British Army Demonstration Area
The theme the DSEi 2009 British Army Export Support Team’s demonstration area at DSEi considered the UKs ‘Comprehensive Approach to Operations’ and will used General Krulak’s ‘Three Block War’ concept as a vehicle for the demonstration. General Krulak, who was Commandant of the US Marine Corps between 1995 and 1999, coined this phrase to illustrate the complex spectrum of challenges faced by soldiers in many of today’s operations.
The concept identified that soldiers may be required to conduct high intensity operations and humanitarian relief all within the space of three contiguous city blocks and maintains that modern militaries must be trained to operate in all three environments simultaneously. This belief evolved out of operations conducted throughout the 90s including the first Gulf War, Somalia and the Balkan conflicts.
The British Armed Forces have successfully deployed the ‘Comprehensive Approach to Operations’ into both training doctrine and on operations around the world including recent campaigns in Sierra Leone, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq as well as tasks in direct support to the United Nations and overseas disaster relief.
The 2009 British Army Export Support Team’s demonstration area at DSEi untilised four quadrants and showcased some of the British equipment involved. The quadrants featured at High Intensity Operations, Securing the Environment, Peace Support Operations and Humanitarian Operations. The equipment demonstrated covers a broad spectrum from observation and surveillance kit, patrol vehicles, UAVs, bomb disposal and decontamination equipment and communications systems through to water purification products and associated life support and infrastructure equipment.