Ex SUMAN PROTECTOR

In October, Operation Squadron’s Flt Lt Ramsbottom deployed on Ex SUMAN PROTECTOR, fulfilling the Air Liaison Officer role within the J35 cell.

Ex SUMAN PROTECTOR is the flagship exercise for the Five Powers Defence Arrangement (FPDA). It occurs every 5 years and influences the BERSAMA series of live exercises held in the region. The FPDA is a collaborative arrangement between Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and the UK, with a focus on collective training to enable the nations involved to operate effectively together.

While the FPDA has been in place since 1971, the level of UK involvement in FPDA exercises has ebbed and flowed over the years, with recent demands from operations drawing finite resources away from the Defence Exercise Programme. However, the importance of remaining engaged in the Agreement given the regional geo-political climate is abundantly clear.

The intent of the exercise is to deliver the most challenging and complex command post exercise in the FPDA exercise series, and it aims to exercise a Combined Joint Task Force HQ at the operational level. In practice, this plays out as a tier 3 advanced level operational planning exercise that includes non-conventional scenarios and the involvement of IOs/NGOs/ OGDs. This year, the exercise brought together over 260 dedicated military and civilian personnel, led by a 1* Army Officer from Singapore and included 28 UK individual augmentees (IA) from all three services that were integrated throughout the HQ CJTF structure. The output and LIs from this exercise are also collated and used to influence the doctrine used should the arrangement be enacted in the region. The FPDA and its associated exercise components enable the UK to demonstrate our enduring commitment, not only within the FPDA, but within the Far East region. It underpins the key government strategy of Global Britain and the tilt to the Indo/Pacific as defined within the Integrated Review. The UK’s prioritisation of such activity was highlighted this year by the attendance of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff - General Gwyn Jenkins - along with his equivalents from the other FPDA nations to the opening ceremony of SP22. This event has been a unique opportunity for UK personnel to interact with, and learn from, services and nations who we may not normally have the opportunity work with.

As Air LO, Fl Lt Ramsbottom was responsible for informing decisions with the J35 cell, advising on the air capabilities available for use in the scenario theatre, and working with other service equivalent to formulate a suitable COA. Through this, Flt Lt Ramsbottom was provided with the opportunity to brief the 1* Cdr of the CJTF on a number of occasions and was selected to brief the 2* Cdr during the final COA brief. There were a number of professional opportunities available for pers across the domains, and exercise provides great insight into how a HQ operates.

The exercise positions are advertised on the A1 Ops volunteers page, with a number of Air positions available from across the professions. Keep your eyes peeled for the IA trawl for the forthcoming BERSAMA exercises, if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to contact Flt Lt Ramsbottom.