READY FOR TODAY – EVOLVING FOR TOMORROW
ARRCADE LIGHTNING 17 training audience at Belwedere Palace with the President of Poland, Mr Andrzej Duda (front centre)
up to Secret from Poland, Lithuania,
Estonia and Latvia, and covered stands
on tactical actions as follows: Suwalki
Gap, for inload and setting the theatre;
River Neman for Obstacle (Wide Wet
Gap) Crossing; and Siauliai, for Urban
Electronic Devices, and a very low
public profile maintained - but with no
suggestion of concealment or evasion.
Regular updates were provided both
to the MoD in London and to SHAPE.
Whilst not entirely coincidental, the fact
that Ex ZAPAD 17 was scheduled to
finish the previous week was a source
of very positive creative tension in
discussions.
Prof Niall Barr speaking to the ARRCADE
LIGHTNING training audience at the Little
Insurrectionist Statue in Warsaw, about the Warsaw
Uprising, 1944
ARRCADE LIGHTNING training audience at the Hill
of Crosses near Siauliai, Lithuania
Operations. Historical illustration was
provided with reference to the Warsaw
Uprising; Operations Barbarossa and
Bagration; Napoleon’s crossing of the
Neman; and the battle of Raseiniai.
Future conflict was visualised with the
help of a commercial wargame. Finally,
Key Leader Engagement was conducted
throughout; the highlight being a lunch
with the President of Poland and his
National Security Adviser.
Given its profile, it is important to
emphasise the Strategic Communications
and Public Affairs potential for such
events. This also has implications for a
trip’s security profile. Strict procedures
were adopted for the use of Personal
conflicting conclusions when presented
with the same inputs. This then generated
a rich debate, which was captured in a
period of consolidation on the final day.
COM 3 (UK) Div, Maj Gen Nick Borton talking to
DCOS Ops, Brig Andrew Rohling and Dep Comd
4th Inf Div, Col David Hodne
The great benefit of this approach
was that it demanded that participants
rigorously examine history for that which
remained relevant to today, and discard
that which did not. To help them in
doing so, engagement with the people
of the nations in the region who live and
breathe the security challenges – often
at very senior level – routinely altered
the participants’ perspectives and
preconceptions. It turned the week into
a kind of rolling analysis, in which people
frequently arrived at differing and even
Improvements could certainly be made
to the format, and it needs to be tailored
precisely to the needs of the moment and
of the participants, but as a first attempt
at a new model for professional focus it
was generally felt by those taking part
to have been a great success. Lessons
identified from the week, and questions
arising from discussions within it, have
been captured and are being taken
forward as part of the ARRC’s Corps
Recalibration process.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brig Paul Tennant currently heads up the
Joint Fires and Influence Branch at HQ
Allied Rapid Reaction Corps.
ALLIED RAPID REACTION CORPS
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