Page 18 - Bugle Spring 2025

3 RIFLES
EX MESSINES
– RIFLEMEN
DOWN UNDER
In September, the Battalion HQ deployed
to Townsville, Australia to take part in Ex
MESSINES, a Command Post Exercise
with 3rd Battalion The Royal Australia
Regiment. The Exercise saw a merged
British/Australian Battlegroup HQ create
a plan to repulse an enemy invasion
of Papua New Guinea. The jungle
environment is one that only a handful
of the Brits had experience in but the
Aussies’ whole focus is to fight in the
jungles of the islands north of their home.
Movement is far slower, sustainment
is more difficult, and many capabilities
such as thermal sights and UAS lose their
effectiveness.
Different planning processes and
tactics were wrestled to come up with a
plan to defeat the enemy. Once the plan
was decided upon by the respective
Commanding Officers, it was executed in
a simulator. Staff officers established a
Recce Strike, the exercise provided a great
opportunity to experiment working with a
partner force and providing battlewinning
fire support assets.
The exercise was also an incredibly
successful defence engagement. The
Australians treated the Brits to long runs
up their local hills, a shared experience
from our own runs up the Pentlands,
as well as providing
opportunities to explore
the local tropical islands.
There was also deep shared
heritage between 3 RIFLES
and 3 RAR which stretched
back as far as the Battle of
Messines in 1917 where the
Duke of Cornwall’s Light
Infantry and 3 RAR fought
side-by-side.
Capt Hunter, RSO, HQ Coy
command post to control and react to the
battle as soldiers simulated the troops on
the ground on computer systems. As 3
RIFLES embraces its new role as Tactical
18 RIFLES The Bugle