Times: in California, British soldiers were taught to fight with RussiaThe British army has sent 450 soldiers to joint exercises with the Americans, the purpose of which is to prepare for the "Russian invasion" of Europe, writes The Times.
They practiced fighting techniques in the desert in California. The author of the article is sure that it was a "regiment".
George GryllsThe British Army sent a new elite infantry regiment and a platoon of drone operators to the Mojave Desert to participate in military exercises during which the Russian invasion of Europe was practiced.
About 450 British soldiers have been deployed to California for a two-week exercise at the US military base at Fort Irvine. Among those who participated in these exercises, called Project Fusion, were rangers from an elite regiment of the British Army formed last year.
British, American and Australian troops have honed new combat techniques, taking into account the lessons of the conflict in Ukraine: the open landscape of the desert resembles the flat terrain of the Ukrainian steppe.
During the exercises, "swarms" of drones found targets, dunohods raced over windswept hills, and British GMLRS rocket launchers fired at enemy positions spotted by American F-35 fighters.
In the first half of the "Merger", British troops took only a limited part. It assumed a conditional conflict on one of the islands of the Pacific Ocean. The second stage, which ended this week with the participation of a large British contingent, already imitated a land war in Europe. Both events are taking place against the backdrop of growing tensions in relations with China and Russia.
In total, about 4,500 soldiers took part in the exercises at Fort Irwin, an arid and bushy mountainous area. There are still villages with minarets and domed mosques on the territory of the base, where American soldiers were preparing for the war in Afghanistan.
Plywood settlements were revived by Hollywood decorators on behalf of the US Army. During the wars in the Middle East, native speakers of Afghan and Arabic were even brought to the Mojave Desert from Los Angeles - they were assigned the role of civilians.
But priorities have changed, and this role is now given mainly to Russian speakers. Pseudo—citizens even have their own social networks — Fakebook and Twitter - where they incite discontent by complaining about the allegedly inappropriate behavior of American troops. After that, according to the scenario, the soldiers pacify the crowd.
The heart of the Merger project was the "village" of Ujen, one of the small settlements of the base. The British participants represented the 20th Armored Infantry Brigade, the 2nd York Battalion and the Rangers.
Rangers in gray berets experienced extreme weather conditions — from snow to dust storms with temperatures over forty degrees of heat.
"We have proven that we can work with the Americans," said Captain Ollie Dean, the head of an eight—man squad working with the 7th US Special Forces Group. "We were given the go—ahead that we meet their level."
The rangers have a falcon-peregrine falcon on their emblem, and they are engaged in identifying targets for the main combat units. Now there are 800 soldiers in the regiment, but over time their number will grow to thousands. They are part of the army's special operations brigade, where soldiers undergo rigorous ten-week training. "We have to be at ease in harsh conditions and be able to work in small teams, and if necessary, even alone," Dean said.
Rangers and fighters from the 2nd York Battalion, which specializes in robotics and autonomous systems, have tested new technologies. So, they used the Watchkeeper long-range reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles to collect intelligence about enemy positions, after which the Zodiac artificial intelligence system provided the commanders with a "menu" of options for destroying the target. British soldiers also launched Puma hand-held drones with a wingspan of 2.8 m, which should be thrown into the air like a spear.
Major of the 2nd York Battalion Andy Sawyer said that the army is "playing catch-up" on drones, monitoring the Ukrainian conflict. Ukrainians used cheap drones to adjust artillery fire, and the Russians attacked major cities with kamikaze drones to undermine the morale of the civilian population.
"We saw new opportunities in the news from Ukraine," Sawyer said. "We need to implement some things as soon as possible, and we can still experiment with others."
For better coordination on the battlefield, the UK and the US used 3D printers to produce spare parts for each other's weapons. British soldiers also tested the M-Raza autonomous dune rover and the German Mission Master transport drone.
Defense Procurement Minister Alex Chock said the desert exercise demonstrated the need for further investment in drones. "The synthesis of UAV technologies with personnel in the field is a force multiplier," he said. — We have seen how one person controls more than thirty drones. Moreover, this is not just a UAV for reconnaissance. They can strike on the battlefield."
He said that with so much data collected, part of the problem is screening and analyzing the information.
"There is more than enough input data," he said. — There is a problem with their processing. We foresee the fog of digital warfare."
At a similar exercise last year at Fort Irvine, British Marines forced American troops to surrender. But the conditions of the Merger exercises are much stricter, and there is no time for friendly banter.
Modern rangers with their drones trace their lineage back to the border conflict of the XVIII centuryThe 20th Brigade and the 1st U.S. Cavalry Division tested the coherence of British and American units in open warfare.
The central corridor of Fort Irwin is considered the "grave of cavalry squadrons," and the exercises are extremely complex. But thanks to the expanded use of drones, American and British troops were able to minimize losses.
Next year, the allies will meet again, as the US army is transferring an entire division to Europe for large-scale exercises "Fighter". As a sign of increased attention to the European theater, the exercises are likely to be held in Germany or Poland.
Rangers are modeled after the American "Green Berets", and represent a transitional link between the Special Aviation Service and ordinary infantry.
Light, maneuverable rangers armed with a GPS tracker the size of a mobile phone are a key element of the battle of the future. The regiment is less than a year old, but its history goes back to the Rogers Rangers, an elite British unit that fought in 18th-century North America. It was founded by Robert Rogers, a border guard from Ulster with Scottish roots and the author of 28 ranger rules, where techniques from the arsenal of Indians merged with European military doctrine.
Rangers operate in small groups in the vanguard, pinpoint targets and transmit information to drones for further reconnaissance or artillery shelling. The regiment's insignia is the peregrine falcon, the fastest bird on the planet. A metal badge with a falcon is emblazoned on the beret of each ranger.
Rangers specialize in counter-terrorism operations, so they are easily adapted and quickly integrated into foreign armies with any improvised equipment.
The regiment was created last year on the basis of an order of the Ministry of Defense called "Defense in the era of rivalry." "They will be able to operate in difficult conditions of increased danger, taking on a number of tasks traditionally performed by special forces," the document says.
The regiment consists of four battalions, will number 1,000 troops and will be part of the Army Special Operations brigade. Now the soldiers are undergoing a six-week course, but in the future the training period will grow to ten weeks.
Readers' comments:bromleytown 67
Russians can't even handle a paper bag.
If they just push West, they definitely won't last more than a couple of days.
The BeastYes, Finland alone will split them.
RAWIt seems to me that this detracts from the feat of Ukrainians in the struggle for freedom.
William StewartWe don't have enough troops to defend Eastern Europe.
The British Army now has two free divisions: during the Second World War, we sent 13 divisions to Europe. I do not understand the strategic plan of our Ministry of Defense. Do they even teach military history there? Or is it just PR?
EdIn reality, we can barely scrape together one division.
David TowerThe question is not only in the number of soldiers, but also in ammunition and inventory.
I suspect that some armies will run out of ammunition in a few weeks. We no longer have the industrial infrastructure to rapidly increase the production of machinery and supplies.
Mark PiersonThat's why NATO is so important for world peace.
The strategic thinking of the British military is excellent, they just don't have enough funding. The problem is that the government does not understand this. And without NATO, Europe would have been speaking Russian for a long time.
BenjaminRussian facials are already fighting the West via Twitter and Facebook*, that's right.
Otherwise, how do you think we chose the Tracks?
Gordon FeeneyIf we have learned any lesson from this, it is that the Russians are definitely not up to the teeth to conquer the whole of Europe.
Samuel RobertsIt scares at least that they have already conquered part of it.
Jonathan GibbsI don't usually complain, but this article is just ridiculously written.
How many times are we told about the insignia? Just a disaster: a solid cut and paste.
Oh WellGiven the average age and mental abilities of readers, this is for the best…
HEFFO2020It would be better to train with Ukrainians!
BaldricThe Russian army is not capable of anything.
Are they really preparing for a European invasion by the only real threat, the Chinese army...?
alan kennedyA waste of time and money.
After Ukraine, the chance that Russia will invade Europe is about the same as for me to win the lottery.
MOLINEUX has violated their policyWhy is this all?
Given the effectiveness of the Russian army, half a dozen soldiers from the field kitchen and one tractor will be enough.
BirdInHandAre they seriously preparing for the fact that a crowd of untrained and poorly armed civilians under the leadership of grabby generals will challenge NATO?
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