While much of UK military focus is preoccupied with Afghanistan, let us not forget that the Royal Navy is deployed in both the Gulf and the Caribbean carrying out the age old job of dealing with pirates and smugglers!

Left: A WWI 'Q-ship' - and navy ship disguised as a merchant ship in order lure German U-Boats to their demise. Couldn't a similar ploy be used against modern pirates?

There doesn't seem to be a week go by when - in particular - we hear of news of the latest pirate incident involving Somalian thugs (the very sad case of the Paul and Rachel Chandler serving to highlight the plight of the many people now held hostage, languishing in captivity because the inept pirates captured people that weren't worth paying a ransom for - that's irony by the way, before you flame me).

But despite NATO warships being assigned to the region - and as  the TV program 'Ross Kemp in Search of Pirates' illustrated - actually being able to catch Somaly pirates in the act is problematic. Not only is it a case of too little resources and having to be in the right place at the right time, but I am also convinced that a great big warship loitering 'with intent' IS being broadcast around the area so that pirates are tipped off.

So it struck me that perhaps the West's tactics are all wrong, and maybe we should be returning to the age old policy of armed merchantmen in order to deter these sea-borne scum.

There is two ploys that can be utilised, the first is to simply allow companies to arm their tankers with suitably trained crew on a 20mm gun fore and aft. 20mm guns - while not big - do have greater range than the weapons carried by the pirates. Of course allowing all and sundry to carry arms is perhaps a can of worms the authorities don't want to open!

Above: Using 'disguised' armed merchantman didn't always go to plan - this painting illustrates a hugly ironic episode in British naval history when the disguised RMS Carmania sunk the similarly disguised German 'mechantman' SMS Cap Trafalgar in 1914. Amusingly (or not if you were a sailor aboard at the time) by sheer coincidence the Carmania was disguised as the Cap Trafalagar while the Cap Trafalagar was disguised as the Carmania! Du-oh! Source: Wikipedia

So, my second suggestion is that we use a ploy that has been used in wars before - to disguise what would be in effect Naval ships as merchantmen, fully crewed by navy seamen and marines. Merchant ships could be leased by the Navy and manned and equipped for the job, and then sailed into pirate waters to lure the unsuspecting pirates. Every so often the ship leased would be changed as it's true identity would eventually become apparent.

One can imagine the surprise on the faces of the thugs as the clamber aboard what they think is an 'easy target' to be confronted by a bevy or Royal Marines all armed to the teeth!

...And while we are at it, perhaps another old Navy tradition could then be employed as an additional deterrent - When the Royal Navy caught infamous pirate Edward Teach (aka 'Blackbeard') they cut his head off and displayed it from their mast!

Contemporary image of Blackbeard's head hanging from Maynard's bowsprint. Source: Wikipedia

'Whoa! Nice explosions!'

This was my first thoughts as I entered the (BETA) world of Battlefield Bad Company 2. I only had time for one game on the BETA server so there is a limited amount I can say at this stage.

But my overwhelming impressions were two-fold:

1) Is this game the love-child of CoD4 and GRAW2?

2) Déjà Vu or what! To me my initial experience took me right back to when I first played BF2. Yes, the map seems smaller and obviously this ISN'T BF3 - but from the play point of view I found myself playing on a computer that is probably at the very lowest end of the 'minimum spec', I was suffering terribly from lag and I got my ass well and truely whooped!

(10 deaths for only 2 kills! OMG!)

A lot of the time I didn't really know what was going on - the explosions were deafening and my weapon seemed amazingly under powered as I emptied a mag into an opponent no more than five feet away from me before he finally died!

But worse of all I wasn't in the game for more than a couple of minutes before I had that horrible 'been there before' feeling as a sniper I caught cold in my sights BUNNY HOPPED his way out of trouble!

That does not bode well.

Of course it's very early days - this IS the BETA after all. But I am incredibly disappointed that - more than anything else - the issue of blatent cheating (or exploitation if you prefer) has not been tackled after the huge amount of experience that EA has had with BF2. To me it doesn't matter if the graphics are great or that the game modes are fun - this is all spoilt by the ability of players to bunny hop. If this remains the case I do not see how BFBC2 has anything to offer over and above CoD4.

I am still on target for my March return to the airsoft field, but I suddenly realised that I have a bit of shopping to do before I will be ready. Not only do I have to complete a couple of 'ongoing' AEG projects and repairs left over from last year, but I now have a little but of a clothing problem!

Above: Just one of my half-completed AEG projects. My lovely BE clone of the TM Type 89 to which I had added a number of small upgrades plus the wonderful Laylax EBR stock. It was my intension to also add the Laylax RIS fore-stock rail system as well (click here for example of RIS).

You see, since my last outing in the field I have lost a little weight - in fact I have gone down three sizes in BDU!

I put on one of my Russian uniforms while sorting out kit ready for March and found that without aggressive use of belt and braces I will end up with my trousers around my ankles mid-game. The shirt wasn't much better, with loads of extra material, which is uncomfortable and annoying.

So here's my shopping list for my return to airsoft. The loadout I am aiming to field is a light-weight outfit loosely based on a generic irregular militia (think Lebanon) so that I can equip myself with a variety of AEGs to suit my whim...

AEG repairs/upgrades:-

1) Type 89 project completion with purchase of -

• Laylax RIS rail system
• PEQ laser battery box
• 8 x TM 69 round mid-cap mags
• King Arms BE Meyers Style 5.56mm Flash Hider

2) CYMA AKM repair and upgrade -

• (Ironically) a downgrade to 'UK safe' sub-350 fps
• Hurricane Tune-up kit AK M100
• Madbull Black Python Ver.2 6.03mm Tight Bore Barrel
• Systema Hop Up Packing
• Hero Arms Electric Double Mag AK(Sound Control)

BDU related purchases -

• Bates - Falcon 8 Inch Boot (still looking for the 'perfect' boot!)
• Completion of my Matrix mask project (see bellow)
• Bulle Woodland BDU Trousers Ripstop PYCO (in my new waist size!)
• Set of 5.56mm MOLLE pouches for my Type 89 and my Tactical Taylor MAX X harness

All this is a big buy and I don't expect to get it all in one month, but I want to chip away at this list from this month onward.

Product: ACM auto electric BB loader
Retailer: RSOV.com (Hong Kong)
Price: $14.99

If, like me, you love the idea of mid-caps - for those exciting mag change moments - but hate the palaver of loading enough mid-caps for a game then the ACM auto BB loader is for you...

With limited time between games loading those mid-caps with the normal 'auto loader' (you know, those flimsy plastic thumb-operated loaders) can be laborious and time consuming, and this is why I just give in and use the dreaded high-caps. It's easier and quicker - after all - to simply pour a mess of BBs into one of those big rattling boxes, and off you go!

With the ACM *real* auto-loader, however, you can be up and going with your collection of mid-caps in very quick time  - and as a consequence, no more rattle, no more annoying winding and a lot more excitement with the panicked tumbling for a new mag (usually at the most inopportune moment)!

As you can tell I ain't had much time to myself - certainly no time to blog. But in the few hours I have managed to get to myself over the past week or so I have been playing a couple of so-so console style combat flight sims.

I bought Battlestations: Pacific after playing the demo to death for the last month and I am reasonably satisfied with it (it's not earth shaking). And quite by chance I found Heroes of the Pacific in the bargain bin of the local games store for about £3!

I don't have time to do a comparitive review *yet* but here's an interesting comparison of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero from either game (click on the images to enlarge)...


Above: Heroes of the Pacific - released for the PC in October 2005 

Above: Battlestations Pacific - released for PC in May 2009

More screen shots can be found in my flight sim gallery at Flickr: Milgeeks Combat Flight Sim Set

Useful links:
> Wikipedia entry for Heroes of the Pacific
> Wikipedia entry for Battlestations Pacific

I've been promising a quick overview of the kinda-recent Borderlands expansions - or DLC - for a while, but life has conspired against my gaming time! But I have managed to grab sufficient time in both the add-on packs now to give you my views on whether Dr. Ned & Mad Moxxi are welcome characters to the wonderful world of Pandora...

Click to read more ...

OK, not exactly spanking new news - but this is the best video I have come across so far which demonstrates the Tokyo Marui shock recoil system. TM are shoe-horning this recoil mechanism into it's latest AEGs, the AK74MN among them. But this G36 version is now on my 'wish list' too (to complement my 'German ARmy' loadout).

The TM AK74MN AEG is on my upgrade list to replace my Kalash AK74MN. A bit of a surprise, as the Milsimmer in me had been hankering for the VFC or LCT version for a long time now, but this recoil system - thought by many to be the best on the market - looks so much *fun* that I may forgo uber-realism for this model.

MilPic has done a series of very nice video reviews on his kit which includes this very good looking 5.11 single rifle case. I'm in the market with a new case as my £40 Viper case has fallen to bits (you get  what you pay for). I want the double rifle version of this case which is available in the UK from SWAT UK at £149.99.

See the full three part set of MilPic's review here: 5.11 Tactical "42 Rifle Case FDE

Also, do take a look at MilPics airsoft Flickr gallery, he has some fantastic gear: www.flickr.com/photos/milpic/

Big thanks to MilPic for a very entertaining gallery!

Source: © Crown Copyright/MOD 2010It seems rather ironic that my previous Milbabe post was about a Soviet female combat pilot from more than 70 years ago as it seems that it has taken all these years for the RAF to catch up in the gender equality stakes.*

"Tornado Pilot Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming and her navigator, Squadron Leader Nikki Thomas, are currently the only all female Tornado crew working in Afghanistan. Their role is to provide close air support to troops on the ground." Mod News

Read more here: 'All female Tornado crew cruise over Afghanistan' - MoD News

Of course, anyone who serves in the front line is a hero in my books anyway, but what is so special about a story like this is effect it has on young girls - assuring them that they can do anything they want to.

* I should note though, that while the Soviets should be commended for thier introduction of women into the front line, they did have to do so in special all female units. The modern British armed forces are attempting - slowly but successfully - to integrate women into units along side their male counterparts.

I have struggled with slings - I've tried two and three point slings from several manufactures, but I found them all either uncomfortable or overly-complicated or too flimsy. Well a few weeks ago a fiend suggested I look at something called a VTAC, he swears by them.

Today I came across a video demonstrating the VTAC - and surprise surprise it's made by 5.11 (I should have known as my friend, MilPic, is a 5.11 freak)! Bottom line is this looks simple, flexible, strong but practical.

The 5.11 VTAC is available in the UK from Polmil.co.uk for £29.95.