Page 33 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

C Coy - Exercise STEPPE EAGLE 17
Exercise STEPPE EAGLE is a multinational exercise involving the British, US and Kazakh armies. Recently the British commitment to this exercise has fallen to 1 RIFLES as part of the regional alignment of 160 Brigade with central Asia for training and defence engagement. The exercise has been taking place since 2003 and is hosted by each nation in turn with the aim of preparing the Kazakh Army for peacekeeping operations through improvements in interoperability, low level tactics and HQ staff proce- dures. The main exercise in July is preceded by the KOKTEM or ‘Spring’ exercise. This initial exercise was used to instruct the Kazakhstani Peace Keeping Battalion (KAZBAT) in preparation for the main event. This year it saw 15 members of C Company deploy to Illisky Training Range to mentor and advise Kazakh instructors as they took the lead in training for the rst time. The team oversaw six lessons: Rural Patrolling; Urban Patrolling and Key Leader Engagements (KLE); Cordon and Search opera- tions; Crowd Control; Veh patrolling and VCPs; and Forward operating Base (FoB) operations.
This year the main exercise took place at the Illisky training centre just outside Almaty, Kazakhstan. C Company deployed 24 personnel supported by 5 members of 160 Bde. Their task was to establish 6 Battle Exercise (BE) lanes to allow KAZBAT, reinforced with platoons from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, to prepare for their NATO Evaluation Level 1 assessment during the FTX. Meanwhile the Brigade staff prepared EXCON to act as the HICON for the evaluation. The Kazakhs, Tajiks and Kyrgyz soldiers embraced the battle lanes showing rapid improvement over the course of the week. The crowd control lane proved to be a real attraction to all whom visited the exercise. Sjt Hardy deployed with the Coy to provide the Kazakh Battalion with some recce training, teaching their recce platoon the basics of close target recognisance including the establishment of OPs, patrolling and contact drills; all instruction that was badly needed for a new but highly motivated platoon.
Exercise STEPPE EAGLE epitomises the very
essence of defence engagement. The relationships formed between the Kazakh peacekeeping school, KAZBAT and the members of 1 RIFLES are a true testament to its effect. All are looking forward to the next iteration of the exercise, to be held in Germany. The Kazakh Peace Keeping Battalion has made great steps towards their rst deployment. With 160 Brigade’s continued support through 1 RIFLES’ persistent engagement and bonds of friendship with the Kazakhs we may soon see elements of KAZBAT deployed on UN Missions, their ultimate goal.
Maj Rich Cave, OC C Company
THE RIFLES
FIRST BATTALION 31
LCpl Sutherland raising the Union Flag during the opening ceremony
Ex STEPPE EAGLE Team at the Pan lov Guardsmen Memorial, Almaty
THE KAZAKHS, TAJIKS AND KYRGYZ SOLDIERS EMBRACED THE BATTLE LANES