Page 40 - 1RHA 2023

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Ex SCORPION CYCLONE:
The Regiment takes centre stage Bdr Aldous-Ball O (HQ) Bty
In a resounding warfighting display, the Regiment’s sub-units deployed on Ex SCORPION CYCLONE from September to early October, accompanied by around 1,300 troops from across the
1st Deep Reconnaissance Strike Brigade Combat Team (1DRS BCT). This deployment was as a part of Ex IRON TITAN, the Brit- ish Army’s largest UK based land exercise for over 20 years with over 8,000 troops spread over 118,000 km2 and proved to be a testament to the Regiment’s unwavering commitment to excel- lence. The exercise was designed to test the ability of large forma- tions to sustain themselves during high tempo operations, over a protracted period in a peer / peer+ adversarial environment.
A Training Ground for Tomorrow’s Leaders
The challenging deployment served as a crucible for the Regi- ment’s junior soldiers, sparking a resurgence of foundational battlecraft skills, as well as an emphasis on combined arms pro- ficiency, a critical aspect of modern war fighting. The focus on maneuverability and survivability laid a robust foundation for the Regiment’s readiness for forthcoming deployments, notably the enduring Op CABRIT commitment as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) on which B Bty are currently deployed and The Chestnut Troop are preparing for.
From Theory to Practice
Ex SCORPION CYCLONE was not just a training exercise. At its core, the aim was to solidify the Regiment’s capacity to engage in warfare from the grassroots level; with quick responses from individual gun detachments all the way up to the coordination of logistics and inter-Regimental fires. Drawing inspiration from the developments in Ukraine, the exercise provided a real-time laboratory for the newly unveiled AJAX platform which is due to be brought into service with 1RHA in 2025, as well as conceptual development for the relatively newly conceived 1DRS BCT to for- mulate its standard operating practices.
A Vision for the Future
The Regiment’s deployment on Ex SCORPION CYCLONE ech- oed the profound commitment our Regiment has to delivering the best on operations. By instilling a culture of adaptability and
FSTs calling for fire from a static OP to ensure the guns are firing to the map prior to more complex training
resilience, the Regiment emerged from Ex SCORPION CYCLONE as a force poised for success under any operational scenario. Lessons learned in Ukraine were woven into the fabric of this exercise, embodying the Regiment’s steadfast dedication to stay- ing at the forefront of relevant operational doctrine. It also pro- vided an opportunity to practice how to manage the resources that it has available before the introduction of new platforms such as AJAX and ARCHER. In retrospect, Ex SCORPION CYCLONE stands as a testament to the Regiment’s unyielding dedication to excellence. In the absence of operations or BATUS this exercise has etched a new standard of training when it comes to warfight- ing which we, as a Regiment should continue to strive for. 1RHA looks forward with the return of Ex SCORPION CYCLONE future iterations where their new Colours will hopefully deploy in full force.
WO1 (RSM) Clapp during a quick O Group
1RHA guns on position
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