The troops on high alert to fight alongside Nato
Northwest troops are on high alert and may be deployed to NATO countries in Eastern Europe if conflict in the region escalates.
The 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment serves as NATO’s Strategic Forward Land Forces (FLF) reserve, meaning that if the call comes, the battalion would be ready to fight in just 10 days alongside NATO forces from around the world.
Lt. Rhuari Stewart, commanding an anti-tank unit, said the troops were not nervous.
“You take things in stride, that’s part of being in the military. There’s always a risk that something will happen,” he said.
Lt. Rhuari Stewart says troops are not nervous [BBC]
Some of the regiment’s troops are already on the ground in Estonia, where British troops command NATO defenses.
Meanwhile, at Weeton Barracks, Lancashire, troops from the Burma Brigade were gaining practical experience in handling drones.
Their unmanned aerial technology ranges in size from about a meter in length to being small enough to be fired from a gun barrel.
Second Lieutenant Connor Flinter said: “It’s really useful because it allows us to use them in whatever environment we find ourselves in, whether it’s urban or rural. »
A group of soldiers familiarizes themselves with drone technology [BBC]
Some members of the regiment are traveling to France in February for Exercise Gaulish – an integration with French forces during a training exercise at CENZUB, a small town specially built and used for military training.
Stewart said exercises with different countries were essential to ensure troops could work together on the battlefield: “We learn how they fight, their weapon systems, their equipment and their technology.”
Flinter said it had been interesting to see how the French approached difficult scenarios: “They mainly use vehicles, whereas we are standing light infantry, and try to be a little more sneaky,” he said.
British troops train at CENZUB, a town specially built for military exercises [Ministry of Defence]
If successful, some troops from the regiment could be deployed to French units in Romania.
The battalion was assigned the FLF role over the summer when it was first introduced and will remain on alert for at least three years.
Stewart said: “Even though we don’t speak the same language, we all share the same philosophy, there’s a lot in common between us, and I think that’s what’s so special about NATO.”
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