Page 18 - The Cormorant Issue 14

ACSC Visit to the Land Combat Power Demonstration on Salisbury Plain
Sqn Ldr Gareth Mount
During the 7th week of ACSC 14, students and staff were joined by the Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land) 7a for 2 days on Salisbury Plain as part of their study into the UK Land Component. Given that 2 weeks earlier ACSC 14 had been superbly hosted by the RAF during the Air Combat Power Visit (ACPV), organised by the RAF’s HQ Air Command, the Land Combat Power Demonstration (LCPD) had a tough act to follow. It is also probably worth mentioning that the experience of the ACPV was enhanced by the opportunity to reflect on the activi- ties of the day over a quiet beer in Lincoln prior to an early night in a hotel – a luxury not extended to the LCPD as all faced a daily coach journey back and forth to Shrivenham!
The Land Warfare Centre in Warminster runs the LCPD on a yearly basis to showcase the capabilities of the British Army to invited observers. The demonstration includes the participation of around 1000 soldiers and an equivalent number of vehicles, tents and equipment in order to provide students with an under- standing of the Land Component and its constituent formations and units. To do this the visit is effectively split into 2 separate, but linked demonstrations. The first is aimed at providing the students with an insight into the equipment held, and includes both standard equipment procured to meet the challenges of the Contemporary Operating Environment (COE) and equipment procured under Urgent Operational Requirements to equip UK Armed Forces operating in support of Operation HERRICK in Afghanistan. The second demonstration involves the deploy- ment of a Land formation in the COE and the challenges faced in operating and sustaining it. As a secondary benefit the visit provided students with an appreciation of the culture and ethos of the British Army and how this helps deliver the moral aspect of
Lt Col Von Block (German Army) discusses protected mobility
fighting power – something that is evident across all the operat- ing environments.
When looking at the current equipment and capabilities of the Land Component in the first demonstration, the complexity of current operations was clearly evident. This year a compound clearance demonstration was included. This sought to show- case the equipment now on offer for dismounted close combat troops, but also highlighted the responsibility and decision mak- ing required of relatively junior soldiers and officers at the tactical level every day on Op HERRICK. Students then had the opportu- nity to view a vast array of equipment close-up, but most impor- tantly to ask those difficult questions of the soldiers who actually operated the equipment. This was an opportunity that many stu- dents found interesting and thought provoking. The equipment demonstration culminated with the opportunity to experience a brief taste of operating as part of an Armoured Battle-Group (BG) with students riding in the turrets of Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles on a BG assault, and for those lucky few the turret of a Challenger 2 Tank – or ‘Chally 2’ as the students referred to them after being brainwashed by the Royal Armoured Corps! The final aspect of the capability demonstration was the guided tour of the deployed Headquarters of 3 (UK) Division, which included vignettes from the main functional areas that helped explain the processes employed within the HQ. The associated deep strike and Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Recon- naissance (ISTAR) assets were also available to view, providing students with an understanding of the total range of effects and information available to the HQ in the COE.
The second demonstration provided students with an under- standing of the footprint required for the deployment of a fight- ing formation, but included the elements required to sustain the formation in field. The sustain element was extremely well show- cased by students following a ‘blue box’ around the training area. The ‘blue box’ represented priority equipment demanded by a unit – deployed on Operation HERRICK – that was observed moving along the logistics chain from its arrival in-theatre to its delivery to its end user and enhanced by injections of humour by the units involved along the way. In addition to describing the process, the demonstration also highlighted changes to tactics, techniques and procedures that operations in Afghanistan have required – such as Combat Logistic Patrols and the reliance on ISTAR assets to provide situational awareness. Finally, to help understand the additional challenges of sustaining the Land Component briefings from support arms such as the Provost and Medical Services were given to explain their critical roles in sustaining operations.
The LCPD represents a significant investment in both time and money from the British Army, and given its complexity, planning started 12 months out. This investment was rewarded with an efficient and professional demonstration, which provided stu- dents and staff with an unrivalled experience through which to understand the challenges and capabilities of the Land Compo- nent. Students and staff alike are extremely grateful to the Land Warfare Centre and the personnel involved for the time and effort required of them, especially those that had recently returned from Afghanistan. Did it equal the experiences of the ACPV, including its Typhoon display and 2 nights in a Lincolnshire hotel? Defi- nitely; what it lacked in social opportunities it more than made up for in mud!
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