2Lt Jason Martin and 2Lt Michael Gough

An important opportunity was recently taken by Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) to practice battle procedure and tactical thinking. The activities began with a lecture on mission analysis by Major Derek Macaulay held at the Edmonton Garrison Officer’s Mess (EGOM). All Officers and Warrant Officers of the Regiment attended. Following the lecture and a hearty steak dinner, CO Lieutenant-Colonel Jamie Cade issued orders for the Tactical Exercise Without Troops (TEWT) the next day. Focusing on the mobile defence, the plan aimed to halt a fictional enemy advance from Flatlandia (Saskatchewan) through the area east of the North Saskatchewan River. This cunning enemy’s goal is the rich oil fields north of Edmonton. It is up to the LdSH(RC) Battle Group to stop them! After orders, the group broke off into syndicates to complete mission analysis and reconnaissance plans based on the orders. The discussions were very spirited and many interesting questions arose from the exercise.

The following day, all personnel moved out to a location North of Elk Island National Park to begin the TEWT. The problems of the previous night were discussed, after which the syndicates moved about the countryside to conduct their recces. The group linked up at the Fort Saskatchewan Legion for lunch. Once the morning’s problem was discussed, a new problem to the situation was issued for each syndicate for debate. Several syndicates at the EGOM made a final presentation and the CO said his final words before the exercise went virtual.

The actual ground from the TEWT, err… minus a few large swamps, was digitally represented for everyone from the troop warrants up to the CO utilizing JCATS, the latest improvement underway to the JANUS battle simulation platform. Still being developed, the powerful JCATS system allows forces to now fight in simulation with echelon supply systems, realistic ammunition loads, and many new algorithms designed to incorporate realities such as probability of hits on the move and at movers, vehicle speeds over different terrains and features, probability and speed of target acquisition by crewmen (varying against dug-in and smaller unit sizes), vehicle damage, friendly fire, and the effects and consequences of sharing ground with civilian populations. The most popular change, however, is the fact that units take up space, meaning, as two seasoned JCATS veterans found out, vehicles can collide! The ‘collisions’ with enemy forces proved much more exciting, however.

The initial run of the system saw the Regiment with its two tank squadrons up prepared to conduct a guard battle. Reconnaissance Squadron conducted a screen forward using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), with the Brigade Main Defence along the NORTH SASKATCHEWAN RIVER. The complex plan combined with the changing enemy situation (courtesy of the capable enemy force commander Captain Chris Adams) created challenges for commanders at all levels. Replays of the battle demonstrated how the fog of war is always somewhere, but recce did its job extremely well, and was augmented also by the keen and watchful “golf net” (artillery observers).

Another important element practiced was the set-up of the Tactical Command and Control Communications System (TCCCS) and the proper use of radio procedure. Although, as with any piece of electronic equipment today, the batteries have a nasty habit of dying just at the most critical moment in the battle!

In the end, this computer-assisted exercise was an excellent venue for practicing the fundamentals of Armour in the defence and work on command and control within the Regiment. This will stand the Regiment in good stead for the upcoming computer assisted Brigade exercise in January and for a deployment to the field in the spring of 2004.

PERSEVERANCE