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more refinements to the SOC format, making it ready for further testing by the Deep Recce Strike Brigade HQ.
Having leaguered together for maintenance, in some of the sog- giest conditions a soldier can hope not to see, the Regiment hosted a Families display day, to which the three Batterys and the LAD contributed the full range of its armoured and wheeled vehicles to a static display, as well as an AS90 and Light Gun for a live-fire demonstration to the onlookers. The event both pro- vided those on exercise some welcome time with their families alongside allowing those dearest to the Regiment’s personnel to get a glimpse of life on exercise and the role of the Regiment. To finish, the RCWO and his team provided an excellent buffet for the troops and their families to enjoy. The curry, of note, was described by many guests as the best they had ever had, which feedback brought enormous smiles to the chefs’ faces.
With renewed energy, the Regiment returned to valuable train- ing, with a bayonet lane led by the Regimental Sergeant Major to build robustness, leadership and controlled aggression; all key to the success of building greater leaders. The Regiment deployed to the area of the direct fire ranges by means of a delib- erate ‘march’ operation, carefully planned and synchronised by the Regimental Main HQ from OHQ Battery, who controlled the movement out of the leaguer in coordinated packets through the route and a rolling replenishment provided by O HQ Bty’s A1 Ech- elon. The goal of hitting waypoints not early, not late but ‘on time’ was confirmed by most to be easier said than done. The March was conducted over to the Direct Fire range, where both Bat- terys engaged targets on a flat trajectory to rehearse their ability to perform the role of “Sniping Gun”. This was followed with an urban deployment into Copehill Down village, in which the finer points of urban deployments were explored and SOPs devel- oped. Within the confines of the village, firing was conducted out onto the danger area, training for the increasing threat of urban warfare. It was here that the Regiment was visited by Brigadier NJM Budd OBE, Commander 1 DRS, to address the news of the future Mobile Fires Platform as well as speak on the upcoming deployments to Estonia.
Departing Copehill Down, the Regiment took up fresh positions where they received a second visit from Brigadier CW Boswell, Commander 20 ABCT, who toured the gun lines and the CPs. This was followed on by a series of fire plans, delivered from both FSTs and BC L Bty and coordinated through the FDC, where the two Batterys engaged multiple targets. To mark the occasion, the firing of the final rounds to be fired on British soil from the venerable AS90 was carried out on the 2nd of May. To signify the moment, The Commanding officer sent the call for fire while the BK of the Chestnut Troop, Capt Kraig Handley, was the one to carry out the final order, each gun was fired by the youngest Gunners in the Battery: Gunners Mylett, Darcy and Murphy. With a final salvo fired over the misty Plain, the guns turned back to return to camp, heralding the end of 32 years of operation with the Royal Regiment. Having seen action in the Balkans, Iraq War and the current Russo-Ukrainian war, the last of 1RHA’s AS90s will be fired on Op CABRIT 15 before their gifting to Ukraine. In their stead, the Regiment looks forward to the exciting future of the Archer and the New Mobile Fires Platform.
With Chestnuts departure, E Battery continued for a further week of good training, conducting a number of live missions in con- junction with their own Tac group, L Battery’s FSTs and Cyclops Squadron of the Royal Dragoon Guards. Continuing to show their rapid acclimatisation to the Light Gun, E Battery collected data on
their times to fire and deployment drills, to better inform the other Batterys ahead of their own impending conversions. E Battery would go on to conduct split Battery fire plans over data trans- mission as well as quick action drills to test the speed of their detachments in taking calls for fire while on the move. Alongside this, elements of 5th Regiment RA joined to achieve their own TQCC in conjunction with E Battery, honing their fire-direction radars as the guns performed fire and manoeuvre shoots across the Plain.
The themes of survival by motion and manoeuvre were contin- ued as E demonstrated it’s ability to rapidly move and deploy their guns across the battle space. Additional tactical actions were rehearsed to increase effectiveness in combat skills, includ- ing an obstacle crossing planned and briefed utilising the Stand- ard Orders Cards system as well as a defence of the guns against enemy dismounts. The latter of which was conducted following a night of building an intelligence picture as to enemy penetration of the front line. Most notably of all, it was on this exercise that E Battery achieved the first L118 fire mission to be fully conducted over data transmission: from FST to CP to guns. This marked an important first in the Regiment’s conversion and demonstrated the skill and dedication that the Battery displayed in their transfer from the AS90 to the ever-dependable Light Gun. As we look to innovate and prepare for the battlefield of the future, the use of data missions is likely to supersede that of voice. E Battery’s achievements lead the way in our drive for increased lethality and effectiveness.
SUMMARY
As 1RHA draws near to the end of its cycle through Estonia, and the sunset of AS90, it will soon convert entirely to light gun. We must wait for our next operational cycle before we become acquainted with the newly procured Archer 155mm howitzer, on which 19RA are blazing a trail. Fortuitously, fate should find the Regiment perfectly placed to lead in the fielding of the future Boxer-howitzer RCH 155. Meanwhile, without self-propelled guns, we must tenaciously maintain our hard-won ‘self-propelled’ knowledge, skills and experience. 1RHA will be robustly exploiting its conceptual and simulated series of training events to maintain this priceless specialist skill set.
1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
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