UK Army soldiers conducted a bilateral training exercise, code-named Black Eagle, with Polish Armed Forces at the Zagan Training area in southwest Poland.
Held under the command of the 10th Polish Armoured Cavalry Brigade, the exercise involved more than 1,300 UK soldiers and 100 armoured vehicles, including Challenger 2 main battle tank and Warrior armoured infantry fighting vehicle from the 3rd UK Division.
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During the exercise, soldiers from Tidworth-based King’s Royal Hussars (KRH), the UK’s Lead Armoured Battlegroup which operated Challenger 2, conducted live-firing battlefield scenarios with their Polish counterparts with Leopard main battle tanks.
The live-fire manoeuvres saw UK soldiers defending and counter attacking the Polish ‘enemy’.
UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "Exercise Black Eagle has been a great success on several fronts.
"It has proved that the army has the agility needed to cope with the demands of the 21st century.
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By GlobalData"It clearly demonstrates the strength of our relationship with the Polish Armed Forces. And it is a clear signal to our allies in Nato that we stand up to our obligations and will continue to do so."
The exercise also provided an opportunity for the supporting units to practise their drills in real-time on the battlefield.
The 26 Engineer Regiment worked with the new Terrier armoured digger, while General Support Bridge to the Light Aid Detachments (LADs) of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers maintained the Challengers, other armoured vehicles and equipment.
Exercise Black Eagle is designed to help the UK and Polish Armed Forces operate more effectively with each other.
A significant demonstration of the UK’s support to the region and Nato’s immediate assurance measures, Black Eagle also displays the UK army’s ability to deploy an armoured battlegroup at short notice anywhere in the world to support its allies.
In addition, the exercise serves as an example of the new configuration of the army after Army 2020.
Image: UK soldiers working around the turret of the Polish Leopard 2 main battle tank during Exercise Black Eagle. Photo: courtesy of Crown Copyright.
