Soldiers from two battalions of a Scottish regiment faced off against each other in a demanding exercise in Cyprus, with one simulating a Russian advance.
The week-long manoeuvres involved the second and fourth battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who are known as 2Scots and 4Scots respectively.
It involved the soldiers dealing with the heat and rough terrain of Cyprus, as well as operating at night.
The exercise this summer focused on intelligence gathering, target acquisition and reconnaissance – taking place two weeks after 2Scots returned from a major Nato exercise in Estonia.
In the Cyprus scenario, 2Scots’ C Company faced 4Scots’ Support Company
The Russian advance was simulated by the 2Scots formation, who drew from experience on their recent deployment to Estonia.
The exercise tested how 4Scots would respond to such a force, using intelligence and reconnaissance to find the opposing force and repel them.
One of the 4Scots soldiers taking part was Kieran Gallagher, who is originally from Bolton.
The 29-year-old said: “Instead of working independently, this exercise was about seeing how we came together as a group.
“Mortars, snipers and anti-tank teams all had to work together to successfully complete the objective.”
Highlander Gallagher noted there was additional competition in facing off against another battalion from the Royal Regiment of Scotland – soldiers from which refer to themselves as “jocks”.
He said: “With it being against another Scots battalion, it’s natural for us all to get more competitive.
“We want to prove ourselves against our fellow jocks across the Royal Regiment of Scotland.”
For 21-year-old Fusilier Glenn Millar, of Carnoustie, the deployment to Cyprus followed just two weeks after 2Scots returned from Exercise Spring Storm – a month-long Nato exercise supporting Estonia’s defence on the country’s south-eastern border.
There, the battalion’s task was to build and defend positions against a simulated Russian advance.
He said: “Estonia was serious. As soon as we arrived it was straight out, boots to the ground, into exercise conditions.
“We were set to stop the force coming through, so it was a proper defensive task.
“You are digging in, building positions and working through the situations as they develop.
“Cyprus was a completely different task because we were not the ones being assessed.
“This time we were playing the enemy, an opposing presence on the ground forcing 4Scots to work for the information.”
The exercise was made more challenging as it took place in the dark, forcing 4Scots to work hard to locate the opposing force.
Major Aidan Welch, the commanding officer of Support Company in 4Scots, said the opportunity for the two battalions to train together was particularly valuable.
He said: “It isn’t unusual to pair battalions together on exercise – it helps to test their capabilities.
“It is rarer to do it with another Scots battalion though. We’re deployed all over the world, so having the chance to come together, share recent experiences, compare tactics and learn from each other is hugely beneficial.
“There’s a lot to learn from how other battalions operate, and being able to host other Scots soldiers out here in Cyprus was an added bonus.”
