Pushing 15 weeks into Operation Epic Fury, with over 1,000 TLAMs, 1,100 JSSAMs, and 1,400 Patriots burned up (and more launching every day), coming on the heels of firing untold SM-2/3/6s expended during Operation Prosperty Guardian to counter 470 Houthi/Iranian recorded one-way drone events, 70 ballistic missiles, and 155 multi-use drone sorties in the Red Sea, not to mention $61 billion in military aid to Ukraine, you have to worry just how empty is the Arsenal of Democracy.
The Center for Strategic & International Studies has done the open-source math and has the tally sheets.
It is not good, but there should still be a good bit left, and, on the bright side, if nothing else happens in the next four or five years, and expanded production goals on these extremely complex devices that require advanced chips, exceptionally skilled labor, and clean rooms are met, the numbers should return to pre-OEF levels.
Increasingly, rifles and shotguns would appear to be the last-ditch C-sUAS (counter-small unmanned aerial systems) answer. Ukraine is buying thousands of 12-gauge shotguns from Turkey (which makes “Turknellis” of all sorts), and American mil-journalists have vouched for them in action, with the caveat that you only have about two seconds of response once you hear the overhead drone inbound.
It is all getting pretty kinetic in a sort of 21st-century Shooting Clays of Death kinda way.
The Marines are actively using their M1014 Benellis to conduct “realistic training in countering low-altitude sUAS threats, highlighting the necessity to continually adapt to rapidly evolving technologies.”
Thus:
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Ean Gibson, a ground electronics, telecommunications, and information technology systems maintainer with Combat Logistics Battalion 13, Combat Logistics Regiment 17, 1st Marine Logistics Group, fires an M1014 shotgun during a counter-small unmanned aerial systems shotgun range at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, March 18, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela Watts)
A U.S. Marine with 1st Marine Logistics Group, fires an M1014 shotgun during a night counter-small unmanned aerial systems shotgun range at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 22, 2026. During the range, Marines practiced engaging simulated sUAS, providing realistic training in countering low-altitude aerial threats while reinforcing the need to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela Watts)
U.S. Marines with 1st Marine Logistics Group, fire M1014 shotguns during a counter-small unmanned aerial systems shotgun range at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Jan. 22, 2026. During the range, Marines practiced engaging simulated sUAS, providing realistic training in countering low-altitude aerial threats while reinforcing the need to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Mhecaela Watts)
The USAF is bringing in Security Forces members for two-day shotgun courses using enhanced Remington 870s, specifically to counter drones. It has something the Air Force has been mulling for a minute, having trialed C-sUAS shotgun ammo as far back as 2017.
As part of a Department of War strategy to counter adversary use of small unmanned aerial systems across all military branches, the Air Force is addressing these new threats by training Airmen to mitigate drone incursions at U.S. installations. While security forces personnel traditionally carry rifles and handguns, the 12-gauge M870 offers another tactical option against fast-moving aerial targets.
Airmen assigned to the 124th Security Forces Squadron, Idaho Air National Guard, participate in counter-drone training at Saylor Creek Range, Idaho, June 5, 2026. USAF 260605-Z-LB832-9443 by Air Force Staff Sgt. Jadyn Eisenbrandt
During the course, Soldiers learn how drones operate, how they are used tactically, and how to maintain and integrate them into maneuver formations.
The academy includes instruction on detection, defeat methods, concealment, battle drills, and survivability, reinforced through practical exercises.
Pfc. Anthony Leap, an infantryman for 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), practices avoiding detection from small unmanned aircraft systems May 13, 2026, at Fort Drum, NY. Through the Mountain Innovations Systems Lab, Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division trained to understand their tactical applications, maintenance requirements, and integration into maneuver operations. Photo by Spc. Isaiah Mount
Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division (LI) practice firing live rounds at small unmanned aircraft systems as part of a training exercise on May 14, 2026, at Fort Drum, NY. Through the Mountain Innovations Systems Lab, Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division trained to understand their tactical applications, maintenance requirements, and integration into maneuver operations. Photo by Spc. Isaiah Mount
Meanwhile, proven Ukrainian devices, such as the Obriy 1.3 drone detector, are increasingly being spotted in the field with U.S. troops in training.
For a quick reality check on how hard it is to down a drone with small arms, check this out from Garand Thumb:
Imagine a remote control 8-shotgun turret optimized for drone killing, capable of dumping 80 12-gauge anti-drone shells in under two seconds if needed, as solenoids are faster than fingers. Load each one up to the brim with specialized heavy-dram tungsten counter drone rounds, and you can create a cloud of heavy metal out to 100m.
You know, this kind of stuff:
Such a mount, even with motor, guns, and tracking, shouldn’t be over a few hundred pounds, so you can install them on the roof of bunkers and pillboxes, or on small trailers that can be pulled by something as small as a bongo truck. Plus, as it is mostly commercial-off-the-shelf stuff, you can field these cheaply and quickly, which means you can field several in small detachments.
Sure, you have to stop and reload after such an 80-round salvo– and pronto if other UAVs are incoming and you don’t have supporting mounts to cover the slack, but you get the idea.
And it is apparently a real thing.
Meet the LIVET RCWS.
Via Beretta Defense Technologies:
At the upcoming Eurosatory 2026 in Paris (15-19 June), visitors to the BDT booth will have the opportunity to discover one of the latest additions to the growing BDT C-UAS portfolio: the new LIVET RCWS (Remote Controlled Weapon Station).
Born from the proven and pioneering B.A. S.p.A. Drone Guardian M4 platform, and enhanced through DUALEE technology integration, LIVET represents a new step forward in kinetic Counter-UAS capabilities.
Equipped with 8 B Drone Guardian systems, the LIVET platform integrates advanced target auto-tracking functionalities, remote engagement capabilities, and extremely rapid reaction times designed for today’s operational C-UAS scenarios, supporting the protection of strategic assets and critical infrastructures.
This new solution further strengthens the already extensive BDT Counter-UAS portfolio, offering layered and modular capabilities tailored to different operational contexts and threat environments.
Come and visit us at our impressive 221 sqm modular BDT booth to experience LIVET RCWS up close, together with one of the most comprehensive C-UAS solution portfolios currently available on the market.
(Keep in mind this is a military-only item that is being advertised overseas. Civilians shooting down drones over here on this side of the pond is what they call a “felony,” so we are not advertising anything of the kind.)
Palmer Luckey recently held a fantastic talk at West Point. If you are interested in the future of warfare (Anduril Industries has a plant near me and seems to be doubling in size every six months), this is a great way to kill an hour.
He talks not only about drones (air, sea, and ground) and the changing quantity of warfare but also subterrenes (underground or through-ground vehicles) and a number of other subjects.
A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel operates with the fast response Coast Guard cutter Robert Goldman in the Arabian Gulf during Exercise Phantom Scope, Oct. 7, 2022. During the bilateral exercise between the United States and the United Kingdom, USVs operated in conjunction with crewed ships and naval command centers in Bahrain. Credit: Navy Chief Petty Officer Roland Franklin VIRIN: 221007-N-NS602-1218
“Leveraging a contract awarded by the Coast Guard to enhance maritime domain awareness, the Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes from May to October.”
The drones will be 16 Saildrone Voyager SD-2050 USVs under a $15.5 million contract. The SD-2050 is 33 feet long, draws just over six feet under its fin keel, and has an almost 20-foot-tall wing (sail). All electric with solar panels in the wing (sail), it has a 3.5 kW peak draw, uses an electric motor for cruising at 5 knots, and is good for 100 days between service stops.
Saildrone Voyager SD-2050 deploys on Lake Erie as it begins its border security and MDA mission for the US Coast Guard in the Great Lakes. Equipped with radar, cameras, AI collision avoidance, and sensors scanning 300 meters deep, they monitor vessel traffic, illegal activity, and support emergency response. Via Saildrone
From USCG PAO:
The drones are wind- and solar-powered vessels the Coast Guard will use to monitor the Great Lakes, gather critical weather data for emergency response planning, track illicit activity, and keep maritime borders safe.
The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras, and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence, and monitored continuously by human operators who can take manual control if needed.
Sail drones are equipped with sensors focused solely on maritime domain awareness, providing critical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or engaged in illegal operations.
A sizzle reel of Saildrone operations from last year, when the company’s USVs sailed 383,674nm in 10,217 drone days on the water, and identified 2.5 million surface contacts.
The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes (District 9), headquartered in Cleveland, manages operations across all five Great Lakes, the Saint Lawrence Seaway, and 6,700 miles of shoreline and 1,500 miles of Canadian border with roughly 6,000 personnel
Jayhawk snow games
The MH-60T det from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka recently worked on an avalanche training exercise with the Alaska National Guard and local first responders. In doing so, some incredible shots were captured by AUX Don Kluting, PA2 John Hightower, and AST2 Grooms.
Of note, a Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Kodiak flew nearly 620 miles to rescue two stranded hikers from Makushin Volcano on the remote Unalaska Island. To put that in perspective, that’s the same distance from Massachusetts to North Carolina!
The USCG has been flying the ’60 since 1989, first with the HH-60J and now as the MH-60T– which includes converted surplus USN SH-60Fs.
Moving forward, the service aims to have an all-Jayhawk heli fleet with 127 aircraft replacing the smaller MH-65 Dolphin.
Special Missions Command
The Coast Guard is standing up a new Special Missions Command to oversee its deployable specialized forces.
Slated to form at the start of FY27 (1 October 2026), the SMC will be based at Coast Guard C5I Service Center facility in Kearneysville, West Virginia, about 70 miles as the crow flies from D.C.
Members from the Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRT) patrol the East River during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 26, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Boardman)
It will fold in the current two Maritime Security Response Teams (MSRT-East, Chesapeake; MSRT-West San Diego), two Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (PACTACLET in San Diego and TACLET South in Opa Locka), seven Maritime Safety and Security Teams (MSST Seattle (91101), MSST Kings Bay (91108), MSST Miami (91114), MSST New York (91106), MSST Houston (91104), MSST New Orleans (91112), MSST Cape Cod (91110)), three Regional Dive Lockers (RDLE Portsmouth, RDLW San Diego, and RDLP Honolulu) and the National Strike Force (CBRN) team along with the eight USCGR Port Security Units.
Members from the Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team East (MSRT) patrol the East River during the 79th United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 26, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Breanna Boardman)
Part of the SMC’s buildout will be an $80 million investment to add more than 650 personnel to the service in addition to those being merged. When fully constituted, the SMC should have somewhere around 3,000 personnel, counting reserves and support elements.
The move is a return to the Deployable Operations Group, or DOG, concept that existed from 2007 to 2013, with operational control returning to regional commands once it was disestablished and replaced with the more loosely formed Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) moniker. From what I gather, DOG wasn’t stood down because it didn’t work, but rather as a money-saving measure and so that local area commanders could keep more control over their shiny local counter-T/high-risk/high-profile units.
In other words, you can look at this as more of a USCG version of NSWC, which is probably a good thing.
A Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team (MSRT) East patch is shown August 7, 2025, aboard the USCGC Richard Synder (WPC 1127) in Portsmouth, Virginia. The MSRT is a deployable specialized forces unit that conducts counterterrorism and direct-action missions, such as high-risk law enforcement boarding procedures and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive) threats. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christine Bills)
With that foundation under us, it has become super interesting that the Navy has delivered its first disabling gunfire against a large surface vessel since 1988, with several 5″/62 rounds delivered into the engine room of the M/V Touska by the USS Spruance (DDG 111) while operating as part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group.
It was certainly the old “cruiser rules” with Sprunace firing five warning shots and opting to use nine BLP (Blind Loaded Projectile, the blue, steel projectile loaded with inert contents) to wreck Touska’s engine room after several broadcasted warnings and a six-hour pursuit.
Dead in the water, Touska was soon boarded in a night operation by Marines from the 31st MEU carried via helicopter from USS Tripoli (LHA 7). Some real deal VBSS stuff on a 73,000-ton/968-foot Panamax-sized container ship– not your more typical seizure of an unflagged dhow that the Navy has typically done in the past several decades.
Such an incident shows the value of a 5-inch gun aboard a grey hull for just such a moment– and underlines why the Navy’s next frigates (and the Coast Guard’s larger cutters) need such a weapon installed. Bofors 57s aren’t going to get it.
Either way, you know Spruance’s already colorful forward mount will receive some extra paint on its gun house.
U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) approaches fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO-187) before a replenishment-at-sea Jan. 17, 2026. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jordan Steis)
Then came the interception of the Iranian-chartered “Botswanan-flagged” (officially stateless) crude carrier M/T Tifani— 156,967 gross tons of shipping– on the 21st in the Bay of Bengal.
Of interest, she was seized by a converted tanker design, with an Expeditionary Sea Base, possibly the Lewis B. Puller-class USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), seen just off her bow in the photos released by CENTCOM and DoW.
There is no way you can look at that as other than a direct call back to the auxiliary cruisers of the Russo-Japanese War, WWI, and WWII, which typically saw gently converted mail steamers and ocean liners modified with a few guns, some paint, and a military crew, then sent out to halt enemy blockade runners and similar auxiliary cruisers flying the flags of the other guys.
On 22 April, CENTCOM said that it had intercepted a total of 29 ships as part of the now nine-day-old blockade, including five Iranian-flagged/contracted/controlled tankers (Diona, Sevin, Dorena, Derya, and Deep Sea).
To wit, the IRCG has also said they have bagged a couple of ships of their own.
Guam, some 31 years young at the time, left Morehead City, North Carolina, on 27 Jan 1996 at the head of an ARG that included the transport dock ship USS Trenton (LPD 14) and the dock landing ships USS Portland (LSD 37) and USS Tortuga (LSD 46). Embarked was the 22nd MEU (SOC), made up of Battalion Landing Team 2/4, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 261, and assorted support elements, sailing under U.S. Sixth Fleet orders.
Just over two months into her (planned) six-month deployment to the Med and afloat in the Adriatic on a series of planned exercises, the call came on 11 April 1996 for Guam— the Mediterranean ARG with the embarked Landing Force Sixth Fleet– to sail at best speed to Monrovia, Liberia, some 3,000nm distant, where trouble was brewing. Leaving Tortuga behind (she was in Haifa, Israel, with the MEU artillery– Battery B, 1st Battalion, 10th Marines, and the light armored reconnaissance company, Company D (-), 2d Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion) to take part in exercise Noble Shirley), Guam and the rest of the ARG made for West Africa.
Four days later, on 15 April, the Marines of the 22nd MEU’s flyaway forward liaison cell arrived at the embassy in Monrovia to begin coordinating with the deployed European Special Operations Command’s forward headquarters in the country.
By 19 April, Guam and the promise of embarked Marines just offshore became real when they arrived at Mamba Station located off the coast of Liberia. The mission now assigned to 22d MEU was to conduct noncombatant evacuation operations and to provide security for the American Embassy in Liberia– Operation Assured Response.
USS Guam (LPH-9), Op Assured Response off Liberia, April 1996. Note her mix of CH-46Es, CH-53Ds, AH-1s, and UH-1s.
As noted by the 82-page Marine History of Assured Response:
At 0600 on 20 April, the first helicopter sorties carrying Marines arrived to replace the soldiers at the embassy in Monrovia. The well-briefed platoon guides from Company F and Weapons Company BLT 2/2 came ashore first. The main body of Marines began arriving at the basketball court landing zone one hour later. Company F arrived first, quickly followed by the small 22d MEU forward command element and some MEU Service Support Group 22 (MSSG-22) personnel. Fast attack vehicles debarked carrying .50-caliber machine guns, Mk19 grenade launchers, and tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided
missiles, commonly called TOW missiles. These vehicles, combined with the mortars, machine guns, and sniper weapons already on station at the embassy, significantly enhanced the Marines’ firepower. The MEU completed the entire lift by 1015.
Company F, commanded by Captain Eric M. Mellinger, assumed security of the compound. The smooth transition left Marine squad leaders and platoon commanders with fire plans and field sketches drawn by the departing airborne troops. Starting at about 1230, soldiers from Company C, 3d Battalion, 325th Infantry, left in six sorties of three Boeing MH-47D Chinook helicopters. The last flight out of the embassy at 2015 included the outgoing commander of the European Special Operations Command’s Joint Task Force Assured Response. That evening, more than 275 Marines protected the compound. Captain Mellinger noted the embassy staff seemed overjoyed the Marines had arrived.
Guam, her two fellow gators, and (most of) the 22nd MEU would remain in/off Liberia with the ships often within direct-line sight of Monrovia for weeks as USAF aircraft ran a quiet evac operation ashore (103 combined sorties via MH-53 Pave Low helicopters, MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft, AC-130 gunships, KC-135 Stratotankers, and C-130 cargo aircraft) from M’Poko Airfield, with the Navy/Marine force providing muscle and presence.
USS Guam (LPH-9), Op Assured Response off Liberia, April 1996
The already split ARG/MEU was further dimenished when Trenton left for the coast of Spain to join with Tortuga for Exercise Matador 96 in early May, and Portland left on 20 June, leaving Guam alone on station off Liberia until the scratch-built SPMAGTF Liberia (732 Marines and Green side Navy personnel with 5 LAVs and 9 AAPV7s, along with six CH-46Es of HMM-264) arrived crammed aboard USS Ponce (LPD 15) on 27 June.
Between 9 April and 18 June, Joint Task Force Operation Assured Response evacuated 2,444 people (485 Americans and 1,959 citizens of 72 other countries) from Liberia.
USS Guam was decommissioned on 25 August 1998 and was disposed of as a target off the East Coast on 16 October 2001 in a SINKEX conducted by the John F. Kennedy Battle Group.
Although battered, Guam took over 12 hours to sink. One tough girl to the last.
On 9 April, some 86 years ago, neutral Denmark was attacked and quickly occupied by the Germans in Unternehmen Weserübung-Sud as a stepping stone to the invasion of Norway (Weserübung, proper).
The 9th of April has always held special significance for the volunteer soldiers in the Danish Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet, or HJV) and other parts of the country’s military, with “Never Again April 9th” (Aldrig mere 9. april) as a motto.
Formed just after Liberation in 1945, when the country had a robust Resistance movement, the Home Guard initially was divided into the black guard (sorte hjemmeværn) and the blue guard (blå hjemmeværn), with the terms coming from whether they wore recycled Axis (German panzer) uniforms or donated Allied (RAF blue)!
Formalized in April 1949, HJV combat patrols (kamppatruljer) began to appear across the country, organized at the local Army district level, and remained a fixture in the Cold War.
Thus:
Danish home guard (Forsvarets Hjemmeværnet) under en øvelse i 1980
Danish home guard (Forsvarets Hjemmeværnet) under en øvelse i 1980
Today, the HJV has some 45,000 members, with demographics averaging skilled workers in their 30s to 50s who have prior active military service. HJV members have volunteered to be deployed overseas in the GWOT, to Bosnia, and UN operations in Africa.
This April is also the 67th anniversary of the creation of the HJV’s Special Support and Reconnaissance Company (Særlig Støtte og Rekognosceringskompagni, or SSR), a “stay behind unit” intended to come out after Soviet/Russian occupation to perform direct action.
You know, Danish Wolverines, but with government backing.
The SSR was formed in 2007 from the amalgamation of two previous patrol companies (PTRKMP/HOK and PTRKMP/ELK) that were stood up in 1994, which in turn dated back to the old Special Intelligence Patrols (Specielle Efterretningspatruljer, or SEP) whose official birthday is considered 9 April 1959.
Selected from very skilled Home Guard members, who are typically prior active service, SSR members undergo 400 hours of training in 12 months (one classroom weeknight every week, one weekend in the field every month) before joining their patrol.
To be able to be considered for an SSR training spot, a candidate has to complete a five-day Selection process and ace these minimum physical fitness requirements:
A 2600-meter run wearing running clothes in a maximum of 12 minutes.
Two 20 km marches wearing boots, uniform, basic gear, and backpack totaling 25 kg, incl. rifle, excl. water and food. Each march must be completed in a maximum of 3 hours and 50 minutes.
Two land nav orientation marches (daylight and dark) using 2 cm army maps, with satisfactory results.
Swim test (minimum 300 meters, 15 meters of swimming underwater, deep dive 4 meters to retrieve a dummy, jump from a seesaw)
The unit consists mainly of volunteer soldiers from all over the country and is based at Tirstrup Field in the West and Skalstrup Field in the East.
The SSR is considered part of the country’s Special Operations Command and can be tapped to support the Jægerkorpset and Frømandskorpset.
As such, they wear a green beret with a distinctive and hard-earned sword-and-lightning-bolt cap badge (huemærke).
Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania this week launched the future NRP Dom João II, a Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) 10720 series ship for the Portuguese Navy.
The 353-foot, 7,000-ton vessel is designed for minimal manning (48 full-time crew) and can conduct everything from scientific research and drone experimentation to humanitarian relief and disaster support.
With a 308×36 foot flight deck and 650m² of hangar space, the vessel can transport and launch unmanned underwater, surface, and aerial vehicles, as well as carry up to 12 TEU containers housing mission-specific modular systems like a Role 2 NATO hospital or ROV equipment.
Dom João can carry a light battalion (300~ men) for brief periods and 10-12 RIBs to land them in a maritime raid force situation, backed up by at least two Agusta-Westland AW101 helicopters and assorted UAVs. The regiment-sized Portuguese Marines are certainly capable of providing such a force.
Alternatively, Dom João can embark a force of light armor, provided a port is available, with her decks able to stow 18 vehicles, landed on a pier via an onboard 30-ton crane. The country’s army operates a decent quantity of Pandur 8x8s, 90mm-armed Commando V-150s, etc., and could make that happen.
In terms of UAVs, Dom João can also operate as a drone carrier with as many of the bad boys as you can stuff aboard her.
The fixed-wing UAVs are launched via a ski jump. Portuguese Navy image.
The mothership is shown with two notional fixed-wing UAVs on deck (they look like MQ-1C Grey Eagle, but the new MQ-9B STOL may be a better fit) as well as 6 quad-copter UAVs and one NH90 helicopter. The design seems to lack an aviation hangar. Below decks is a modular area to launch and recover AUV, UUV, and USV. Portuguese Navy image.
The Portuguese Navy has acquired a wide range of unmanned systems in recent years, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as UAVision Aeronautics’ Spyro 4N and OGS42N/VN, Beyond Vision’s VTOne and HEIFU Pro, and Autel Robotics’ EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise V2 and EVO Nano; the LSTS’ Seacon-3 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV); and a shelter-based deployable ground control station.
The €132 million tender for Dom João was signed in 2023 and laid down in October 2024.
She will carry the name of the 15th-century Portuguese King who championed maritime exploration, broadening the work of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator, and is scheduled for sea trials later this year.
While Dom João has no armament fitted, the MPV could be escorted in operations by the Damen-built former Dutch Karel Doorman-class frigates NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333, ex-Van Nes) and NRP D. Francisco de Almeida (F334, ex-Van Galen) or the three newer Vasco da Gama (German MEKO 200) class frigates, which do.
Sometime between 29 March and 18 April 1951, in French Indochina. Two wildly different irregulars were both on their way out in French colonial service.
A Moroccan Goumier of the 17e Tabor and a barefoot Thai (also seen as Tai or T’ai) partisan of the regiment-sized 1er Groupement Mobile de Partisans Thaïs (GMPT 1) observe the village of Chieng Nuoi opposite the Nam Na River in the Lai Chau province in the far northwest of what is now Vietnam.
Réf. : TONK 51-42 R16, Guy Defives/ECPAD/Défense
While we have often covered the Goum units– who suffered more than 8,000 casualties fighting in Europe during WWII and had 26 unit citations to prove it– and nine tabors (1er, 2e, 3e, 5e, 8e, 9e, 10e, 11e, and 17e) would go on to fight in Indochina, noted in their performance in the battles RC4 and at Diên Biên Phu (they would leave no less than 4,120 Moroccans behind in Southeast Asian soil, including 611 still listed as MIA), the French Thai partisans have been neglected in our pages.
The mountainous and mist-shrouded Lai Chau province, then as now, has a significant Thai minority, making up just under half of the population. It is from this 600,000-strong minority that the French recruited, starting in 1948 with the help of the local clan leader, Deo Van Long, president of the Tai Federation, for both integration into standing units and fully separate irregular outfits. The latter included two companies of ethnic Thai Blancs (Tai Don), the three-company strong Groupement Wième (with CSM 431, 432, and 434 under WIÈME group), the above-mentioned GMPT 1, and three battalions of Thai auxiliaries (BT1, BT2, and BT3), amounting to roughly 30-40 very light companies depending on the time frame in addition to those serving in non-ethnic Thai units.
Each company was typically made up of about 60-70 men under the command of an ethnic Thai (reserve) officer, generally a trusted chau doan (canton chief) who could speak French, with individual partisans earning 20 Indochina trade piastres per day (equivalent to a bit less than $1 USD at the time). Said Thai officer had, as an advisor, a French soldier, typically an NCO cross-trained as a radio operator.
Uniforms were, well, irregular, with a mix of black civilian attire augmented by assorted web gear with the occasional beret or canvas Chapeau de Brousse (bush hat).
Indochina Moroccan Goumier of 17e Tabor and Thai partisans on shore at Chieng Nuoi, March-April 1951
Thai partisans in Indochina
8e bataillon de parachutistes coloniaux (8e BPC), officer (center) and partisans, April 1951
Thai partisans stopped near Mao Tsao Pin’s post in April 1951
Thai partisan and officers from the duck hunter camo-wearing 8th Colonial Parachute Battalion (8e BPC) in April 1951. Note the M1A1 Carbine with folded stock and the Tang suit of the partisan.
By January 1953, there were nearly 10,000 ethic Thais officially under French command in the Autonomous Zone of the Northwest (ZANO)– which even awarded its own military decorations. More than half of these (6,088) were rank and file in regular units (283 non-commissioned officers, 5,805 enlisted men), the remainder (2,964) constituted auxiliary/partisan units (44 officers, 11 non-commissioned officers, 2,909 enlisted men).
By November 1953, the GMPT counted some 3,200 of these partisans, advised by 62 Europeans, and were prized as rearguards, scouts, and in counter-guerrilla operations.
They fought at Diên Biên Phu down to the bitter last moments, and many of the partisans never came home from that cursed place.
Once the Communist North took over Lai Chau province, and the ZANO ceased to exist, those associated with the partisans lost their oxygen privileges and, if they could, fled to the south with many, Deo Van Long included, eventually winding up in metropolitan France, where they spent their final days. His sons killed while leading partisan units during the war, the old Van Long passed the leadership of his clan to his daughter.
Those left behind fought a guerrilla war against the NVA for several years, aided by a few French burnouts who fell in love with the people and their cause.
