Introduction:

US Special Forces units were the first Coalition military units that went into Afghanistan after the 11 September 2001 attacks. These units operated in secret, often behind enemy lines with little direct support or supervision: calling in airstrikes, conducting reconnaissance, and when necessary engaging Taliban insurgents. During the process US Special Forces operatives kept a low profile, wearing beards and growing their hair longer to better blend in with the local population.

Evolution Miniatures recently released four figures which capture the look of US Special Forces of that time perfectly, showing them in action. US Special Forces Operators in Fight, Afghanistan 2001-2003 figures have been released individually and this review covers the first figure in the series (EM-35076).

Review:

The kit is packed in a well designed hard cardboard box which features nicely painted box art picture and lists both the sculptor (Sergey Traviansky) and painter (Yuriy Schuscharin).

Two zip-lock bags contain 7 parts:

- full body with left leg,
- right leg,
- left arm,
- right arm,
- weapon and
- equipment pieces (2x).

The casting is really good, however I did find two seam lines going along the figure's legs. Although these imperfections are not very pronounced they still have to be sanded very carefully without damaging details on the folds of the trousers. Casting blocks of main figure parts are big but well placed, allowing easy clean up. As with all Evolution Miniatures kits, the fit of figure parts is excellent; the intelligent design allows precise alignment of the pieces which results in minimal putty work. The assembly of the figure is straightforward… I would suggest connecting the arms to the torso first and then fitting hands with the weapon to the figure.

The figure represents US Special Forces operative in Afghanistan, in a dynamic action pose suggesting alert movement expecting contact with the enemy. The figure wears a sleeveless T-shirt and Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) trousers. Over his SPEAR/BALCS armor carrier, the figure is sporting Blackhawk Commando Chest Harness which features four M4 magazine pouches, two side utility pouches and an inside map pouch with securing flap. The adjustable cross straps are padded for comfort, while the waist strap is equipped with quick release buckle and belt loops to secure the harness to any heavy duty web belt. Additional equipment on SPEAR/BALCS includes pistol magazine pouches on the chest and MOLLE hydration pack on the back, while the AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) pouch is provided separately in the kit. The MBITR pouch should be fixed to the hydration carrier... there is a designated pouch attachment point on the left hand side of the MOLLE hydration system with nicely sculpted radio wiring going over the figure's left shoulder to the PTT adapter and into the TASC-1 headset. The microphone boom of the TASC-1 is not included in the set and should be made from scratch using thin copper wire. On his head the figure wears M44 goggles, shielding his eyes from sand, wind, flying debris and bugs.

The figure is carrying M4A1 carbine equipped with the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) kit. SOPMOD kit increases operational effectiveness of the M4A1 and is intended to allow special operations forces operators to configure their weapons based on mission-specific requirements. The weapon included in this figure set features Rail Interface System (RIS) handguard, M203 grenade launcher, ACOG sight and Guarder M203 Flip-Up Leaf Sight . Both hands in Nomex flight gloves are cast with the weapon, ensuring a tight grip. The secondary weapon is provided separately in this kit and should be attached to the drop leg platform on the figure's right thigh.

The sculptor did an amazing job on this figure. The anatomy of the figure is perfect and the pose well balanced. As far as my references show, all the details on the uniform and equipment are accurate and perfectly delivered in scale, with the realistic "Special Forces in Afghanistan "look additionally achieved by a beard and long hair, shemagh scarf and muscular body composition.

Conclusion:

Sergey Traviansky, a creative force behind Evolution Miniatures, is a very talented artist and his figures are definitely among the best 1/35 scale sculpts on the market today. This figure is no exemption... sculpted in a dynamic but well balanced pose, with amazing details all around perfectly delivered in resin. The resin parts fit well and the figure is easy to build. With the other three figures sculpted in this theme, this figure is bound to make a great Special Forces team in Afghanistan vignette.

References:

The US Navy SEALs (Grange Books), David Jordan
Special Forces (Salamander Books), David Miller
Battle Rattle (Zennith Press), Hans Halberstadt
Special Forces in Afghanistan (Historie&Collections), Eric Micheletti
Special Forces in Iraq (Historie&Collections), Eric Micheletti
SF in Afghanistan pictures