ISSUE 2, 2012 THE JHC - DELIVERING JOINT SUCCESS ON OPERATIONS APACH E MissiLE SUCCess RAF BENSON DELIVERS BRITisH & AFGHAN SOLDieRS REAL LIFE SUPPORT STRIKE AT INsuRGENCY IN EXERCISE OPERATION PASHTUN COBRA JAGUAR HuNT JOURNAL OF THE JOINT HELICOPTER COMMAND LZDZ News Contents Message Issue 2 from the 2012 Commander Editorial Editor: Sqn Ldr Tom Draper E: [email protected] T: 01264 381 122 Sub Editor: Matt Carter E: [email protected] T: 01264 381638 Advertising 16 12 Sales Manager: Sue Ward E: [email protected] T: 01536 512 624 Design Designer: Chris Keller E: [email protected] T: 01536 521 126 Publisher LZDZ is published by Lance Publishing Ltd, 1st Floor, Tailby House, Bath Road, Kettering, Northants, NN16 8NL T: 01536 512 624 E: [email protected] www.lancepublishing.co.uk 6 Company Registration Number: 3253372 Printer Lance Print Ltd, Unit 3 22 Houghton Hill Industries, Houghton Hill Farm, Houghton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 2DH message from T: 01480 492 183 E: [email protected] THE CommaNDER www.lanceprint.co.uk Further Information Summer is always a hectic time for us, and notably so www.mod.uk/ this year having included support to the Olympic Games defenceinternet/ to our already rich mix of operational and training aboutdefence/whatwedo/ activity for the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force. airsafetyandaviation/jhc ur commitment to the Games to Parliament, I will ensure that all the 29 10 makes some disturbance to changes are explained very clearly holiday plans unavoidable, to everyone in the Command. News Exercise & Operations Exercise Pashtun Jaguar .................................18 and at a time when people Meanwhile, I commend the well 3 PARA Prepare for Public Disorder................ 7 British & Afghan Soldiers Strike Oacross the Command are already digging written articles in this edition of LZDZ. Gunners Battle to be the Best ........................ 8 at Insurgency in Op ‘Cobra Hunt’ .................14 Honours & Awards deep in many other areas. I am grateful There is good coverage of our most 845 NAS Plays Host to 56 RQS ...................... 11 Exercise Serpent’s Anvil ..................................20 HMS Ocean Wins Trophy ................................15 for your understanding about this and the recent activities, including some very Wattisham Army Wives’ Choir .......................12 Exercise Chiltern Kite ......................................21 Heritage Volunteer...........................................22 unstinting effort I see in all of our units challenging military exercises, as well Missile Success for Army Helicopters ...........13 Exercise White Knight .....................................26 – and particularly so from our families. as some impressive team and personal Airbourne Engineers Get Ready to React ......14 Sport & Charity We all await with interest the imminent sporting achievements for charity. Junglies in Nordic Search & Rescue .............. 17 Features Soldiers Marathon Effort ................................19 announcements on the future Defence Here’s hoping for the odd British gold Phantom Returns to Wattisham .....................23 Exercise Gaulish Eagle ...................................... 6 Soldiers Cycle Round the Clock .....................26 programme, and on the shape and medal to justify the effort in London 2012! Nutritional & Dietry Supplements .................24 Exercise Eagles Flight ......................................10 3 PARA Punch Their Way to Boxing Title ......... 28 capability of the Regular and Territorial Not Just Test Tubes & Lab Coats ..................25 CinC Fleet Receives Warm Reception ..........16 Soldiers Fish Their Way to Fitness .................29 Army we can expect to serve in 2020. AIR VICE-MARSHAL As soon as the Defence Secretary has Carl Dixon CB OBE FRAeS RAF This publication is copyright Lance Publishing Limited and may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form in whole or in consequence arising from it. Views Expressed in this announced the Government’s plans Commander Joint Helicopter Command part without prior written permission of Lance Publishing Limited. While every care has been taken during the preparation publication are not necessarily those of the Royal Navy, of this magazine, Lance Publishing Limited cannot be held responsible for accuracy of the information herein or for any Army, Royal Air Force or the Ministry of Defence. 4 | ISSUE 2, 2012 | LZDZ JOURNAL OF THE JOINT HELICOPTER COMMAND WWW.lzdzONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ | ISSUE 2, 2012 | 5 News Feature 3 PARA Exercise Prepare Gaulish for Public Eagle Disorder PARATROOPERS MAKE PARATROOPERS PREPARE FOR FRENCH PUBLIC DISORDER CONNECTION Paras have been training to deal with hostile crowds that they may face in their role as the British Army’s rapid reaction force. British paratroopers have been working alongside French training towns - Beausejour and Jeoffrecourt in urban areas is slightly different to roops from 3rd Bn The back more than 2,000 years. He said: airborne cavalry on a joint exercise to improve their urban - which include different districts imitating ours. Also, as paratroopers, we’re Parachute Regiment have “Many of the drills are no different to what fighting skills and develop co-operation between the two armies. retail, residential and industrial areas. not used to working with tanks.” been bombarded with the Roman Army used to do, with highly Maj Richard Todd, OC A Coy, said: “As the Pte Damien Miles, said: “Communicating petrol bombs and missiles disciplined soldiers advancing forward olchester-based A Coy, 3 PARA Airborne Task Force 3 PARA is on standby with the French troops was a challenge Tduring public order training in a mock under the protection of shields. The key has been working with the tanks to go anywhere in the world to do anything at times, but we’ve got by with a few village at Lydd ranges in Kent. to dealing with large, hostile crowds is of the 1er Régiment de Hussards It was a tough from disaster relief to war fighting. On an words of French and lots of hand The Colchester-based troops started off control and knowing when and how to Parachutistes (1er RHP) at Centre ABTF operation it is likely that we will be signals and sketch maps.” by learning how to work together to both react to what is happening in front of you. Cd’Entrainement aux Actions en Zone Urbaine exercise because working alongside other armies in an urban The training builds on the two defend each other and drive back hostile “This training is about getting (CENZUB) in north east France, the largest it’s been so environment, so this training has been excellent countries’ military co-operation crowds, with training culminating in a large soldiers used to facing a high pressure urban warfare training facility in Europe. preparation for us. This has also served to following the signing of the Defence disturbance with fellow soldiers as rioters. situation, so they don’t over-react Ex Gaulish Eagle which took place different. We’re strengthen the relationship and Security Co-operation Treaty Maj Richard Todd, OC A Coy, if they have to face it for real.” between 4th-16th March 2012, was designed and understanding with our by Prime Minister David Cameron said: “As the Airborne Task Force, we Private Peter Harrington, said: “It is to provide 3 PARA with experience using French French allies. We’ve used and French President Nicolas are on standby to go on operations scary to have petrol bombs thrown at of urban operations and working with weapons and their kit and tactics and Sarkozy in November 2010. anywhere in the world at short notice. you and really gets the adrenaline going. other armies to prepare for its role in working with the tanks was 3 PARA is part of 16 Bde which has been As well as conventional war fighting I’ve had the experience of it now and the Airborne Task Force (ABTF). their approach an enjoyable challenge.” tasked with building a partnership with we could be involved in disaster relief learnt that dealing with public order The first part of the exercise saw Pte Dave Cheshire, the French 11e Brigade or civil disturbances, and that might incidents is all about looking out for paratroopers train with the Giat Famas to fighting in said: “It was a tough Parachutiste (11e BP). require dealing with hostile crowds. each other and keeping a cool head.” assault rifle, the standard weapon of urban areas is exercise because The two brigades are “Learning how to deal with public Private Dan Nicklin, said: “This is a new the French Army, and learn French it’s been so working towards the order situations is a new skill for many of skill for me and the training has been an tactics for working with Leclerc main slightly different different. We’re formation of a joint our soldiers, but they have really enjoyed eye-opener. The best bit is being a rioter battle tanks in built-up areas. using French expeditionary and performed well on a challenging against my colleagues. Facing a hostile The training culminated in a field exercise to ours. weapons and force for and extremely realistic course.” crowd is the best way to learn what to do Pte Cheshire with the two units working together to attack their approach contingency Maj Todd said that the techniques in a real situation and we’ve all given each and defend CENZUB’s two purpose-built to fighting operations. used in public order could be traced other a good aggressive experience!” 6 | ISSUE 2, 2012 | LZDZ JOURNAL OF THE JOINT HELICOPTER COMMAND WWW.lzdzONLINE.CO.UK LZDZ | ISSUE 2, 2012 | 7 News Gunners Battle to be the Best You could be in the Algarve, GUNNERS battLE EACH otHER relaxing in the sun... Situated on the top floor of a three storey block the apartment has its TO own residents’ swimming pool. It has the advantage of being away from the bustle of the town centre but within walking distance (10 minutes to the marina and another 5 to the town centre).