Page 157 - RSDG Year of 2023

the fragile ceasefire largely held, punctuated only by the occasional distant bombing run from Sudanese MIGs or over-enthusiastic RSF soldiers conducting target practice against a descending Turkish Hercules. However, roughly 9000 British citizens were known to be in the vicinity of Khartoum, yet with internet and cellular coverage reduced to less than 2% of already uninspiring service, communi- cating to this audience where to go, what documents to bring, and to please not bring pet dogs/cats/flamingos with them was almost an impossibility.
My team deployed to the airfield and set up essentially a ‘pirate’ FM radio station, using portable equipment to boom these instructions across the city. Given that all local radio stations had ceased broadcasting, at one point my messaging was the only live radio channel accessible to the roughly 6 million population of Khartoum. I pity them, because it really wasn’t exciting and was somewhat repetitive! Of note, this message had been approved through the FCDO by our JFHQ Liaison Officer in Cyprus, produced by a BBC newsreader reservist at HQ 77X in Denison Barracks, Newbury, and transmitted out via satellite to the sands of Sudan for dissemination via our Radios- a truly integrated effort across the board.
The professionalism of the Commando force leading the operation was immaculate, and it was largely through their calm, quiet approach that events by and large unfolded peacefully. Beyond radio transmissions, Tactical PsyOps were able to advise the force, and provide them with additional support through provision of
loudspeakers (which at one point made a marked difference to quell a riotous crowd of Egyptians who had stormed the runway after being informed that their government wasn’t sending any more planes!!) displaying internal messages and notifications using high powered projectors, and capture of photos and video sent back to the UK.
Whilst the fire breathing warriors amongst this readership may not be getting excited about communicating, it’s undeniable that, whilst not ‘crunchy’, this is both something that the Army is notoriously bad at, and ultimately has a disproportionate effect on campaign outcomes. Information takes many forms, and like it or not, we’re all involved to some degree, even by how we dress, speak or present ourselves. History may be written by the victor, but nowadays victory itself is defined by perception, something that the Americans found to their cost in Vietnam. Just as we’ve grown accustomed to the domains of land, sea and air, so too must we acknowledge that significant competition occurs elsewhere, and information is one such space. Although far from perfect, 77X is filling that void, and will continue to increase its effectiveness and utility in years to come. In such a politically cautious world, PsyOps teams are likely to deploy closest to whatever is going on, well in advance of fighting troops. Until the balloon goes up in a break-glass- in-event-of-war situation, Information Operations is a fantastic place to be, and I highly recommend considering the Brigade for future posts.
EAGLE AND CARBINE 155