# German Shepherds trained to parachute with SAS troops



## Boondocksaint375 (Jul 21, 2008)

It is thought the German Shepherds are being taught to jump from aircraft at 25,000ft, strapped to members of special forces assault teams. 

With tiny cameras fixed to their heads, the animals will be sent in before their human partners to hunt for Taliban or insurgent hideouts. 

The cameras will beam live images back to the troops as the dogs penetrate behind enemy lines and warn of ambushes. 

According to The Sun, the dogs will be trained to accompany soldiers on what are called 'High Altitude High Opening' parachute jumps, after which they may have to travel 20 miles to their targets. 
It is hoped the technique will reduce the level of danger to SAS soldiers, three of whom have been shot dead during raids in Iraq in two years. 

At least eight have been seriously wounded. 

An SAS source told the newspaper: "The dogs will be exposed to very high levels of danger on these operations and you never know what's going to be behind a door. Nobody wants to see the dogs get killed but if it's their life or a man's it is obvious which the CO would prefer." 

The elite American unit, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force, has pioneered the parachute technique from heights over 20,000ft and its instructors have reportedly been sent over to 22 SAS headquarters in Hereford. 

The Ministry of Defence refused to comment. 

Dogs were first trained to parachute in the Second World War but have never before jumped from such high altitudes. 

The story of Rob the SAS dog, a celebrated collie said to have completed at least 20 parachute jumps, was exposed as a hoax in 2006. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...rds-trained-to-parachute-with-SAS-troops.html


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## Agnieszka (Jul 21, 2008)

very cool


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## Poetic_Mind (Jul 21, 2008)

I've heard about this. I help my mom with a home kennel with German Shepards trained for paramilitary and military purposes. In fact, I believe the first time people tried parachuting GSDs was in WW2. None the less, it sounds like an excellent idea.


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## Ravage (Jul 21, 2008)

High Speed Para-doggie :uhh:

better than Russian Bear Cavalry


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## RackMaster (Jul 21, 2008)

That is very cool.


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## Polar Bear (Jul 21, 2008)

I think this was done once before...can't remember where I read about this


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## Simmerin' SigO (Jul 21, 2008)

Why don't blind people sky dive?

Scares the scheisse out of the dog!


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## Scotth (Jul 21, 2008)

I'm visualizing the dog strapped to the operators chest and at the same time I see Chris Farley sitting in the back seat in Tommy Boy getting slobbered on:)

Do they have doggy googles?


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## RetPara (Jul 24, 2008)

Yes they have doggies goggles for dogs who ride in open top vehicles.

I can remember seeing he MP's at Bragg practicing exiting the (wooden) 34ft tower on Long Street with their dogs strapped on.  Back in the late 70's\early 80's they actually jumped them on Bragg.  

Nothing new here except that this is HALO....  They HAVE to be drugging the dogs....


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## Simmerin' SigO (Jul 24, 2008)

*Walt Disney, call your office...oh wait...you're dead...*



RetPara said:


> Yes they have doggies goggles for dogs who ride in open top vehicles.
> 
> I can remember seeing he MP's at Bragg practicing exiting the (wooden) 34ft tower on Long Street with their dogs strapped on.  Back in the late 70's\early 80's they actually jumped them on Bragg.
> 
> Nothing new here except that this is HALO....  They HAVE to be drugging the dogs....



Agreed.  I saw "Operation Dumbo Drop" so I know you can do this with Elephants!


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## 0699 (Jul 25, 2008)

You have to wonder what goes through the dog's mind.  I often catch my dog looking at me like I'm a moron, wonder what she'd think of jumping out of an airplane.

"Wait... You want me to do WHAT?!?"

"Moron" :)


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## Crusader74 (Jul 25, 2008)

AFAIK French SF do this..not sure about HALO jump though


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## Ravage (Jul 28, 2008)

> Dog teams were used in search and rescue prior to the introduciion of helicopters. The 10th Rescue Squadron prepares of drop one during the early 1950s......this is an AF archive picture, could be a PJ getting ready to chuck this mutt out of the bird, but not really sure. Cool pic, though...Looking at the picture tells me the conversation......"OK, spot, here we go!".......Dog: "Fuck you, are you nuts?!"


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## QC (Jul 28, 2008)

Spot looks really keen, does he have a hold on the PJI's leg?


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## car (Jul 28, 2008)

One of my jump school classmates was an AF MP dog handler. He said that after Benning, he was gonna learn to jump with his shepard strapped to his lap.

Whenever we crossed uner the arch, entering the company area, we were required to holler, "Airborne!" drop, and do push-ups. When he crossed under the arch, he hollered, "Dog handlers from the sky!" And then did many more push-ups. :)


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## Trip_Wire (Jul 28, 2008)

The article does mention that the SAS handlers and Dogs are doing HAHO jumps at altitudes that would require oxygen for both man and dog. I wonder if they have problems fitting the dogs with oxygen masks? 

As for the reasons the dogs are used, very little difference than typical LE use, on dangerous entries, although I'm not aware of LE dogs equipped with cameras. 

Most LE agencies that have bomb disposal units, that have robots with cameras and are equipped semi-auto 12 GA shotguns, on them work with SWAT units in checking barricades and other circumstances of high risk entry situations. One good reason for them to work together and train with each other.

IMO, these robots are a much better solution to the problem, as they can help eliminate some of the BGs with that 12 GA! (It has been done)

Most LE agencies have a hard time getting worthwhile dogs and have a lot of time and money invested in the dogs, to waste them in such a manor. Many are trained in tracking, drug sniffing and explosive sniffing. Ours were and it took a of of time and effort to get them to that level.

The LE Dog handlers, usually become VERY attached to their dogs and are also very hesitant, to send them into situations as grim, as described in the SAS use of the dogs, even though the the dog loss over human life rule is there in LE as well. I guess, I just love dogs to much, to send them on such a dead end mission, as described in the SAS article.

It would seem to me, in this day and age a small robot could be designed that could do a better job of being the eyes of an SAS entry team. It could also be smaller than most GS dogs and weigh a lot less to! A weapon on them would be nice, but not as important as a good video camera.

The Brit's EOD units were the ones who came up with the first EOD robots to handle IEDS in NI. :2c:


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## pardus (Jul 28, 2008)

RetPara said:


> They HAVE to be drugging the dogs....



Can't see that happening, the dogs would be useless once on the ground.

I wonder if the dogs will get body armor of some description?

I'm not sure how successful this is going to end up, maybe but dogs were removed from Ops during the 50's/60's in SE Asia, we'll see...


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## QC (Jul 29, 2008)

They probably got captured and eaten


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## pardus (Jul 29, 2008)

Tracker dog fried rice


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## Trip_Wire (Jul 29, 2008)

I still get mad, at what happened to many of the loyal K-9's that served their masters in Vietnam and saved many lives there.

In the end they were turned over to the South Vietnamese, who mistreated and mishandled them. They most likely were eaten by them in the bitter end. In a lot of cases the handlers begged the Army and Air Force to allow them to be adopted by them to no avail. 

Link:

http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History6/

http://uswardogsmemorial.org/gpage.html1.html


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## pardus (Jul 29, 2008)

Shameful, shameful act that should never be repeated again!

Sadly shit like that was (similarly) after the invasion of Iraq in GWII


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## digrar (Jul 29, 2008)

We didn't have many and efforts were made to find them homes, but none returned to Australia..

Caesar, served with 2RAR, 4RAR, 5RAR, 9RAR in 68-70, retired to British Embassy in Saigon Jul 1970

Cassius arrived in SVN 67 with 7RAR, died from exhaustion in Vung Tau.

Janus, served with 3RAR exceptional tracking dog, rotated to 9RAR and possibly 8RAR, possibly left at 3RAR in 71, his lafe after service is unclear.

Julian, served with 3RAR, his handler was killed in april 68, he then transferred to 9RAR, then 8RAR, 7RAR and 3RAR again. His hearing deteriorated and he became quite sick, it's possible he ended up in American school in Saigon in 71.

Juno, arrived as a replacement in 69 or 70 with 5RAR, replacing sick dog Justin, transferred to 7RAR and then 3RAR, unclear what happened to him after 3RAR left in 71.

Justin, arrived in SVN with 7RAR, rotated to 1RAR where he suffered war neurosis during the battle of Coral, transferred to 5RAR, handed to the manager of the Chartered bank in Saigon in Jan 70

Marcian, served with 4RAR, given to the consular British Embassy in Saigon in Nov 71

Marcus, bred from a champion dog owned by former New South Wales Governor Sir Roden Cutler VC. Trained and handled by Dennis Ferguson in 2RAR in 67-68, not sure of his units until he was taken over again by Denis Ferguson in 2RAR's second rotation in 70. Denis claims he saw a tear in his eye when he returned. He was handed on to 4RAR in 71, his eye sight was failing by then and his disposal is unknown.

Milo, served in 4RAR, transfered to the mighty 6RAR in 69, may have been posted to 2RAR in 70, reportedly given to the assistant manager of the chartered bank in Saigon in late 71.

Tiber, served in 7RAR in 68, later posted to 1RAR, was involved in the battle of Coral with Justin, he ran off during the hight of the battle and returned the following day. Suffered severe shell shock, served again with 7RAR on their second tour, given to first Australian task force Military Police as a mascot in 70.

Trajan, served with 4RAR in 68-69, he went with Milo to 6RAR in 68-70, his disposal is unknown.

4 dogs were trained but not sent on operational service, 2 American scout dogs were employed with 1RAR in 68, these German Shepherds were not successful (we used mixed breed black labs), one being killed in a contact.


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## QC (Jul 29, 2008)

Coral...it's a wonder he came back. The names follow a pattern, are the names generated by some Darth Vader Ninja computer or is it some kind of tradition?


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## digrar (Jul 29, 2008)

Queens Cadet said:


> Coral...it's a wonder he came back. The names follow a pattern, are the names generated by some Darth Vader Ninja computer or is it some kind of tradition?



Typical dog, hanging out for a feed. ;)

They're named after Roman Emperors.


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## LibraryLady (Jul 29, 2008)

Trip_Wire said:


> I still get mad, at what happened to many of the loyal K-9's that served their masters in Vietnam and saved many lives there.
> 
> In the end they were turned over to the South Vietnamese, who mistreated and mishandled them. They most likely were eaten by them in the bitter end. In a lot of cases the handlers begged the Army and Air Force to allow them to be adopted by them to no avail.
> 
> ...



I worked for a guy when I was stationed at Ft Bragg, who was a tracker handler.  Still friends with him to this day and we see each other fairly regularly, he lives over in MT.  Unfortunately he's busy on August 16th, but maybe next year.

LL


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