THE SUSTAINER | EXERCISE Ex AUSTERE WOLF 22 saw RLC personnel at the centre of the first Joint Combined Amphibious Landing in at least a decade, involving 1,200 troops (reserve and regular), ships, vessels, landing craft, helicopters and FRG4 Typhoons from the Navy, Army and the RAF. Alongside a Navy Task Group deployed on Op ACHILLEAN, the exercise saw Commando Forces seize a beachhead for Theatre Entry, with the Commando Logistic Regiment then conducting a Relief in Place with the Theatre Enabling Group (TEG) from 104 Theatre Sustainment (Th Sus) Brigade, led by 17 Port and Maritime Regiment as the OF4 TEG Headquarters. The TEG then established a base of operations alongside Sappers from 8 Engineer Brigade, to build a camp able to sustain 500 people. The aim was to test Tri-Service Littoral capability, preparing us for scenarios from war fighting to disaster relief. With the events in Ukraine, there was a clear messaging opportunity for the UK that it can deliver rapid effect from the sea anywhere in the world, working in a contested and austere environment. The real difference in this exercise was the focus on testing the Theatre Enabling Group, or “Training to Support”. The requirement to arrive with nothing but what you bring with you, establish a base, and then project your forces inland was challenging but immensely rewarding for soldiers from across the Corps. The full logistic spectrum from the TEG was represented with Service Personnel from 17RLC, 9RLC, 29RLC, 165RLC, 162RLC, 152RLC, 167RLC and 2OSG covering capabilities to include port and maritime, fuel, transportation, divers, movements, communications, postal and chefs. It absolutely showcased the fantastic range of capability The RLC offers, and how it can integrate with forces from across Defence. 17 Port and Maritime Regiment RLC With an augmented OF4 TEG Headquarters with SMEs pulled in from across multiple TEG capabilities and multi-national 24
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Exercise AUSTERE WOLF 22
partners, and with reach across all three Services to exploit opportunities, this exercise was one of the largest and most complex exercises ever to be conducted by the Regt. The exercise began with a contested beachhead being seized by Commando Forces on 3 Oct 22. 17 RLC divers supported the initial sub-surface clearance of Akrotiri Mole by 24 Cdo Engr Regt to ensure that any potential threats and obstructions had been removed, whilst also responding to live taskings such as the inspection of the existing infrastructure and fuel pipeline. Once the port was deemed
8 Combined maritime and air assets unloaded 1,562 pieces of vital equipment from MV HURST POINT
8 1,200 troops (reserve and regular), ships, vessels, landing craft, helicopters and FRG4 Typhoons from Navy, Army and the RAF took part in Ex AUSTERE WOLF
clear, the conditions were set for the inload of cargo to begin. In just three days, and in over 35˚C heat, 17 RLC Port Operators, Mariners, Marine Engineers and VSS offloaded the Roll on Roll off (RoRo) at anchor, with support from six helicopters and 14 vessels and landing craft, to deliver over 1,562 pieces of vital equipment from MV HURST POINT. The discharge of the shipping then enabled the rest of the exercise to establish itself, including 17 RLC’s Operational Hygiene (OH) Troop, with the Laundry Transportable (LT) and Personnel Shower Portable (PSP) units, which were used to keep more than 800 exercising troops clean and morale high throughout the duration of the exercise. 165 Port & Maritime Regiment RLC – Capt Lise-Lotte Hunter With the RoRo already discharged by 17 RLC and all TEG elements ashore, 165 RLC was able to conduct a formal hand over and launch straight into a seven-question planning cycle for future tasks whilst Port Operators conducted port and beach recce training, and the Maritime trades were able to operate the MEXE FLOTE and vessels. Training complete, the SHQ delivered a full set of orders and a ROC drill to then execute a Hasty
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