Dusty One ur an ATC fan. How well the VTAC and/or Comanche performs as a breaching tool? I believe the Comanche is a better killing tool compared with the VTAC due to it's reach and weight but the US soldiers choose the VTAC... why? I trust the judgement of many experianced soldiers as shown in other thread photos.
You may have read this before, but let me quote Andy Prisco as to the reason the VTAC's are desired...
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"I was reviewing our site statistics and saw that some folks came to visit our site from the links to it, posted earlier in this thread.
After reading it, let me share a few thoughts that may clarify the Tomahawk's utility to the Soldier.
It almost goes without saying that the Tomahawk as a weapon and tool, arguably helped settle our country during the expansion. While the trusty sidekick of every Frontiersman, it also became one of the most commonly traded items between Native Americans and the Pioneers, the latter bringing steel to the hickory instead of stone...which most Native Americans were still using back-in-the-day. Why? Because it was valuable to anyone who had one...valuable in its utility, its versatility, and its capability.
Fast-forward to today, the Army is purchasing our original Vietnam Tactical Tomahawk (VTAC) for inclusion to the "Modular Entry Tool Set". The set includes a sledge, bolt cutters, Hooligan, and our VTAC. This wasn't because they just thought the item was cool and they had money to burn. It was an uphill fight to get the item even considered...for almost three years. But it was added to the kit because in and of itself, it can do the work of all the tools in the kit when the task provides for it...in an item that's nearly 1 lb. I'm not suggesting that the VTAC replaces the Hooligan...but in the third world, how many Hooligans are used? That was the Army's aim by the "modular"-ness of the tool set.
The VTAC is manufacutured to never fail the Soldier, period. The spike tomahawk head design of Peter LaGana extends far beyond the utility of a simple hammer poll hatchet. It's small, light, and fast. It's five sharp cutting edges allow it to cut, chop, rip, rake, rent, penetrate, and devastate...the Stryker boys have begun calling it the "anti-Leatherman", because it takes stuff apart instead of putting it together.
The synthetic handle is precision mated to the head so well, we like to say that whatever it took to loosen or break it probably killed you first.
AARs we have on file include its tremendous usefulness in non-explosive breeching, brake-and-rake, extraction, egress, CQB, clearing shooting lanes, clearing cable, removing obstacles, venting fuel drums, opening crates, building shelters...the list goes on. It was tested at Aberdeen, NTC, and JRTC at length.
It's not for everybody...but for those who don't want or need to hump the breaching kit, it performs an incredible array of tasks and each of them, well.
It does throw incredibly well too...but more importantly, because anything can be thrown, it endures the rigors of throwing that nearly every knife and hatchet hasn't over the years. Our VTAC endured literally thousands of throws (mostly bad ones
) at Best Ranger 2002 in front of cameras and spectators...and not one failed.
I could go on for hours, because I love talking about Tomahawks...but I just wanted to add a few thoughts that might explain why many of our Soldiers today consider it to be such a valuable tool."
