Monthly Archives: January 2026

Silent Protectors

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Some 60 years ago this month

“Navy moves a Gurkha Patrol in the Jungle, Malaysia, January 1966. A Naval Wessex Mk V (Sikorsky S-58) helicopter of 848 RN Air Squadron from the Centaur-class Commando Ship HMS Albion (R07), ascends from its pad after returning a Gurkha patrol to their jungle base.”

Image: IWM A 35005

The simmering Borneo “Konfrontasi” conflict between Indonesia and Malaysia, with the Soviet Union backing the Indonesians and the Commonwealth/West backing Malaysia, was one of the myriad proxy undeclared wars during the Cold War. Running some 42 months across 1963-66, the Commonwealth lost some 140 killed– about a third of those Gurkhas– against about four times as high a loss as felt by Jakarta.

No fewer than 44 Gurkha were killed and 83 wounded during the Konfrontasi.

Westland Belvedere HC.1 XG453 of No 66 Squadron Krokong, Sarawak Ghurkhas during the Indonesian Confrontation, 1964 IWM (RAF-T 5262)

Gurkha troops using a step ladder to climb aboard a Bristol Belvedere twin rotor helicopter of No. 66 Squadron RAF at Kuching, British Borneo, during operations in Indonesia. IWM (RAF-T 5257)

The Gurkas still stand watch in the region today with a battalion of the 2RGR stationed in Brunei.

The Royal Brunei Gurkha Reserve Unit, established in 1974, is composed of former and retired military Gurkhas residing in the sultanate. They stand some 500 strong, and you can bet they stand ready to defend their now-homeland to their last breath.

The Singapore Police, meanwhile, maintain a 2,000-strong (not a misprint) Gurkha Contingent wholly separate from the British Army’s Brigade of Gurkhas “to provide a ‘strong-arm’ within the Police Force capable of quelling civil disturbance and carrying out specialist security tasks.”

Sisters from another mister

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Forward-deployed Yokosuka-based DESRON 15’s Flight II Burke-class destroyer USS Higgins (DDG-76) recently hosted a delegation from the Japanese Kongō-class destroyer JS Kirishima (DDG-174) in a Sister-Ship gift exchange to bring in the new year.

Although both Higgins and Kirishima are Aegis destroyers, they date back to the good ol’ 20th Century. Kirishima joined the fleet in 1995, while the Bath-built Higgins was commissionedon  24 April 1999. Steadily updated, however, they are no doubt still on the sharp end of that now somewhat dated spear.

Of note, Higgins is the first warship named in honor of Marine Col. William Richard Higgins (U. Miami ROTC 1967), a decorated Vietnam veteran who was kidnapped in Lebanon by Hezbollah while part of a UN mission and tortured to death over the course of 529 days in 1989-89.

As for Kirishima, well, you know what she is named after.

The Carter Special, Spotted in the Wild

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So I saw this DW piece on how the “ELN plays key role in Colombia’s cocaine economy,” and the cover thumbnail image caught my eye.

Without the titles, you get a better look at the very interesting gatt, complete with Israeli Thermold magazine and paracord sling with brass swivel snaps.

This is not a frankengun; this thing left the factory like this.

Meet the Olympic Arms K23B “Stubby” carbine:

Only manufactured between 2007 and 2020, it was a Mil/LE-only factory SBR offered by Washington-based Olympic Arms. Chambered in 5.56 NATO, it ran a 6.5-inch chrome moly steel button rifled barrel with A2 flash suppressor, forged A2 upper with fully adjustable rear sight, an A2 style post front sight, had no bayonet lug, and used a distinctive free-folding aluminum tube handguard with knurling.

It ran a carbon recoil buffer in the back of the frame and, just 22.5 inches overall, weighed 5.12 pounds. It was offered in two variants, with (K23P-FT) or without (K23P) a flat-top receiver.

It caught some LE/Mil contacts, including at least some (apparently) in Colombia and in Taiwan as seen in this image:

Its last MSRP was $876, although they typically only run $550ish today, plus stamps.

It is, however, sought after by Stargate superfans as it is the basis for the “Carter Special.”

Since you came this far, enjoy this deep dive into fake Colts interdicted in Colombia, which were destined for FARC Guerrillas.

The ‘For’ in IFOR

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And you think it is cold outside where you are!

How about the below, some 30 years ago.

Queen’s Royal Hussars, Petrovac, Bosnia, early 1996, an FV4030 Challenger 1 of 3rd Troop, A Squadron, and a FV107 Scimitar of RECCE Troop, with an AAC Lynx AH.7 overhead. In January 1996, the QRH was the first unit deployed in Challengers to Bosnia with NATO’s British-led Implementation Force.

Cold War veterans who served in the Falklands and Op Granby against Saddam, among other places, Lynx and Scimitar have long since been retired, while Challenger 1 has been superseded by Challenger 2 since 2001.

As for the QRH, today they are the senior-most armored regiment in the British Army, equipped with C2s, and are based at Assaye Barracks, Tidworth, since moving from Germany home (for technically the first time) in 2019.

Formed in 1993 from an amalgam of the Queen’s Own Hussars and the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars (both of which were formed from amalgamations of other historic cavalry regiments in 1958), the QRH and its myriad antecedents have been awarded 172 Battle Honours going back to 1685, and remember eight Victoria Cross holders, while observing Regimental days for Dettingen, Balaclava, and El Alamein.

Happy 2026! (65 year Deck log throwback)

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With 2026 in the air today, how about these New Year’s deck log entries from 1 January 1961 from USS Essex (CVS-9), USS Shark (SSN-591), and USCGC Northwind (W 282). 

Enjoy

USS Essex (CVS-9) – January 1961 New Year’s Deck Log

USS Shark (SSN-591) – January 1961 New Year’s Deck Logs

Northwind (W 282), January 1961, New Year’s Day

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