An Cosantóir

www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE | 19 F ighting in built-up areas (FIBUA) is a type of combat that we have seen taking place in several conflicts in recent decades. Consequently, the development of the particu- lar skills required in FIBUA has become standard practice with armed forces around the world, including the Defence Forces, which has a range of FIBUA training programmes. Between Monday 28th May and Friday 1st June, Dublin-based 7 Inf Bn conducted a Young Entrants (YE) FIBUA Course for 20 students (19 PDF and one RDF). Two of the students were NCOs, the remainder being three-star privates who had enlisted into the PDF as recently as 2017. The aim of the course was to qualify personnel to young entry level and to ensure personnel can operate in an effective and ef- ficient manner on FIBUA operations. The course began on a Monday morning in Cathal Brugha Bks with a series of lectures delivered by course i/c Sgt Richie Charters (B Coy, 7 Bn). These included information on the various types of urban terrain, the composition of the materials that make walls and buildings, uses and limitations of radio signal equipment, functions and best uses of AFVs and armour, and the method of approaching and entering buildings. Practical lessons overseen by the instructors over the following days included such things as how to climb ladders safely while carrying weapons and kit, how to drop from heights and avoid injuries, the best methods to enter doors and windows, clearing buildings room by room using fire and movement techniques. These practical lessons utilised some disused buildings within Cathal Brugha Bks. The culmination of the course was Urban Warrior, a 24-hour ex- ercise in the Multi Training Facility (MTF) in the DFTC. Sgt Wayne Eastwood, a vastly experienced instructor from 7 Inf Bn, arrived to assist the course for this most demanding segment of the course, and a detail of four RDF personnel from the battalion's reserve units also arrived to provide an enemy party for the exercise. The course students, instructors and support elements de- parted barracks and arrived in the DFTC on a Thursday to begin the exercise. FIBUA by its very nature is an exhausting experience. All operations are performed employing tactical movement, and for effective urban operations infantry troops must carry a lot of extra equipment, such as ladders and door-smashing tools, while wearing body armour and helmet. FIBUA training is time consuming and relentless. A lot of fire-and-movement drills are required to move over what are relatively short distances, possibly only a few meters. Large amounts of blank ammunition are required, and each soldier has to carry several hundred rounds of ammunition distributed over his/her battle-vest and daysack, along with thunder flashes and smoke grenades. A large amount of energy is required and expended by a soldier when conducting FIBUA training, so water is a constant need, and soldiers learn by trial and error to carry as much water as they can, adding even more weight to be carried. The day of Exercise Urban Warrior proved to be very hot and humid, and this also had to be overcome by the students in order to fulfil the exercise demands. Logistically, FIBUA is also highly demanding. As mentioned earlier, ammunition is used in very large amounts by individual soldiers during fire and movement and also by support weapons, so resupply of ammo and water is constantly required, regardless of the weather. For this purpose, part of Urban Warrior included a replenishment exercise, to simulate a platoon of troops lifting and carrying forward heavy ammunition supplies to forward units. Several dozen sand-filled ammo boxes and water-filled jerry cans were provided to the course students to reflect the reality of the physical demands required. They were then timed as they moved these items to a supply drop over 200m away, while dealing with obstacles and debris. A casevac drill was also included to test the students, who had to carry two 'wounded' back over obstacles to a safe area. Again this was a timed effort, with one team ending the clear winner. These scenarios and drills demonstrate the vital importance of physical fitness in effective FIBUA, even in peacetime training exer- cises such as Urban Warrior. It doesn't take long for trained soldiers to acquire the expertise required for FIBUA, but physically it's not easy, and the fitter you are, the less difficult you will find it.

• Cover