1ST ( UK ) SIGNAL BRIGADE
Communications support to Op LINOTYPER
Maj Matt Hollingsworth , OC 247 Gurkha Sig Sqn
Op LINOTYPER is the overarching operation for UK Land ’ s contribution to Ex STEADFAST DEFENDER , the largest NATO exercise in forty years , seeing over 40,000 NATO personnel deploy across Europe . 16,000 of these personnel are from the British Army with participation across 10 separate exercises over six months and as such , Op LINOTYPER constitutes the largest British Army deployment across Europe in a generation .
Central to the British Army ’ s ability to effectively deploy , sustain and recover Op LINOTYPER personnel is 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade . Specifically , the Brigade ’ s ability to successfully command and control the coordinated movement of British Army personnel , vehicles , and military equipment across the entire breadth of Europe is critical to ensure the right people are in the right place at the right time and with the right equipment . Additionally , the Brigade ’ s deployment also includes support to US forces as part of Ex DEFENDER 24 . All in all , this support has required the Brigade headquarters , numerous logistical enabling group headquarters and convoy support centres to be scattered across vast distances and a multitude of different European nations . As such , effective communications support has been critical to the Brigade ’ s success .
247 Gurkha Signal Squadron are the communications experts aligned to 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade and are responsible for the provision of effective command support in the form of multiple scalable headquarters . Amongst the first into theatre , 247 personnel established the Enabling Group ( South ), EG ( S ), headquarters in NATO Forward Holding Base , Sennelager ( NFS ), Germany as the movement control headquarters for the entirety of Op LINOTYPER .
Enabling Group ( South ) – LCpl Vishwa Raj Thapa , King Troop
At noon on 22 Jan 24 , King Troop , 247 Gurkha Signal Squadron set off from MOD Stafford towards NFS for Op LINOTYPER 24 ; the largest deployment of British troops to Europe in a generation . This exercise is Land ’ s contribution to activity to the large-scale NATO exercise , Ex STEADFAST DEFENDER 24 and includes support to Ex DEFENDER 24 working directly with the US .
King Troop was tasked with establishing and maintaining Enabling Group South , EG ( S ), HQ providing OpCIS services to circa 50 multi-cap badged staff users . The services provided were OFFICIAL SENSITIVE via Housekeeper , UK SECRET via OpNET RED and NATO SECRET via OpNET BLUE in conjunction with Falcon providing voice services , Starlink as the SATCOM bearer and a deployed Video Teleconferencing capability . All the detachment commanders tackled every obstacle and fault that arose in their respective detachments . The most junior signallers impressed the Troop with their eagerness to learn from the seasoned detachment commanders which was evident when they catered technical support to the staff users with ease .
Eager to add value both technically and professionally , King Troop personnel conducted two Defence Train the Trainer ( DTTT ) courses for EG ( S ) personnel ( 9 REME Bn ) which qualified a total of four senior and 18 junior DTTT instructors . Furthermore , they organised multiple educational visits including to Berlin , the German Football Museum in Dortmund , and Kreismuseum Wewelsburg Castle . This was while every individual invested in their own technical continuous professional development ( CPD ) every day . This upskilling is part of the Royal Corps of Signals Project CADUCEUS and ensures Royal Signals personnel remain technically credible and capable communications professionals .
Keen to exploit opportunities for personal and technical development and innovation , the Troop has supported visits to Germany from the UK Prime Minister and experimentation . Cpl Nima travelled to Berlin as part of deepening the UK ’ s defence and security cooperation with Germany . Equally , King Troop personnel tested novel approaches to the interoperability of SATCOM bearers with deployed 3D printing and Augmented Reality capabilities .
All in all , Op LINOTYPER 24 presented an array of new opportunities for both personal and professional development for those in King Tp .
In March , a couple of months following their initial deployment EG ( S ) was bolstered in NFS by 104 Brigade headquarters with communications support to the Commander and his staff provided by Borneo Tp .
104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade Headquarters – Sig Pujan Shestha , Borneo Troop
On 8 Mar 24 , 20 service personnel from Borneo Troop , 247 Gurkha Signal Squadron deployed to Sennelager , Germany on Op LINOTYPER . Our mission was to provide communication and information systems to the Theatre Enabling Group ( TEG ) HQ , which is primarily composed of personnel from 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade . Over the duration of the exercise , we delivered resilient OpCIS services including SECRET data , OFFICIAL SENSITIVE data , SECRET voice , and SECRET video services to the staff users , critically enabling the complex logistical mission of the TEG .
In my role as a service desk enabler , I supported staff users and ensured the smooth operation of services . As the junior signallers in our Troop , we gained valuable insight and hands-on experience from the detachment commanders who delivered continuous cross training on various detachments , enriching our skills and knowledge . Alongside our crucial tasking , we had the privilege of visiting the Heinz Nixdorf Museum Forum in Paderborn and the iconic Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund , followed by explorations of these vibrant cities .
We also had a busy social and team building calendar on the exercise . On 13 Apr 24 , we celebrated the Nepalese new year , bringing together our staff users , including the TEG Commander , to embrace cultural diversity within the TEG HQ . Shortly after this , it was an honour to host a visit from the Comd 1st ( UK ) Signal Brigade and the Regimental Sergeant Major of 16th Signal Regiment .
Overall , our deployment to Sennelager for Op LINOTYPER was a rewarding and enriching experience . We had the privilege of collaborating with military personnel from various units on this major exercise . Additionally , the cultural experiences we gained will stay with us long after we return home , fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation . As we reflect on our time in Germany , we feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in what we achieved , and we look forward to bringing our enhanced skills and perspectives back to our home units and future deployments .
Concurrent to the Squadron establishing its centre of mass in NFS it has supported a dislocated enabling group headquarters in both Poland and Denmark across phase one and phase two of Op LINOTYPER
18 SUMMER 2024 the imjin @ R _ Signals @ royalcorpssignals