The following article is taken from the latest issue of the Globe & Laurel magazine.
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Ex Coptic Whisper provided a fantastic opportunity to integrate elements from 47 Cdo RG RM, 4 ASRM, SRT, 43 Cdo FP Gp RM and foreign partners in a challenging environment, operating from sea to land. SATG, USMC, 1 Rifles and the Royal Australian Regiment were in attendance which provided an excellent interoperability opportunity for the SurfM community.
The four-week exercise solidified the importance of using the sea to land live fire ranges in Cyprus to ensure the most operationally relevant and effective FGen and training which is mostly unachievable in the UK. Importantly, it was a hugely retention-positive training evolution that all ranks have thoroughly enjoyed.
Week One – Comprehensive Range Training: The first week kicked off with an extensive range package including an acclimatisation beasting every morning to set us up. The PTI would take us for circuits, weighted runs, track sessions, and proper military phys to ensure we were acclimatised to deal with the hot environment. He would then add a recovery run every now and then, although a recovery run for a PTI and your average person are two completely different things, as we found out!
Pistol and rifle ACMTs on day one provided a solid foundation. From there, each day progressed into more complex shoots, from close-range transition shoots to 500m section shoots. Confidence in our abilities soared, culminating in a friendly shooting competition between boat groups after day four. The senior Marines were commenting that this was one of the best range packages they had taken part in since joining the Corps, which made the anticipation for the coming weeks all that more exciting. This spirited competition enhanced our shooting proficiency, and crucially, our muzzle discipline whilst moving in close proximity to one another.
Week Two – Blank Field Firing: The second week focused on blank field firing, and this time we were joined by a 1 Rifles Recce Team. 1 Rifles briefed us on their use of drones in reconnaissance and what an asset such a device can be, showing us how it would work, the battle picture it gives commanders, and the tactical edge it provides. The team from SRS gave us briefs on the Electronic – Tactical Navigation Board (E-TAC), which is a newer version of the old Rabid Beach Profiling System (RBPS). These are sonar devices a swimmer would have with them in the water while swimming lines of sounding, which gives us a picture of what the ocean floor is doing and therefore what crafts are suitable to land on the beach. SRT also gave us instruction with the SLR cameras and how taking long exposure photos gives a better picture of the ground.
The week of blank field firing incorporated basic individual and Section-level patrols, break contact drills, beach recce at night, and casualty extraction drills. Discussions on varied SOPs, from beach landing techniques to breaking contact with a casualty, provided invaluable insights and development of our SOPs. The week allowed us to put our tactics into practice. Recce photos alongside 84 Sqn’s Puma allowed the lads to dive deeper into information and gathering techniques, and a night practical with the E-TAC further enriched our learning experiences and gave those who had not used a tool like this hands-on experience in the next step of beach reconnaissance. Top tip for those going on Coptic Whisper next year: don’t Google what species of shark inhabit the Med before going into swim lines on a recce!
Week Three – Live Field Firing: Noticeable improvement was showcased. After intensive training over the past two weeks, you could see an improvement in yourself and in your oppos alike. You knew your role and theirs and like one well-oiled Bootneck machine, we conducted our live field firing drills with confidence.
The week’s training culminated in inserting via IRC, coordinating an RV linkup, breaking contact with a sustained casualty, swiftly evacuating them back to the boats and calling in a Puma helicopter to hoist the casualty up and get them to the nearest hospital within the golden hour.
84 Sqn’s involvement heightened the realism, emphasising the need to train as we would fight, and there’s nothing like seeing your oppo being airlifted into the sunset to safety in nothing but his pants and boots!
The final evolution was another competition; the teams had to speed march 1.2km in whatever manner they perceived best, shoot ten targets at ranges from 100 to 300m, and do it for time. Each round expended added time to the total tally and thus really emphasised all the drills practised on ranges the weeks before. Unlike previous weeks, this time no one wished to share tactics!
Week Four – Adventure Training: The final week introduced some well-earned adventure training, providing a refreshing break from the ranges and those ‘recovery runs.’ Activities such as hill walking, coasteering, snorkelling, a lagoon trip and mountain biking in the Troodos Mountains offered a well-deserved change of scenery and some quality time to get to know the Troop.
The challenging heat, intricate exercise scenarios, and difficult coastal terrain for IRC activity made Ex Coptic Whisper both rigorous, rewarding and hugely beneficial to our individual skills. For those of us conducting FGen in advance of Littoral Response Group (South), this exercise provided an invaluable training opportunity. It served as a platform to exchange information and tactics with the SurfM community as well as important foreign partners and elevated our collective capabilities as Royal Marines Landing Craft Operators.
Read more from the Journal of the Royal Marines
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