Page 17 - Bugle Spring 2023

2 RIFLES
A Company deployed on Ex IRON WOLF in Lithuania in October. For many of us, this was our first major exercise of Op CABRIT and Field Army as a whole.
During the exercise we were the only light- role infantry company within an armoured battlegroup, which created challenges we had not faced before. This meant that our anti-tank capability had become our most important asset, so our Rifle Platoons had to adapt and carry more anti-tank weapons than normal. I got hands on with a C90, an Estonian anti-tank weapon, and managed to destroy an enemy troop carrier.
We were tasked with securing a small village which we struggled with at first,
met with IDF, Boxer vehicles, tanks, and dismounted troops. Against the odds, we managed to cause a large amount of chaos destroying various enemy vehicles and initially capturing three enemy buildings, although we did sustain a lot of casualties in doing so.
During this phase we were working alongside the Czech BMPs, American Abraham tanks and had Lithuanian anti-tank attachments. It was interesting being a part of an integrated battlegroup and demonstrated how we can be used in a wider context.
After this, we went on to our defensive phase. My platoon were ordered to defend the woodblock that we harboured up in. That night we set up defences such as razor wire and low wire entanglement, dug subsurface OPs and prepared a fallback and trench system. Personally, I believe this was the most impressive stage, as overnight we made the woodblock impenetrable to armour, meaning we would be facing dismounted troops only. We did however have small teams in OPs ready to destroy any armour outside of the
woodblock. We were then attacked by Belgian forces who struggled to break in initially. They dismounted from their vehicles and started to push through the woodblock. We continuously destroyed their positions, utilising our C90s and ASMs. This slowed them down massively, inflicting many casualties on the advance.
We were heavily outnumbered,
and held them
off against all odds, only
to succumb to IDF in the end.
I believe this exercise was beneficial to
A Company as it showed how we would integrate into an armoured battlegroup
and how we would work with our NATO counterparts in any future conflict. It also demonstrated to other nations how 2 RIFLES operate and the versatility of light forces in any environment.
our anti-tank capability had become our most important asset
RIFLES The Bugle 17
Ex IRON WOLF