An Cosantóir the official magazine of the Irish Defence Forces and Reserve Defence Forces.
Issue link: https://digital.jmpublishing.ie/i/285450
www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 13 Overcoming The primary weapon system of every infantryman is his rifle, and with correctly fitted night vision goggles a rifleman should be able to accurately hit targets out to 300m at night. As we move up to section level weapons and beyond, the effective range of offensive operations capa- bilities increases. With an emphasis placed on the use of night vision equipment in conjunction with IR, infantry battalions can vastly im- prove the abilities and effectiveness of their soldiers operating at night. It is recognised by many, particularly on overseas service, that the ability to operate effectively at night is a vital and valued skill that the DF must continue to develop. General Frederick Pile, who fought in both World Wars, said: "The most dif- ficult thing for an enemy to compete with is a night attack". Night opera- tions play a vital role in all modern armies' development and increased emphasis is now placed on the training of personnel in night-time operations as much as daytime operations. The IR pod delivered from the air enhances our infantry's capacity to seek out tar- gets and operate effectively at night and seek out the target. From now, all cadets will be prac- tised in both section- and platoon-lev- el 'black-light' live-fire operations. This will allow future officers to develop their command and control leadership skills while also valu- ing the importance of night operations in modern warfare. Under Lt Col Condon (Commandant, Cadet School) and Comdt Brennan (Class Officer), 88 Cadet Class have conducted nu- merous night operations using live ammunition and combined all-arms support. The cadets have continued to develop their night operations ability throughout their cadetship, with the aim of being able to operate in total darkness while maintaining command and control and suc- cessfully achieving their mission. Cadets receive orders before a platoon attack. Cadets from 88 Cadet Class reloading magazines for one of the many exercises and drills that led up to the night-time live-fire platoon attack. The poor visibility and conditions shown here, illustrate how essential night vision equipment was to successfully complete the mission. Lt Tooher instructs cadets prior to conducting LFTT (live-fire tactical training). At all times the training is incremental, building up to the LFTT described here.