In the fight against terrorism more than any other soldier
The answer is Military Working Dog (MWD).
Often we tend to overlook our partners, our ordinary four-legged friends.
Military dogs have become an important part of the military, another part of the army.
Especially in the era of unconventional and asymmetric warfare.
Complexity and small wars continue on endlessly.
And the results are not known. Terrorism is the fuel that ignites a variety of groups of people.
and combating drug trafficking organizations
And like the dog-training soldiers who grew up together, the two are capable of performing a variety of tasks.
Especially four-legged friends, who have their own unique characteristics.
Both aptitude, physical potential and personality
Relating to their bloodline and origins
Military dogs are considered a valuable and versatile member of the military.
Various breeds of dogs have been tested for military use.
Starting from the era of World War II
The army has brought in more than 30 purebred dogs.
Come train for use in the Military Dog Corps (K-9 Corps).
As time passed, the conclusion was squeezed to a potential strain.
And it works most effectively with only 5 main species, consisting of:
German Shepherds
Belgian Malinois (Belgian Malinois, Belgian Sheepdogs)
Doberman Pinschers
Collies
And Giant Schnauzers
And the Alaskan breed crossed the finish line without exception.
Malamutes
And Huskies
Another highlight is that it can also perform duties in cold regions.
Currently, the most commonly seen military dogs on active duty are:
German Shepherd and Belgian Malloy
These two breeds are known for their loyalty and intelligence.
Strong, agile body and ferocity
And if we look deeper, the German Shepherd
It is the most flexible breed, learning quickly and adapting to a variety of environments and working conditions.
Basically, our four-legged friends have eyes, ears, and noses that are many times better than humans.
In particular, the nose, the sense of smell and discrimination, is 20 times greater than that of humans.
It is a superhuman ability that allows four-legged companions to play a role in the military.
There are three main groups of military dogs, divided by their capabilities and duties.
1) Single-Purpose Military Working Dogs
According to the position, this is a dog that is trained for a specific mission.Developed to suit each dog's abilities, such as detecting explosives.
Drug detection or tracking dogs
Why limit abilities when dogs can be more capable?
But what you don't want to happen is to not be able to predict what your dog will discover.
If your four-legged friend is giving you a signal
It could be a compressed drug or a package of an improvised explosive device.
We definitely don't want to get confused about this.
But having only one duty results in good results.
That is, dogs can remember their own unique ways.
For example, the classification of specialized bombs can be broken down into, for example:
Explosive Detector Dog (EDD)
This type of dog usually works with a partner and a leash.
Mine Detection Dogs (MDD)
This type of dog works off-leash and is used to warn of underground bombs or ammunition.
Can work as a patrol or march with a large group.
Narcotics Detector Dogs (NDD)
The duties and operations are the same as the first EDD, except that the target is changed from explosives to narcotics.
Specialized Search Dogs (SSD)
Even more advanced, it can operate off-leash.
Responds to voice commands or hand signals.
Can be trained to detect explosives while searching for targets as a secondary duty.
This type of military dog is popular with the U.S. Marine Corps and search and rescue units.
And they even developed communication devices to attach to their four-legged friends.
For smooth and consistent operations as well.
And finally in this category
Combat Tracker Dogs (CTD)
The abilities and functions are almost similar to SSD, except that this type of dog is trained to
It can distinguish targets and receive attack commands, which is different from SSD.
Which is often used for search only.
This type of military dog is popular with the US Marine Corps, as is the SSD.
2) Dual-Purpose Dogs Military Working Dogs
Different from the first type, it is a dog that can perform the following functions:Search for explosives or drugs
Either one and in conjunction with patrol or search duties.
One of the most important factors in a military dog to pass this category is its pure breed.
Or only certified breeds
This type of military dog is popularly used in military police and police officers.
Can be grouped into 2 sub-types according to the information above:
Patrol Explosive Detector Dog (PEDD)
and
Patrol Narcotics Detector Dog (PNDD)
3) Multi-Purpose Military Working Dogs
It's not hard to guess, right? The last type of military dog.It is considered one of the few dogs that has been trained and selected to reach this point.
And the users could be none other than the Special Operations Unit.
Where missions are diverse and complex
It is considered the highest level of the four-legged companion line, and is called
MPC - Multi-Purpose Canines
As mentioned above, types 1 and 2 are military dogs of this type.
It can do all of the above and also distinguish its complex functions and missions.
Tolerant and adaptable to the environment
Where his special operations partner takes him
MPC will be focused on talent and potential since childhood, growing up and training.
And learn along with the special operations unit.
They are a companion that can go with you on every mission. They can travel together from
Parachuting, rappelling
Trained to use and wear tactical armor.
Night vision camera and receive commands via radio communication
And what's more, it's been confirmed that there is an MPC called Cairo.
Participated in the mission to kill bin Laden in Operation Neptune Spear.
It is not easy for a dog to join a military mission.
Both the dog and the companion need to train and spend time together.
Build consistent, ongoing engagement
And the army has rules for both users and dogs.
It is necessary to undergo an annual assessment.
To know the number of partners ready for action
And rest assured that there will be no way that the mission will fail.
This is due to inconsistencies between both the user and the dog itself.
Source: https://sofrep.com/news/military-working-dogs-more-than-just-a-soldiers-best-friend/
Article: MILITARY WORKING DOGS: MORE THAN JUST A SOLDIER'S BEST FRIEND
Translated by: Thithat Rinchai on January 31, 2021
