Getting from A to B has changed significantly since Cpl Keian Daniels (Para) joined the army in 2012.
From patrolling single file, Afghan-style, to manoeuvring under the watchful eye of a sophisticated modern foe, these days the name of the game is maintaining a low profile.
So when the NCO and colleagues from 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment were faced with a 12km infiltration tab on Exercise Kronos Warrior, there were a host of complexities to consider…
Less is more
Basically, the enemy are less likely to unmask their artillery and big guns for small groups so if we operate at platoon-minus rather than company strength, we run a much lower risk of getting hit. We tried to make it standard to work in nothing larger than three sections throughout the insertion so we had as small a signature on the ground as we could.
Silence is golden
We can now be identified location-wise just by hitting the pressel on the radio, so we stay off the net as much as possible. That means orders have to be clear and concise and people need to be navigationally swept up. Ahead of setting off, everyone must understand the corridors they’re working in and stick within those parameters so you don’t accidentally cross friendly forces. Obviously you have your Atak, but you shouldn’t rely solely on it either.
Pacing precision
The problem in Cyprus was that the terrain further north was harder to operate in, so we were slower than the guys down south. You need to understand how the topography is going to affect the pace and not just go off the standard 4km per hour. If one group arrives at the forming up point and has to wait for hours for everyone else to get there they are going to be vulnerable to drone attacks.
Nowhere to hide
Depending on where you are, you may or may not have vegetation to conceal your movements. But even if you do, drones would likely look more closely at potential hiding sites. There’s also your thermal signature to think of. Essentially, you might be able to survive a fly-over but if the drone is more static and really looking, you will probably be compromised. That’s why dispersal and not presenting such a worthwhile target is important.
Learning curve
Things are changing so rapidly due to current conflicts that the whole world is playing catch-up. Nothing’s getting easier, everything’s becoming more complicated and there’s a hell of a lot more to think about now. Tactically, this was a very worthwhile exercise and we’ll take a lot of lessons away to work on.
