Bugle Summer 2026 - Flipbook - Page 19
3 RIFLES
Ex METSO
“I looked over my sights, and suddenly there
was a Finn for every tree!”
Exercise METSO (“capercaillie”) saw B
Company train alongside Finnish subunits
near the Kainuu Brigade’s home at Kajaani.
The brigade regularly runs Ex METSO for its
conscripts and B Company were the first allied
troops to participate.
We executed two challenging defensive
missions against an OPFOR from the
‘Readiness Unit’; troops with ten months
of unbroken infantry training behind them
renowned among their countrymen for their
aggressive tactics.
From being on the receiving end of several
well-coordinated flanking attacks our Riflemen
quickly learned that Finnish infantry rely on
the forest, exploiting the concealment it offers
to insert overwhelming numbers of troops
behind and amongst defensive positions.
Exercising as part of the local battlegroup,
we were privileged to receive the same
intimate support as its organic troops; a
fire observer team from a Jaeger company
embedded into B Company for the duration
and we worked hand in glove with Finnish
engineers arranging counter-mobility for our
second mission. This soldier-level integration
was great to see and was much enjoyed by
the two Finns who became honorary 4 Platoon
Riflemen.
We took the exercise as an opportunity
to experiment. We pushed the surveillance
capability of the humble Parot Anafi to its
limits with overlapped sorties providing
persistent aerial observation of a target area
of interest.
The exercise taught us a valuable primer of
lessons about operating in Finland’s unique
terrain and gave special insight into how the
partner force thinks and fights. We found our
hosts determined and professional and look
forward to future cooperation.
Capt Henry Waterson
Ex SNOWJACK
This winter, Infantry Snowboarding deployed
to the ski amade region of Flachau, Austria
for three weeks of training and competition,
culminating in Exercise SNOWJACK — the
Army Snowboarding Championships. Ex
SNOWJACK brings together riders from
across the Army to compete in Parallel Giant
Slalom (PGS) and Snowboard Cross (SBX),
demanding high levels of technical skill,
speed, and resilience in challenging alpine
conditions.
The Infantry qualified nine riders into the
top 64 knockout stages in both PGS and SBX,
with The Rifles providing a strong core of
competitors. This year’s RIFLES contingent
comprised three Riflemen, two JNCOs, and
two SNCOs from 3 and 7 RIFLES, highlighting
the depth of experience and leadership within
the team.
Notable achievements included 2nd Place
in the Best Unit Team competition, a 4th Place
finish in the SBX Mixed Pairs, and outstanding
individual results from Rfn Masso (7 RIFLES),
who secured 3rd Place Overall Female and 2nd
Place Women’s PGS 16 KO. Her performances
led to selection for the Army Snowboarding
Team and subsequent success at InterServices, where she was awarded Best Female
Newcomer, Best Overall Newcomer, and
contributed to the Overall Women’s Team Gold.
RIFLES The Bugle 19
