When the MP5 broke from its quiet unknown little corner of the professional firearms world as the new face of the submachine gun, it was the SAS who broke that seal. But while the storming of the Iranian Embassy, on TV no less, propelled the SAS and the MP5 to international fame, the maglite played a prominent role as well.
Today’s lights are smaller, brighter, and more capable. They can be headed to work with night vision or for extreme distances. Certain flashlight heads begin to qualify as lasers they have so much concentrated throw. The light game has come far in 41 years. But this assault was a marked proof-of-concept for many modern CQB schools of thought and validation for a great many gear selection choices.
Light techniques and visible light CQB doctrine was developed extensively for missions and raids just like the one in South Kensington, London. Those tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP’s), are not so different today as they were then, our lights are better though.
We tend to call these “foundational” doctrine or principles. They are the bedrock, they establish the need for the equipment and TTP’s and the necessary considerations any developed TTP must cover. Use in clearing rooms in larger structures was pretty much set in this raid. It’s one of those neat pieces of developmental tech where a need was met ad-hoc and then refined.
Weapon Mounted Lights (WML) are at an incredible developmental level. LEDs, modularity, size reduction, intensity increases, purpose designed bezels, magnitude increases in lumens and candela, and common use has become far more common knowledge. Weapon mounted lights for home defense firearms is now an accepted and rarely resisted notion. In most circles of expertise it’s the most important single addition after the ammunition.
There is always something to be said for tracing developmental lines. Happy Weekend All.
