Communications Concentration

Fresh back from a month on the ranges, Z Coy continued their Force Generation cycle with a two-week specialist skills concentration. This was split into advanced UAS flying, medical qualifications, quadbike training and a communication package; the latter of which will be the focus of this article.

The communication package, run by subject matter experts from Information Warfare Company, intended to build the fundamental skills and awareness of voice procedure, electronic warfare and radio communications. Its aim was to develop radio confidence and resilience, enhance practical problem-solving capabilities in a tactical setting; all whilst brushing up on the basics of communication discipline under pressure.

Phase one focused on voice procedure, a deceptively simple-sounding subject which has the potential to unhinge operations through message misinterpretation or undermine individual credibility, as anyone who has accidentally transmitted an entire internal monologue over a hot microphone can attest to.

Emphasis was placed on net discipline, brevity and mastering ‘Prowords’ – those formal comms phrases that provide clarity in even the most chaotic moments. The outcome: the lads with a Pavlovian-esque response to the word ‘Roger’, as well as having the capability and confidence to send and receive quick, correct, concise information over the net individually and as a team. This is becoming of increasing pertinence as teams strive to operate at extended reach from HQ, increasing the burden on every team member to be able to accurately pass information up to higher.

Phase two introduced Electronic Warfare (EW) theory and practice. This included teaches on methods enemy forces may utilise to degrade or deny friendly communications, as well as how to detect and mitigate such interference. The notion that an adversary could jam your signal from 20km away, or ‘spoof’ your GPS device taking you to a completely different location, emphasised the need to maintain high standards of basic fieldcraft even as the battlefield becomes more infused with technology.

Nowhere was this more prevalent than the risk of triangulation through electromagnetic signature. In layman’s terms: how a single press of the pressel or lack of net discipline can give away your location, whilst also contributing to building a battle picture to anyone who may be monitoring you.

The final phase took us into our backyard of the Cairngorms to demonstrate how theory learned and skills developed in a controlled environment could be stressed by mountainous terrain. This exercise was designed to simulate operations within an EW landscape and required small teams to complete a timed route whilst having to meet hourly schedule windows.

This terrain tested our knowledge and understanding of our equipment and the EW threat, allowing us to gauge when and where each radio system is most likely to work and in what different ways we could maximise their capability. Time constraints and an inevitable competitive edge between teams gave new meaning to ‘fighting for comms’. Ultimately, it proved our ability to set up and establish communication quickly and clearly under pressure over arduous terrain.The two-week concentration provided a valuable learning experience, despite the overuse of the phrase ‘say again’. It was a valuable opportunity to consolidate fundamentals, build resilience under simulated EW conditions and ………