April 2009 marks the start of a new era for simulation training and gaming with the Real Action Marker. Previously compared to airsoft and traditional paintball, the RAM system now breaks away from its predecessors to introduce a whole new concept of milsim action – with the perfect powderball ammo.

P.Ball - Perfect Powderball Ammo

The new ammo is no longer paintball and thus RAM is able to leave behind the limitations posed by the paint-filled ammo. With the new P.Ball ammo, the RAM takes training and gaming to a whole new level…where the environmental conditions are no longer a factor.

What is it? P.Ball is basically a colored powderball that is more rigid in shape than the traditional paintball. It holds it shape even exposed to air, humidity or water. We tried an experiment wherein we placed a P.Ball together with a 0.43 caliber paintball in glass of water overnight. The next day, the paintball had swelled up to more that double its original size and was soft and spongy. The P.Ball was still perfect in shape, size and rigidity — we were even able to fire it successfully and accurately at a target.

What does it do? The P. Ball retains the basic advantage originally offered by paintball — it leaves a distinguishable mark. However, it also offers a lot more — a visual impact mist usually seen in movie special effects. Now what does this mean to the RAM user, instructor or recreational player? It means that one doesn’t need to come close to verify a hit – you will be able to see where the ball hits because of the mist effect. And since most of the powder sticks to the impact point, visual verification in the after action sequences can still be done.

In the high-adrenaline milsim training, one might fail to see a legitimate hit from paintball or airsoft.

What makes it special for the RAM System? We have always contended that the RAM is the perfect tool for training or milsim gaming. Now with the P.Ball, RAM users can experience the full range of simulation scenarios. Because the P.Ball is water-proof, one can literally play in extreme wet weather. As further proof, our Hong Kong officer literally dunked a RAM rifle and pistol, with full magazines of P.Ball in a tub of water. Then he proceeded to pull the waterlogged rifle and the pistol out of the tub, shake off the water, load a magazine and hit a target several times flawlessly. How is that for extreme realism! Its the kind of field test that one can never do with an Airsoft or traditional paintball gun. Now imagine yourself in a scenario where you have to assault after being submerged in water – ala-Navy SEALs style — now you can literally do that!

Here we see the far-side attacker scoring several body shots. Note the colored mist pluming around the right side of the "victims" body.

And because the P.Ball is more rigid, one can now literally crank up the RAM setting for more power and force – the ball will be able to take the extra pressure and not explode in the barrel. However, only a skilled RAM armorer will be able to do this — so regular users take note and don’t do the pressure modifications yourself, unless you want your RAM gun to malfunction in the middle of training or gaming.

The P.Ball gives an exciting new visual effect to hits, almost like the ones you see in movies.

Is it accurate? One common complaint with paintball ammo is that it will never be completely accurate after a certain distance. This is because the paint inside is still liquid and will almost always give the flying projectile a wobbling flight. The P.Ball, on the other hand, is powder packed solid into a ball shape, and encased in a breakable shell — this means that there is no wobble or shifting of the contents during flight. This means the P.Ball flies straighter and thus becomes more accurate than the paintball. And with a little pressure adjustment, the projectile can even fly farther and straighter than when one uses paintball ammo.

Here a three-round burst catches a target dead on. And you can literally see him take the hits even if you are watching the action from a safe distance. No zombies here!

Is it more expensive? The beauty of the P.Ball is that it’s priced just like your regular paintballs. So no need to shell out extra for a bag of 1000.

Is it available now? Yes the P.Ball ammo is available in the Philippines already. We had it for a week now, but we wanted to conduct our own first hand performance tests before we announced it publicly. And we at ATACS are glad to say that the P.Ball more than exceeds its hype and our expectations!

* For more info on the P.Ball, please don’t hesitate to email or call us.

Still not convinced? Check out the video and see for yourself! Please note that the video is a video-catalogue made by our Hong Kong office and features most of the new Real Action Marker products. The video is in the new VodPod link on the right side of your screen, just click on the image marked “Real Action Marker 2009″. The video is pretty long, but it has all the exciting footage of the new P.Ball, plus a lot of other fun stuff from RAM.

What does this mean for ATACS and RAM in the Philippines? Well with the arrival of the P.Ball, ATACS will be slowly easing away from paintball and incorporating the new ammo more and more — which will signal the full breakaway from the old ammo for our RAM and into the new future of scenario type training and real action gaming.

Early in the year, a fearless group known as the Manila Jaycees Club approached us with the idea of injecting a new level of excitement to their annual sports activities. Most have already played paintball, others airsoft; but for 2K8 they wanted something radically different. They wanted to experience a shooting activity that is close to reality as they can get!

So ATACS introduced them to a more dynamic, tension-filled and even educational experience – the Real Action Wargame. In this simulation based, combat mission enhanced tournament format, the members of Manila Jaycees became a closer cohesive unit – because they were playing against a “shadow force” composed of real policemen and ATACS veteran players and not against each other.

So catch a glimpse of what the Manila Jaycees experienced and maybe you might want the same for your company.

Incidentally, all equipment, gear and Real Action Marker rifles were rented out by ATACS. Its the safest and most effective way to simulate CQB encounters.

Enjoy the video as immortalized by the MJC commandos themselves!

It was a bullet-riddled day for some intense close-quarter combat. It is action only the Manila Jaycees can bring!

COMBAT MISSION. The MJC 2008 Paintball Challenge. Chairman Gabby Simon. Committee members Mike Bulaong, Soc Villanueva, Robert Leoncio, Miko Pallarca.

Video editing by Mike Bulaong.
Music credits: For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, Paint It Black by Gob, & Name of the Game by Crystal Method.

After going dormant for a couple of months, we are happy to announce that we are back in action. Operational details and issues to our training business, as well as our RAM promotional efforts with various law enforcement and military units, had kept us from uploading updates to our website.

But now we are back, locked and loaded and with new videos, pics and products to fire off to all of you out there.

Our first new product makes its explosive entrance into the country by really making a big bang.

The Thunder B grenade by Hakkotsu and marketed in the Philippines by ATACS, is the newest addition to our simulation training gear.

Simply put, it is a safe, cost-effective, reloadable and reusable distration device that simulates the “bang” for dynamic entry scenarios. And its size approximates the dimensions of a real flashbang or fragmentation grenade.

How does it work? The Thunder B grenade is powered by a 12g disposable CO2 cylinder. The firing core, which is the reusable part the grenade, operates on a spring-engaged striker system that punctures the CO2 cylinder. The CO2 is then released into the plastic shell to create an overpressure effect that literally explodes the shell.

The resulting sound is approximately 120 decibels – think of a jet liner passing overhead or a little louder than a super lolo! That’s enough of a bang to make you jump.

Afterwards, all you need to do is unscrew the exploded shell, take out the spent CO2 cylinder, then replace both to have your Thunder B grenade ready for the next deployment -  a process that takes less than 5 mins if you have the spare cylinder and spare shell.

And for the safety buffs out there, there is no shrapnel that flies out. The exploded shell stays connected to the firing core, which basically moves a couple of feet when it explodes.

But don’t just take our word for it – check it out and see how easy it is to deploy in the field. In the video below, the grenade shell is loaded with baby powder to create a visible blast effect.

The Thunder B grenade provides another level of realism to simulation training, plus excitement to recreational paintball and airsoft milsim games. Just load up a Thunder B, pull the pin and yell “fire in the hole!” on your next engagement.

Creating an effective force-on-force training scenario, one must always remember to make the conditions as close as possible to the real life setting it hopes to replicate. Every component, from the gear that the team wears, to the weapons and even the structures, must similar to what they use or encounter every day.

That is the reason why the structured arrangement of a firing range, even if it is formated for live-fire CQB drills, is not effective as a force-on-force setting. The main reason – there is no cover for the opposing force aka bad guys to hide behind, no blind corners wherein the assault team can be surprised.

As such, the instructor or player must keep in mind the following tips so as to transform the experience into the most effective simulation experience – one wherein the stresses of an actual live fire encounter is seen and felt in every way.

Tip #1: Use abandoned buildings whenever possible - While a warehouse fitted with panel walls that can be moved about randomly to create an ever-changing combat area layout is a good training area, an abandoned building – preferably two storeys or more – is still the best place to conduct CQB simulation.

The presence of stairwells, fire-escapes and other access points creates a solid tactical challenge for the trainee assault team. The solid structure, which already has set rooms that differ in size, shape and location, can be both an advantage or disadvantage depending on the tactical situation. The inner walls, doors and abandoned furnishings will also provide actual cover for the team and the op force as they move from room to room.

Sound from movement or conversations, which occurs in both real life and simulated scenario, will bounce around concrete corridors and thus necessitating that the team practice noise discipline in their movement.

The building’s structure will also allow placement of surveillance cameras to help track the progress of the team, providing an additional element to learn from mistakes captured on video.

Tip #2: Train with what you wear - To make the simulation really effective, one must duplicate what they wear and what they carry during actual operations. Other simulation instructors even go as far as having their trainees carry packs that are weighed down with sandbags to simulate what the team carries in the field.

Thus reality is immediately simulated on each person. In such cases, additional padding that restrict normal movement is frowned upon. Aside from a flak/ammo vest, googles or helmet, no other protective gear must be introduced.

For teams that use radios and other equipment, they must also carry and use the same gear in possible situations during the simulation session.

Tip #3: Use the right replica weapons for the right scenario - One of the most important tools for simulation training is the type of training weapon to be used. If the gun that they carry is vastly different in shape, size and weight from the one that they normally carry everyday, then the simulation will not be effective.

Proper tactics will always depend on the way the men merges with their weapons. Moving with long arms is vastly different from maneuvering with short arms. Even the way they react when encountering return fire will be dictated by the weapon that they carry.

As such, instructors should always resort to replica weapons whenever possible. But the type of replica weapon will also be determined by the scenario being played out.

Here’s a great hint – for outdoor settings, especially for woodland type scenarios and engagement ranges in excess of 300 feet, the best replica weapon is Airsoft; for CQB settings, with engagement ranges of 50 -300 feet and if there will be vehicles or structures that can be damaged by plastic projectiles, the best option is the Real Action Marker.

Airsoft BBs are solid plastic projectiles which is perfect in jungle ambush scenarios, since they can penetrate foliage and can be fired from long ranges with more powerful Airsoft guns. Meanwhile the 0.43 caliber of the Real Action Marker is specifically designed for CQB and near pointblank ranges. The projectile, which breaks upon contact, prevents serious injury when fired at close range. And because it is essentially a paint-filled wax ball, it will not damage walls, break window glass or even dent cars bodies that it hits. The marking capability of the RAM is an added plus, since it identifies hits easily.

Tip #4: Make the load out as realistic as possible - In real life, a police officer, rifleman or SWAT operative will not be able to fire more than 30 rounds from one magazine, unless he is using a squad assault weapon. Thus the instructor must limit the ammo load out whenever possible. For airsoft, whose rifle magazines can hold up to 300 – 400 rounds, the number of pellets should be kept to the maximum of 3o rounds. If the trainee wants to be able to fire more than 30, he should carry extra mags loaded with the same number of ammo.

In this respect, the Real Action Marker stands out. With rifle magazines carrying a load out of 20 rounds and pistol mags with a max of 9 rounds, simulating reality becomes easier. Because of the limited ammo in the magazine, trainees are drilled on shot awareness and ammo conservation. Situations wherein they will have to change magazines will also present itself, allowing them to drill quick magazine switching spontaneously and in the heat of battle.

The limited ammunition aspect also prevents trainees from firing indiscriminately, since they will now have to make sure that every round they fire, whether at bad guys or for covering fire, will count.

Tip #5: Add real life elements in to the mix - Creating live-fire situations means that the instructor has to replicate what the trainees will encounter in real life. Thus a bank robbery or vehicle counter-ambush scenarios will require actual cars and roads to be truly effective. Indoor hostage situations must include furniture such as tables, chairs, counters and a live-hostage to create the perfect CQB experience. Even a small group of people to simulate bystanders and crowds and how they react during a VIP assassination scenario will be immensely beneficial to the tactical learnings of a close-in protection team.

Though difficult to achieve at times, each additional detail that brings the situation as close as possible to reality will magnify the simulation experience in the minds of the trainees.

- ATACS

At long last, the much awaited ATACS video page is up and running. Having conquered the programming challenges of wordpress in order to make the layout much better, we will now be uploading our collection of video footages that showcases real operators using the Real Action Marker in training simulation and force-on-force scenarios.

We hope this new feature will allow everyone to see more of what the Real Action Marker can do with regards to upgrading the training regimen of personnel in law enforcement, military, VIP protection and high-risk security.

Our videos are hosted by Youtube, for easier access. So just click on the Video tab in our navigation bar to see what clips we have in store for you.

After wrestling with the code limitations of the blogsite program, we are now happy to announce the first set of images for our Real Action Markers in action. The images are vidcaps from our past demos and training operations with various law enforcement, military and security force units.

We hope that the images will allow you, our loyal reader, to glean valuable tactical knowledge from true operators. Soon we will be uploading images from other units, including Marine Force Recon, CoastGuard Anti-Terror Unit, Air Force SPAU, and Makati SWAT.

We will also upload images from our Close-in-Protection skills evaluation course; our Nautical Counter-Terror Training course; and the Tactical Real Action Marker – Combat Simulation Tournament for a major security agency.

For those who are awaiting our video page, we will be opening it on Sunday. So click back to our website then.

- ATACS

At long last, ATACS has hit the bulls-eye and finally broken through the 10,000 hit ceiling. This means that a growing number of people out there – professional law enforcement, military, security and civilians who engage in milsim as a hobby – have started to recognize the potential applications of the Real Action Marker in simulation training and wargames.

This achievement could not have been possible without your continued patronage of our blogsite. Not only have we created a platform that will help create more awareness on the RAM, we also generated a valuable source of practical tactical info on the web.

But we still have more to offer. Our long overdue pictures and video page, which I know a lot of you are waiting to see, will be launched within the month of February. It would have been sooner but certain limitations on wordpress applications have forced us to experiment and be a bit more creative. Rest assured that captured footage of our training sessions, as well as our games will be featured in full for you enjoy soon.

Finally, we request all of you who continue to visit us to make yourselves heard. You can post comments and suggestions or even email us directly if you have questions, information, reactions and even suggestions on how to make our site better. You can even subscribe to us so that you will be alerted every time we update our pages.

Once again, thank you very much for your help. We hope that you will stick within us in the months and years to come.

- ATACS

The recent courtroom killing in Manila, wherein a lone gunman ended the life of ex-mayor Rey Yap of Sapang Dalaga, Misamis Occidental, proves just what a determined assassin can do.

A friend also asked me recently what he can do to protect himself against a similar fate, since he has been receiving death threats on his phone. This prompted me to interview several policeman friends and instructors on the best way to protect one’s self against such threats.

Although the above-mentioned title might evoke images and scenes from past action movies, a threat on your life is not something to laugh about. And while an attack might occur at any place and anytime, one can still employ simple yet effective tacticsto increase survivability just in case the assault occurs.

BEFORE THE ATTACK

• Keep all records of the threats – Whether it is by cellphone SMS, letters or phone calls, the recipient of the death threat must keep a record of the contents of the threat. For phone calls, note carefully the time and date. You can also listen to the background noise, in case of repeated calls, to give you a clue on where the call is originating from. Cellphone numbers from SMS messages are also vital clues which can help police track down an attacker if and when the attack occurs.

• Note down the context of the threat – Although most of the time death threats are merely pranks, some can be fatally true. If you want to single out which ones are real and which ones are just products of a mischievous mind, take note of what is included in the threat. Some real assassins would include details such as the location where you can be found at certain times of the day. This type of message means that you might be under surveillance and that the attacker is keeping track of your movement to find the right moment to strike.

• Access the info to determine possible source of the threat – A person who is under threat most often than not knows his would-be attacker or the one that will hire an attacker. Upon receipt of the message, access and evaluate known enemies or people slighted in any way. This might lead to clues on the origin of the death threat. But note carefully that this does not immediately connote evidence, rather it will give police leads in their investigation should the attack happen.

COUNTERING THE ATTACK

• Report the threat to the police -Upon determining that a death threat is likely to happen, one must do the necessary first step and report the threat to the nearest police precinct, building security and village security force. This report will provide a vital link from the threat to any attack that might occur and allow the police to respond faster to your plight.

• Place an officer’s number on speed dial - After reporting your death threat on the police blotter, request a member of the police to provide a number you could use to report an imminent attack. Place this number on speed dial so that you can have quick access to it during the time of an attack. This phone can be your lifeline until help arrives.

• Make your schedule random -Make it harder for the attacker to complete his unsavory task with one simple tactic – an erratic schedule! A normal person usually keeps an almost regular schedule of departure and arrival to and from home and work. This schedule is usually within the bounds of plus/minus 15 minutes, with only random events and activities to break the pattern, and allows the attacker to plot out a strategy to intercept you. In this case, you simply have to break your routine schedule, shift around departure and arrival times so that each day is different from the next.

• Avoid routines - We all have our favorite places to go to at certain times of the day, some even have favorite seats in a coffeeshop or other mundane routines that can become tools that an assassin can use. To defeat his plans of attack simply change around the places where you go to, making each a random day-to-day decision. If possible keep your schedule and appointments only to yourself and those that you thrust.

• Be vigilant – No surveillance ever withstands the scrutiny of a alert eye. Take careful note of vehicles and people that seem to keep popping up in places where you go to. If you don’t know them and they appear behind you several times, parked a few feet from your house or office or traveling in the same direction that you are going – chances are they are tailing you. In such a case, take note of vehicle plate numbers, the color and model of the vehicle and the people on board. If they are parked near your house or near the place that you work at night, you can contact the policeman you have on speed dial and report the suspicious persons. If they are not there to accost you, their reaction to the policeman can be a good indication. But if they speed off at the sign of a police car, then you might have just prevented an attack on your life.

• Never travel alone – Whether with a friend or bodyguard, another person with you can be an extra deterrent to possible attackers. The person doesn’t have to be in the same car, another car (read: Chase Car) can even prove to be more effective since you can use it as another option just in case the attacker is able to incapacitate your vehicle.

• Mobility is your protection – Ever notice a presidential convoy moving at a fast rate despite traffic choked streets? This is a tactic that prevents would-be attackers from driving close to and effectively zeroing on a target vehicle or person. In your case, be mindful of cars beside, behind and in front of you. If a car appears to block your path with no clear reason why the driver is doing so (such as driving into a parking garage), chances are you are about to meet your attacker. To counter this, never tailgate and allow enough room for yourself to drive around a car in front of you. Move away from the site of an attempted ambush and you will gain more than just a 50% chance of surviving an attack.

• If they can see you, they can hit you – Driving in a jazzed up car with clear windows may get you noticed by the ladies, but it will also give you attacker a better chance to identify and target you. Now that you have a threat on your life, the more inconspicuous you are, the better. Drive to an auto-supply shop to have dark tints placed on your windows or better yet temporarily swap your car with a friend’s that already has dark tint. Swapping cars is the best option, since an attacker will no longer be familiar with the car you are using. But make sure that your friend does not live close by you, otherwise he might be mistaken for you when he drives your car.

• A gun is the last resort – Buying a gun to protect one’s self should be the last resort. It takes mental and emotional preparedness for a person to own a gun, because you will have to be responsible for it and anything the bullets hit once you fire it. Also, you must possess the right skills to wield the gun effectively. In case the decision to buy a firearm becomes unavoidable, chose one that is easy to use and shoot. A visit to a local gun range will allow you to try out different types of firearms and determine which one works for you best.

When conducting building clearing operations, the survival of the tactical team depends heavily on maintaining security on all fronts. While the number one and number two man conducts the frontal assault, the safety of the rest of the team rests heavily on the skills and alertness of the team member tasked with rear security. Because of the orientation of the rest of the team, the rear security man is the only protection from tangos who have secretly circled around behind the team.

In such cases, the rear security man has to balance two roles: keeping up with the team so that he is not left behind and covering the areas directly behind the team.

Even in operations wherein an overwatch team is present, the rear security still has to remain vigilant and maintain his alert level in order to prevent a rear-side ambush by hidden tangos.

In training ops with ATACS, security teams have often failed to provide rear security – often to the detriment of the entire group. As such, we suggest the following pointers in order to help the rear security man perform his role and ensure the safety of this team.

• BE ALERT – While moving, the team is at its most vulnerable from a rear-side assault. Therefore team leaders should always drill into their rear security man the importance of staying fully alert.

• AVOID SWIVELING OR FLASH-LIGHTING – Moving your head to scan for tangos without shifting your rifle or pistol in the same area is known as swiveling or flash-lighting. This is a bad trait for a tactical team member to develop since you are no longer effectively aiming your weapon at a designated area. Should the team member suddenly spot a tango, he will not be prepared to fire immediately since it will take a split-second to re-align his weapon to where he is looking. That split-second will be enough for the tango to gun him down and the rest of the team.

• DON’T GO LOOKING FOR GUNSHOTS – While it is a normal reaction for everyone to turn towards the direction of the sounds of gunfire, a rear security man has to resist the urge and maintain his designated field of fire. The number one and number two man will always be the one to engage first, followed by the rest of the team. If possible, the rear security man should keep his eyes trained to the rear, maintaining his field of fire until ordered by the team leader to shift his position. Rear security men who turn to look to the fight not only endangers his team to rear assault, but might also accidentally shoot a teammate during the confusion.

• FINGER NEAR THE TRIGGER, EYES ON THE BALL – Staying in the rear of the team does not mean that you are less capable compared to the other team members. In most cases, the rear security has to be even better that the rest of the team since the survival of the others rest on him.

• ALWAYS CHECK SIX – Except for a few quick glances to keep track of the distance and position of the team, the rear securiy man should always maintain vigilance and “check six” at all times during the operation. The slightest inattention, even for a split second might mean the difference between a successful op and dead team.

* Photo courtesy of our partner Asia Paintball Ltd.

To all our readers, the video and pictures page of ATACS will soon be coming up. We are still trying to master the wordpress program to allow us to embed video footages within our posts and page. However, we know that a lot of you are excited to view some our training videos and demos. So please be a little bit more patient.

As a prelude of things to come, we offer you this highly informative video on counter-terror tactics. This is called the traditional stack up preparatory to building entry tactic. As you will see, seamless coordination and the cohesion of the unit is vital to its success and effectiveness.

We thank the brave men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, who constantly train to hone their skills to provide an effective force against insurgency and terrorism. The team that you see here are also using the latest training rifle to enter the Philippines, our very own Real Action Marker!