Page 30 - Bugle Spring 2024

5 RIFLES
Exercises IRON CYCLONE and CABRIT TEMPEST, Germany
In September the Battalion deployed to Germany to conduct its Mission Ready Training ahead of Operation CABRIT
(March – September 2024). This saw the formation of the 5 RIFLES Battlegroup that will deploy to Estonia: B, Fire Support and Headquarter Companies from 5 RIFLES in our Warriors, A Squadron of the Queen’s Royal Hussars in Challenger 2 tanks, 4 Field Squadron 21 Regiment Royal Engineers in Mastiff protected mobility vehicles, and the Chestnut Troop from 1 Royal Horse Artillery equipped with 105mm artillery guns.
The deployment was split into two phases: Exercise IRON CYCLONE involved the Battalion training itself up to Company level, and Exercise CABRIT TEMPEST which was our battlegroup-level validation by external assessors from the Collective Training Group. Lead elements of the battlegroup deployed in mid-September to begin taking over the fleet of 250 tracked and wheeled vehicles from the readiness fleet in Germany. On arrival of the remainder of the Battlegroup, we set to work conducting dismounted and mounted range packages whilst getting the vehicles ready for exercising.
After an enormous amount of work to prepare the fleet, we seized the opportunity to develop our combined arms manoeuvre competency and to give our Riflemen some much needed experience in mounted
close combat. The Battalion’s involvement in Operation INTERFLEX last summer had resulted in a loss in some of our mounted warfighting skills. This meant that all Riflemen were keen to get back onto the Warriors and practice their core trade. As the companies deploying on Op CABRIT next year, the pressure was on for B and FSp Companies to meet the ‘start standards’ for Estonia, whilst A Company concurrently trained alongside to provide an enemy force for the battlegroup to be assessed against.
Following a dismounted and mounted range package, the battlegroup deployed
out onto the Sennelager area to train
from Section up to Company level before coming together as a battlegroup for Exercise CABRIT TEMPEST. The validation exercise was designed to test us in a high- intensity warfighting environment against
a free-thinking peer enemy force. This exercise presented a real challenge for the battlegroup, but our Riflemen stood up to the test and performed well across a spectrum of offensive, defensive, and enabling operations.
30 RIFLES The Bugle
our Riflemen stood up to the test and performed well across a spectrum of offensive, defensive, and enabling operations
EX IRON CYCLONE, B Coy in Germany. Armoured Infantry, Mounted Close Combat Ranges, Night Firing
Away from the training area we made the most of the opportunities offered by being in Germany for three months. Indeed, many of our senior members enjoyed revisiting the areas which they knew well from their Athlone Barracks, Paderborn. Lots of the battalion took the opportunity to conduct adventurous training, battlefield studies and enjoy the culture and history of Germany and wider Europe. Despite the considerable amount of work to deploy some 700
people to Germany and prepare the fleet
for exercising, our time in Germany gave the battalion the opportunity to focus on warfighting and combined arms manoeuvre with our attachments from across the wider brigade. This testing training will put us in good stead for operations in Estonia next summer and beyond.
EX IRON CYCLONE, Germany. Armoured Infantry, Dismounted Close Combat Ranges, Night Firing