The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment take on crucial NATO role - incase conflict with Russia breaks out
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment (1 LANCS) will be among the first to respond if conflict with Russia breaks out in Eastern Europe.
The Battalion has taken on the role of Forward Land Forces (FLF) for NATO, meaning they will be on readiness to strengthen frontline forces.
NATO has increased its military presence in the eastern part of the Alliance - Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia - as a direct result of Russia’s behaviour. NATO’s forward presence comprises eight FLF multinational battlegroups, provided contributing Allies on a voluntary and rotational basis. The battlegroups operate in concert with national home defence forces and are present at all times in the host countries.
1 LANCS recently visited NATO Supreme Headquarters in Brussels to receive a briefing on the tasking. It follows a year of intense training for the role, including a large-scale operational rehearsal in Estonia, Exercise Hedgehog, in May, just 35 miles from the Russian border. The defensive exercise saw troops dig trenches and prepare positions under battlefield conditions.
Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bob Carman said: “As we mark the Battalion’s readiness from July 1, we reflect with pride on 12 months of dedicated training and force development as part of the Forward Land Forces Brigade.
“1 LANCS now stands prepared for the challenges ahead, and we look forward to embracing the opportunities to continue training in Estonia, integrating with our Allies, and increasing our lethality with new technical equipment. The battalion will maintain a mindset of continuous improvement – to be more agile, lethal and resilient, and to always be ready.”
While looking to the future, 1 LANCS also remembered the past with events in June commemorating the 210th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, where the Kingsmen’s forebears helped defeat Napolean’s troops, despite being outnumbered, bringing decades of peace to Europe.
They first marked the occasion with a ceremony at Lion’s Mound in Brussels, Belgium, followed by a parade and families day at their home base, Weeton Barracks in Preston.
Over a packed year, the battalion also conducted a major exercise on Salisbury Plain, testing its readiness for operations in Europe and beyond, as well as playing a vital role in supporting the resettlement of eligible Afghan citizens in the UK.