British Army Departing for STEADFAST DEFENDER

British Army FOXHOUNDS embarking MV Anvil Point at Marchwood for Exercise STDE24 [© Bob Morrison]

Britain’s 7 Light Mechanised Brigade, The Desert Rats, are en-route to Poland for the opening phase of NATO Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER, reports Bob Morrison.

The British Army’s 7 Light Mechanised Brigade aka ‘The Desert Rats’ are en-route to Poland for the opening phase of NATO’s largest set of military manoeuvres in a generation – Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER.

British Army FOXHOUND embarking MV *Anvil Point* at Marchwood for Exercise STDE24 [© Bob Morrison]

1,500 troops will fly out and 600 vehicles will sail from the UK to join forces with our NATO allies to conduct exercises BRILLIANT JUMP 2 and POLISH DRAGON 24, just two of the many exercises taking part across Europe under the NATO umbrella exercise, STEADFAST DEFENDER. It will eventually see a total of 16,000 British soldiers taking part over the coming five months.

British Army FOXHOUNDS aboard MV *Anvil Point* at Marchwood prior to departure to Emden [© Bob Morrison]

The Desert Rats’ Foxhound and Jackal armoured vehicles along with a myriad of different trucks, Land Rovers, engineers’ tractors and support vehicles are being loaded aboard the 23,000 tonne Ro-Ro cargo vessel MV Anvil Point, at the Military Sea Mounting Centre in Marchwood.