Page 20 - 1RHA 2023

This has been an incredibly frenetic and successful year for Ramsay’s Troop, supporting various defence lines of effort. 2 detachments have deployed to Estonia with the remainder deploying on numerous multinational exercises across Europe and in America, along with lots of training and exercises in the UK.
The E Bty TACP (Tactical Air Control Party), deployed under Capt Gaughan, has had a very successful deployment on Op CABRIT ROTO 12. They have organised and delivered a signifi- cant amount of training opportunities not only for themselves, but other NATO JTACs (Joint Terminal Attack Controller) and the eFP (E) (enhanced Forward Presence Estonia) Battlegroup. They have conducted complex work with 9 Sqn RAF and 4 AAC to control UK Typhoons and Apache whilst airborne in Wildcat heli- copters in the Gulf of Finland. They achieved a live fire demon- stration to integrate live Paveway IV (a 500lb guided bomb), with hellfire missiles and 30mm gun. Utilising ‘buddy lase’ between the two different platforms, they called in the first Paveway IV guided onto target by Apache whilst airborne themselves. A truly unique opportunity testing complex integration from multiple platforms.
One of their greatest successes was on Ex FURIOUS WOLF 23-2 (Ex FW 23-2), a UK eFP (E) led, NATO Multinational Corps – Close Air Support (CAS) concentration exercise that took place from 5 – 26 Aug across 3 separate eFP locations: Poland (week 1), Latvia (week 2) and Estonia (week 3). Aiming to bring together JTACs from across the Host Nations, Framework Nations and Partner Nations of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland the exercise uti- lised aircraft from NATO Baltic Air Policing units based in Lithu- ania and Estonia, as well as squadrons from Poland, Germany and Romania. Furthermore, it utilised hyper-real immersion and virtual reality simulation, and several notional battle lanes.
Over 70 Air Land Integration and Jt Fires participants from 14 NATO partners attended the exercise, making Ex FW 23-2 an excellent opportunity to maintain JTAC currency and compe- tency, exchange experience and ideas, develop relationships, and train using integrated NATO assets within a congested and complex battlespace. Ex FW23-2 continued to build upon the great relationships, professional competence, and readiness of NATO personnel across the eFP community. Bringing together 14 NATO partners to focus their training within complex training
TACP provides critical air and aviation expertise from Battle Group HQ planning to the tactical level
scenarios mounted in UK Jackal Light Reconnaissance vehicles, dismounted with Joint Forward Observers, and simulated within a mixed reality environment. This iteration was the first time Ex FW took place in Poland, led by the UK JTACs supporting the US eFP BG, an example of how the exercise has grown to encom- pass the entire Baltic region.
Whilst in the UK the Troop has been no less active with the For- mation Senior, WO2 Garrood, supporting and delivering UK and international training. Ex FLASH BANG 23-2, one of the air cell’s major exercises, which saw support delivered simultaneously over 3 weeks to Op INTERFLEX (The UKs domestic contribu- tion to the Ukraine conflict), the Forward Air Controller (Airborne) course for Joint Helicopter Command and 48th Fighter Wing USAF as part of a Regimental CAS concentration, from multiple locations; Wattisham Flying station in the East through to Top- cliffe in the North Yorkshire. Delivering air support to the Ukrain- ians final exercise, integrating within an urban environment with Apache and USAF F15 Strike Eagles, was well received by both the Ukrainians and the 4 Scots and 1 Ranger training teams, giv- ing a greater awareness of the considerations for employing and
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Fox Troop
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E Bty TACP with partner nations