Medicom Cro-Magnon MSFS 3 - GIGN

The 3rd 1/6 military figure in the the Medicom Special Forces Series (MSFS) is the Medicom Cro-Magnon GIGN which is Groupe d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale in French. The GIGN is the Domestic Counter-Terrorism and Law Enforcement Agency of the French Gendarmerie which is a military institution in charge of public safety with police duties among the civilian population. It's also a military police / provost force.

For the Medicom MSFS line, they really produced new and authentic equipment for each figure. Each outfit is unique and even the gas mask is different between the SAS and GIGN. By the way, I skipped the 2nd figure in this line - it was the GSG-9 (Grenzschutzgruppe 9) which didn't pack very much stuff and the vest looked terribly oversized! Overall look just wasn't as appealing. Besides, I already had the Dragon 1/6 scale 12-inch GSG9 "Ulrich" which was better in price and quality (see my post HERE).

Medicom 1/6 scale MSFS Cro-magnon RAH300 GIGN HRU (Hostage Rescue Unit) came with Kevlar ballistic helmet with full face shield, Goggles, balaclava, Body Armor, Nomex Assault Suit with GIGN patch (Medicom also added trunks/boxers coz they are afraid he might catch a cold down there >_<), Tactical Vest, Walkie-Talkie with Receiver, Open Hand Glove, Diver's Watch, Belt with drop-down holster, SIG Sauer P228 pistol, extra pistol magazines, Manurhin ("Mahn-oo-rahn") MR73 revolver with Quick Loader, (Heckler & Koch) HK MP5 SMG (Sub-Machine Gun) with Flashlight Foregrip, Telescopic Stock (retractable) and Double Magazine, SF-10 Respirator, drop-leg pouch, flexi-cuffs and Assault Boots.






(Heckler & Koch) HK MP5 SMG (Sub-Machine Gun) with Flashlight Foregrip, Telescopic Stock (retractable) and Double Magazine

GIGN patch

Manurhin MR73 revolver

SIG Sauer P228 pistol in drop-down holster

Previously posted: Medicom Cro-Magnon MSFS (Medicom Special Forces Series) SAS (Special Air Service) CT (Counter Terrorist) operator

Medicom Cro-Magnon MSFS 1 - SAS

Now here's a pattern that never goes out of style - BLACK! (In reference to my previous post about the Woodlands camouflage pattern)

This was the first 1/6 scale military figure in the Medicom Cro-Magnon MSFS (Medicom Special Forces Series): the SAS (Special Air Service), released in 2000. The SAS gained fame and recognition worldwide after the Iranian Embassy Storming (or Operation Nimrod) in May 1980 was played out in front of the media and broadcast to the world.

Iranian Arab separatists had taken over the Iranian embassy in London. The siege was ended when the Special Air Service (SAS) stormed the building and rescued 19 of 26 hostages (5 hostages had been released prior to the raid, 1 hostage was killed during the assault and 1 hostage had been executed prior to the assault). 5 separatists were killed and 1 was captured. The last surviving gunman had posed as a hostage and was escorted outside the embassy. There, a real hostage quickly identified him as one of the attackers. One SAS soldier was allegedly about to take him back into the building to be shot. The soldier was prevented from doing so when it was pointed out that the world's media were watching.

This 1/6 Medicom Cro-Magnon SAS operator from the Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) wing of the SAS came dressed in Assault Suit (with trunks), balaclava, SF10 Respirator with removable flash-resistant protective lens (Dark Lenses), CT100E electronic ear defender headset with earphone (Audio Harness), AC100/1 composite helmet, Level-2 flak vest (body armor), black suede Quick Reaction Vest (assault vest), SAS dagger in sheath, Flashbang grenades, Rappelling Gloves, Diver's Watch, Browning HP Mk III semi-automatic handgun with drop-down holster, two extra pistol magazines in double magazine pouch, MP5 Triple Magazine Pouch with extra magazines, H&K MP5K SMG with double-clip magazine, Suppressor and Telescopic Stock, and Assault Boots (with socks).







SF10 Respirator (with removable flash-resistant protective lens) connected to PTT (Push To Talk) switch for radio communication (audio harness)

MP5 triple magazine pouch with extra MP5 magazines and nicely detailed assault boots

The well produced H&K (Heckler & Koch) MP5K SMG with double-clip magazine and Telescopic Stock

This was a more modern SAS Counter Revolutionary Warfare (CRW) operator. Action Man had released 1/6 scale 12-inch SAS operators from the May 1980 seige back in the 1980s after the successful assault. I'd posted about them HERE.

And Kubrick had issued the 1980s SAS counter-terrorist team with their modified SAS assault Landrover (pictures HERE)

Kitbash 1/6 US Navy SEAL in Woodlands camouflage

Moving on from my previous post of the BBI Elite Force 1/6 scale 12-inch US Army Special Forces Green Beret Sniper "Prowler".

Woodland pattern was the name of the default camouflage pattern issued to United States soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors from 1981, with the issue of the M81 Battle Dress Uniform until the new millennium. Now they are considered so "last century" as the United States has adopted the digital camouflage pattern, thus phasing out the Woodland pattern.

This is a kitbash 1/6 US Navy SEAL operator wearing the Woodland camouflage of the late 1990s - just something I threw together from loose clothing and parts lying around :) I used the Medicom Cro-Magnon RAH300 body, H&K MP5SD and boots so that I could pair him up with the Medicom Cro-Magnon SEAL Team Six operator (see last picture of this post).











Medicom Cro-Magnon 1/6 scale SEAL Team Six operator (part of MSFS - Medicom Special Force Series) was covered in a much earlier post HERE

SAF in Afghanistan

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean visited the 17-member team of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in Afghanistan last week. The SAF team is manning a radar system that detects enemy artillery, rocket and mortar launches in Oruzgan province. The machine and men are there to help protect Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops based at Camp Holland in the province by giving them early warning of incoming attacks.

Mr Teo also saw how three other SAF servicemen deployed with their counterparts from the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team gave humanitarian aid to the Afghans in the province of Bamiyan.

What is interesting is that we get to see the new SAF desert digital camouflage uniform they were wearing, besides the uniquely Singapore-made SAR-21 rifle they are armed with.

Just goes to show the SAF is keeping up with innovation and technology (my earlier post "Land Warrior" had covered on the new camouflage uniform of the SAF)

Fall of the Wall, 20 years on

Extracted from The Straits Times published on November 7 2009:

On Nov 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall came tumbling down and it was partly the result of a clerical blunder. Read on to find out how.

In May 1945, the Red Army captured Berlin and the city is divided into a Soviet sector in the east and US, British and French sectors in the west. By 1950, the East-West economic gap widened with the East experiencing scarcity in food and housing as more and more people flee westwards.

Then at 2am on August 13, 1961 a barbed-wire barrier was strung between East and West Berlin.

Within days, workers began erecting a wall of concrete blocks and Brandenburg Gate is shut.

The Berlin Wall became a symbol of the Cold War and was meant to prevent its people from fleeing as East Germany tried to get its people to embrace Communism. The Berlin Wall measured about 150km and was rebuilt at least three times - each time emerging bigger and stronger. In June 1962, a second, parallel barrier some 100m farther into East Germany territory was built. The houses in between were razed, leaving a no man's land known as The Death Strip. It made it easier for guards to shoot on sight any would-be escapees. Click on the graphic below to enlarge and get a better view of The Death Strip with its mines and other obstacles.

Despite the deadly obstacles, nearly 10,000 East Germans tried escaping with nearly half making it over to the West. One drove a APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) belonging to the East Germans and crashed it into the wall before scrambling over to safety. Two men used an archery bow and shot a cable over the wall onto the roof on the western side and sailed across with pulleys. Two men windsurfed and two families escaped in a giant balloon they had built secretly. 70 escape tunnels were dug.

On Nov 9, 1989 East Germany's rulers decided to make it easier for some of its citizens to leave directly for the West as a rising tide of demonstrations within East Germany threatened it. At the same time, the neighbouring communist countries like Hungary and Poland began relaxing political controls and border restrictions. East Germany had hoped to rid itself of the most troublesome dissidents and the easing of travel restrictions was meant to be a short-time exception. But the hapless East German official dispatched to announce this decision did not read his briefing papers and when asked by a journalist whether this meant that anyone could cross the wall, he mumbled, "Yes, immediately, without delay."

Instantly, vast crowds converged on the wall, determined to exercise their supposed right to travel to the West. Confused border guards frantically appealed to their superiors for instructions on what they should do, but no orders ever came. So within hours, the wall was simply trampled underfoot. Picture below shows a demonstrator pounding away at the Berlin Wall as East German border guards looked on from above. When the Wall came crashing down, so did the Soviet Empire as the Cold War symbol lay in ruins and European communism proved to be a total failure.

Berlin's Bernauer Strasse with the Berlin Wall separating the street in June 1968. The ground floor of the building on the right was boarded up after it was used for several escapes to the West.

Same view of Bernauer Strasse in October 2009

The Checkpoint Charlie crossing point in June 1968, then marking the border between East Berlin (the Soviet sector) and West Berlin (the American sector).

Same view 41 years on in October 2009. Now a tourist magnet, like many of the remaining Berlin Wall sites.

Conrad Schumann was one of the most famous defectors from East Germany. On August 15, 1961, the then 19-year-old East German soldier leapt over the barbed-wire barricade while guarding the Berlin Wall, then in its third day of construction. It became one of the iconic images of the Cold War. Sadly, Schumann hanged himself on June 20, 1998 whilst suffering from depression. Picture shows Schumann in a photo taken in 1986.

How former Soviet allies are faring 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the break-up of the Soviet empire

As a highlight of a $5 million euro celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, a 1.5km long segment of the wall will stand for two days along its original route in front of the Brandenburg Gate to Potsdamer Platz. The row of 1,000 20kg dominos standing 1.5m apart - painted in bright colours by schoolchildren and rising 2.5m high - will be toppled at the end of a gala ceremony as a symbolic tribute to the collapse of the wall 20 years earlier.

BBI Elite Force US Army Green Beret Sniper "Prowler"

Yet another sniper. This one is the BBI Elite Force 1/6 scale 12-inch US Army Special Forces Green Beret Sniper "Prowler", released in 2002.

The box description of the Green Berets: The United States Army Special Forces was formed in 1952 and was commanded by the now legendary Colonel Aaron Banks. In the early days these units wore the trademark “Green Beret” but it was not until 1961 that it was officially approved by President John F. Kennedy. Today the Green Berets are a breed apart. A highly skilled, mature, and superbly trained soldier. Green Berets are unquestionably among the world’s unconventional warfare experts. They are teachers first, and fighters of uncommon physical caliber.

"Prowler" came with Green Kevlar helmet, green beret, OD vest (T-shirt), woodlands camouflage Battle Dress Uniform, body armor, Eagle chest rig/harness with three extra magazines, Sabre radio with headset, boom microphone and PTT (Push To Talk) switch with cord, Special Ops knife and sheath, two M18 Smoke grenades, belt with Beretta M92F/M9 pistol in drop-down holster, two extra pistol magazines, canteen with holder, ammunition pouch, Camelbak Hydration System, map, enhanced M14 DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) with AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming device, Leupold sniper’s scope and boots.








Close-up of BBI Elite Force "Prowler" US Army Green Beret Sniper head sculpt

BBI Eagle Chest Rig/Harness with three extra magazines (You can view Dragon's 1/6 version of the same chest rig in the previous post)

Green Kevlar helmet, Sabre radio with headset, boom microphone and PTT (Push To Talk) switch with cord

Special Ops knife and sheath

1/6 ammunition pouch and water bottle in carrier plus map in pants side cargo pocket

Camelbak Hydration System (spelled "Gombuck" to get around copyright issues)

Beretta M92F/M9 pistol in drop-down holster. These were early days yet as holsters have improved much since

The 1/6 scale enhanced M14 DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) with AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming device and Leupold sniper’s scope is exceptional and very well produced with all the fine details

Close-up of the very detailed 1/6 scale Leupold sniper’s scope



Previously posted: 1/6 scale 12" United States Marine Corps (USMC) Sniper code-named "Snake", released by BBI Elite Force in 2001.

A recent newspaper article on snipers in the waters off Somalia - "3 shots, 3 kills" HERE

Dragon US Army Special Forces Group (Airborne) Sniper "Jason"

Continuing my series on snipers (see previous post HERE)

Operation Enduring Freedom - Philippines (OEF-P) is part of Operation Enduring Freedom and the U.S. Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). Deployment first began January 2002 and involved more than 1,200 members of United States Special Operations Command, Pacific (SOCPAC), headed by Brig. Gen. Donald C. Wurster. SOCPAC's deployable joint task force HQ, Joint Task Force 510 (JTF 510), directed and carried out the operation. The mission was to advise the Armed Forces of the Philippines in combating terrorism in the Philippines. Much of the mission (Exercise Balikatan 02-1) took place on the island of Basilan, a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf. [ source: wiki ]

This 1/6 scale 12-inch US Army Special Forces Group (Airborne) Sniper “Jason” by Dragon was released in 2002. He is supposed to be part of JTF 510 during Exercise Balikatan 02-1 held in Mindinao, Philippines.

"Jason" is dressed in Woodlands camouflage boonie hat, shades, vest, Woodlands camouflage Battle Dress Uniform, SPEAR BALCS (SPecial operations forces Equipment Advanced Requirement) Body Armor/Load Carriage System, Eagles chest rig/harness, Motorola (spelt "Motoroia" for copyright infringement reasons) walkie-talkie radio, belt with Beretta M92F 9mm pistol in drop-down holster, two-quart canteen with holder, M9 bayonet in scabbard, ammo pouch with two M67 fragmentation grenades, SOPMOD (Special Ops Perculiar Modification) M4 custom carbine with AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming device, sniper’s scope, knee pads, and boots.








Dragon was the first 1/6 company that began manufacturing 1/6 scale figures with their individual head sculpts. This was a BIG step away from the clones that Hasbro (Hasbeen) had been producing since 1964 with soldiers having the same head sculpt but differing uniforms so that when they lined up in a row, they looked like an army of clones. Interestingly, the term "Clone Army" did not really appear until George Lucas' Clone Wars when the clone troopers of the Army of the Republic, cloned from Jango Fett, a Mandalorian bounty hunter, first appeared in "Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones".

Dragon usually based their head sculpt on famous personalities, be it actors or footballers, but I can't seem to make out who he's supposed to be. Somebody said "Jason Isaacs" - an English actor who was in "Black Hawk Down", "The Patriot" and "Windtalkers" but the resemblance just isn't there.

Dragon also produced the Rip-stop BDUs, in line with their then desire to give 1/6 collectors something as close to the real thing as possible. Far have they fallen :(



Jason's two-quart canteen in carrier and his secondary weapon, the M9 pistol in drop-down holster

Jason's primary weapon of choice as a sniper, the SOPMOD (Special Ops Perculiar Modification) M4 custom carbine with AN/PEQ-2 laser aiming device and sniper’s scope. As he puts it, "Fancy hardware is all well and good, but it's the eye behind the scope and the finger on the trigger that counts."

I'd posted a series on "Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan" 1/6 military figures from August 1, 2008 up to August 16, 2008 with figures mostly released by Dragon.

Previously posted: 1/6 scale 12" United States Marine Corps (USMC) Sniper code-named "Snake", released by BBI Elite Force in 2001.

A recent newspaper article on snipers in the waters off Somalia - "3 shots, 3 kills" HERE

1/6 George Clooney as Major Archie Gates in "Three Kings"

Besides American actor Jake Gyllenhaal who played US Marine Corps Scout Sniper Anthony Swofford in the 2005 film "Jarhead" on the Gulf War of 1991 (see my post HERE), George Clooney also acted in a Gulf War film in 1999 called "Three Kings", along with Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze.

In "Three Kings", four US soldiers attempt to steal seized Kuwaiti gold bullion from the Iraqi bunkers but get involved with a badly outgunned and desperate group of Iraqi Shia rebels who have risen against Saddam's regime but were abandoned by the Coalition. The film deals with the aftermath of George H W Bush's appeal to Iraqis to rise up against the tyranny, and the ensuing massacre as Saddam's loyalists put down the popular rebellion, killing many thousands of civilians.

This is a BBI Elite Force head sculpt and body wearing Dragon outfit and gear of 2002. Kitbashed 1/6 George Clooney as US Army Special Ops MAJOR Archie Gates during Operation Desert Storm, Kuwait, February 1991 is wearing Olive Drab (OD) green T-shirt, dog tags, six-colour Desert camouflage Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU), PASGT Body Armor, ALICE (All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment) Y-harness with ammo pouches, M67 fragmentation grenades, water canteens, M9 pistol in holster, LC-2 first aid kit, gas mask case, Kevlar helmet with six-colour desert camouflage cover, goggles, M4 carbine, wrist watch and combat boots.

The six-colour Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU), with a base pattern of light tan overlaid with broad swathes of pale olive green, two-tone wide bands of brown, clusters of black-on-white spots scattered over it resulted in it being nicknamed the "chocolate chip" pattern, was worn during this conflict.











Clooney also played a smooth talking, irreverent US Army Special Forces Officer Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Devoe in the 1997 action film, The Peacemaker alongside Nicole Kidman.

Warship Rises From Twin Towers

This was reported in the newspaper yesterday: New warship USS New York, built with steel from the World Trade Center, arrived in its namesake city to a 21-gun salute near the site of Sept 11, 2001 terror attacks. The bow of the US$1 billion ship contains about 7.5 tonnes of steel taken from the fallen towers. It is 208m long and can carry up to 8,000 Marines. Its flight deck can handle helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

Two other ships are being built to honor the Sept 11 victims. The USS Arlington is so named as a reminder of the attack on the Pentagon. The USS Somerset is named after the county in Pennsylvania where United Airlines flight 93 crashed.

Best recycling effort ever. Let's hope these ships and the troops and equipment they carry can CRUSH the lives out of all the Taleban and Al-Qaeda terrorists! What a fitting tribute that'll be.

1/6 Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford, USMC Scout Sniper

"Jarhead" is a 2005 film based on US Marine Corps Sniper Anthony Swofford's 2003 Gulf War memoir of the same name, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford. Swofford served as a Scout Sniper with the STA (Surveillance and Target Acquisition) Platoon of 2nd Battalion 7th Marines. "Jarhead" is the slang term used to refer to Marines (sometimes by Marines themselves).

When Kuwait is invaded by Iraq, Swofford's unit is dispatched to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Desert Shield. Although the Marines are very eager to see some combat action, they are forced to hydrate, wait, patrol the nearby area and orient themselves to the arid environment. In his book, Swofford recounts the profound disappointment of having trained so long and so hard, only to never have the chance to engage the enemy, due to the brevity of the First Gulf War.

When Hot Toys released a head sculpt that resembled Jake Gyllenhaal, I decided to kitbash a 1/6 military figure of Gyllenhaal as US Marine Corps Scout Sniper Swofford. This was made possible by using most of the equipment that came with a Dragon released 1/6 scale 12-inch SCUD Hunter "Greg", US Army Special Forces Sniper, Gulf War 1991 in 2001. "Greg" came with Angora hat (wool knit cap), PASGT (Personal Armor System for Ground Troops) tactical vest, 6-color "chocolate chip" desert camouflage pattern BDU, web belt with ammo pouches, canteen with cover, LC-2 first aid kit, Sig Sauer 9mm pistol in holster, M4 combat knife in sheath, Motorola walkie-talkie with throat mic and ear piece, Barrett 82A1 .50 Caliber Semi-Automatic sniper rifle with bipod, M17 ABC Field Protective Mask carrier, Combat Boots (Type 1) and Magellan GPS (Global Positioning System).

It was a case of removing the PASGT vest, slap on a Y-harness and LC-2 LBE (Load Bearing Equipment) web harness, drag bag, M16A2 assault rifle and USMC M40 sniper rifle.








Close-up of the Hot Toys Jake Gyllenhaal head sculpt. He was last seen with Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain (2005)" and his sister Maggie Gyllenhaal was last seen with Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight (2008)".


I put a gas mask inside his M17 ABC Field Protective Mask carrier

M16A2 assault rifle and drag bag

The M40 is a bolt-action sniper rifle used by the United States Marine Corps. Each M40 is built from a Remington 700 bolt-action rifle, and is extensively modified by USMC 2112 (Armorers) at Marine Corps Base Quantico.


Magellan GPS (Global Positioning System) - perhaps one of the first in 1/6 scale

The Barrett 82A1 .50 Caliber Semi-Automatic sniper rifle has a working bolt, lens caps on the scope, removable bipod legs and magazine.

"Welcome to the SUCK!"

Previously posted: 1/6 scale 12" United States Marine Corps (USMC) Sniper code-named "Snake", released by BBI Elite Force in 2001.

A recent newspaper article on snipers in the waters off Somalia - "3 shots, 3 kills" HERE