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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Why elite Polish paratroopers are fans of jumping into a fight with their homemade Grot rifles
Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade has been using the MSBS Grot assault rifle in recent years. The gun, designed by a Polish arms maker, comes with a retractable or adjustable folding stock. This makes it a great choice for paratroopers, a Polish captain told BI last week. What kind of rifle are elite Polish paratroopers jumping into combat with? A relatively new homemade gun that they say offers flexibility and mobility needed at a time when modern warfare is showing that light infantry has a key part to play. Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade previously carried the 96 Beryl, a rifle developed by the Polish firearms manufacturer FB Radom in the 1990s. Now, the brigade is fully armed with FB Radom's newer MSBS Grot, a family of modular rifles. The gun's stock can be folded or retracted, making it compact and "good for the jump," Capt. Bartosz Januszewski told Business Insider during the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week. Compact weapons are often preferred by airborne forces and mechanized infantry because they allow troops to move more freely in confined spaces, deploy more rapidly, and react quickly. They can be carried close to the body to avoid snags, and they can be swiftly extended and shouldered. Januszewski said the airborne brigade received the first MSBS Grot model in 2017. Some of the 6th Airborne are now using the third model, which was handed over in 2022, and new variations are still being developed. According to the manufacturer, the MSBS Grot fires standard 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges and has a muzzle velocity of 890 meters per second. It can shoot between 700 and 900 rounds a minute and has a range of 500 meters. The gun weighs around 4 kilograms (under 9 pounds) and is just shy of 1,000 mm (38 inches) long with the weapon's stock fully extended. Most paratroopers employ holographic weapons sights made by the US company EOTech. The gun can also be equipped with magnifier attachments and infrared lights for night vision. Januszewski said that Poland prefers to use homemade rifles rather than purchase them from another country, like the US, because it helps grow the local defense industry. It also makes it easier to liaise directly with the company to share feedback and discuss improvements. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told BI during Lively Sabre that not all units in the Polish Army use the MSBS Grot. However, his paratroopers tend to get their hands on newer weapons systems earlier than others across the armed forces. Though some critics have complained about issues like jamming, the general called it a "very good rifle" and said he's "quite satisfied" with the weapon. A Staff Sergeant in the 6th Airborne who participated in the exercise and spoke to BI through a translator on the condition of anonymity said the MSBS Grot is better than the Kalashnikov-style Beryl he was using earlier in his career. He characterized the new rifle as being very user-friendly. Compared to the earlier Beryls, the Grot offers a more modern, adaptable, and modular rifle that Poland felt better met the demands of 21st-century warfare than Soviet-derived designs. It also strengthened the domestic defense industry. The MSBS Grot is primarily used by Polish forces, but Warsaw has sent thousands of these rifles to Ukraine to help its neighbor fend off the ongoing Russian invasion. A foreign volunteer BI spoke to earlier this year previously said he's a "big fan of the Grot." Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Why elite Polish paratroopers are fans of jumping into a fight with their homemade Grot rifles
What kind of rifle are elite Polish paratroopers jumping into combat with? A relatively new homemade gun that they say offers flexibility and mobility needed at a time when modern warfare is showing that light infantry has a key part to play. Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade previously carried the 96 Beryl, a rifle developed by the Polish firearms manufacturer FB Radom in the 1990s. Now, the brigade is fully armed with FB Radom's newer MSBS Grot, a family of modular rifles. The gun's stock can be folded or retracted, making it compact and "good for the jump," Capt. Bartosz Januszewski told Business Insider during the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week. Compact weapons are often preferred by airborne forces and mechanized infantry because they allow troops to move more freely in confined spaces, deploy more rapidly, and react quickly. They can be carried close to the body to avoid snags, and they can be swiftly extended and shouldered. Januszewski said the airborne brigade received the first MSBS Grot model in 2017. Some of the 6th Airborne are now using the third model, which was handed over in 2022, and new variations are still being developed. According to the manufacturer, the MSBS Grot fires standard 5.56×45mm NATO cartridges and has a muzzle velocity of 890 meters per second. It can shoot between 700 and 900 rounds a minute and has a range of 500 meters. The gun weighs around 4 kilograms (under 9 pounds) and is just shy of 1,000 mm (38 inches) long with the weapon's stock fully extended. Most paratroopers employ holographic weapons sights made by the US company EOTech. The gun can also be equipped with magnifier attachments and infrared lights for night vision. Januszewski said that Poland prefers to use homemade rifles rather than purchase them from another country, like the US, because it helps grow the local defense industry. It also makes it easier to liaise directly with the company to share feedback and discuss improvements. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told BI during Lively Sabre that not all units in the Polish Army use the MSBS Grot. However, his paratroopers tend to get their hands on newer weapons systems earlier than others across the armed forces. Though some critics have complained about issues like jamming, the general called it a "very good rifle" and said he's "quite satisfied" with the weapon. A Staff Sergeant in the 6th Airborne who participated in the exercise and spoke to BI through a translator on the condition of anonymity said the MSBS Grot is better than the Kalashnikov-style Beryl he was using earlier in his career. He characterized the new rifle as being very user-friendly. Compared to the earlier Beryls, the Grot offers a more modern, adaptable, and modular rifle that Poland felt better met the demands of 21st-century warfare than Soviet-derived designs. It also strengthened the domestic defense industry. The MSBS Grot is primarily used by Polish forces, but Warsaw has sent thousands of these rifles to Ukraine to help its neighbor fend off the ongoing Russian invasion. A foreign volunteer BI spoke to earlier this year previously said he's a "big fan of the Grot."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Ukraine war is showing Polish paratroopers that light infantry skills still matter, general says
NATO militaries are watching the Ukraine war and using the conflict to inform training. A top Polish general said he's learning that light infantry skills are still very important. "It must be developed better," Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki told BI. In a war where tanks struggle to move without drawing the attention of a drone, missions sometimes fall more to small, agile, light infantry units. That's one of many lessons that NATO militaries are taking from the Ukraine war. A top Polish general overseeing the country's paratroopers said that a big takeaway is that light infantry skills, like those brought by airborne forces, still matter. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told Business Insider that he is seeing in Ukraine "a kind of refreshment of the light infantry skills." Light infantry troops are rapidly deployable forces. They can move quickly and fight without the support of heavy armored vehicles, like tanks or infantry fighting vehicles. These troops are often lightly armed and equipped for versatility and swift, flexible operations that include surprise attacks and raids. For airborne forces, missions can involve insertion operations from planes or helicopters. US and other NATO forces used highly mobile light infantry for remote patrols and small-unit engagements during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ukraine war, as a large-scale conventional fight, is very different from America's post-9/11 conflicts, but the war is showing that there is still a role for lighter infantry forces and a need for those skills in big potential future fights. For instance, mobile light infantry units operating between strongpoints played an invaluable role in helping defend Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Light infantry was also involved in urban warfare operations around the eastern city of Bakhmut. And in multiple instances, airborne and air assault brigades have conducted successful night assaults, small-unit ambushes, and rapid strategic deployments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week, Strzelecki said fighting in Europe has been historically heavily focused on maneuver warfare, "which requires a lot of, let's say, mechanized units, armored units." Tanks played a prominent role in both World War I and World War II, supporting dismounted infantry forces by delivering an armored punch to break through enemy lines. During the Cold War, Soviet armored assets were a major concern for NATO and factored into how allies developed their own armored capabilities. And amid the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, tanks and other armor again found themselves useful in the European theater. Strzelecki said that the Ukraine war shows that the skills of light infantry units have not been forgotten. "It must be developed better, and this is what we are doing in the 6th Airborne. We are very focused on [those kinds] of operations." "We are light infantry, airborne infantry. So that's why we have to be focused on that," he added. The scarred battlefields of Ukraine have been far less permissive for tank and armor operations than some other conflicts. Not only have the Soviet tank designs struggled, but so have top Western tanks like the American Abrams and German Leopards. Heavy Russian defenses during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive derailed Ukrainian efforts to breach enemy positions with armor and mechanized or motorized infantry assaults. Forces sometimes abandoned their vehicles and took the fight to the enemy on foot. Light infantry assaults saw mixed results. The situation for armored assets has only become more difficult with time and the growing proliferation of uncrewed systems. The Ukraine war has been defined by the heavy use of drones, enabling near-constant surveillance and atypical strike options. This is a difficult operating environment for armored vehicles. Thousands of these combat vehicles have been damaged and destroyed, with many taken out by small drones strapped with explosives. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
3 days ago
- General
- Business Insider
The Ukraine war is showing Polish paratroopers that light infantry skills still matter, general says
In a war where tanks struggle to move without drawing the attention of a drone, missions sometimes fall more to small, agile, light infantry units. That's one of many lessons that NATO militaries are taking from the Ukraine war. A top Polish general overseeing the country's paratroopers said that a big takeaway is that light infantry skills, like those brought by airborne forces, still matter. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told Business Insider that he is seeing in Ukraine "a kind of refreshment of the light infantry skills." Light infantry troops are rapidly deployable forces. They can move quickly and fight without the support of heavy armored vehicles, like tanks or infantry fighting vehicles. These troops are often lightly armed and equipped for versatility and swift, flexible operations that include surprise attacks and raids. For airborne forces, missions can involve insertion operations from planes or helicopters. US and other NATO forces used highly mobile light infantry for remote patrols and small-unit engagements during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ukraine war, as a large-scale conventional fight, is very different from America's post-9/11 conflicts, but the war is showing that there is still a role for lighter infantry forces and a need for those skills in big potential future fights. For instance, mobile light infantry units operating between strongpoints played an invaluable role in helping defend Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Light infantry was also involved in urban warfare operations around the eastern city of Bakhmut. And in multiple instances, airborne and air assault brigades have conducted successful night assaults, small-unit ambushes, and rapid strategic deployments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week, Strzelecki said fighting in Europe has been historically heavily focused on maneuver warfare, "which requires a lot of, let's say, mechanized units, armored units." Tanks played a prominent role in both World War I and World War II, supporting dismounted infantry forces by delivering an armored punch to break through enemy lines. During the Cold War, Soviet armored assets were a major concern for NATO and factored into how allies developed their own armored capabilities. And amid the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, tanks and other armor again found themselves useful in the European theater. Strzelecki said that the Ukraine war shows that the skills of light infantry units have not been forgotten. "It must be developed better, and this is what we are doing in the 6th Airborne. We are very focused on [those kinds] of operations." "We are light infantry, airborne infantry. So that's why we have to be focused on that," he added. The scarred battlefields of Ukraine have been far less permissive for tank and armor operations than some other conflicts. Not only have the Soviet tank designs struggled, but so have top Western tanks like the American Abrams and German Leopards. Heavy Russian defenses during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive derailed Ukrainian efforts to breach enemy positions with armor and mechanized or motorized infantry assaults. Forces sometimes abandoned their vehicles and took the fight to the enemy on foot. Light infantry assaults saw mixed results. The situation for armored assets has only become more difficult with time and the growing proliferation of uncrewed systems. The Ukraine war has been defined by the heavy use of drones, enabling near-constant surveillance and atypical strike options. This is a difficult operating environment for armored vehicles. Thousands of these combat vehicles have been damaged and destroyed, with many taken out by small drones strapped with explosives.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Finnish soldiers are going old school with paper maps so they're ready if an enemy shuts down GPS
Finnish soldiers are getting back to the basics — paper maps — to train for scenarios where GPS isn't an option. A Finnish officer told BI that GPS vulnerability is one of the lessons learned from Ukraine. The Ukraine war has featured a dramatic amount of electronic warfare tactics. Finnish soldiers are training with basic navigation tools — paper maps and compasses — to make sure they can operate in environments where enemy activity means GPS isn't available to them, a top military officer told Business Insider. Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment, said that an important lesson from Ukraine is that the satellite-navigation tool known as the Global Positioning System, or simply GPS, is vulnerable to interference. The Ukraine conflict has seen heavy electronic warfare on both sides of the battlefield. Kyiv and Moscow rely on tactics like signal jamming, GPS spoofing, and other methods of remote interference to confuse and disable enemy weaponry. GPS interference has caused problems for a range of combat systems, from cheap drones to sophisticated guided munitions. To ensure readiness for future conflicts where GPS isn't an option, the Finnish Guard jaegers are using paper maps like the ones commonly found in glove compartments for road trips in the days before GPS became the norm in cars and personal phones. "I think everyone has recognized the fact that GPS can be spoofed, and you might not be able to rely on it," Honko said during an interview on the sidelines of last week's Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland. The colonel said that Finland is not abandoning the use of GPS. Rather, soldiers are being taught not to rely exclusively on it and are learning how to check things like making sure a grid reference actually matches a map, as spoofed GPS data could be wildly out of sync with real-world situations. Honko said that this training is happening across the Finnish Army and likely within the country's navy and air force, too. He said that Finland's proximity to Russia forces it to train on GPS-denial scenarios because jamming is a frequent occurrence, possibly due to the air defenses in the nearby city of St. Petersburg. "I would just call it a reminder that this is real, actually," Honko said. "You can see for yourself that, yes, my GPS isn't working." Electronic warfare challenges are not exclusive to the war in Ukraine. In the Middle East, for instance, GPS interference has been a feature of Israel's conflicts with Iranian proxy groups. It has also been an issue in the turbulent Red Sea, where Western naval forces have spent over a year and a half defending shipping lanes from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. Militaries like Finland are closely watching the constantly developing electronic warfare practices and planning for scenarios where they may be tested in battle. And they're not alone, either. Defense industry companies are similarly making sure that their products are more survivable. One such example is Saildrone, an American company that makes uncrewed surface vessels in service with a handful of naval forces, including the US Navy. Richard Jenkins, Saildrone's founder and CEO, explained to BI in a recent interview that the company has integrated technology into its USVs, enabling them to work in environments where GPS and communications technology are compromised or unavailable. Some of the company's drones that the US military operates in the Middle East have been sailing in spoofed areas for months, he said. Jenkins said he believes this is the future of warfare. "I think in a real conflict, satellites will be the first thing to go entirely." He added that "everyone needs to work out how to survive without" satellites, GPS, and communications. And for militaries, that means not just new technologies but also making sure that basic skills are preserved. Read the original article on Business Insider
