Page 35 - 1RHA 2023

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Exercise CYPHER DAGGER 22 Capt Dave Miles RHA
Ex Cypher Dagger was the major regimental exercise on Salisbury Plain for 2022. The exercise took place from 11 – 28 October, conducting Battlecraft Syllabus (BCS), Individual
Training Requirements (ITRs), tactical deployment and sustain- ment and live firing for the gun batteries of the Regiment. Of note for this exercise was that it was the final exercise the Regiment as a whole would deploy on before moving onto Op CABRIT rota- tions, with E Battery the first battery gearing up for a 6-month tour away.
A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) and E Battery deployed first, occupying central and eastern areas of the Salisbury Plain Train- ing Area (SPTA). This initial phase covering the first week of the deployment enabled troops to conduct fieldcraft, refine their abilities to administrate themselves in the field and practice their technical gunnery roles ahead of live firing.
BCS training is a requirement of every soldier during a training year, this is to ensure that all remain current and competent in their ability to deploy in the field, sustain themselves, and con- duct essential drills while deployed, such as medical care and navigation. To assess this, troops were broken down into sec- tions and deployed across the training area, navigating between ‘stands’ under time constraints. Each stand was constructed to assess the troops, requiring leadership and application of their field skills. A testing and rewarding trial, this activity has troops dismounted from their vehicles, often for the first time in a while.
For elements of E Battery, the first week also allowed the Tac Group to conduct Ex HUNTER KILLER, where the FSTs in their Warrior OPVs advanced tactically across the SPTA to seek out and destroy each other. Utilising the ground and their jockeying abilities, they looked to call for fires upon their counterpart before being targeted themselves! At the same time the Gun group conducted tactical deployments and sustainment, refining their Artillery Manoeuvre Area (AMA) drills, tactical training practices (TTPs), non-standard missions and many late evenings conduct- ing tactical manoeuvring by night.
The live fire phase of the exercise gave Gun
and Tac Groups plenty of missions and
rounds to fire. Tac Groups began the phase
observing from the northern end of the SPTA, a
change of perspective from the more frequently
used OPs on the southern edge. Each day the OPs
then advanced around the SPTA, occupying new
hides ready for the next day, with the last couple days
spent in the south with eyes on to the well-known AA ridge. One morning of live firing was interrupted unex- pectantly by some Americans, who steered their OSPREY aircraft over the gun target line and impact area. A timely “check-fire” call from BSM Heggie (E Bty) resulted in some additional training value to exercising troops as this occurred in the middle of FST fire-plans, requiring
a long “DWELL” until airspace was clear again.
ILLUM Gun, 8 Rounds FFE
Another day of live fire gave the gun detachments an opportunity they don’t often get, conducting direct fire ranges from the east of the SPTA. A great opportunity for Gun Number 1s to test their detachments and practice their bracketing skills to bring rounds onto their targets.
For A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) the first week of Gun group training consisted of conducting AMA skills and testing the Bat- tery Recce Officer, Lt McLoughlin, and his recce crew on their ability to bounce the group around the plain. The Tac Group began with low level skills including target indications and con- struction of an OP, before moving onto more armour specific training. The Tac Group focused a lot of tactical movement, this saw the teams conduct ‘stalks’ on the BC and BC’s Ack that were out looking for them. This allowed the teams to hone their ability to use the ground to their advantage, as well as gain valuable feedback on when they were and weren’t spotted.
The second phase brought with it a chance for the Battery to live fire for the first time in almost two years due to the covid pandemic. This was an excellent opportunity for the Battery to blow away some cobwebs prior to the build-up training for their deployment on Op CABRIT. Some of which was needed when a subaltern who will remain nameless decided a coordinated illu- mination mission should be conducted solely in darkness after forgetting to fire the illum gun. The point of training was very
Sgt Adade of E Battery ensuring all rounds are safe to be engaged as the Gun Line Safety Officer
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