OPS Team is a fully geared up Taiwanese team. Night vision, fully equipped helmets, plate carriers, original Multicam uniforms... and high-end replica guns. And this is not surprising considering that its members work for the airsoft industry and that they contribute all their knowledge to the team. This is how they become a point of reference both when it comes to equipment and playing, and that is why it is not surprising that a brand like VFC sponsors them. After reading the interview, have a look at their fanpage, you will learn more about them and find out the latest news about airsoft.
Why is your team named "OPS"? Is there any special meaning?
OPERATOR in the culture of the military circle, it usually refers to a person with special skills, also known as special forces of the so-called "OPS". In a confrontation activity with the Taipei Friendship team in the past, we were playing really badly, really damn badly, we saw that their equipment was so good and cool and they were also playing really well, so we thought about creating a team like theirs, and the concept is that our future team members are able to face all different kinds of airsoft activities, so we named our team “OPS”.
We can see your team patch is cool; it has a monkey head as its main design. This pattern seems to be inspired by that well-known United States MIL-SPEC MONKEY (MSM). Can you tell our readers about it?
We got on very well with the famous patch manufacturers in the United States, MIL-SPEC MONKEY, when we first created our team, in the early days. They provided us with a lot of support as well and as a result, MSM agreed to make its trademark LOGO (an angry monkey) available together with our team name “OPS”, and that is how the official OPS team patch was created, and has been used until the present day.
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We saw that their equipment was so good and cool and they were also playing really well...
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What do you think about the concept differences between the OPS TEAM and the Airsoft Team in Taiwan?
In fact, the concept for establishing a team should be more or less the same for all groups; it is a wonderful process when teams run operations!
All OPS members have been involved in AIRSOFT for more than 10 years, all the equipment is complete, enough to face all kinds of AIRSOFT activities, especially MILSIM activities, which are our favourite and it is expected to do night fight too. Teams in general are less familiar with the NVG, thermography and other equipment. We are prepared for most of them, and this is of great help when the days are getting dark.
What are the requirements to become an OPS member? Also, we’ve heard that you have overseas members? Can you describe it briefly?
There was a player who had come up with a US$ 20,000 budget and was ready to become part of our group. To be honest, we were shocked! we don’t have too many requirements for those members who wants to join our team, just for them to carry basic equipment, including a set of combat clothes with MULTICAM original fabrics and modern personal equipment, and are able to continue participating in activities such as shooting training and MILSIM activities etc. , and one year after there was a new rule: “all OPS members need to give approval for entering the OPS team”.
In addition, there is another way for people to enter our team: it’s called “Honorary Member “, that is, we will invite players from Hong Kong and Taiwan who have certain experiences to share with the OPS team.
So, compared with the other teams, the Airsoft industry and OPS are much closer .Currently, we have an airsoft magazine writer, a marketing manager who works for one of the top brands, an R&D engineer, a blogger, a serious gear collector, and distributors for the original gear brands, also a manager running CNC factory. If we need anything, we just make a 3D Drawing, and manufacture the item, then assemble it on our beloved gun.
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Regarding team members themselves, they are their own boss when it comes to choosing equipment
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Why are OPS team members expected to use the original equipment as the main choice, is there a special reason for it?
Because we are very close to the industry, it is not easy to run the business for those legitimate importing manufacturers, so we support them through action. For example, in terms of uniform, we support TRU-SPEC Taiwan, in the hope that these excellent brands can also feel the existing players’ enthusiasm! But regarding team members themselves, they are their own boss when it comes to choosing equipment; they are responsible for taking the original or fake gear. We don’t set the rules, but after several activities, if the equipment is not original then it is removed.
It seems like your team is an expert in AIRSOFT equipment. Can you possibly share with our 020 readers a bit about your choice for the current OPS TEAM equipment?
Regarding equipment, for CQB we use the MULTICAM from Crye Precision, complemented mainly with PLATE CARRIER, belt sets, helmet mainly in OPS-CORE style and the recent troops Common TEAM WENDY tactical helmet with the IR reflex sign and lights are also used by some of our members; we have heard that this helmet is more comfortable. Of course, the helmet itself is also a proper carrier to install NVG.
Regarding the PC vest, we carry the JPC from Crye Precision. This vest is easy to use and comfortable and I believe the players who have tried it will agree. Other vests such as the AVS from Crye Precision, PC from RONIN brand, and CONDOR etc. are also very popular.
And the vest will surely come with a multi-purpose small bag, used to carry grenades, smoke grenades or anything needed for the activity. Recently, most of us use the belt from RONIN, the MRB belt from Crye Precision, and the shooting belt from GRIFFON factory, and with a complete set that can carry magazines for pistols, short and long guns (Taiwan’s well-known Lin's kydex holster maker is the one carried by the current OPSTEAM captain). This belt group can also be used alone in the shooting range and in competition.
The other set that most OPS members use is the MULTICAM TROPIC, by Hong Kong’s OPS factory with the chest rig vest, and the well-known 1961-typ Tactical Chest Rig from LBT, with a small backpack that can be integrated, meaning that the amount of goods and material that can be carried is increased. In general, with MILSIM activities we spend the night outside, so we focus on "night" gear, but sleeping comfortably is not the main issue for the things we carry. We choose AEG gear, mostly VFC AEGs due to its durable, lightweight, stable nature. HK416 AEG has been a popular choice too and VR16 series is also a cool option which we use frequently. And it depends on the event itself; we decide to take the red dot or normal sight, or assemble the thermography etc..
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We choose AEG gear, mostly VFC AEGs due to its durable, lightweight, stable nature
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Thermography? OMG! super cool!
You really are an interesting team. In general terms, I think that the gear that Taiwan airsoft players have is honestly at a high-end level. We as Europeans sometimes get scared because of this. So can you tell us the most memorable event… do you have a story to tell?
We can share our impression on one of the events. It was the big event held in 2013, we and our Taipei Friendship team organised a joint army, we participated in one of the camps together and carried out a great operational planning.
The first afternoon there were about 70 people against 150 people. We cooperated with the Taipei Friendship team, we used the natural features of the local mountain terrain, pit the few against the many, then pinned down other main force for not getting closer, and limited them on a small hill, as night-time approached. We fought for many hours using a small hill as a battleground, then it became dark and we all had to use night vision to continue the fight. I will never forget this battle.
The next morning, we were divided into two groups, the main force attacked from the north side of the event place by crossing two hills to surround the enemy troops, the other six attacked from the south side, the first one controlled the sentry guard in the morning, and then attacked the command unit at once, the enemy officers withdrew the defence immediately, and the enemy retreated completely and we went in their search.
Finally, ten minutes before the end of the event, the friendly army commander informed us that we had intercepted the final position of the enemy, after a forced march we attacked the army, which surrendered unconditionally and gave up their flag. I still remember how cool it was whenever I think about it.
With the interview ending like this and after seeing these photos, it is hard not to imagine it being taken from a "Zero Dark Thirty” scene. And although we have run out of pages to continue this interview, (believe us, there is so much more they could tell us), you can follow them on their fanpage and keep up-to-date with all they do.
