STRIKE-HOLD - the international military and tactical blog

Vickers Tactical CZ BREN 2 Overview

With the news earlier this week that the Czech Army signed a contract to purchase up to 16,000 Bren 2 Assault Rifles as part of major modernization and upgrade program, it is especially pertinent to share this video from Larry Vickers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b29_er-4pCM  

Friday Foto

Members of French Air Force Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air, Parachute Air Commando n° 30 (CPA 30) operating in the Sahel (Mali). Originally formed in 1956 during the Algerian conflict, the unit was disbanded in 1961, and then reformed in 1999 in its modern role. As the Security and Intervention Forces Air...

Canadian Army Finalizing New Camouflage Pattern

When the Soldier Operational Clothing and Equipment Modernization (SOCEM) initiative delivers its first pieces of kit in the coming years, they will come in a new version of the Canadian Disruptive Pattern (CADPAT). The new camouflage pattern and colour scheme is under review by the Army commander and will likely...

UF PRO Professional Skills Video Series: Tactical Tracking

UF PRO, a maker of advanced tactical clothing for military and law-enforcement units in Europe and beyond, will debut the first installment of a free, five-part video series on 27 April teaching the latest tactical tracking techniques. The video series—titled “Pro’s Guide to Tactical Tracking”—follows former Dutch Royal Marine Boris...

US Army Introduces New ARCTIC Warfare Tab

The Arctic Tab, a visual representation of a Soldier’s ability to train and thrive in cold environments, just got an upgrade. Not only does the tab have a new look, it can now be worn outside the confines of the Last Frontier thanks to a new U.S. Army Pacific policy....

Friday Foto

Air Force Special Tactics operators from the 22nd Special Tactics Squadron establish communications during an airfield survey as part of a culmination exercise Mar. 12, 2020, at Yakima, Wash. The CULEX challenged operators to perform airfield survey and control procedures in a potentially austere environment simulating a humanitarian aid response...

Throwback Thursday: Johnson Light Machine Gun

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the creation of the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) component of SOCOM traces its lineage back much further however - all the way back to the early years of WWII in fact. And today's Throwback Thursday takes a...

On This Day In History: The Liberation of Arnhem

For anyone with an interest in WWII history, and especially for anyone interested in the history of airborne forces in WWII, today marks a rather special, and poignant, anniversary. On the 15th of April 1945 the town of Arnhem in the Netherlands was finally liberated after 5 years of occupation,...

Museum Monday

The Maroon Beret The 82d Airborne Division's iconic maroon beret dates back to World War II and, like many other berets in the U.S. Army, is a tribute to the British Forces. The maroon beret was originally given to the U.S. Army's 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment by their British counterparts,...

Friday Foto

A U.S. Marine with Company C, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, provides security during a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation (MCCRE) at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif., April 2, 2020. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Corey A. Mathews