Operating Drones in Estonia

BADGER have learned a lot training both against and alongside the Estonian Scouts Battalion – the regular element of the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade. We quickly gained respect for the Scouts’ ability to strike and then melt away into the forest. We also had to learn and account for the fact that while our own mobility was greatly restricted by the heavily wooded and swampy environment that restriction didn’t apply to the enemy who were more than content to trudge through kilometres of swampland to get around us. Another significant change to how we worked in this new environment was the use of ‘live camouflage’. The ‘cam nets’, that tankies new and old will be well accustomed to being tangled in, were substituted for branches of trees and shrubs that were cut down and fixed to almost all angles of our vehicles. This gave highly effective camouflage, even whilst on the move during the day – a marked advantage over the use of cam nets. We also found

FIGHTING IN THE TREES

Lieutenant Patrick Larkin

BADGER

Estonia – a country with approximately 50% of its land mass covered by forest – presents a new challenge to tankies, accustomed to the rolling hills of Wiltshire and the vast Canadian prairie. Over the course of the spring and summer, BADGER was hard at work learning the skills and adapting tactics for fighting in the dense woodlands that dominate rural Estonia.

The author commanding his CR2 in Estonia

that a thick layer of fresh foliage dampened the thermal signature of the vehicles. A slick and experienced crew could fully cover a Challenger 2 in 20-30mins and thereafter only had to top up the camouflage that had either fallen off or become too ‘tired’ looking. Training in Estonia offered a number of freedoms. A good example was the use of abatis for obstacles. Using explosives, the defenders in the scenario would fell tree to form interlocking barriers in order to block routes. Afterall, trees were certainly not a rare commodity in Estonia. Felling large trees across long stretches of tracks and roads might have dissuaded some from trying their luck but with the memory of the Scouts getting round our flanks using unexpected routes fresh in our minds, BADGER crews took it upon themselves to test the effectiveness of this abatis. A lesson for both perhaps was that in the future, the Estonians will need to find some bigger trees if they wish to stop the Challenger 2s which turned these obstacles into kindling under their tracks.

BADGER worked hard to develop the way in which it fought in this unfamiliar terrain. The close engagement ranges, restriction on movement and, primarily linear, formations led to a set of new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to make armoured Combat Teams effective against a much more agile, light role enemy. These SOPs have been passed to the RTR Battlegroup who will continue to develop and refine them from their own experiences on Op CABRIT 9. They may find that the differing challenge of an Estonian winter will change things again, however one thing that will remain consistent across our tactics and doctrine will be the vital importance of interoperability. Whether it be within our own UK Battlegroups, linking Armoured infantry, fires, engineers and of course tanks – or whether it be fighting alongside our NATO allies, if you’re fighting in the trees you won’t get far going it alone.