STRIKE-HOLD - the international military and tactical blog

Tongan Prime Minister visits his troops in Afghanistan

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Strikehold His Excellency Lord Tu’ivakano, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Tonga, met senior US and UK commanders before spending time with troops to learn about the contribution his nation is making to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission. The Tonga Defence...

Multinational forces bury their tracks in the snow-covered ‘Black Forest’

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Strikehold More than 1,000 U.S., Georgian and Bulgarian military service members conducted a mission rehearsal exercise at the  Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels, Germany in February 2012. The mission rehearsal exercise is the culminating event for the Republic of Georgia’s 23rd Light Infantry Battalion...

Afghan and British forces seize Taliban anti-tank weapon

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Strikehold A joint Afghan and British team recently launched a pre-dawn raid on a Taliban compound, seizing an anti-tank weapon which had been used to target a British base. Soldiers from the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, known as the Welsh Cavalry, joined forces with their...

5-man assault team CQB competition: Hampshire, UK 31st March – 1st April

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Strikehold Pathfinder Group Military Simulations are holding this event at Sopley Camp, which is an old RAF Base near Bournemouth, Hampshire. The Event is co-sponsored by CQB Target Systems Ltd, Professional Target Solutions. The event is based on Airsoft Military Simulation over 2 days,...

Canadian Paratroopers Jump into Exercise Arctic Ram 12

Posted on 21/02/2012 by Strike-Hold Exercise ARCTIC RAM 12 is the name of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group’s (1 CMBG) first training exercise which is being conducted in the Northwest Territories from February 14 to 26, 2012. Exercise ARCTIC RAM will allow soldiers to re-familiarize themselves with Northern operations by...

U.S. and Canadian Forces Participate in Airborne Exercise

Posted on February 18, 2012 by Strikehold U.S. and Canadian service members conducted Joint Operations Access Exercise 12-01 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina Feb. 10-13.  The Joint Operations Access Exercise gave the airborne forces the opportunity to test their Global Response Force readiness and ability to conduct operations with coalition...

British and French airborne soldiers and marines train together

Posted on 17/02/2012 by Strike-Hold British and French soldiers have been taking part in a training exercise this week at the Otterburn Training Area in Northumberland as part of the continuing relationship between French and British Army units. The British soldiers are from 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland...

Operation Shahem Tofan: Afghan Border Police, Marines extend reach toward Helmand border

Posted on 16/02/2012 by Strike-Hold Text and photos: Cpl. Reece Lodder, Regimental Combat Team 5, US Central Command U.S. Marines with Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, and Afghan Border Police rush off a CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter during Operation Shahem Tofan (Eagle Storm), Feb. 10. GARMSIR DISTRICT, Helmand...

RAF Regiment leads operation against Taliban bomb-makers

Posted on 13/02/2012 by Strikehold Members of the RAF Regiment have found and destroyed a large cache of Taliban IED-making equipment in an operation conducted alongside Afghan and US forces. Operation DISHATA PASHA (Pashtu for ‘backfoot’) was launched at dawn on Monday 6 February 2012, with RAF Regiment troops from...