Page 6 - KRH Regimental Journal 2022

4 The Regimental Journal of The King’s Royal Hussars
Foreword by
The Colonel of the Regiment
Brigadier Nick Orr
2022 has seen the Regiment’s transition from a focus on readi- ness as the Army’s Lead Armoured Battlegroup to prepara- tion for, and deployment on, operations. As I write The King’s Royal Hussars Battlegroup is halfway through the Operation (Op) CABRIT 11 deployment in Estonia. This is the second time this NATO commitment, of providing an Armoured Battlegroup as the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) force, has been com- manded by the Regiment. The deployment is the culmination of a nine-month training pathway that began in January 2022 with mounted ranges in Castlemartin and troop tests on Salisbury Plain. Following sub-unit training, the battlegroup took part in Exercise DEFENDER EUROPE, deploying to Poland and training in a tank-killing configuration, thereby preparing for the primary role of Op CABRIT 11. This included C, A and HQ Squadrons from the Regiment, alongside a squadron of Danish Leopard tanks and an anti-tank company from The Scots Guards, as well as the tradi- tional close support artillery and armoured engineer attachments. This force structure marks a first of its kind for the Army and is intended to ensure our adversary is constantly kept guessing about the ORBAT of troops deployed in Estonia.
With the battlegroup headquarters and two thirds of the Regiment in Poland, conducting mission specific training for Op CABRIT, D Squadron began preparations to join the 1 Mercian Battlegroup to support the next rotation of British Army units at readiness. After spending most of the summer on Salisbury Plain D Squadron spent the autumn in Cyprus honing dismounted skills with an eye on further exercises in the New Year.
This high tempo of operations and training places the Regiment at the centre of the Army’s key priorities and outputs. In the Summer the Chief of the General Staff announced an initiative called Op MOBILISE, a whole Army mobilisation from the line of march to deter Russian aggression and prevent war. The mani- festation of which is Op CABRIT. There could not have been a more poignant time for the Regiment to deploy to NATO’s east- ern flank in September 2022.
In Estonia the KRH Battlegroup trains and rehearses to execute the operation alongside our NATO allies. They have taken part in a NATO tank competition in Latvia, deployed troops to Finland, and hosted an international Boxing competition with represen- tation from six NATO allies. As expected, our soldiers are per- forming outstandingly in Estonia and are yet again enhancing the reputation of the Regiment. The visit from the Prime Minister in December provided some excellent media coverage and placed us firmly at the forefront of British Army capability. Critical to successful deployments and commitments are our families, whose support we rely upon in order to prosecute successful operations. As always, our profound thanks goes to them and the Welfare Team.
Somewhat surprisingly for many of us, 2022 marked the 30th Anniversary of the formation of The King’s Royal Hussars. Formed on 4th December 1992 by the amalgamation of The Royal Hussars (PWO) and the 14th/20th King’s Hussars the
Regiment was swift to earn a strong reputation and has main- tained this hard fought and preeminent position ever since. It is something of which we should all be exceptional proud and grateful. The Regiment hosted a Families Day, with our Colonel in Chief, HRH The Princess Royal, in July to mark the occasion and thank everyone, past and present, for their support ahead of the deployment.
This is my first foreword as Colonel of the Regiment having taken over from General Sir Adrian Bradshaw in December; I thank him wholeheartedly, both personally and on behalf of us all, for all that he did during his tenure. I am hugely looking forward to my first opportunity to visit the Regiment in Estonia in January 2023 and see first hand the work they are doing. 2023 promises to be an exciting year, packed with opportunities for our soldiers as well as taking some well earned leave. I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at Cavalry Memorial Day in May, other Regimental activities, and Association events.