Stabilizing the situation in the region affected by interior conflict – this task was given to staff from Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine during the "Three Swords". global exercises were the main test in the three-year training cycle of the Lithuanian-Polish Ukrainian Brigade. How did it go?
In Radland, the situation has been unstable for many months. Separatist groups increasingly sought to separate the east part of the territory from it. The interior conflict from week to week grew in size, criminal organizations became active, and the local population was subject to expanding disinformation attacks. The situation was besides destabilised by the neighbouring country. The global community has decided to intervene. The task of conducting peace support operations within the Western coalition received Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade im. Wielki Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski (LITPOLUKRBRIG) from Lublin. – The order to prepare and carry out activities that will effectively and rapidly guarantee local communities' safety – in the soldier's words Major Łukasz Sobieszek, Head of the Operations Section of the Brigade, explains the script of this year's edition of the global exercises "Three Swords".
Current response
The soldiers of the command and brigade staff immediately began planning operations in the east part of Radland. The troops affiliated to LITPOLUKRBRIG were at their disposal, which were rapidly grouped in the designated areas and were immediately ordered to supply support to the local community. Although initially the task seemed standard, the situation rapidly began to complicate. The separatist groups, recognizing the operation of the multinational coalition, benefited from the support of the neighbouring Griseus State, which in the border region led large military maneuvers, expanding the hazard of a conflict erupting. Media reports and information coming from EXCON (Exercise Control), exercise management, to battalion staffs in various ways have constantly changed the surrounding reality of the exercise. The dynamic situation generated the request to issue conflict Orders (FRAGO), which initiated the improvement of further decisions and concepts of action by subordinate battalion staff.
– Not only were media communications prepared for the exercises, but a peculiar paper was besides published. We utilized artificial intelligence to make information that was then passed on to the commanders of the training subdivisions. During the week, about 160 specified information was created, which should have been taken into account erstwhile the decision was made by the trainers – it reveals the scenes of the maneuvers of Captain Arkadiusz Wąsacz of the LITPOLUKRBRIG Training Section.
The battalions developed their own directions of action all the time while implementing the next LITPOLUKRBRIG command decisions. The brigade staff, on the another hand, kept receiving data from the sub-division commanders and decided on the basis of them, for example, to order searches or defence organizations and protection of critical infrastructure, Because, among another things, specified tasks were given to training troops.
The command of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade has besides continuously analysed another aspects, specified as the terrain or weather conditions, in order to carry out the mission safely and not endanger their troops. – All the time it introduced subdivisions into a fresh situation, which in turn required re-starters to start planning process, adapted to current events. The battalion commanders used, among others, the sections of the reconnaissance, which helped them make decisions corresponding to the improvement of conflicts in their area of responsibility," explains Major Lukasz Sobieszek.
The final action active all the training battalions. – The aim was to coordinate their efforts in 1 area at the same time and to distribute their work and tasks well. This in turn was a warrant of liquidity and safe conduct of the operation – admits Captain Oleksandr Molodtsov, press officer LITPOLUKRBRIG.
The Power of 3 Swords
Interestingly, during this year's edition of the exercise, the LITPOLUKRBRIG staff played the function of Higher Command (Higher Control – HICON) and at the same time the management of manoeuvres (EXCON). – This happens truly rarely, due to the fact that it is highly hard to carry out. It is hard to make exercises at the same time and be liable for commanding them. However, we succeeded – Captain Arkadiusz Wąsacz admits.
Why would you do that? “This is our most crucial exercise in the three-year training cycle, so we check not only the capacity of the staff, but besides his cooperation with affiliated units”, admits Colonel Piotr Lisowski, commander of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade of the large Hetman of Constant Ostrogski. – Officers from 3 countries service in our unit in the three-year rotation cycle. Three Swords Leadership Exercise are a summary of this cycle and an chance to confirm the interoperability of our brigade," added Colonel Lisowski.
Training management has put large emphasis on adapting the script to the realities of modern theatre activities. Hence, unmanned aircraft played a major function throughout the operation. "Ukrainian officers have repeatedly stressed that this is simply a very crucial component in virtually all kind of action. The appropriate usage of drones on the modern battlefield gives a large advantage over the opponent, and the experience of Ukrainians from the war with Russia in this substance is invaluable to us – says Major Lukasz Sobieszek. The added value of 3 Swords was to integrate command support systems. all army uses its own system. We wanted to connect them, and it worked. It turned out that the data entered in 1 strategy was visible in real time in the other. This allowed us to operate without any obstacles and we have gathered quite a few observations on which direction we can make this interoperability – explains Captain Arkadiusz Wąsacz from the LITPOLUKRBRIG Training Section.
Mentors from across the ocean
Interoperability is simply a changed word in the context of 3 Swords exercises in many cases. LITPOLUKRBRIG is simply a peculiar unit in which 3 nations exchange experiences, build common trust but, above all, learn to talk a common military language. This common military language is, among others, the TPLF process (Tactical Planning for Land Forces), a seven-step planning and decision-making procedure. It allows the command process to be decently prepared and the effectiveness of the actions taken. – During these exercises, the staff analysed the phase after phase each aspect of the situation to decently prepare the operation and decently usage the sub-units at its disposal – notes Captain Oleksandr Molodtsov. The main exercise of this year's edition was the Battalion Command. Prince Margiris of Lithuania and second-place command of the 3rd Zamość Battalion 19 Lublin Mechanicalised Brigade and an assault battalion from Ukraine. The operational groups from the another affiliated entities played the function of support and safety branches.
The function of mentors in these major LITPOLUKRBRIG command and relay exercises was played by Americans who were active in their preparation from the very beginning. – Representatives of the United States Land Army took part in the “Brave Band” command and relay training, which straight prepared us for “Three Swords”. Now we besides had a representation of Americans who monitored the course of the full exercise and focused on mentoring of the foreground sub-chapter," noted Colonel Piotr Lisowski.
Representatives of the duplicate unit from confederate Europe, or SEEBRIG, besides spent 2 weeks in Lublin. – This brigade, based in Macedonia, besides sent its observers. SEEBRIG works on a very akin rule as LITPOLUKRBRIG, which is why we besides effort to be present in their exercises, exchange opinions, discuss, draw conclusions, which let us to operate even better in the global environment – explains Colonel Lisowski.
Bilingual communication
However, after 2 weeks of training, conclusions were drawn much more. The basic 1 that all interviewors mention is that the brigade staff can effectively command, in this case the peace support operation. The second concerns cooperation in an global environment. – It turns out that, despite the linguistic and procedural differences, cooperation with the Ukrainian battalion – which at its level communicated in national language and with the command in English – was going smoothly. We so know that bilingual communication does not preclude effective action, information flow and action planning. This is further evidence of our interoperability – says Major Luka Sobieszek, and adds: "It is besides the effect of long-term and everyday activities in our brigade, where Ukrainian officers work, communicating in English, they will learn all procedures based on NATO standards, which are later gradually introduced in Ukrainian armed forces," noted the head of the LITPOLUKRBRIG Operations Section.
However, the biggest success of this year's edition of "Three Swords" was that... it happened in general. – The decision to organize exercises in this form was made earlier this year. So we had very small time to prepare. any of the preparatory conferences were virtual, but everything was ready on time – says the commander of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian Brigade. – Due to the situation beyond the east border, we failed to carry out these exercises on a full scale, that is, with troops. So we focused on the command and relay work, but it is inactive a success that we could, together with the representatives of the 3 founding countries of LITPOLUKRBRIG, carry out specified a large undertaking and show that we are inactive “United for Peace” (unified for peace – ed.) - emphasised Colonel Piotr Lisowski.
