This may be O.T but i was just wondering...

[Bishop746]

Anyone here serve in the Austrailian Army? I was reading about the Australian army sending troops to the Soloman islands and I noticed in a picturetheir infantry weapon was some form of the Steyr-Aug system.

Do they manufacture a licenced version of their weapons or do they buy them from a supplier?

Just interested.

[Cameronius]

I served an exchange in Bosnia with the Kiwi contingent in 1995. Yes, both NZ and Australia use the Steyr as their service rifle and carbine. I am also fairly certain that they produce them on license. To round out their small arms package they use the FN minimi 5.56mm as an LMG, the FN-MAG 7.62 as GPMG, 9mm Sig Saur as pistol and browning .50cal HMG. Popular opinion among them was that the steyr rifle was a good service rifle but was a bad match for use with the minimi because they use different magazines.

[User_no_longer_active]

Hi! Saw this post and thought it was high-time to sign up!
I served in the Australian Army for 7 years, RAEME attached to infantry bn and recon/mech regt. Did a 4-month jungle-warfare training tour to RMAF Butterworth with MOUT training in Singapore.
Yep, we use the Steyr and Minimi, both licensed-produced in Australia. Aussie designations: F-88 (Steyr) and F-89 (Minimi). When I discharged (2001) we still used M-79's; the MAG-58 (FN GPMG) was being reintroduced at the section level to provide more hitting power (rumour had it 1 Minimi and 1 MAG-58 per section); 9mm Browning; 66mm M-72 LAW; 84mm Carl Gustav. The Australian Army doesn't train soldiers to use the magazine slot on the F-89 so there aren't really any gripes about the weapon, at least none that I heard. The Steyr is also fairly well liked due to it's light weight and optic sight (just put the target in the black circle and squeeze the trigger). The under-slung grenade launcher was introduced for Timor in 2001. It was being trialled at the time and was rushed into service. The Kiwis had it before us!
A question for the old salts on here: what do you think of repair/recovery units? They could work the same way as ammo units: placed near the damaged/immobilized vehicle for a number of turns and then you get a repaired/recovered, battle ready vehicle. I know the time frame of 3-5 turns isn't realistic. It would be for playability and interest, and if you didn't like it you wouldn't have to use it.
Any thoughts DRG and Mobhack? Also, how do I make icons? I saw a post on here where someone made an AH-56.
Thanks!!

[reconraider]

Yeah, it takes 6 admins to put 1 marine grunt in the field. But every1 in the Corps is a rifleman. Did DesertShield/Storm/OpRestoreHope as M249 gunner and was a Fire Team Leader. Did Panama as FAST Co. 6th Platoon out of Norfolk(Fleet Anti-terrorist Security Team). Did L.A. Riots and the Virginia Beach Riots a few years before that.

[PN79]

Hallo
I served as conscript in Czech army in 1998/99 (one year). Since 2004 I am in active reserve as squad leader.
I was originally trained for mechanised squad but now I am in pure infantry unit with sentry duties.

[Steph]

I've spent 10 months in the French air force in 1998, in the time we still had conscript.
But I was detached in the French Civil Aviation University programming software, so not a very "military" role.

[RecruitMonty]

The German army still is one of the best. These days its a bit small (like most European armies) but conscription Wehrdienst/Militaerdienst is still going strongish. The equipment is pretty damn good too and it has a post-war history that is a good indication of how good it could have been. It was reformed after all to fight the mightiest threat Europe has ever known. I am fairly sure it would have acquited itself very well on the battlefield against the commies.

Hell, when I finally get in then out of Uni and I have been repatriated I will probably do a stint in the Bundeswehr (if they will let me).

Give it a few years and the German army will regain more of its previous elan (most likely through further deployments). As for Prussian militarism... well military skill can be taught too and young men with the right leaders in the field can become good warriors without Prussian militarism.

Just out of interest how many Bundesheer men are on this forum and playing SPMBT? What do you guys think of the G36 assault rifle? More to the point did you prefer the G3 and its variants? What do you guys think about the army these days in general (or can't you say)?

[pdoktar]

I´ve heard stories about the G36 not beeing such a good weapon, because it´s aiming point is so much higher than the barrel, causing aiming errors at ranges, when holding the weapon a bit tilted, as sometimes happens in combat situations.

[RecruitMonty]

I think this is another example of modern weapons designers thinking more about space-age materials etc and less about the creation of a decent combat weapon. In my opinion, based on what I have heard and read, it is just a little too accurate up close and not as accurate as you would expect over distances.

Do you guys think that some of the infantry weapons that are being designed these days have taken more ispiration from Star Trek and less from what history has taught us about firearms?

My above questions still stand btw:

"Re: This may be O.T but i was just wondering... [Re: Bishop746]
#457638 - 10/14/06 06:38 PM"

[Alpha]

@ RecruitMonty: Why should the Bundeswehr get back their WW2/prussian elan ? For what ? Starting another war or defending against China, Russia, Switzerland, Luxemburg or Terroists ? IMHO Iraq, Afghanistan, also to a decree Vietnam have shown that you cannot fight certain enemies with a "normal" army. All these wars are huge failures. The russians already tried to occupy Afghanistan with probably 5x the force and much more violent than NATO. The result was ? We need to understand that those countries don´t see our soldiers as friends but as indruders and occupiers.

Also i don´t agree the conscription system for the BW is still good. It is now 9 months, or ? In 9 months you cannot teach recruits the secrets of all the modern stuff and even more important the hardness/willingness to suffer in wars.

So that was my answer to those statements from you....2nd. ppost will be more on topic