What’s in your kit, Portuguese combat swimmer? (master subs)

Swimming with a 40-kg backpack full of military kit is all in a day’s work for a Portuguese combat swimmer.

Synopsis

We take a look inside the kit of 2nd Sgt André Ascensão, a section commander in the Portuguese Reconnaissance Platoon.

The group was operating in Lithuania as part of NATO Assurance Measures which comprise land, sea and air activities in, on and around the eastern part of the Alliance.

Footage includes all aspects of the equipment a marine would carry on operation, and an interview in Portuguese describing the items.

All soldiers were operating within a self-contained bubble in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines for NATO deployments in the Baltics. NATO videographers observed these guidelines in accordance with NATO policies.

Transcript

SOUNDBITE IN PORTUGUESE

2nd Sgt André Ascensão

Portuguese Marines

"My name is André Ascensão,

Second Sergeant.

2nd SGT ANDRE ASCENSAO

Portuguese Marines

I'm Section Commander in the Portuguese Reconnaissance Platoon.

I'm here today, as a combat swimmer, to show you what's in my kit."

TEXT ON SCREEN:

WHAT’S IN YOUR KIT?

#1 G3 RIFLE

#2 GLOCK PISTOL

#3 HELMET

"Protective helmet."

#4 NIGHT VISION

"Night vision binoculars, F50x50."

#5 SPARE MAGAZINES

"Next, I'll show you

what I'm carrying in my vest."

#6 MEDICAL KIT

"Individual First Aid Kit."

#7 NAVIGATION KIT

"Compass.

GPS.

Safety lights."

#8 WETSUIT

"Wetsuit, 7 millimetres."

#9 FINS

#10 DIVING BACKPACK

"To waterproof our material

during operations."

#11 GHILLIE SUIT

"Ghillie suit, essential for each soldier

to camouflage themselves."

#12 BINOCULARS

"Daytime surveillance.

Binoculars."

#13 THERMAL CAMERA

#14 72-HOUR RATIONS

"Combat rations.

72 hours."

#15 SURVEILLANCE KIT

"Data collection and transmission kit."

#16 RADIO AND SPARE BATTERY

#17 SPARE UNIFORM

#18 KNIFE

"Finally, a knife."

18+ ITEMS

~ 40 KG