Exercise ARRCADE LIGHTNING
Wing Commander Andrew Green
CHALLENGING MINDS AND BROADENING HORIZONS
Each year ARRC ’ s Chief of Staff ( COSARRC ) directs the planning and implementation of an exercise designed to challenge his OF-5s in the cognitive domain . Branded Exercise ARRCADE LIGHTNING , this series of events typically focusses on exploring historical battles to draw lessons from which the HQ and its staff may learn . This year ’ s iteration , the first since 2019 due to the pandemic , took place in and around Kyiv and focussed on activity in Ukraine during the summer and autumn of 1943 . This fighting is commonly referred to as the Battle of the Dneiper .
DEFENCE ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION
Committed to continued support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine , Major General Mead directed that whilst this year ’ s iteration should deliver on education it should also look to engage with the host nation ’ s armed forces . Equipped with that direction and acutely aware that few have better knowledge of a historical conflict in Ukraine than the Armed Forces of Ukraine , the planning team contacted the Ukrainian National Defence University through the exceedingly helpful British Embassy , Kyiv . Their military history experts could not have been more accommodating and quicker than we could ask , they offered to take us through their perspectives on the
Dneiper Campaign and asked that we might contribute lessons which may be applicable to today ’ s ARRC .
REFLECTIONS ON CONFLICT
Having safely arrived the day prior , Saturday 25th June saw ARRC and Ukrainian staff meet at the riverside State Museum to the Great Patriotic War . In the shadow of the both impressive and somewhat oppressive Motherland Monument , our hosts delivered a fascinating and insightful orientation to the Dneiper campaign and with the benefit of great experience and innate cultural understanding , took us into the minds and decisions of the then commanders . On the HQ ’ s behalf , Support Division Colonels Evanson-Goddard , D ’ Andrea and Hodgson delivered their thoughts on the lessons which bear present consideration . Following a captivating questions session , all were guided around the museum ’ s cavernous display halls .
In similar fashion , the host nation guided us through further aspects of the battle on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th June and the remainder of the ARRC team delivered their briefings , considering the perspective of specified 1st Ukrainian Front units . Whilst each will harbour their own takeaway points , there was much to learn from both the Dneiper Campaign and our gracious and welcoming hosts .
CULTURAL IMMERSION
A visit to Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and the proximate , but far lesser-known cold war era Duga long range RADAR , formed part of the educational programme , ensuring Sunday 26th June was very much a cultural experience too . Witnessing first-hand the rapid decay initiated by what could so easily have been a far more significant disaster was terribly sobering . However , noting the fashion in which nature has come to thrive and so rapidly retake what was once a clinical concrete environment , the verdant vista was also strangely heartening .
BUILDING TO THE FUTURE
ARRCADE LIGHTNING was one of two parallel but discrete activities happening in Ukraine at this time ; as we worked with the Defence University ’ s history department , expert planners from across the HQ were teaching operational planning processes to a broad audience in the Defence University . Moreover , whilst these were the first two events of 2021 , they are the first of numerous events planned through 2021 and 2022 . Each of these activities will see ARRC continue to support our friends in the Ukrainian Armed Forces , continue to engage , support and reassure , and will thereby help all involved build towards a brighter future .
6 SUMMER 2021 the imjin