Scottish troops from 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (5 SCOTS) swapped their ceremonial duties for an intense aviation deployment exercise in the snow-covered hills of Garelochhead, according to a British Army news release.
As part of Exercise Argyle Hunter, 50 troops from Balaklava Company were airlifted by RAF Chinooks from Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and dropped into a simulated combat zone, facing ambushes, patrols, and hasty attacks in challenging terrain and extreme conditions.
Captain Elliott Smith, 5 SCOTS, said in the news release that the rare opportunity pushed soldiers to their limits, testing their ability to operate in high-intensity combat scenarios.
“This was a return to core infanteering, undertaking offensive enabling actions, including ambushes, fighting patrols and hasty attacks, up and down hills, across rivers, involving casualties and captured personnel,” Captain Smith explained.
While 5 SCOTS is known for its state and ceremonial duties, the exercise allowed the unit to sharpen its core combat skills, preparing for future operational deployments alongside NATO partners.
The exercise coincided with 28 Squadron RAF’s Exercise Kukri Dawn, a helicopter pilot confirmatory training exercise that involved underslung loads of Army weaponry and resilience operations with Police Scotland.
According to Captain Smith, the integration was a valuable training opportunity:
“We’re a ceremonial company, but we need to take these opportunities where they come up,” he said. “It was by happenchance the Puma squadron were up here conducting their training, and doing this kind of thing is a training objective in itself because conducting aviation moves is part of our core skill set.”
Balaklava Company has been steadily increasing the intensity of its training in preparation for future NATO operations.
Starting with section-level rural and urban drills, the troops progressed to platoon-level defensive operations in Ripon before moving on to shooting drills and trench warfare training in Catterick.
“The end state is we’re going to go on exercise for two weeks under 51 Brigade, which will validate us at company level and set the conditions for us to work with NATO partners,” Captain Smith said in the news update.
The long awaited sequel to Dog Soldiers is here! 🤣
What a great film! 😆
There are some truly titanic one liners in that film. We had it along with a few others playing constantly in Afghan. The other Nations didn’t know what to make of it.
Moving the conversation away from thr comments section I’m a bit like “What’s the point.”
Balaclava Coy is never going to deploy, it’s through and through a ceremonial unit. If blokes need exercising for promotion courses etc, backfill 2, 3 and 4 Scots, or rotate members of the company (as should happen anyway) through the battalions. But they’re practicing Helicopter insertions while formed deployable Infantry battalions are crying out for training experiences with air assets?
I know I’m normally on the explain rather than outrage side but this feels like an officer trying to pad their ojar, not a genuine need.
Have you seen on Twitter the mention of a new Gurkha Regiment?
No, I’ve decided to abstain from Neo-Nazi products.
Ahhhh, Ok. Fair enough.
Well, some Army chap on there reports the formation over Christmas of a RG Artillery Regiment.
It will have Batteries split between 1 RHA, 4, 19 RA, with a RHQ within 14.
A bit like the RG Engineers, elements split between other Regiments, and not a self contained formation.
This brings the question that the freed Batteries from those Regiments might now be used going forward to form a new Regiment elsewhere. A third GBAD Regiment for example, which has been rumoured for some time.
As an ORBAT nerd like me, thought you’d be interested.
Be good to see more Nepali infantry units TBH. Those buggers used to frighten me to death.
Don’t like having Gurkha sub units mixed into normal units tbh. It creates manning nightmares, and culture clashes within units.
John mate.
Apparently another Infantry Company is forming too, too add to the 5 existing ones at Catterick, Brecon, Sandhurst, and the 2 within Ranger Regiment.
There are over 4,000 Gurkha on Strength, as usual listed separately from the army total, and several hundreds more in addition posted away from Gurkha units.
Details from UKAFC, which I also follow.
Dern.
So do I as it happens.
It seems to be the norm in most CS and CSS Gurkha Regiments. I can only think of 10 QOGLR and the Gurkha ARRC Spt Bn that seem to be mostly Gurkha manned.
In the QOGS, and the QGE, the Squadrons are all dispersed, as you well know.
Yeah, hopefully Gabi is wrong about that, wouldn’t be the 1st time.
I guess the othee Gurkha coy is 1 Rangers company.
Good to see them getting C8s
They don’t have C8s.
L129A1 LMT 7.62 mm Sharpshooter
it would be better if they landed on the southern beaches to stop the invaders we have now.
Utterly stupid comment.
Russia is the real threat.
send them to somewhere in England we don’t want them here you have taken everything else fro. us so take your troops back
You don’t want Scottish troops from the 5th Battalion in Scotland? Are you ok? Have you taken your methadone?
Maybe England should take the frigate contracts back as well?
It’s a Scottish company you oxygen thief