Page 33 - 4RA Regimental Journal 2019-2020

4th Regiment Royal Artillery
of the JEF Light Brigade in September. Ele- ments of 97 Battery deployed on Ex CER- BERUS to test this as 7X, 20X, 16X, 1X and the AATF were validated for their upcom- ing commitments to 3(UK) Div. Members of the Battery deployed as the 7X JFC, helping them to achieve validation for their commitment as the JEF Light Brigade.
Despite an unpredictable year, James Troop – which has become the largest Air troop in the British Army - have maintained their JTAC currency to a very high stand- ard. They have also engaged with overseas allies on Ex ROYAL BLACKHAWK, the first overseas exercise to deploy after the COVID-19 pandemic. Working with pilots and ground forces from the US, Belgium and France, James Troop built interna- tional relationships and achieved success on an exercise which received heavy inter- est from the media, industry and 2-star Commanders alike.
There have been many new additions to the Battery and I extend my warmest wel- come to Flt Lt Ash France (RAF) who has taken up the role of BK replacing Capt James Steel whilst he and his FST are deployed on Op CABRIT in Poland. Capt
Marriot (RL) and Capt de Bois (RA) have taken on the role of OC TacP 3/29 and OC TacP 97 respectively. WO2 Holt has estab- lished himself as BSM and Sgt Hartley (RAF) has been a valuable addition to the Battery.
Lawson’s continue to maintain our readi- ness and support the ongoing Regimental MTU effort with many personnel deployed on it or at readiness for local support ini- tiatives. Those that remain have been
praised for the professionalism with which they have performed their duties in the absence of a large part of the Regiment.
The next year will be an exciting one for Lawson’s as we continue to support the JEF Light Brigade at readiness. As always, we remain flexible, adaptable and profes- sional; poised for the next challenge.
Forever Green and Gold.
Exercise SUNDERLAND DAGGER marked an important point in the evolution of 97 Battery. It was the first
exercise in which the Battery deployed with Jackals. Most of us experienced for the first time what it was like to fight from the vehicle, and also call for fire whilst operating from the platform.
Operating the systems on exercise was challenging yet rewarding. It was a steep learning curve as we learnt how to move the vehicles tactically as well as fight from them effectively. But over time, the bat- tery began to excel in their handling. We overcame some difficult frictions. As the vehicles were not fitted with sight systems, and because we could not use laser range finders due to all the metal, we became experts in reverting to our maps and compasses whilst moving at speed. This bolstered our soldiering skills and formed crews into teams as we worked together to overcome the difficulty.
Integration was the watchword for the exercise. Fully incorporating JTAC’s into the FST’s and tight communication between JFC and Tac-P elements helped us unleash the full potential of guns and air alike. Utilising ideas from all ranks, 97 battery developed good communication and procedures to maximise the freedoms of both the guns and the aircraft. The ulti-
LBdr Gilbert
mategoalwastheseamlessintegrationof all fires and it had noticeably more effect on the enemy when it worked well. Look- ing forward, 97 Battery is continuing with its FST/JTAC integration at all possible opportunities.
A highlight of the exercise for me was the close target recce. Before we attempted this, we were given a lesson on the theory of the CTR. This was followed by a full set of orders and mission prep. Our aim was to gather as much information as pos- sible on a varied set of targets, ideally without being seen. In the dead of night, the recce group moved tactically towards the target area. Utilising petal techniques, the group gathered information, drew dia- grams and sketches, and marked posi- tions of the enemy. Upon our return this was debriefed and we helped to create a target pack for the next days engagement. It was extremely valuable for us to see the full development of the target pack, from raw data into usable intelligence which we could then act upon.
As we move forward and the battery now preparers for Ex WESSEX STORM with the Scots Dragoon Guards, we intend to build upon what we learnt on SUNDERLAND DAGGER. It will be a mounted exercise where we can practice and refine our tacti- cal handling of the Jackals. Our continued
integration training is sure to pay off. Bat- tery level training has taken huge strides to fully integrating the JTAC’s into the FST’s. On Ex WESSEX STORM, we will be able to fully unleash all the fire power our assets have to offer, integrating rather than deconflicting their effects.
Ex SUNDERLAND DAGGER
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