NO MARGIN FOR ERROR

One team discreetly advances from the underground car park to the stairs leading to the first floor. The other team gains access via the safety ladder at the back of the building. Both proceed in silence, methodically clearing each corner, each room, everything in their path. Two teams with three men each. Properly trained, working well together, with one target and they cannot fail.

We are in Taiwan, and life goes on outside this complex: pleasure boats moored in the port are bobbing on the sea and the sun encourages people to enjoy their holidays in this coastal area.

Meanwhile, both teams have been urgently deployed after it has come to light that there is a hidden laboratory in this location where the headquarters suspects that there are biological and chemical war agents. The code name for the operation is “Ferro”.

Advance, take cover, keep advancing. They don’t stop, don’t let their guard down, don’t fail. This is one of these operations in which it is not enough to do everything fine. A single thing, mistake or slip can ruin the progress made by everybody up to now.

The FCPC team leaves the car park behind and now advances through the first floor. It keeps clearing the complex from below, without missing a single corner, but making sure not to lose time. Its target is on the second floor.

The second team, SLICK, is closer to the target. The route from above is quicker, but not necessarily less dangerous. It advances slowly but safely towards the kitchen of the complex. It manages to secure the room as soon as the brother team joins it, and both, now working together, are going to enter the hidden laboratory behind the cold-storage room.

Loads are prepared, the men are in position to attack, the Breacher is ready to do its job. All that’s needed is an order. Ready. 3, 2, 1… 

END EX! END EX! END EX! 

This has been it. Training mission completed. 

NON-SCRIPTED EXERCISES

The military and police units in Taiwan regularly carry out what are known as “non-scripted exercises”. The main feature of this type of exercise is that there is not an established script, it is not prepared. This means that you might get service, or you might get called to return quickly to respond to the scene. And once at the location place, there is just one initial premise under which the units involved must develop their response according to what is found.

This type of exercise normally takes place in the real world, away from training facilities. These locations tend to be full of people, or are certainly places where people are usually found. Stations, shops, apartments, etc. are therefore common, in order to prepare for surprise attacks on a smaller or larger scale, where the threat must be reduced before the situation escalates and innocent people are hurt. This means that it is clear how the exercise starts, but until the end, all possible outcomes remain more or less open.

THIS IS AIRSOFT!

Here both teams are made up of members of the OPS Team, a team of Taiwanese airsofters with some very interesting equipment, a very reliable knowledge of non-scripted exercises and with a good friend who is also the owner of a spa resort. What else could be missing? A photographer. 

Making the most of the inclusion of the Ferro Concept FCPCs in the official equipment of the team, replacing its well-worn Crye Precision JPCs, this exercise/game was set up with the code names taken from the catalogue of its favourite manufacturer. And of course, with an opportunity like this, there just had to be a photo shoot afterwards.

DRESSED FOR THE OCCASION

Name: C.Jimmy
Helmet: PTS MTEK
Top part: Emersongear G3 Shirt
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts Slickster MCBK
Gloves: SKD
Trousers: Jeans
Belt: TRGEAR
Holster: Lin's Kydex Holster

Name: Vic Kang
Helmet: OPS CORE
Top part: Emersongear G3 Shirt
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts Slickster MCBK
Gloves: PIG SKD
Trousers: JEANS
Belt: UR Tactical
Holster: Lin's Kydex Holster

Name: Hai-Cheng Kao
Helmet: OPS Core
Top part: Emersongear G3 Shirt
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts Slickster MC
Gloves: Mechanix
Belt: Grifon
Holster: Safariland 579

Name: Austin Yeh
Helmet: OPS Core
Top part: UR Tactical
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Gloves: SKD
Belt: GBRS
Holster: Lin's Kydex Holster

Name: Matt Pan
Helmet: PTS MTEK
Top part: TRU-SPEC
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Gloves: Mechanix
Belt: TRGEAR
Holster: Lin's Kydex Holster

Name: Scott Shia
Helmet: TEAM WENDY
Top part: TRU-SPEC
Plate carrier: Ferro Concepts FCPC V5
Gloves: Mechanix
Belt: VTAC
Holster: Lin's Kydex Holster

WHY SO SERIOUS?

The exercise made them move from the flat roof on the third floor to the underground car park, going through the bar on the second floor, the restaurant, of course the kitchen, the security room or the banquet hall on the first floor. A spacious single operations area. 

But let’s not forget what we airsofters are like. So when they came across a stage with everything set up for the band to liven up the evening, the temptation was great enough that they got up and tried to invent the “Tac-Band”, “Mil-Music” or something similar. Will this be a new trend that moves forward in airsoft? It might not be, but it was guaranteed to be hilarious. We are like little kids with expensive equipment.

THE SNIPER IS ALWAYS THE STORY

And this was not the only fun moment of the day. Before proceeding to enter the building from the flat roof, the SLICKER team realised that there was one man missing (even though there were only three of them).

The third man continued to take cover from his initial position and kept aiming towards the beach. When after calling him he did not come, his team-mates moved closer to confirm that he was using the magnification of his sight to check out the girls in bikinis on the beach a few metres away. Note from the publisher: we understand the sniper’s situation ;)

This “lack of professionalism” was swiftly forgiven as the situation was so funny and the attack was quickly resumed without any more mishaps.

“Continue. Go! Go! Go!”