Page 25 - Bugle Spring 2024

4 RANGER
Night ranges on RAUCC
B COMPANY TRAINING CYCLE
B Company’s training cycle was initially focussed on being combat ready for warfighting: soldiering fundamentals, dispersed command and control, and robustness in the field, using the urban environment to create complexity. The company had to get used to working to an intent, with little recourse to higher HQ and difficult comms. This culminated in Ex APOLLO SABRE, our readiness validation exercise.
Augmented by signals, intelligence,
and fires, the Task Group deployed into a heavily contested environment, initially acting unilaterally to establish a foothold
in the area before working with a series of partner forces to achieve various missions sets. An estimated 160km was covered over the course of the ten-day exercise, testing the physical robustness of the Task Group’s four Special Operations Task Units. With enemy helicopters and drones roaming
the skies, the Rangers were assessed in defence against a combined arms assault including tanks and swarms of enemy. They were also tasked with disrupting information operations networks and had to synchronise effects, such as destroying an enemy air defence system before calling in close-air support onto the objective.
The end of the training cycle saw final preparations to deploy on operations.
area of operations we would be going into. The end of the training cycle saw final
preparations to deploy on operations. This included additional medical training as well as theatre specific vehicle training. The Company still had time to compete in the Battalion skills week
and the Regimental 12 Miler, with strong performances from Cpl Marshall and Sjt Kirlew in particular.
Following successful validation, the Task Group moved onto Mission Specific Training. The first few weeks involved intelligence briefs, location specific language training
and an advanced Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance package. With the understanding set, advanced military skills were honed. The Ranger Advanced Urban Combat Course enhanced the Task Group’s ability to operate in close quarters. This included advanced pistol shooting, complex rifle shoots, and close quarters live fire.
Those deploying to theatres of operations with a higher threat then conducted hostile environment training. Concealed weapon carriage and situational judgement training as well as mobile navigation, anti-surveillance and advanced contact drills were all part of
a course upskilling our Rangers. It enables the Rangers to operate in environments of heightened risk or necessitating a discreet posture. Concurrently, the teams’ conceptual skills and knowledge were improved through Ex GREY SHARD – a series of real-life focussed questions designed to better understand the
B Company hostile environment course
RIFLES The Bugle 25