Suman tests humans
A sucessful exercise in the theory and practice of combined ops

Pte Luke Andrews enjoys the view from the high rope course during the visit to 1 Guards Bedok Camp.

Pte Matthew Wyllie comes to grips with fast-roping on the guards obstacle course.

Pte Mark Hughes breaks cover with a UK team mate during the TES war contest at the Singaporean Army Logistics Training Centre, Kranji Barracks.

SSgt Anthony Smith gets a soldiers five on the Singaporean SAF 21 during weapon familiarisation before range shoots and military skills activities.

Lt-Col Daryl Campbell, along with his fellow Commonwealth COs, salutes the fallen at the Kranji War Memorial in the north of Singapore.

By WO2 Graham McBean

IT’S a tough job cramming a four-day exercise into a 14 day deployment, but as the Brisbane-based 25/49RQR’s Suman warriors discovered, the annual Five Power Defence Arrangement’s exercise is a whole lot more than just a CPX.

More than 60 soldiers from the battalion and supporting units from 7 Bde deployed to Singapore for the combined exercise between headquarters elements from Singapore, the UK, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand – hence the acronym Suman.

For some, it was their second visit to Singapore in 12 months after Rifle Coy Butterworth last year.

The main focus of Suman Warrior is to test the battalion level command-post expertise and co-operation between each nation’s headquarters group in the event of attack on the Malaysian peninsula or Singapore.

This is exercised in a combined brigade setting, commanded by the host country.

But Ex Suman Warrior 04 was an activity and – more than ever – the cultural, social and military connections between soldiers were clearly just as important to the Singaporean hosts through their ever-present hospitality.

CO 25/49RQR Lt-Col Daryl Campbell said the exercise was a complete success, testing both the theory and, more importantly at soldier level, the practice of combined operations.

The TES war contest begins.

Sgt Mark Cannon places his trust, along with his immediate health, firmly in the hands of his international collegues during Ex Suman Warrior 04. The annual five power exercise was hosted by Singapore at the Army Logistic Training Centre Kranji 2 camp. Photos by WO2 Graham McBean 7 Bde

“We achieved all exercise objectives while successfully testing interoperability and furthering greater understanding of the FPDA nations in accordance with the exercise objectives,” he said.

“But more importantly, the soldiers from all nations mixed freely, became familiar with the Singaporean equipment and really had no choice but to be immersed in the culture, which was facilitated by the Singaporeans.”

A big factor in that success was the time allocated to alternate military activities for non-CPX players. Activites were conducted concurrently with headquarters staff training on the simulation system used by the host country to deliver the CPX “cyber battle” during the exercise proper.

Diggers got training, soldier’s fives and demonstrations on Singaporean equipment and facilities, from the SAR21 personal weapon through to a rare outsiders test-run on the Singaporean commandos’ high-wire obstacle course.

Time was also factored in for moving, historical visits to the Kranji War Memorial and Changi Chapel, while four official functions were conducted where the priority was highlighting the diversity of the cultures taking part in the exercise.

The success of 7 Bde’s integration of regulars and reserves was favourably reflected in the level of 25/49RQR’s performance alongside the regular army BHQ’s of the other participating nations.
Lt-Col Campbell said the CPX was conducted at a high tempo, with little time between planning cycles ,where the Australian contingent “certainly stood up well” under the pressure.

He said the level of maturity of the Australians was a key feature of the contingent which, as a reward for its own success earlier in the year, also included the battalion’s 2004 RQR Military Skills Competition team.

It was a big canvas for an integrated unit to work, but Lt-Col Campbell said, “The soldiers could be proud that they represented their unit and country very well, while wringing all possible training value out of the deployment for the battalion.”