By Pat Carty.

Yet again, my imaginary global ball which prompts me about future Special Force exercises, came up with duff information. The reason being that whilst I had almost packed my bags and booked my flight to Cyprus, to cover the latest UK Special Force exercise; “Chameleon 23-2”, that was not to be the case.

Exercise Chameleon is a bi-annual Special Force exercise involving various members and units of the United Kingdom’s Special Air Service and Special Boat Service, together with other essential SF Ground and Support units.

Whilst exercise planning is demanding, I admit I had no idea how the planners were going to cope with a serious situation involving Chameleon 23-2. A situation which I have never experienced in all the years that I have been privileged to attend SF exercises – the loss of an airframe instrumental in military operations – especially SF. Plus, no known proven replacement! The reason is that on 14th June this year, three Royal Air Force Brize Norton based C-130Js saluted the nation in a farewell low-level flypast over the country. The route included RAF stations and places of significance to the Hercules. It sure was an eye-watering occasion and a very fitting goodbye in preparation for its total retirement on 30th June 2023. 

RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire is the largest RAF Station in the UK and encompasses some 5,800 Service Personnel, 300 civilian staff and 1,200 contractors. It is also home to the RAF Air Mobility Force. However, with the demise of the C-130, the UK Strategic and Tactical Air Transport element is now totally reliant upon the C-17 and the new “Atlas” A-400M, the final one delivered in May.

With regard to Para Ops from A-400s, the first trials took place a year ago this month and were performed by No. 206 Squadron, the RAF’s Heavy Aircraft Test and Evaluation Squadron. Assisting them were staff from the Joint Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit.

I then witnessed what I suspect was the very first HAHO drop from an RAF A-400, which took place during an SF exercise. I think the idea was not to draw attention to the event. However, I suspect the troops dropped were Para instructors, not SF personnel. Some months later, trials took place over Salisbury Plain Training Area, where non-SF troops from the 16th Air Assault Brigade made standard Para drops.

Photo: A-400 HAHO stick arriving over RAF Leeming (photo by Pat Carty 2023)

Whilst test para drops may have continued up until now, I have never seen any evidence that RIBS, along with troops, have ever been dispatched from A-400 aircraft. So, would the latest Chameleon exercise reveal the answer to this situation?

Just before Chameleon 23-2 StartEx, SD Northern River, a large multi-purpose Special Force auxiliary ship, operated by Serco Marine Services, headed towards the Welsh coast. It then moored up in anticipation of assisting with Chameleon Para drops.

Previously, Chameleon para-drops included SF troops dispatched during daylight from a C-130 over the sea, along with their RIB. The same sorties were then run at night. In addition to the sea drops, several drops were also made onto land, utilising both RAF C-130 aircraft and a Short SC-7 Skyvan, on long-term military hire from the Canadian company Summit Air.

However, for Chameleon 23-2, SF troops made just a few sea-drops over three days, from one of two RAF Chinook helicopters deployed for the exercise, and an A-400. But no RIBs were air-dropped!

Once in the sea, the jumpers were collected by SF jet-skies, accompanied by a small Royal Marine assault-craft, call sign CSB0012. Then, along with their chutes, were transported to the Northern River. A Royal Navy Auxiliary Patrol boat was also utilised to deter shipping from entering the DZ area.

Following those para drops, the exercise moved back to RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, where over the next few days, several para-drops were made from Chinooks, the Skyvan, a C-17, and two A-400 Atlas aircraft. The sticks ranged from standard height to High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) drops.

Once the Leeming para-drops had been completed, multiple insertion-points were created in Sweden, where over the remaining two weeks, an RAF C-17 and two RAF A-400s made numerous return flights from Leeming. The reason being that several Swedish military training areas near Karlsborg (22 flights), Kiruna (24 flights) and Orebro (20 flights), were used as DZ’s, or insertion points.    

Whilst I can accept that there was also another SF exercise running in Sweden at the same time, and supported by American C-130 Hercules, I find it unbelievable in this day of cost-cutting, that Chameleon 23-2 got away with some forty-four C-17 flights, one hundred and fifteen, yes one hundred and fifteen mostly long-distance A-400 flights. Plus, twenty-nine Shadow R1 ISTAR flights. Thus, making a total of two hundred and six flights over the three weeks. That total did not include the numerous Chameleon rotary sorties by Chinook and Apache helicopters. I would hate to have had to foot the fuel bill. I just hope the SF troops involved in Chameleon 23-2 reaped the benefit. The aircrew certainly added to their flying time.

As for the question “is the new A-400 cleared to perform over-sea para-drops with RIBs?” I guess I will have to wait until Exercise Chameleon 24-1 early next year, to find out.

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Top photo: UK SF troops on jet skis heading to SD Northern River after parachute infiltration. (photo by Steve Morris, 2023)

Author: Pat Carty is a NATO accredited journalist who covers military news, events, operations, and exercises; including special operations forces. He is a contributor to SOF News as well as several other military defense publications.

By Pat Carty.

The Royal Marine Commando Training Centre, also known as CTCRM, is the principal training centre for the United Kingdom’s Royal Marines. Based at Lympstone in Devon, the CTCRM selects and trains all Royal Marines Officers, recruits and reserves. CTCRM is also unique in that it also provides all Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) command training as well as training 70% of all Royal Marines specialists.

On average, 1,300 recruits, 2,000 potential recruits and 400 potential officers attend courses at CTCRM every year. In addition, the Training Wings run upwards of 320 courses a year for a further 2,000 students.

Benjamin (Ben) McQueen enlisted for training at the CTCRM on 7 December 2009. As part of 103 Troop, and following an intense 32-week training course, Ben passed out as a Royal Marine Commando on 10 September 2010. However, at an inquest on 28th July 2023, Coroner Judge Sir Ernest Ryder concluded that 26-year-old Ben had drowned some eight years later, on 14 November 2018.

Ben, who the coroner said had already passed UK Special Forces selection and was just days from completing specialist training to join “an elite unit”, was taking part in an SF amphibious assault. This involved a lengthy underwater approach to a target, located at Portland Harbour – home of the UK’s Special Boat Service. But went missing.

Tracking devices, which could have located Ben were not used, because the exercise was supposed to be as realistic as possible. However, this resulted in standby divers taking 40 minutes to locate Ben on the seabed and bring him to the surface.

Due to concerns about national security surrounding the circumstances of Ben’s death, the majority of the evidence was presented behind closed doors, with only Ben’s family and security-cleared legal representatives able to attend. However, in open court, Sir Ernest Ryder raised significant concerns about the planning and supervision of the training provided by the MoD, which led to Ben’s death. These included;

• Not topping up breathable gas levels between the two dives.
• The lack of a training requirement for all signals to be acknowledged.
• Inadequate risk assessment for the combined use of the equipment used in training.
• Failing to identify mitigating measures for the risks arising.
• A marked and inappropriate increase in the rate of training progression.
• Insufficiently firm instruction on when student drivers should surface.
• Limitations in training in the Emergency Ascent Drill.
• Not specifically training dive students to check their cylinder pressure after drills;
• Inadequate consideration of the risk of a loss diver in selecting the most appropriate air cylinder for the stand-by diver;
• Failure to ensure a full and rapid debrief of the student divers who surfaced in choosing where to deploy the standby diver;
• The lack of formal authorisation from Headquarters for some of the equipment being used.
• A lack of proactive engagement in the chain of command.

It was said during the inquest that Ben was extremely well-liked by his fellow troops and commanders and was also said to have been a considerate and human being as well as a competent and natural soldier. He had also stood out in his career reports for the excellence he brought to his role, and had achieved his life ambition of serving his country by joining the Corps and being selected for such an elite unit.

The Government’s Health and Safety Executive had previously served the MoD with two improvement notices, and following their earlier investigation, the MoD had also accepted two Crown Censures. These illustrated a level of overconfidence within the MoD when it came to providing safe systems of training to its soldiers.

The Coroner Judge, having heard evidence as to what improvements had been implemented by the MoD since Ben’s death, also made four recommendations to the MoD via a Prevention of Future Death Report, to ensure that lessons arising out of Ben’s death were learned.

Sebastian Del Monte, acting on behalf of Ben’s family said:

“It is clear from the coroner’s conclusions that Ben’s death was preventable and is symptomatic of the Ministry of Defence’s opaqueness, which led to overconfidence surrounding safety and training processes. It is the family’s view that this complacency and lack of oversight caused the tragic death of a young man serving his country.

“Due to the lack of transparency and the need for a secure inquest, the family has waited nearly five years to uncover what happened to their son. Inquests are difficult processes for any family but especially so in these circumstances. Ben’s family fought tirelessly and with dignity to learn the truth surrounding Ben’s tragic death. They did so to ensure that other families do not have to go through the same torturous process.”

Ben’s mother, Kathy McQueen, and Ben’s father, Colin McQueen added:

“Ben was a precious beloved son, brother, soldier, and friend and is sorely missed. He lived life to the full, a natural soldier with a humble heart. He had a fierce focus and determination to reach his best. His life was cut short because he was failed by the very organisation in which he put his trust. We do not know exactly what happened in Ben’s final moments, but we do believe Ben’s death was preventable. His legacy will be significant changes in dive training and ethos across the forces and an inspiration for others to face their fears as he so courageously did. We do not grieve as those who have no hope because we will see Ben again and his live and death have not been wasted.”

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Author: Pat Carty is a NATO accredited journalist who covers military news, events, operations, and exercises; including special operations forces. He is a contributor to SOF News as well as several other military defense publications.

By Pat Carty.

I wish I had a globe which enabled me to look into the future. There again, I guess if I had paid more attention to the current weather charts, and used them to predict the future weather, I would have had more luck attending the latest British Special Forces Exercise; Chameleon 23-1. The reason being that I had the intention of heading to Scotland to view the exercise from there. However, the weather necessitated changing the exercise location.

Like its predecessor, I anticipated that Chameleon Exercise Planners, who for obvious reasons like to keep relevant details from exercise participants until the last moment, had planned the exercise to be located at the ex-Royal Air Force airfield at Leuchars in Scotland – now home to the British Army. However, as they forecast gale force winds and torrential rain – conditions not suited to “High Altitude High Opening” (HAHO) or “High Altitude Low Opening” (HALO) parachuting – a major component of Chameleon, the exercise was again repositioned to the warmer climes of Cyprus.

Exercise Chameleon is a bi-annual Special Force exercise, which has previously involved various members and units of the United Kingdom’s Special Air Service and Special Boat Service, together with other essential SF ground and support units. 

Due to recent changes to the UK SOF structure, which involved the Royal Marines transforming the new Future Commando Force (FCF), and two new “specialized units” (ASOB and SFOB) and coming under the control of the British Army; not the Director Special Force, who is responsible for the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, Special Forces Support Group, Special Reconnaissance Regiment, 18th Signal Regiment, and Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing,  I was hoping to take my usual “close look” at the new structure. The idea being to see what if anything had changed – other than an overall attempt to reduce the size of the armed forces, and increase their capabilities with additional training and modern equipment – therefore, make them more responsive to events around the world. I should add that those are the Ministry of Defence’s words, not mine!

Just prior to StartEx, one of the few remaining but trusty C-130 Hercules left RAF Brize Norton, bristling with SOF equipment, for the British sovereign base at Akrotiri in Cyprus. Then, after a brief pause, continued onwards to Jordan.

Two CH-47 Chinook helicopters from the Special Forces Flight at RAF Odiham, also departed for Cyprus, followed by two C-130 Hercules, manned by aircrews from the Royal Air Force 47 Squadron Special Forces flight, and based at RAF Brize Norton.

Two days later, two Shadow R.Mk 1 aircraft followed, crewed by 14 Squadron at RAF Waddington. However, unlike the Hercs, who routed direct to Akrotiri, the Shadows took a more leisurely route via Marseille, and then Gibraltar, where they overnighted.

The following morning, the Shadows departed Gib for Akrotiri. Then, completed their journey to their exercise Forward Operating Base (FOB); King Feisal bin Abdul Aziz Air Base in southern Jordan. Incidentally, all the aircraft involved, transited using the British Military international ICAO call sign “Ascot” (RRR). 

Following StartEx, Chameleon continued with several Para-drops, both standard static line and freefall, made into the Mediterranean Sea off Akrotiri Air Base. The Chinooks and Hercules aircraft were supported by SD Northern River, a large multi-purpose auxiliary ship, operated by Serco Marine Services. This is their largest, both in terms of dimensions and gross tonnage, and specializes in SF support. Northern River was in turn supported by two Royal Marine craft; callsigns CSB 0005 and CSB0012.

Following the sea jumps off Akrotiri, almost daily static-line and freefall HAHO and HALO jumps were then made into Jordanian training areas.

For the SF troops, these covert insertion sorties were supported by the Shadow R.Mk 1 aircraft, who provide invaluable “Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance” (ISTAR) by using their high-definition electro-optical and electronic sensors, this data enabling analysts to prepare comprehensive intelligence reports. The Shadows Satellite communications links also enables information to be downloaded to troop commanders on the ground, and also provide up-to-the-minute Forward Air Control support. I should add that the Shadows are also fitted with a defensive aid suite.

Several Herc flights also transited into Amman, enabling the SF troops to use the nearby King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC) – if needed.

Whilst there, I have found it to be a one-of-a-kind facility, covering some twenty-five square kilometres. It was safe, secure and isolated and equipped with multiple distance ranges; from a 1300-meter unknown distance range to a 300-meter, moving target range, which accommodates most firearm requirements. It also has a four-story; close quarters battle (CQB), live-fire structure and the largest mock city in existence; 67 buildings, which include numerous arrangements from an Afghan village to an embassy compound, driving ranges, an Airbus A-300 aircraft with targets to simulate hostage scenarios. Special battlefield effects also provide live fire compatibility throughout, with a fibre optic network connecting the Range Operations Control Centre (ROC) to the hundreds of cameras, microphones, target systems, and simulators, all testing the user’s creativity in tactics, techniques and procedures. Together with on-site lodging, dining, gym, pro shop, weapons/equipment rental and storage; it is easy to see why KASOTC is the ideal place to do what is necessary to prepare forces for the challenges of armed conflict. Finally, KASOTC is also the venue for the annual SF Warrior Competition – a contest where the best Special Forces teams from around the world participate in live fire exercises and drills.

During this latest Chameleon SOF exercise, there were a total of ninety-one C-130 Hercules sorties, forty-three Shadow R.Mk 1 sorties, and numerous Chinook sorties. The new-to-the-SF-roll C-17 and A-400 aircraft air and ground crews were also put through their paces – due to the forthcoming demise of the ageing RAF C-130 Hercules. The C-17s achieved a total of sixty-three sorties, and the A-400 sixty, during the three-week exercise. Thus, the exercise total overall was some two hundred and forty-seven sorties!

As usual, I look forward to attending the next Exercise Chameleon, weather permitting, be it located in either Cyprus or Scotland.

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Author: Pat Carty is a NATO accredited journalist who covers military news, events, operations, and exercises; including special operations forces. He is a contributor to SOF News as well as several other military defense publications.

Photo: Beechcraft Shadow R.Mk 1 (14 Squadron RAF)

Despite SOF aircrews having recently taken part in an actual SOF insertion onto a ship where SOF troops captured illegal immigrants holding the crew of a ship captive, UK Special Forces aircrew have just completed yet another major week-long SF exercise called Faraday Field.

Air assets started to assemble on a recent Sunday at the remote Altcar range – located on the UK’s west coast and where both regular and reserve troops, plus cadets, fire some two million rounds a year.

First to arrive were Merlin helicopters from the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. These were followed by Chinooks from RAF Odiham and then Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton.

Once established on camp, and following a meal and briefing, the UK Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing aircrews commenced week-long night time insertion sorties, out to both rigs and shipping, located in the nearby Morecambe Bay – the second largest gas field in the UK.

The sorties consisted of the force inserting SOF troops by fast roping from Chinooks, whilst protected by both Wildcat and Merlin helicopters. Plus, a Merlin HM.1 providing ISTAR, Radar coverage and Search and Rescue duties.

To compensate for the disruption caused to local residents during Faraday Field, created by noise from the helicopters departing en-mass each night, the range held a one-hour public open session on the exercises last day. Residents were able to view a number of the helicopters and then watch them depart to their home bases.

It was an opportunity that was gratefully received by those who took advantage of the occasion. It also somewhat compensated for the actions of one or two members of the range’s security team, who during the week tried to stop residents and enthusiasts photographing the helicopters whilst they were standing on public footpaths, located outside the range boundary.

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Photos: Provided by author.

Author: Pat Carty is a NATO accredited journalist who covers military news, events, operations, and exercises; including special operations forces. He is a contributor to SOF News as well as several other military defense publications.

The men of O Squadron, 43 Commando usually are patrolling the grounds, buildings and jetties of either Faslane Naval Base or nearby Coulport depot. Their mission is to guard the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrent submarines and the Trident missiles they carry. But every once in a while the Commandos venture overseas for some training. The video highlights 60 British Commandos who did a two-week training stint in Germany. Video posted on YouTube.com by the British Royal Navy.