November 14, 2024 – Ground Based Air Defense, “Hunting Not Fishing”
BATTLESPACE Editor Julian Nettlefold was delighted to attend the inaugural 2024 GBAD (Ground Based Air Defense) Expo, and what a treasure trove of information and new equipment we found! BATTLESPACE had the opportunity to sit in on the presentations, view and report on the equipment demonstrations as well as talk with and interview the officers and soldiers who operate the current systems. Also, in attendance at the Expo, were military delegations from countries including, Poland, France and the United States.
The international Defence industry, government officials and military hierarchy from NATO Armed Forces converged on the home of the British Army’s Air Defence capabilities at Baker Barracks, Thorney Island, for the 2024 GBAD Expo (Ground Based Air Defence) on 11 July 2024, hosted by 7th Air Defence Group (12th Regiment RA, 16th Regiment RA & 106th Regiment RA), Lt. Col. Martin Wells CO 12RA-RHQ was the hoist and the driving force behind the event, which is already on the calendar for a repeat in 2025.
As the principal organiser and event lead – Commanding Officer 12th Regiment Royal Artillery, Lt Col Martin Wells – said, “As the Fd Army’s most operationally committed Formation – our enablement and development of current and future Land GBAD capability must rise to meet the contemporary threat. Future GBAD must be designed to deliver a system of survivable, layered and digitally connected platforms that will enable the Land Environment ‘to fight and win’. By bringing the GBAD community together in one place, we can enable the right conversations; at the right level; at the right time.”
Against a complex and prolific aerial threat – high intensity conflict in Europe has brought into stark reality that GBAD remains an indispensable component of warfare, where surface-to-air warfare has become an enabler for freedom of action; from the tactical through to the strategic level – the UKR SAMBUSH of the Russian A-50 is a prime example of that.
On each one, the soldiers of 7th Air Defence Group outlined how offensive surface-to-air warfare has become an enabler for restoring the offensive and maintaining tempo – using GBAD for ‘hunting, not fishing.’ Getting ‘Back to Basics’ was extolled on each one too – intelligent track plans, battlefield discipline, deception, etc.
As important, was doing this fully integrated with our NATO partners – trained (at scale) and ready to deliver a joint, layered approach to address the full spectrum of threats.
