Page 8 - Falcon Issue 1 2024

8
PROJECT CYLIX
The VEO threat in the Far North of Cameroon continued to develop throughout 2023. This was felt by TU-01 who deployed to the Far North of Cameroon in April 2023. An increase of IED FINDs and STRIKEs had seen a new skillset requested for the development of OPS ALPHA – the Cameroonian Task Force assigned to countering the VEO threat in the Far North. TU-01 undertook the continued development of OPS ALPHA’s C-EO capability. This sensitive subject led the TU specialists to build upon an existing strong relationship with
its partners to a new height. The team worked hard to understand the changing face of the IED threat and tailor training to its partners. A challenging, but important
task, involving building a larger understanding of the devices being employed – and attempting to pre- empt how they might develop into the future. The combined UK-CMR partnership grew at the personal level in attempting mitigating this threat and keeping the soldiers of OPS ALPHA safe.
The development of the C-EO capability came second only to the development of the newly built Joint Operations Centre (JOC). An operationally busy TF, the TU faced a challenge in building the capability of an existing HQ and developing
it to work with its Partners across Government (PAG) in a relevant,
and beneficial environment – seeking to directly influence the development of OPS ALPHA’s planning capability and the JOC.
The TU successfully brought OPS ALPHA and its local intelligence partners. TU-01 successfully delivered training packages to OPS ALPHA’s staff cohort – successfully building upon their HQ planning process
and encouraging the use of all staff functions as opposed to the existing single planning head. The officers
of OPS ALPHA were particularly excited about the training and threw themselves into it with vigour.
Throughout the seven-month deployment, TU-01 supported
their partners in a wide variation of tasks. Though the partners of TU-01
TU-01 conducts C-EO training alongside OPS ALPHA
The officers of OPS ALPHA were particularly excited about the training and threw themselves into it with vigour
were a competent and capable organisation, they sought further information and variations on TTPs they could incorporate at the tactical level. This included SOPs in actions and the planning and estimate process form the most junior commander upwards. Specifically receptive were the Centre Anti-Terroriste (C.A.T). a tier one SF unit who were particularly interested in developing their medical capability and sought better employment of their snipers. The majority of the C.A.T missions were focused around
the mountainous regions of the Far North of Cameroon – posing a challenge to the unit in which TU-01 mentored in employment of assets, understanding ground and use of assets through difficult mountainous terrain.
Though a busy deployment
– TU-01 weren’t all work, regular volleyball games with its partners encouraged team cohesion, relationships and most importantly – a solid bronze suntan, which mostly wore off within two weeks of the TU’s return to the UK!
Joint patrolling with CAT
TU-01 and OPS ALPHA discuss mountain patrol SOPs