Page 62 - QDG Volume 9 No. 5

60 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Ex Resolute Warrior
Exercise Resolute Warrior saw C
Squadron conduct a road move from
Poland to Latvia, through the Suwalki
Gap, before operating as enemy forces
for the NATO Multinational Brigade,
Latvia. Whilst a free-thinking enemy
was requested by the Canadian forces,
they soon realised that the combined
manoeuvrability and lethality of the Sqn
was too much for the Brigade to handle.
After a number of smaller skirmishes
against the Danes, a coordinated attack
was mounted against the remaining
defensive forces, resulting in the capture
of the Brigade’s logisitic element,
resulting in the complete collapse of the
logistics echelon, some 10 kilometres
beyond the main ‘defensive’ line’. The
Canadian Brigade RSM was furious at C
Sqn’s success, remarking how unaccept-
able it was that they were ‘driving around
at night’.
After a continued
exchange of fire over the
following days, the squadron
was directed to assume
the defence to allow our
Canadian cousins to test
their assaulting capabilities.
Whilst 1st Troop harassed
likely enemy crossing posi-
tions, 10 soldiers from 2nd
Tp, heroically made their last
stand against the might of
the Multinational Brigade’s
armour in a hastily dug
trench system. Meanwhile,
the remainder of the Sqn
assumed main defensive
positions and successfully
held off the Brigade for
several hours until instructed
to tactically withdraw.
The exercise provided the
opportunity to demonstrate
the Sqns capability to rapidly
The Canadian
Brigade RSM
was furious
at C Sqn’s
success,
remarking
how
unacceptable
it was that
they were
‘driving
around at
night’.
deploy at full scale, as well
as the chance to develop
new kit and tactics. Support
Troop focussed on utilising
UAS capabilities as well as
linking in with Spanish Light
Electronic Warfare Team
(LEWT) to find and pros-
ecute targets. 1st and 2nd
Troop used the our brand
new Fused Target Locator
Recce to great effect on
recces and offensive actions
and all troops used the time
to develop the interopera-
bility with attached arms.
Of note was the use of radar
to detect enemy UAS, from
which launch recovery sites
were identified providing
direction for the Sqn break-
through. Throughout, the
Sqn demonstrated the
adaptability and manoeu-
Brigadier Giles Harris DSO OBE,
Commander CABRIT briefing up the troops
vrability that is characteristic of any good
recce Sqn. At one point, the in-role 2IC,
Lt William Asquith, reacted with the
upmost speed to a compromised code
word, utilising ‘meow’ to initiate the Sqn
move and asking the OC to ‘release the
dogs’ on H-hr.
Whilst deployed on the ground, the
Sqn was visited by the British Ambas-
sador to Latvia, Commander CABRIT
and the British Defence Attaché. They
spoke to the Sqn and were given a tour
around the new equipment being tested
by the soldiers.
As the exercise concluded and the
troops withdrew South to Poland, C Sqn’s
efforts against the brigade passed into
Adazi legend and C Sqn personal were
left with a hankering for Tim Horton’s
that will last long before the end of tour.
Long after the exercise, there was talk
of the Sqn ‘turning over the Canadian
Can-Doos’ and ‘completely turning over
one of Canada’s premier mechanised
infantry regiments’. Less than a month
after the Sqns deployment to Poland, they
had successfully completed a Sqn level
move and exercise, demonstrating, and
proving the capability we offer to NATO
and exercising with partner nations.
JF
C Sqn driving through the Suwalki Gap.
Take the next right into Kaliningrad