Page 6 - 29 CDO

23 Cdo HQ Bty
Battery Commander
Maj R Durling RA
Battery Captain
Capt L Allison RA
Battery Sergeant Major
WO2 (BSM) M Slater
Maj R Durling RA
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change” Charles Darwin
As I write this, the results of the Integrated Review and its associated Defence Command Paper, driven by the shift in the character of conflict, are still very much in the forefront of our collective minds. The shape of geo-politics is changing fast and the funding of the Commando Force is Defence’s recog- nition of the change from relative post war stability to great power competition between nation states. As the world becomes more complicated, the Commando Force must become more sophisticated to cope with the new complexities of sub threshold operations, engaging persistently across the globe and playing our part in Multi Domain Integration.
The current form of 23 Cdo HQ Bty follows the function of a traditional artillery regiment supporting a traditional brigade. The Bty holds the Fire Direction Cell and the Joint Fires Cell, allocating and decon- flicting fires across Brigade Battlespace. Looking ahead at Littoral Strike and Maritime Special Opera- tions, 23 Cdo HQ Bty is going to be asked to do much more than that; while still evolving, it is becoming clear that with small teams spread over a wide area, there will be no straight lines on the maps nor an easy way to say where and how our adversaries will seek to win, so our contribution to the Commando Force must change to meet these requirements. This will require investment, in equipment, training and people, and an attitude receptive to change.
There are already some significant changes afoot. The Regiment has elected to return to the centralised model for managing our JTAC (FAC) capability under the banner of “Air Cell”; led by the OC Bde TACP to allow greater flexibility in managing personnel with intensive and expensive training needs with an ever-growing demand on Op SHADER in Iraq and Op FORTIS in the Far East. On current planning, 23 Cdo HQ Bty will soon take responsibility for Air Defence Troop Royal Marines, to deliver the Commando Force’s Counter-Air and Counter-RPAS capability; this is essential given the associated requirements to deconflict air and battlespace. The other key strand is the expansion of the regimental Targeting capability, which allows us to service the targeting requirements and leverage capabilities of both the Commando Force and new flanking formations; in particular the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group and F35B Joint Strike Fighters.
29 Cdo Regt RA is in a unique position in defence; not only do we have to be able to work with Royal Navy systems, but also with Interna- tional Partners, Partners across Government and Army systems. This has meant considerable time and effort has been invested in understanding which systems need to speak to whom; all of which drives what equipment we use and how we train. This re-design has been set against the backdrop of the UK’s sovereign Carrier Strike Group reaching Full Operating Capability, which as I write, is being validated on Exercise STRIKE WARRIOR 21 (SW21) in May 21 before embarking on her first operational deployment to the Far East on Op FORTIS. SW21 was an opportunity to test our Targeting processes and linkages outside of a permanent base location which has access to the full spectrum of command and control networks and multitude of feeds that run into Government. With 7 and 8 Bty persistently deployed forwards under their respective Littoral Response Groups to pre-emptively engage in emerging crises, the 23 Cdo HQ Bty Targeting Cell will undoubtedly be at the very front of defence activity in the future.
1. 23BCF 1. The Cape Wrath weather on SW21 symbolises how the traditional boundaries between land, maritime and air forces have become blurred or non-existent. The UK Commando Force ambition is to integrate effects across all domains, and will a large part of this will be controlled by the Joint Effects and Targeting Group in 23 Cdo HQ Bty.
Battery Commander’s
Foreword: the requirement
for change
23 Bty Ex STRIKE WARRIOR 21 personnel on Faraid Head, Cape Wrath Range, Scotland’
“IT IS NOT THE STRONGEST OF THE SPECIES THAT SURVIVES, NOR THE MOST INTELLIGENT THAT SURVIVES. IT IS THE ONE THAT IS MOST ADAPTABLE TO CHANGE”
4 29 COMMANDO REGIMENT ROYAL ARTILLERY