DE&S team play pivotal role in success of Army exercise

Published 14 January 2019.

DE&S Defence Support Chain Operations and Movements team aided Tractable exercise 

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A DE&S team have played a key role in t he success of an exercise undertaken to The Defence Support Chain Operations and Movements (DSCOM) team within the Logistic Delivery Operating Centre (LDOC) worked to ensure the success of Exercise Tractable earlier this year.

The exercise saw approximately 800 troops and 200 pieces of equipment being deployed to Estonia via sea, land and air, via Estonia’s largest ever para drop.

The exercise supported Operation Cabrit – the UK’s enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia as part of NATO – and sought to demonstrate the UK’s ability to reinforce the Baltic region, and ultimately showcase the ability of the British Army to mobilise at increasing pace and scale.

“Exercise Tractable was a demonstration of the versatility and agility of DSCOM in supporting the Permanent Joint Headquarters and Field Army, covering Defence requirements to deliver the multimodal projection of forces in a NATO context”

The British Army’s presence in Estonia, alongside their troop contribution to the US-led Battlegroup in Poland, is understood to be providing stability and reassurance across the region.

DE&S played a key part in this, from the generation of equipment through to the deployment, sustainment, and recovery, by air, sea, rail and road.

The Army currently has Challenger II main battle tanks in Estonia, which alongside armoured vehicles and artillery, were rotated. Logistic Delivery Operating Centre were key in this through the breakout of vehicles from the stored operational fleet.

DSCOM led on the complicated movement of soldiers, vehicles and equipment across Europe, deploying 734 soldiers and in excess of 14 tonnes of freight by air across 11 flights, with 1,500 linear metres of equipment deploying by sea.

DSCOM Head, Brigadier Nigel Allison, said: “Exercise Tractable was a demonstration of the versatility and agility of DSCOM in supporting the Permanent Joint Headquarters and Field Army, covering Defence requirements to deliver the multimodal projection of forces in a NATO context.”

In addition, contracted rail movement included a Team Leidos brokered movement from the UK to Estonia, showcasing the defence partner delivering operational effect and demonstrating the strength and utility of the relationship.

Head Operations, Team Leidos operations head, Mark Rowlands added: “It is precisely for activities like these that Team Leidos, as the UK’s Defence Delivery Partner, has embedded an operations team in DSCOM to enhance the delivery of military effect.  We worked closely with our DSCOM colleagues to plan in detail how we would deliver a successful outcome and to provide daily progress updates to the customer throughout the execution phase.”

Exercise Tractable builds on recent UK deployments that has proven the ability of DE&S to work seamlessly with front line commands and commercial partners alike, to deliver operational capability. DSCOM are at the forefront of this, delivering the deployment, sustainment and recovery for these activities, enabling Defence to deliver vital outputs.

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