More than 1,300 troops from 3rd (United Kingdom) Division are currently deployed to the United States in order to take part in ‘Exercise Warfighter’.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

43 COMMENTS

  1. Bad timing for a high readiness Division to be faffing about in the US, a trip to to the Easter front may provide better training, the way things are looking!

    • Loving the sound of the Easter front John, a bit late, but we might just be able to beat the Russians in the big Easter egg hunt across the old bread basket of the Soviet Union….

    • Not the whole of 3 Div in the US – only 1300 troops – looks like most of a Div HQ & Sig Regt and command elements of 7 Inf Bde. Looks like a cross between a CPX and a FTX – we used to call them CFX, I think.

  2. https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/31/the-french-armed-forces-are-planning-for-high-intensity-war

    Posted the above in a reply to Farouk yesterday.

    Given the latest Defence review and the reduction in tanks, is anyone else concerned that the French might be seeing things a tad differently to our good selves? Should Brit Boxer a la Latvian IFV and Lithuanian Boxer, fit Spike / atgm in addition to auto cannon?

    Should something kick off in the Ukraine, memories of Op Bagration should spring to mind – how long did the Sovs take to take Berlin from circa Stalingrad?

    And should it kick off in Ukraine, Slovakia, sans any armour, good tank country, would be easy pickings for skirting Poland and going up through the soft underbelly of Czech Republic and breakout into Germany.

  3. A very good time to deploy the only combat division at operational readiness 6000+ miles away from where they could be required to deploy.
    Perhaps Exercise War fighter could be carried out in the Ukraine.
    A greater test of logistical support.

    • Not the whole of 3 Div in the US – only 1300 troops – looks like most of a Div HQ & Sig Regt and command elements of 7 Inf Bde. Looks like a cross between a CPX and a FTX – we used to call them CFX, I think.

      • Was it not called TEWT’s (Tactical Exercise Without Troops. Saved fortunes on ammo and fuel but gave C&C elements a fair work out.

        • I am trying to remember if CPX replaced TEWT as a term for the same thing. I joined in 1975 and nobody said TEWT.

  4. It’s funny to read about Carleton Smith as the chief of general staff, I remember him as Brigade Commander of the Air Assault Brigade in Afghan, 2008. The author said then that Carleton Smith was very politically astute as well as a very good CO and that he would go far!! It’s no surprise then that he’s right at the top of the British Army.

    • I too remember him as Comd 16x. He was such a serious man, but straight as a die, massively competent and confident. I was surprised he seemed as CGS to favour large reductions to the tank fleet, when our main threat is from Russia.

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