• Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?

    Go here:

    Edit Account Details and Profile

NSW Standardizing on Glock 19

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
Best pic yet of a Sierra....

hsc-22_armed_helo_dark_knight.jpg
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Snowflakes on a BLK III? Did they get them by lobbing Hellfires at a panga?
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Are these the four things up by the "22" MODEX number? If so, what do they normally signify?

What Pags said. They represent interdictions with actual contraband (as opposed to interdicting logistic vessels).

If I remember correctly that aircraft did a counter drug op on LCS and the snowflakes represent coke busts.

I'm surprised they sent BLK IIIs down there. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the det that ended up having to do a last minute syllabus in Mayport on their way down (or shortly before they left).
 

hscs

Registered User
pilot
I'm surprised they sent BLK IIIs down there. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the det that ended up having to do a last minute syllabus in Mayport on their way down (or shortly before they left).

Guess you haven't seen the pictures of block 3s vertrep'ing....even seen one of them leave the wings on.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
Guess you haven't seen the pictures of block 3s vertrep'ing....even seen one of them leave the wings on.

I have, but at the time (2012-ish?), I thought these were short in supply. But I guess not.

PRODEV question: did the earlier blocks of Sierras also have a FLIR kit installed? I can't remember.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
I have, but at the time (2012-ish?), I thought these were short in supply. But I guess not.

PRODEV question: did the earlier blocks of Sierras also have a FLIR kit installed? I can't remember.
My 60S knowledges are getting dim, but as I recall only the Blk III had the right boxes to work with the FLIR.

Vertrep with the wings on does happen, especially for squadrons/dets that are on the hook for other missions/training requirements at the same time. I'd imagine that the reason is simply that it's easier to leave them on than it is to take them off and then put them back on. You relieve yourself of the on/off/on maintenance requirement, the risk of breaking something during the drop/install, and what can often be the million dollar question on ships with limited space, where do you put them once they're off so an ABHAN or LSSN doesn't hit them with a forklift / spotting dolly?
 

hscs

Registered User
pilot
My 60S knowledges are getting dim, but as I recall only the Blk III had the right boxes to work with the FLIR.

Vertrep with the wings on does happen, especially for squadrons/dets that are on the hook for other missions/training requirements at the same time. I'd imagine that the reason is simply that it's easier to leave them on than it is to take them off and then put them back on. You relieve yourself of the on/off/on maintenance requirement, the risk of breaking something during the drop/install, and what can often be the million dollar question on ships with limited space, where do you put them once they're off so an ABHAN or LSSN doesn't hit them with a forklift / spotting dolly?
Or you could leave the wings on so ABHAR can crunch them while they are on. Seen one of these folks bend a helo pilot door backwards Tommy Boy style on an HH extended pylon.

More to my point - maintenance needs to have the plane properly configured and not leave stuff on because it is "too hard," improper training plan planning, or a passive-aggressive "we are forcing the Handler to give us more space on the roof".
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
Or you could leave the wings on so ABHAR can crunch them while they are on. Seen one of these folks bend a helo pilot door backwards Tommy Boy style on an HH extended pylon.

More to my point - maintenance needs to have the plane properly configured and not leave stuff on because it is "too hard," improper training plan planning, or a passive-aggressive "we are forcing the Handler to give us more space on the roof".
The ability of ABs to safely move aircraft is amazing. The ability of the same people to crunch airplanes is stupefying, but such is life.

You obviously have strong feelings on the matter. The only time I dealt with wings was as Mini on an LHD. Our HSC guys would often vertrep with the wings on and other than it looking kind of odd it never bothered me. The wings didn't impact their ability to vertrep and often the same airplane was on the hook for a mission that required wings later in the airplan. For a two bird det there just wasn't time on the sked for the HSC Det to fiddle with the wings all the time. I was far more concerned about a helo up for SAR then I was about RME configuration.
 

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
My 60S knowledges are getting dim, but as I recall only the Blk III had the right boxes to work with the FLIR.

That would definitely make sense to have a BLK III down there then. If you don't have a sensor, you're worthless...even if it is only a FLIR.
 

Hair Warrior

Well-Known Member
Contributor
Well, now MARSOC chose the Glock 19 as well. That makes Naval Special Warfare, MARSOC, and FBI this year joining CIA in issuing the Glock as the standard service pistol. All but the FBI (.40) chose the Glock 19, a 9mm with a compact frame that holds 15+1 rounds. The Marines' purchase is only ~1,600 pistols, but it's symbolic. The chances of Beretta defending its Army procurement market share are decreasing, IMO.

Ref: https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/ar...over-45-caliber-pistols-for-special-operators
 

ChuckMK23

FERS and TSP contributor!
pilot
And now FBI abandoning .40 and going to 5th Gen Glock in 9mm

This is a good thing - I think we'll see Glock in 9mm as US standard service pistol. A correct trend!
 
Last edited:

Gatordev

Well-Known Member
pilot
Site Admin
Contributor
I just have a hard time believing that U.S. conventional forces would go to a Glock. Or at least for Support MOS/NOSsses. It just seems like if you can slap on 3 extra safeties, you don't have to pay for extra training, and that's a budget win.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
In my experience it takes more training to reliably take off a safety to fire and then re-engage after fire under stress then to simply keeping your damned finger off the trigger until the decision to fire.
 
Top