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Watch: 360 degree video shows what it’s like to hitch a ride dangling under a Blackhawk

Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE) flights offer a unique way to get troops into and out of terrain that a helicopter may not be able to land on. To the untrained observer, SPIE flights might look like a helicopter simply lowers a rope, warfighters clip on with carabiners, and then they get taken for one hell of a crazy ride, dangling beneath the aircraft… and this is one situation where the casual observer would actually be right.

SPIE flights, for all the skill required on behalf of the pilots at the stick of the helicopter, really are helicopter flights with a string of soldiers dangling beneath them on ropes that usually range in length from 120 to 150 feet long. As many as ten soldiers clip themselves to set spots on the rope at different lengths, then as the helicopter gains altitude, it lifts the soldiers one by one. The end result looks like this:

The U.S. Military acknowledges that this method of insertion isn’t as advantageous to the warfighter as simply fast roping out of the same Blackhawk; however, there are some circumstances that simply don’t lend themselves to the traditional fast-roping methodology (wherein troops quickly descend from the helicopter via ropes, rather than hitch a ride tied to one). SPIE methodologies have proven particularly viable for certain kinds of extractions — like out of the water.

The SPIE method grew out of the Vietnam era STABO, or STAbilized BOdy, rig. The STABO rig was developed by Sergeant First Class Clifford L. Roberts, a Green Beret that witnessed one of his fellow Special Forces soldiers get injured when he fell from the McGuire extraction rigs utilized at the time. The STABO served as a load bearing rig for the operator but bore a strong resemblance to the setup used in parachutes. As a result, special operators could utilize quick extractions from the jungles of Vietnam simply by clipping their carabiners to a rope lowered by a helicopter floating above the tree tops. In the dense jungle warfare of that conflict, STABO rigs and the early iterations of SPIE extractions saved countless lives.

If you’ve ever wondered just what it might be like to dangle helplessly a hundred feet below the thunderous blades of a Blackhawk as it sailed through the skies — wonder no longer. The U.S. Army recently released a 360-degree video you can control yourself that offers the most realistic appreciation for SPIE flights anyone can have… short of roping up themselves.

Watch the video below:

Watch Black Panther’s Micheal B. Jordan learn how to shoot from John Wick’s coach

Over the past few years, footage of Keanu Reeves demonstrating his prowess on Taran Tactical’s 3-gun range has taken the internet by storm — and with good reason. In this modern era of high budget special effects and personal politics seeping into people’s work, it’s not all that common to see anyone in Hollywood pick up a gun, let alone wield one with such a demonstrated level of expertise.

Recently, new footage of Halle Berry tearing it up on the same course hit the web, showing that it’s not just Keanu that takes his training for the Wick series seriously. Now, Taran Tactical has uploaded some new footage of a movie star taking down targets at his range — but this one wasn’t for any of the John Wick films. This star was learning proper firearm handling for a different wildly popular franchise: the Marvell Cinematic Universe.

In particular, he was training to fight Black Panther.

Micheal B. Jordan’s performance in Black Panther has been described by some as among the best of any Marvel villain. His role as Killmonger is, perhaps, one of the better developed bad guys in the MCU, but it’s hard to discount the level of realism delivered through Jordan’s performance — and now some of that realism makes just a bit more sense:

WATCH: Russian arms maker appears to fire live rounds at soldiers during demo

Just about every special operations command in the world uses live fire drills to give its operators realistic combat experience before actually getting into the fight, though as numerous videos around the web have shown, not every nation’s military adheres to the same safety standards. This video, which appears to show Russian special operations troops (though they may actually just be kitted-up shooters employed by the arms manufacturer, Kalashnikov), is perhaps among the most egregious videos to hit the web in some time in terms of unnecessary risk.

While some of the drills shown in this compilation are not entirely different from similar exercises you may see conducted in the live fire shoot houses employed by America’s elite special operations troops, you’ll be hard-pressed to find American forces actually shooting at one another with live ammunition under most normal circumstances.

According to the description that accompanies the video, these “expert” shooters were giving a demonstration of the tactics employed by “special units in various tactical scenarios.” It’s possible, of course, that the footage has been doctored or that the rounds being fired are purpose-built for reduced lethality in such demonstrations. Still, previous videos to emerge from Russia showing similar exercises have created a precedent that suggests it’s at least possible that this video is every bit as insane as it first seems. According to Kalashnikov’s website, the audience included the “general director of Kalashnikov, Alexey Krivoruchko, the general director of the Rostec Corporation, Sergey Chemezov, and the head of Udmurtia, Alexander Brechalov.”

The value inherent to live fire training is difficult to discount, but the risks associated with using live rounds to actually engage with one another easily overwhelm any potential benefits. Conventional troops reach their duty stations after receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of training. Special Operations troops receive training that can be valued in the millions–so to risk permanently injuring or even killing one of these war-fighters for the sake of training or demonstrations represents a level of fiscal irresponsibility you’d be hard-pressed to find in most developed nations, barring any concerns for actual safety. American special operations troops have been known to regularly use their own as “dummies” or hostages in live fire shoot houses, but the notable difference would seem to be that the goal of these drills is usually to rescue the human hostages, not to shoot them in the chest.

Ultimately, the goal of this demonstration may have been to show the high level of accuracy permitted by both the weapons and the men carrying them, but it’s hard to see past the foolishness of the enterprise to be impressed.

Get a crash course in CQB from one of the best: Weapon flow in compressed environments

Immediate Threat CQB – ITCQB is a hybrid system, developed through time by Eli Feildboy, the founder of Project Gecko. Tight and confined spaces or L-shaped rooms can be difficult to clear with a teammate without flagging each other. In the second installment of the “Pro’s guide to CQB” series, Eli talks about what we can do to prevent friendly by diving into the details of footwork, body contact and positioning in any situation.

Watch: German Leopard Tank absolutely obliterates car in top speed collision

We all know that in a battle between tanks and cars, tanks always win. That’s why the U.S. Army opted to utilize the M1-A2 Abrams Battle Tank over the Chevy Aveo for combat operations in the Middle East and why you don’t see much in the way of “Mad Max” style armored sports cars in real combat zones.

But that doesn’t mean we’re not a bit interested to see how a showdown between a tank and a car might play out. Sure, the main gun on most tanks is more than enough to convert most cars into smouldering rubble, but what if a tank crew were out of ammunition… or really looking to make a statement? Likewise, we’ve all seen footage of tanks crawling their way over cars, crushing them beneath their weight… but again, that doesn’t seem all that realistic either. Tanks may be tougher than cars, but most drivers wouldn’t politely park in a tank’s path and wait for him to safely crawl over.

No, if we want to see a demonstration of brute force, we need to see a tank moving at top speed when it comes across its vehicular opponent – and that’s exactly what this video uploaded to YouTube by Demon’s Banta Box gives us.

As you can see, at top speed, the tank barely noticed the compact car in its way, meaning the road blocks of World War III will probably need to be made our of heartier stuff.

Feature image screen captured from included YouTube video

Gear in the Wild: Navy SEALs in their natural habitat

Members assigned to Naval Special Warfare Group 2 conduct military dive operations off the East Coast of the United States. U.S. Navy SEALs engage in a continuous training cycle to improve and further specialize skills needed during deployments across the globe. SEALs are the maritime component of U.S. Special Forces and are trained to conduct missions from sea, air, and land. Naval Special Warfare has more than 1,000 special operators and support personnel deployed to more than 35 countries, addressing security threats, assuring partners and strengthening alliances while supporting joint and combined campaigns.

U.S. Navy photo by Senior Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jayme Pastoric

Learn more about what it takes to be a SEAL in the video below: