150 troops from 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment (1 Royal Anglian) have taken part in Exercise EAGER LION this month. The exercise, which takes places in Jordan, is one of the largest military exercises in the region.
British troops have trained alongside roughly 4,000 military personnel from 28 partner nations during the two-week exercise. The exercise covered a breadth of scenarios including counterterrorism, maritime security, disaster response and humanitarian aid.
Major Tom Green, Officer Commanding C (Essex) Company, said: “Exercise EAGER LION has been a fantastic five weeks for the 150 soldiers of the C (Essex) Company Group. The opportunity to work with the Jordanian Armed Forces and NATO partners has been a valuable experience for the soldiers.
“Not only have they worked with capable forces from around the world, they have operated in a tough environment whilst conducting some excellent training. Furthermore, they have taken the opportunity to visit some exceptional locations within Jordan, such as Wadi Rum, Petra and the Dead Sea.”
The pinnacle of the exercise was a combined arms live fire exercise in a tactical scenario. This helped both British and international units develop their interoperability as well as their ability to understand current and emerging threats – across air, land, sea and cyber domains.
As part of this final demonstration, C (Essex) Company initiated a brigade-level live-firing attack. Being supported by Italian and Jordanian helicopters, armoured and mechanised battalions and a USAF F-16 fighter jet armed with a 500-pound bomb.
Corporal Nathan Cole (10 Platoon, C (Essex) Company) said: “The last few weeks of the exercise have been a great training tool for soldiers across all levels. We have had the opportunity to complete live fire training in a different environment to perfect our drills alongside other nations. A particular highlight was the battalion attack with the Italian, Jordanian and US Army units.”
Since its inception in 2011, Exercise Eager Lion continues to provide a unique environment for British Troops to train alongside our partner nations. It also showcases the UK’s enduring commitment to Jordan and to stability across the region. The exercise demonstrates the connection between the UK and Jordan by proving interoperability and working relationships with the Jordanian Armed Forces.
The exercise builds upon existing joint training programmes in areas such as counter-terrorism and border security. Some of the other nations participating in the exercise include the United States, Italy, Germany, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon and Oman.
