T THE VANDAL COMES IN THREE LENGTHS. THE LONGER BR-5 AND BR-6 ARE CURRENTLY BEING USED BY HUNDREDS OF SPECIAL OPERATION GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD. THE SHORTER BR-3 IS MORE CQB ORIENTED.
In the quest for a better break & rake tool, now called the Vandal, I recall being an opera- tor at an NTOA Hostage Rescue course with instructors Dan Murphy and Steve Mescan. T e instructors were running us through hostage res- cue scenarios where we had ladder teams on the exterior of the residence, working the concept of ‘consuming the structure from the outside.’ T e concept was to get operators and guns into the windows of the location—and on the target—quicker than working a team through the fl oorplan moving to the target. T e most important part of the concept was porting the entire window to make room for an operator to set a ladder, get up into the opening, and resolve the situation quickly. T e class had operators from various agen- cies from around the country who brought their own tools to the training. We had various single-headed break & rake tools where opera- tors punched and chopped through windows. T e problem I saw was the time it was taking to actually remove the glass and window frame in order to get our ladder guys up and into the window to either shoot or cover down. T ere had to be a better and more effi cient way of performing this task.
UNIQUE “Y” BREAK HEAD I looked at certain criteria necessary for an ul- timate tool. T e goal was a tool that allowed an operator the ability to port or clear out a window and/or opening in the safest and most effi cient manner. T e concept and design phase started of the new prototype tool. My engineer placed a “Y” at the business end of the tool. He continued by implementing a break head with removable break tips on each leg of the “Y.” T e purpose of the “Y” design was to funnel the structural vertical/horizontal window frame toward a fl at hammer plate at the base of the “Y.” T is allows the operator to remove the frame and window components quickly and effi ciently. At fi rst glance, the design looked odd and
very diff erent from all the tools that I had op- erated with for years. However, this Y-design would prove to be both very destructive in its purpose, and extremely eff ective in meeting all the needs of a port team.
MANY DESIGN VARIATIONS As with any new product, we worked with vari- ous types of materials, handles, hoods, claws and spikes. Rake fi ns were added just below the two
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break heads to assist in clearing out the stub- born shards of glass that are captured along the window frame. Engineering was completed and it was now time to put the tool through rigor- ous testing and evaluation with several teams around the country. After battle testing the now patented, double-break head design, the Vandal met all of the operators’ expectations. T e Vandal BR-3 was built upon the per- formance of its fi eld-proven counterparts. T e BR-5 and BR-6 are currently being used by hundreds of special operation groups around the world. T e BR-3 was designed as more of a compact break & rake tool for close-quarter breaching. T is is for operations where a long reach is not needed, i.e., vehicle assaults, active shooter-crisis entry, breaching patio door slid- ers, and overall ripping of sheetrock. A quick release sling was incorporated into the
design, which allows an operator the ability to climb and work off of ladders or platforms. T e quick release sling also allows the tool to be slung on an operator so they can keep both hands on their weapon system while either static or moving. In the event a secondary breach is needed, the operator can transition from his/her weapon to
the Vandal BR-3, pull two tether cords on the snap shackles, and have a tool to create an ad- ditional entry point or opening. T e BR-3 is equipped with short rake fi ns and a hand guard to protect the operator’s hand while porting windows in tight confi ned spaces. T e Vandal BR-3 Vandal Y-design double head has an overall length of 42 inches and weighs 10.5 pounds. A single head version of the compact BR-3 is available. T e longer BR-5 double head tool is 58 inches overall and weighs 11.3 pounds. T e longest Vandal is the BR-6, which is 72 inches overall and weighs 12 pounds. T e two break heads each have fi ve re- placeable, sharp, hardened steel tips to weaken and break heavy glass. All the Vandal tools are made of steel and all are made in the USA.
FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION To perform operational tasks in the safest manner based on the priorities of the mission, breaching windows for certain operations re- quires the proper tools and techniques. T ere are various techniques on porting windows, but these are basically either the ‘chopping’ technique or the ‘punch and clear’ technique.
W THE ANGLED “Y” DESIGN, DOUBLE BREAK HEAD, ALLOWS OPERATORS THE ABILITY TO CHOP AND PORT A WINDOW WHILE STANDING OFF TO EITHER SIDE.
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