SOPs was; Re: [OT]Nukes... tunnels.... boom....

At 10:20  13/03/02 -0800, John L. wrote:

>--- Derek Fulton <derekfulton@bigpond.com> wrote:
>
> > Just a bit of trivia, even though the AIM-9L was a
> > 'all-aspect' missile the
> > RAF and RN SOPs and ROEs required their pilots to
> > fire the missile from the
> > rear of the target aircraft.
>
>OK, but then all the vets understand the durability
>of the SOP procedure AFTER combat has been joined.
>
>:-)

That is not a fair comment to make regarding SOPs, in this case ALL air
to 
air kills with the AIM-9L in the Falklands War were from attacks from
the 
rear quarter. For various reasons the RN and RAF choose not to rely on
the 
new capability of AIM-9L and stuck with what they knew would work.

'Standard Operating Procedures' (SOPs) are there to provide a common way
of 
doing things which puts everybody on the same page [ hence the 
standardization ;) ], SOPs are normally the result of experience. When
the 
1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment deployed to Vietnam in 1966, 
joining the US 173rd Airborne Brigade. They were able to draw on a
wealth 
of experience in Jungle fighting dating back to New Guinea (1942) and
this 
for a large part came through in the unit SOPs.

BUT this doesn't mean that SOPs are static, at the end of a operation
(say 
a fighting patrol) the question should be always asked "OK, this is what
we 
did, what can we do to improve on this?". Ideally this process starts
with 
the soldiers (during a post patrol de-brief) and travels up the chain of

command [feedback ;)].

Cheers

Derek

Derek Fulton
12 Balaka st.
Rosny, Hobart.
Tasmania,  7018.
Australia

Phone; (03) 62459123
Mobile; 0438459123
Email; derekfulton@bigpond.com