http://www.forces.tv/08406662 http://bcove.me/6l352rjc 2014-11-21 Significant British Influence in Exercise: Black Eagle A Polish-led NATO exercise involving more than a thousand British Troops, reaches its climax today The British Army's "lead armoured battle group" of 1,350 British troops and 500 armoured vehicles participated in the Polish-led Nato exercise.
http://www.army.mod.uk/news/26733.aspx British Army on Polish NATO exercise 20 November 2014 More than 1300 British soldiers and 100 armoured vehicles, including Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and Warrior Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle, from the 3rd UK Division are taking part in Exercise BLACK EAGLE, a British/Polish NATO exercise taking place in Western Poland. Soldiers from Tidworth-based The King’s Royal Hussars (KRH), the UK’s Lead Armoured Battlegroup operating Challenger 2, are conducting live-firing battlefield scenarios alongside their Polish counterparts with Leopard Main Battle Tanks, whilst 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (1R Welsh), with the Warrior, is providing the troops on the ground. A significant demonstration of the UK’s support to the region and NATO’s Immediate Assurance Measures, Ex BLACK EAGLE also highlights the British Army’s ability to deploy an armoured battlegroup at short notice anywhere in the world in support of the nation’s allies. A column of Warrior Armoured fighting vehicles move through an autumnal forest track in Poland. “It’s important to put it in the context of a raft of wider initial security measures on behalf of NATO to reassure our Eastern European allies of the importance of deterrence,” said Lieutenant Colonel Justin Kingsford, Commanding Officer of The KRH. “That has been the foundation of UK defence policy since 1949. “And, to send that message to our wider Eastern European partners that collective security is important to us, to the alliance and very much to NATO itself. “It’s been a few years since we have deployed a force such as this at such high speed. But, we’ve got the capabilities to project force when we need to, albeit in a training scenario such as this, at fairly high speed and at fairly long distances.” Major Alex Michael, Second in Command of The KRH, said: “Coming out here has been a revelation. We have been given the latitude to be able to create some valuable training that we would like to conduct. The infantry companies have found great value in being able to design the training exactly how they want it to run. And we have found that very productive. Soldiers from Kings Royal Hussars are shown around the turret of the Polish Leopard 2 main battle tank. “Certainly, there are lessons for us to learn in terms of how to deploy a battlegroup away from our shores, but it’s also been a lesson in how we can interact with foreign armies and how we can do some low level training with them. “I know that the Polish are very keen to understand how we go about business. For example, low level things like how we mark our maps, how we give orders, and how we manoeuvre across the battle space. And, they have been very generous people and a joy to work with.” Integration Some of the Challengers, which saw action a decade ago in Iraq, were brought out of storage in Germany and updated with the latest armour and communications equipment. The Combined Service Support Group (CSSG) Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) is responsible for providing support to the battlegroup. “You have the lead armoured battlegroup and behind them is the CSSG.” said Lt Col Anna-Lee Johnston, the Commanding Officer. “Basically, wherever they go we go and provide what we call second-line support. That’s logistics, medical, equipment support, policing support, signals support and EOD support. We are responsible for deploying and redeploying them.” Integration has been the key factor on this exercise. “There’s no question they are reassured,” said Lt Col Johnston, who is the first woman to command an armoured close support REME battalion. “The Polish have really enjoyed working with us at every level, from the guys working on the tanks side-by-side with the guys working on Leopards, right the way through to the guys firing mortars or the snipers working together. It’s been brilliant.” Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) use a maintenance day to do a 'pack lift', which means remove a complete power pack (engine and gearbox) and replace it with a reconditioned one. Exercise BLACK EAGLE also sees the supporting units practising their drills in real-time on the battlefield, from 26 Engineer Regiment working with the new Terrier Armoured Digger and the General Support Bridge to the Light Aid Detachments (LADs) of the REME maintaining the Challengers and other armoured vehicles and equipment. Sappers from 26 Engineer Regiment installed a General Support Bridge across the river that splits the training area, with the help of Polish engineers. During the final days of the exercise the bridge will be defended by the British as the Polish take on the role of the enemy. A 32-metre bridge can be built by ten men in about 25 minutes and can take the weight of a fully laden 62-tonne Challenger tank. Live firing Staff Sergeant Tim Brace, D Squadron KRH, said: “We trained in Poland 15 years ago. The training area is exactly the same but the technology has moved on a lot. The Challengers have been brought out of storage and updated. They’re big old beasts. They bite you sometimes if you’re not careful but they are reliable. “When you get up in the morning and see a column of tanks, 56 Leopards and 20 Challengers, passing the hide, that’s quite impressive. It makes the ground rumble. They think tanks are a thing of the past… Not at all.” Sergeant Neal Collins, Warrior Sergeant 1 Platoon, A Company 1R Welsh, said: “We provide the infantry element to the battlefield with the Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicles. They are tracked and get right into the action, dismount the troops while we are still firing into the position, then the troops assault the position and take the fight straight to the enemy.” Soldiers from the 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh Regiment prepare for the live ranges by identifying their arcs. The culmination of the training exercise is the Distinguished Visitors Day (DVD) tomorrow, Friday 21 November, when high-ranking officials from the UK and Poland will enjoy a display of live firing and other battlefield manoeuvres — a scenario where the British are defending and counter attacking the Polish ‘enemy’. When the UK’s commitment to the exercise was announced in July, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “It is right that NATO and partners demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our allies in Eastern Europe. The commitment of a battlegroup to Exercise BLACK EAGLE shows our sustained and substantial support to NATO’s eastern border.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsmfCCxa26M
http://www.itv.com/news/2014-11-21/hundreds-of-troops-in-nato-training-exercise-in-response-to-fears-of-russian-aggression-in-ukraine/ 21 November 2014 Hundreds of troops in Nato training exercise in response to fears of Russian aggression in Ukraine Neil Connery, ITV News Correspondent This is the biggest British force sent to Eastern Europe since 2008. Exercise Black Eagle sees the UK's lead armoured battle group (currently King's Royal Hussars) working with the 11th Polish Armoured Cavalry Brigade. Black Eagle has been running from mid-October and will end in early December and is part of a rolling series of exercises that are being conducted to bolster Nato's presence in Eastern Europe in response to the Ukrainian crisis and fears of Russian aggression. More than 1,000 troops from the King's Royal Hussars are taking part and more than 300 vehicles including an armoured squadron of Challenger 2 tanks. More than 1,000 troops from the King's Royal Hussars are taking part Credit: ITV News The exercises are being conducted in response to the Ukrainian crisis and fears of Russian aggression. Credit: ITV News Nato has boosted exercises in Eastern Europe and an air defence mission over the Baltic States since the Ukraine crisis. The Baltic States and Poland all fear Russia may try to destabilise them as the crisis deepens. The UK has already sent 4 typhoon fighters to help police the skies over Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia as well as sending troops to smaller exercises. Exercise Black Eagle will go on until December Credit: ITV News British troops taking part here have been ordered not to use personal smartphones or computers amid fears they could be targeted by Russian cyber-spies. The troops have been warned of a "very clear and evident counter-intelligence threat" while taking part in the exercise. Credit: ITV News
http://www.aco.nato.int/manoeuvre-exercise-black-eagle--tests-responsiveness.aspx Manoeuvre exercise Black Eagle, tests responsiveness British troops on parade listen to exercise briefing at Exercise Black Eagle 14 in Poland. Photo Courtesy of: Polish Armed Forces. Exercise 'Black Eagle' is a significant manoeuvre exercise involving both Polish and United Kingdom land forces in Poland. The exercise will test responsiveness, inter-operability enhancement, and provide demanding opportunities to conduct small to medium sized armour and mechanized infantry field training. The exercise will also practice advanced battle drills and enable live firing exercises through CPX and FTX scenarios. The exercise began in October and will continue to take place in the Żagań Karliki training area up to early December. Over 2000 Polish and British soldiers are involved in the exercise with the official opening ceremony on the 3rd of November 2014 being conducted by the Polish Commander of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, Colonel Maciej Jablonski and the British battle unit Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Justin Kingsford from the 3rd Armoured Division. ‘’This is an excellent opportunity to conduct integrated and extensive field training against multi scenarios and capabilities” said Lieutenant Colonel Marcus Nieswand NATO Exercise Planning. ‘’It clearly demonstrates our focussed resolve in conducting a wide range of military activity, both in supporting assurance measures and in defending the Alliance and its territory’’ he said. Story by: SHAPE Public Affairs Office
http://www.janes.com/article/42810/british-army-to-test-fleet-management-on-polish-exercise British Army to test fleet management on Polish exercise Tim Ripley, eltic Manor, Newport - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly 04 September 2014 British Army units will use a new ConOps model when exercising in Poland later this year. Source: Crown Copyright In a major shift of the British Army's concept of operations (ConOps) an armoured battlegroup deploying to Poland next month for a major NATO exercise will draw its vehicles from a forward depot in Germany rather than move its equipment from its home base in the UK. Under the plans being developed by the British Army, some 350 armoured vehicles, including BAE Systems Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) and Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, are to be drawn from storage in the Defence Support Group's Whole Fleet Management depot in Monchengladbach to be loaded on trains for the journey to Poland. At the same time, more than a 1,200 troops from the King's Own Royal Hussars (KRH) battlegroup are to be flown to Poland to marry up with their vehicles, a British Army spokesman told IHS Jane's on 4 September. This exercise is not linked to recently announced NATO proposals to establish pre-positioned equipment in eastern Europe. The UK Ministry of Defence is still planning to shut the Monchengladbach facility, which stores hundreds of vehicles in climate controlled conditions, when it closes down the British Army presence in Germany 2017-18. For the exercise, the KRH are deploying with an armoured squadron of Challenger 2s, two Warrior armoured infantry squadrons and protected mobility infantry company. The spokesman said this was the first time the army had used the whole fleet management concept during a major exercise. Previously army brigades and battlegroups had moved with their own equipment from their home bases. Exercise Black Eagle is expected to run from 15 October to early December and is part of a rolling series of exercises that are being conducted to bolster NATO presence in Eastern Europe in response to the Ukrainian crisis. This will be the first British battlegroup sized exercise in Poland since 2008, when the final exercise of the Uhlan Eagle series concluded. Over the next three months British participation in these programmes is to include the dispatch of a 30 strong troop/platoon from the Light Dragoons to western Ukraine to join the US-led Exercise Rapid Trident. A company of paratroopers are to join Exercise Anaconda in Poland and two infantry companies with 350 troops are to join an exercise in Latvia.
