Ground Phase Gains Momentum

London Telegraph ^ | October 28, 2001 | Sean Rayment

[codeword]

Ground phase gains momentum By Sean Rayment (Filed: 28/10/2001)

ROYAL Marine commandos will be used to seize strategically vital areas in Afghanistan to enable special forces to conduct covert search and destroy missions.

As the ground phase of the military operation begins to gather momentum, it is understood that teams of commandos will be ordered to carry out Tactical Air Land Operations - or Talo - where troops using Hercules aircraft and possibly helicopters seize and hold targets such as air bases or military camps.

British troops have never carried out Talo missions in a conflict before, although they have been part of their military tactics for more than 15 years, as a means of capturing key areas quickly.

Hercules aircraft, loaded with troops, heavily armed Land Rovers or light tanks such as the Scorpion, will fly towards the designated target at low level. The aim for the pilots, who will be special forces members, will be to land the aircraft, deploy troops and take off in less than a minute.

While the Hercules is taxiing along the runway, troops will pour out of the rear of the aircraft and seize enemy strongholds within the base.

Mobility, surprise and firepower are the key to a successful Talo operation, and it is likely that the commandos would be supported by US Apache attack helicopters and A10 "tankbuster" planes, which were both used with devastating effect in the Gulf war.

The Marines will also be used as support troops for missions by special forces, providing extra firepower and security for teams of SAS troops.

The 200 Marines from 40 Commando will initially be based aboard the Landing Support Ship Fearless. Another 400 will return to their base in Taunton, Somerset, on standby to deploy within hours.

When the Marines are ordered into action, they will be ferried from Fearless to a forward mounting base, likely to be a military airbase either in Pakistan or another friendly country. There, the commandos will receive their final orders and carry out rehearsals for the attack.

The force will include three 30-man troops, strengthened with specialists in reconnaissance, mortar and Milan anti-tank weapons. Engineers, to clear booby traps and mines, signallers and medics will also be involved.

A flotilla of Royal Navy vessels, including the aircraft carrier Illustrious and a cruise missile-armed submarine, will remain in the area to back the strikes on Afghanistan.

[Skywalk]

Illustrious yes!...LOL I like the names of ships from games like X-Wing and TIE Fighter. I want a ship named Executor!!

[wretchard]

This Royal Marine deployment, together with the character of the other troops committed to the theater, means a light infantry battle is in the offing. The key question is whether the light infantry will be used as a force multiplier in support of the Northern Alliance, or whether they will constitute a maneuver element of their own.

If they are used in "can opener" type missions to open gaps for the Northern Alliance or to hold key supply routes, their support requirements will be relatively small. But their ultimate effectiveness will depend on whether the Northern Alliance can exploit the opportunities they provide.

If they are used as a maneuver element, they can produce results independent of the Northern Alliance, possibly decisive results, but their support requirements (lift, medevac, fire support, logistics) will be huge -- especially absent land lines of communication. In many ways, the US and British troops operating in such a mode will have to be as frugal as the Taliban. Both will have relatively poor logistics.

Clearly, their appearance in either mode must await the time when the Taliban forces are degraded to the point where they cannot mass to destroy relatively small units. Possibly they will be used in can opener mode initially, but may shift to independent action down the track. Success will depend on the quality of US intelligence and the timing of operations, more than anything else.

[Robert Lomax]

Semper Fi Marines!

[xm177e2]

Did I read this correctly? They want to land a plane on a hostile airfield and deploy the troops while the plane is taxiing?

That's pretty darn amazing, even for special forces.

[Excuse_Me]

Just want to see if I can reply before you post. It is now 1:09 A.M.

[MedicalMess]

Did I read this correctly? They want to land a plane on a hostile airfield and deploy the troops while the plane is taxiing?

That's pretty darn amazing, even for special forces

Not really..., amazing is when they drop heavy armoured vehicles out the back by parachute while flying and they land without being busted up.

[GeronL]

we need to prepare to destroy Pakistan nuclear arsenal and capability...

[alternatif]

no war is won without ground assault, the time is fine now for ground war let's ruin their spirits and let the civilizations flag fly in afghanistan

[piasa]

Illustrious yes!...LOL I like the names of ships from games like X-Wing and TIE Fighter. I want a ship named Executor!!

The history of those names go back a lot farther than Star Wars. ; )

[meenie]

Some heavy armor is needed with the best light infantry.

[codeword]

The time on the article is, of course, Greenwich Meredian Time.

[codeword]

"Just want to see if I can reply before you post. It is now 1:09 A.M." And I am posting from Hawaii.

[codeword]

Besides, you are a temporal miracle worker.

[Skywalk]

Yeah, but it was the first thing that came into my head:)

[KneelBeforeZod]

Ta-li-ban...come to play-ay!
Ta-li-ban...come to play-ay!
TA-LI-BAN...COME OUT TO PLAY-AY!!

(clink, clink, clink)

[chmst]

Hmmm... is it deja vu or Dien Bien Phu?(sp)

[blam]

Hmmm... is it deja vu or Dien Bien Phu?(sp)"

Dien Dien Phu. Sounds like a disaster in the making. This will not be like the Israeli landing at Entebbe.

[toddst]

If this is not disinformation the insertion has likely already taken place. When Taliban forces respond, move to attack, close air support will have a target-rich environment. Sounds like a plan to me.

[NeonKnight]

D@mmit, how long before we set up firebases in-country? The comparisons to Vietnam are good. We kicked their butts too, but they never directly attacked the US, so we did not have the resolve we have today. If you recall, it was the government driving the war and they could not get the population behind them. Today it is the citizens driving the war, and the military is not doing enough to satisfy us. LBJ would have kicked the NVA back to the stone age if he had had this kind of support.