light Strike Vehicles the Americans use/used (unsure if still around) rather than an MRAP.

[@sierratango6062]

Nice to know that there is someone who actually gives a shit. Tack min van

[@PANGEA95]

Exactly, and there ain't much point annihilating the whole of Afghanistan because then it would defeat the point of trying to help the Afghan people get rid of the Taliban.

[@UncleSpunken]

Too heavy? Paaa, they use them because in Sierra Leone their L85's jammed on them in the middle of contact, they had to fight their way out with Gimpies and Browning HP's. Also the fact that bullpups are to mechanically complex for operating behind enemy lines.

[@UncleSpunken]

Actually scratch the first time, 15:30 is when he says about the black market.

[@SuperMike82]

I was surprised that the journalist used the word "truck" as opposed to "lorry". What's the difference?

[@shinobiJin91]

@soldierside365 2 and 3 para are both based at colechester garrison in essex, i think either 2 or 3 has more anti tank platoons and whatnot but i cant be sure.

[@Dozer6001]

Open cab?!?! Please tell me that vehicle has been replaced.

[@1AOR1]

non of what you mentioned featured these guys.

[@soldierside365]

what is the difference, if any, between 2 and 3 PARA? is it a locational thing, or just preference? cheers

[@JoeRUGBY10]

tbh i dont think any of the lads would have trouble getting into the SAS there training is as hard

[@peterhumphries3989]

Didn't know Dr spok was a para! Must of dropped out of star ship!!

[@movefaststayloweod1492]

There awesome for fast precise firepower but have little protection

[@angelinryde]

Are you referring to Dez? I read the book and my understanding was he passed selection.

[@4RDU4]

Yeah right Pathfinders Platoon is Canadian. Except its a elite platoon from the British Army Parachute Regiment.