In September 2025, 249 Gurkha Signal Squadron (3rd (UK) Division Signal Regiment), conducted Exercise GHATAK KHUKURI on the Salisbury Plain Training Area and Copehill Down Village. The exercise focused on addressing current operational threats and improving the survivability of the Division Main Headquarters and Command Posts.
This exercise was led by Captain Subash Thapa and assisted by Sergeant Niraj Subba. Key areas of focus included lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, the Field Army’s Top Ten Lethality Priorities, Project CENTURION WATCH (Detection, Camouflage, Concealment, Dispersion, Protection, and Deception), night convoy operations, threats posed by small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (SUAS) drones, and the refinement of Standard Operating Procedures. The exercise was designed to strengthen the resilience and effectiveness of future operational headquarters and command posts within the 3rd (UK) Division.
Phase One was conducted in Bulford Camp and surrounding areas. This phase aimed to educate soldiers on reconnaissance, siting of detachments, defence of communication sites, communications equipment lessons, procedures for crypto compromise, and drills for reacting to electronic jamming.
Phase Two saw personnel analyse threats and produce responses across survivability, lethality, mobility, and sustainability. Trials included using the new bearer systems (Skytale and Darksky), alternative power systems, the use of buildings of opportunity, dispersed headquarters, night convoy drills, and further study of SUAS threats. The most significant threat identified was from SUAS, which can rapidly detect and target command posts. Cambrai Troop and Mons Troop countered this threat using Project CENTURION WATCH principles: Detection, Camouflage, Concealment, Protection, Deception, and Dispersion.
Under constant SUAS surveillance, troops were required to move quickly and adapt to changing situations. Camouflage nets, natural foliage, and disciplined siting of command posts helped minimise signatures, enabling rapid setup and dismantling. Concealment measure including the folds in the ground, tree lines, and urban cover at Copehill Down Village, enforcing blackout conditions, and reducing noise, further enhanced survivability. Deception tactics, including decoy command posts with false antennas and dummy masts, successfully misled SUAS and diverted attention from genuine command locations. Dispersion ensured that even if one command post was compromised, command and control remained intact, enabling combat forces to coordinate and deliver effective firepower.
The lessons learned during Exercise GHATAK KHUKURI will undoubtedly shape how the Division prepares for and responds to future battlefield threats.
