Page 5 - 1RHA 2024

1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Commanding Officer’s Foreword Lieutenant Colonel Jim Luck RHA
Since writing last year the Regiment’s focus has remained on Estonia and Operation CABRIT. This totemic deploy- ment remains of great significance to the Army and wider
Defence, as a demonstration of capability and resolve ‘in the shop window’ to our adversaries. B Battery deployed for the first winter of our roulement, with the Gun Group serving nine months there, only recently returning to enjoy the well-earned leave on which they are currently. The Chestnut Troop subsequently deployed staggered, with the Tac Group working with B Battery Guns for their last three months, but now reunited in theatre with their own Gun Group. However, despite being committed for so long this is no static deployment. It has been pleasing to see that the welfare provision, and general quality of life, has demonstrably improved on each successive visit the RSM and I have made to theatre over this last year. So too have the Batterys driven a law of military progress there, pushing the boundaries of WARDEV and force preparedness on each deployment. This has built combat readi- ness in theatre and fed back into Regimental practices that have been developed on the ‘home bank.’
The balance of the Regiment have exercised hard since the inau- gural Brigade Ex SCORPION CYCLONE/IRON TITAN that was in full swing at the last time of going to press. In February, L Battery and the Chestnut Troop Gun Group deployed on Ex CHESTNUT STRIKE on SPTA and, subsequently, Ex CYPHER WARRIOR saw E Battery, L Battery and Chestnut Troop Gun Group deploy, with a Regtl Main HQ, deployed A1, and A2 operating from camp, all generated by O/HQ Battery. Operating at this scale for the first time in a number of years yielded valuable lessons for fighting at a size of relevance, and necessary practise, as it is a perishable skill-set.
E Battery have led the way for the Batterys’ recoveries from CABRIT, converting to Light Gun and fighting it assuredly on Ex CYPHER WARRIOR. From tentative first rounds to absolute pro- ficiency by endex; and fully exploiting the possibilities that data use down to the Gun can offer, in a way seldom done in the wider Royal Artillery. L Bty consolidated this knowledge by again live firing on Ex CABRIT TEMPEST in Castlemartin, supporting L Bat- tery on the final exercise of their long mission readiness training progression. They are now set and completing final administra- tion and leave before deploying to Estonia in September for the Regiment’s final roulement.
In addition to our core role, the soldiers and officers of 1 RHA have supported UK Operations this year: assisting entitled Afghans in their resettlement to the UK on Op LAZURITE; being held at readiness to support the Police on Op TEMPERER; and process- ing our final remaining AS90 to Grant in Kind to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Combined with providing officers and soldiers for numerous individual deployments, the balancing of these multi- farious commitments, in role and out, has at times challenged the Regiment - but the men and women have always done their duty
professionally, selflessly and cheerfully. It has been humbling to serve them in so doing.
There have been sufficient seams of time and opportunity how- ever to exploit this year, Nordic, Alpine and Snowboarding teams, competing through to Combined Service level; the Regimen- tal Football Team winning the Royal Artillery Gunner Cup and adventurous training, skiing to Val Thorens and quality mountain days in Snowdonia have all helped balance work and life.
The year ahead of us will see us end our current commitment to Estonia in the Spring of 2025 and excitingly reunite as a Regi- ment for the first time in two years. Thereafter, we will be held at readiness for the Lead Armoured Brigade Combat Team, and Lead Fires Group, and begin Regimental modernisation with E and L Battery receiving Ajax for their FSTs. Combined with a Bat- tle Field Study of the Regiment’s actions in Italy, more sport and AT, and a medals parade to present the Wider Service Medal to those who have recently served in Estonia, there will be much to look forward to in 2025.
Finally, my thanks go to Maj Andy Chalmers who edited this year’s Journal.
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