XBradTC

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XBradTC

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173rd Airborne BCT CALFEX

CALFEX is Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise. In this case, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers assigned or attached to the 173rd Abn. BCT were training in Slovenia. The tanks are Slovenian M84s (a variation of the Russian T-72), the prop planes are Slovenian PC-9s firing the FN M3 .50cal machine gun from pods, and the jets…

CALFEX is Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise. In this case, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers assigned or attached to the 173rd Abn. BCT were training in Slovenia. The tanks are Slovenian M84s (a variation of the Russian T-72), the prop planes are Slovenian PC-9s firing the FN M3 .50cal machine gun from pods, and the jets are L-139s, firing either a 23mm gun pod, or rockets. I have no idea who is providing the artillery support. 

The FN M3 .50cal is very similar to the familiar Browning M2 .50cal, but as you’ll notice, it’s designed to fire at a much higher rate than the M2.

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Responses to “173rd Airborne BCT CALFEX”

  1. Joey Jo Jo Jr.

    Meanwhile, the USAF continues to covet gold-plated mystical stealth machines and gut their CAS capability.
    USAF probably spends more on golf courses than a couple of squadrons of PC-9’s would cost…

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  2. Joe Bar

    They didn’t drop any HMMWVs on them?

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  3. Esli

    The Slovenians have a platoon of M84s at JMRC on a long-term basis as an augmentation to the OPFOR battalion. Not a bad deal. They fight well, and are role playing T80s, so when you see the real T72s (i.e. M84s), you know you are fighting the enemy’s main effort armed with “T80s”, whereas if you see the fake T72s (a VISMOD M113), you are not facing the main effort. They also get Leopard 2s from the German professional OPFOR that also play T80s. Makes for a bit of confusion sometimes, but I prefer the Leos.

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  4. Xbradtc

    Joe Bar, from what I understand, this was actually filmed last year, well before the notorious heavy drop.
    But still, LOL.

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