Ex Brave Defender 1985

Exercise Brave Defender 1985 was a major UK home defence exercise conducted from September 2nd to 13th, 1985, involving over 65,000 troops and 5,000 civilian personnel. It was the largest such exercise since World War II, designed to test the revised home defence plans outlined in the 1984 Statement on the Defence Estimates

During the 1985 Cold War military exercise “Exercise Brave Defender,” the Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry (DLOY) played a significant role as part of the British Army’s Territorial Army (now Army Reserve). The exercise was one of the largest homeland defence exercises undertaken in the UK since World War II. It simulated a Soviet invasion of the UK, focusing on defending key sites, controlling lines of communication, and countering enemy special forces and paratroopers.

Role of Captain John Tustin and A Squadron, DLOY:

• Captain John Tustin commanded A Squadron, DLOY, during the crucial “Grand Finale” phase of the exercise, which took place in Scotland, particularly around Perth and the Highlands.
  
  

• A Squadron was deployed in a counter-infiltration and area security role, tasked with delaying and disrupting enemy penetrations (represented by special forces and regular troops from opposing British units simulating the Soviet enemy).
  
  

• The unit’s mobility, local knowledge, and adaptability—hallmarks of the Yeomanry—proved vital in patrolling wide rural areas, establishing vehicle checkpoints, conducting ambushes, and monitoring key bridges, rail junctions, and airfields which could be targeted in a Soviet-style coup de main.
  
  

• The “Grand Finale” simulated a climactic Soviet push inland, with airborne landings and sabotage behind British lines. A Squadron, under Tustin’s command, worked with regular forces, RAF Regiment units, and local police and civil defence organisations, showing the importance of integrated territorial and civilian cooperation in home defence.
  
  

Key Lessons Learned:

1. Value of the Territorial Army:
   
   

   • Units like the DLOY were shown to be crucial force multipliers, especially in terrain they knew well (e.g., the Scottish Highlands).
     
     

   • Their performance helped validate the role of reservists in UK homeland defence and rear-area security.
     
     

2. Civil-Military Cooperation:
   
   

   • Brave Defender highlighted the need for strong coordination between military units and civilian agencies—police, local councils, and infrastructure operators—in wartime conditions.
     
     

3. Logistics and Mobility:
   
   

   • The exercise exposed vulnerabilities in road and rail networks, and the importance of keeping them secure and moving, particularly against sabotage or special forces actions.
     
     

4. Communication and Command:
   
   

   • The scale of the exercise revealed gaps in communication systems, especially across units with mixed regular and reserve components. Improvements in interoperability were flagged as essential.
     
     

5. Morale and Readiness:
   
   

   • Units like A Squadron demonstrated high morale and adaptability, even under sustained operations. However, it also revealed that long-duration readiness among reservists needed further support in terms of logistics and equipment parity.
     
     

Legacy:

The performance of A Squadron DLOY under Captain Tustin was commended in post-exercise reports. Their involvement in the Grand Finale helped make the case for continued investment in the Territorial Army, leading to its restructuring in the 1990s into a more integrated part of the UK's overall defence posture. It also fed into broader NATO thinking about the “Home Defence” role in the face of Warsaw Pact aggression.

Summary note: 'A" Squadron DLOY in Scotland 1985 - 1989

Throughout this period

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