Coalition combat identification exercise

Nine nations kickoff Coalition exercise in England
Exercise Urgent Quest, conducted in 2005, tested several combat identification systems. It will be interesting to see how NATO decides to move in this issue after this big test.
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Nine nations kickoff Coalition exercise in England
By Lt.Col. Casey Bain and Marie La Touche


SALISBURY PLAIN TRAINING AREA, United Kingdom (Army News Service, Sept. 27, 2005) -- Exercise Urgent Quest, the largest military utility assessment of Coalition combat identification technology since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom completed its first missions this week and continues through Oct. 7.

“This exercise will bring us one step closer to achieving greater combat effectiveness while reducing the potential of fratricide,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mark Rasins, the exercise analytical lead from the Joint Fires Integration and Interoperability Team.

Exercise Urgent Quest is a U.S.-led and U.K.-hosted event that includes military representatives from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, and Sweden.

The exercise will include a variety of field missions using combined forces from small unit (squad-level) to Coalition task force. The Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration will assess or demonstrate six devices including:

• The Battlefield Target Identification Device

• Digital Data Link

• Radio-Based Combat Identification

• Radio Frequency Tags

• Optical-Combat Identification System

• and the Joint Combat Identification Marking Systems

“We’re all very motivated to accomplish this vital mission,” Raisins said. “…these technologies may soon be saving the lives of U.S. and Coalition forces serving selflessly worldwide.”

More then 65 percent of the personnel participating in Urgent Quest have recent combat experience in OIF, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or other conflicts,” said Rasins.

Rasins was formerly the operations officer (S3) of Task Force 4-64 in the 3rd Infantry Division during the initial advance into Iraq, and personally experienced a loss due to fratricide during OIF.

“The feedback from these combat-savvy veterans is critical and will go a long way in validating the types of combat identification technologies that are being developed and eventually fielded,” Raisins said.

Exercise Urgent Quest is the capstone Coalition combat identification event for United States Joint Forces Command and NATO.