Page 14 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2018

12 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
Innovation in the Royal Lancers
We live in an uncertain world. We face a future operating environment characterised by contested norms and per- sistent disorder, with the speed and velocity of change comfort- ably outstripping our ability to adapt. Aging ground combat as- sets and the limited procurement of technologically advanced systems have created a situation in which our adversaries have capability parity and, in many cases, superiority.
Reconnaissance units face a sensor-rich digital battlefield, po- tentially without our accustomed air superiority, where massed and precision munitions destroy formations in minutes based upon cell phone signals. The probability of defeat against a state opponent seems real.
But harnessing and converting this disruptive energy into op- erational effectiveness doesn’t simply mean changing one small area, such as introducing a platform upgrade or an automated truck. Delivering genuine disruption means transforming the way you understand the delivery of this effectiveness from end to end – from the strategic to micro-tactical, from support to combat arms, from Trooper to General. This is why the Regi-
ment shortly after returning from Cyprus discussed innovation and ideas for where we might focus effort at a Loya Jirga. The discussion centred around three areas: how we train as a recon- naissance regiment; the lived experience for our soldiers and; our fighting capability – specifically focused on equipment and tactics.
Using this discussion as the start point we then established teams across and through the Regiment and appealed to all to contribute bright ideas (more specifically bright problems) for the innovation teams to look at and work out ways of solv- ing. At the time of writing this consultation is ongoing but we expect that have the first worked up recommendations in the early Spring 19 that we can implement, under the innovation teams, in the weeks following. There is much to do on this still and we are admittedly still in the foothills of delivering change that will have a tangible benefit to the Regiment that is not weighed down by process and bureaucracy, but I’m confident that this is an effort more than worth taking.
ADGB
Loya Jirga
On the first day of November 2018 the Regiment’s whole compliment of Officers and Senior NCOs decamped to the salubrious surroundings of Tennants Auction House for the an- nual Loya Jirga. The Loya Jirga is designed as a forum to raise issues of regimental importance and to trigger open discussion; unlike the usual auction house fare the aim was not for unneces- sary things to be aggressively sold to a baying audience, this was about cooperative idea sharing and learning.
After an excellent array of cakes were quickly demolished and under the expert stewardship of the Regimental Second in Com- mand we plunged headlong into the subject of retention and work life balance. The RCMO and OC A Squadron provided an excellent platform for discussion with a range of statistics and survey results which spring boarded a heated session. The importance of messaging and understanding was highlighted by the Commanding Officer, and a broad body of the attend- ees raised the positive reception a return to late starts Mondays would receive to allow Sunday nights at home for the many who