Page 16 - 29 CDO

A 7 Bty gun detachment conducting a Direct Fire shoot
BY THE MIDDLE OF THE DECADE, THE UNIT WILL BE EXPANDING ITS COMMITMENT TO NATO’S NORTHERN FLANK – WORKING ALONGSIDE NORWEGIAN FORCES
A 148 Bty FST Commander requesting permission to get out of the water during ice-breaker training on novices in Jan 20.
By the middle of the decade, the Unit will be expanding its commitment to NATO’s Northern flank – working alongside Norwegian forces in both Summer and Winter, and further incorporating exercises in the Baltic states.
Norway represents a litmus test for commando soldiering for two excellent reasons. Firstly, the weather conditions demand excellent personal administration, as surviving and thriving in the field is dependent upon it. Secondly, the problems it poses are best solved by an ingenious and adaptive mindset: constructing dummy positions, or using the environment against a pursuing enemy, become an integral part of the planning process. Alongside the tried and tested methods of old, the emergence of FCF and the Littoral Strike concept have presented fresh problems, requiring new solutions. The need for dispersal – vital on the modern peer/ peer-plus battlefield, made only more striking in the vast open expanse of Norway – demands a fresh approach across a range of disciplines, involving command, control, and logistics among others. Disaggregated teams coordinating the full range of joint fires on a complex battlefield must be at the top of their game if the effects on the enemy and the safety of own troops are to be maintained. However, exercises such as COLD RESPONSE 20 have shown us that by combining proven soldiering techniques with innovative technological solutions, the Commando Gunners remain at the forefront of the fight in the high north.
14 29 COMMANDO REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY