Page 11 - Bugle Issue 20 Autumn 2022

DRONE EXPERIMENTATION
1 RIFLES’ Recce Platoon have been pursuing the procurement and standard operating procedure development of tactical Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS). The process has been particularly complex with several layers of bureaucracy whilst dealing with government bodies for the authorisation to fly, civilian organisations to procure the physical RPAS, and numerous military pools from which to find the funding. This has all had
to be completed while following a mixture of tri-service and civilian bodies to qualify as competent individuals, from the pilots through to the planning, deconfliction and duty holding at Commanding Officer level.
We are set to utilise RPAS on Ex ASKARI STORM for its first tactical deployment against a near-peer enemy force (TF HANNIBAL),
with a fleet of 25 Parrot Anafi MIL USAs. TF HANNIBAL will likely operate their own RPAS and therefore test 1 RIFLES Battlegroup (BG) on the challenges of RPAS Identification
of Friendly Forces and Enemy Forces (EF) Positive Identification (PID) as well as the ever- challenging question of C-UAS.
At present, British Army doctrine, at the tactical level, is limited to ‘disperse, find cover, track and report’ when it comes to C-UAS. In the absence of equipment, 1 RIFLES BG look to
The smallest country on the continent of Africa, agile Gambia has the potential to be the quickest, cheapest, simplest and least risk averse; to punch above its weight in regional security and shame others into action.
As it develops high value niche military capabilities, The Gambia has the willingness to be a valuable strategic partner, a position we earned from decades of engagement and the UK is still partner of choice. Building on historic foundations; fighting alongside one another in both world wars, establishing the Gambian Army in 1985 and today a close commonwealth ally.
Well-motivated and disciplined, the Gambian Armed Forces (GAF) present a ripe opportunity to develop specialist capability for a modest input. Their geographic location and porous borders make them an attractive transit route for serious organised crime and terrorists, and it is in our interests to improve their capacity.
The British Liaison Officer to The Gambia
develop and trial methods to screen friendly forces and reduce or even neutralise the effect of enemy force RPAS.
1 RIFLES’ RPAS journey is still embryonic and should anyone be able to offer any novel
tactics, techniques, or procedures, please do reach out to 1 RIFLES Reconnaissance Platoon! Cpl Rob Davis, Patrol 2iC, 1 RIFLES Reconnaissance Platoon
1 RIFLES
embodied the close relationship, being the boots on the ground for the Defence Attaché based in Senegal, LO for 7X, British Peace
Support Team West Africa and 1 RIFLES. We worked hard to ensure that both
Gambian and British interests were being promoted through facilitating British training teams, seeking training opportunities, learning from GAF and earning close relationships with the Commandant of the Training School (PCD graduate), Director of Training and Doctrine (PCD graduate) and the Minister of Defence (RMAS graduate). The post was eight months long and split by A/Capt Tom Conlon and A/ Capt Robbie Harnby.
Lt Harnby, 1 RIFLES
We worked hard to ensure that both Gambian and British interests were being promoted
RIFLES The Bugle 11
LIASION OFFICER TO THE GAMBIA