Exercise Purple Warrior facts for kids

Exercise Purple Warrior was a big practice event for the British military. It happened in November 1987 in south west Scotland. The main goal was to test what the army learned from the Falklands War. This important exercise cost about £7.5 million.

What Was Exercise Purple Warrior?

Exercise Purple Warrior was a large-scale military drill. It was designed to help the British armed forces prepare for future conflicts. The exercise focused on lessons learned during the Falklands War. This war happened a few years before, in 1982. The exercise helped soldiers practice important skills.

Why Was This Exercise Important?

The Falklands War taught the British military many things. Exercise Purple Warrior was a chance to put those lessons into practice. It helped the army, navy, and air force work better together. They practiced moving troops and equipment. They also tested their strategies for defending areas.

Where Did the Exercise Take Place?

The main location for Exercise Purple Warrior was in south west Scotland. Troops started their journey from Colchester. They traveled by road to Harwich docks. From there, they boarded a small group of ships. These ships then sailed to the western coast of Scotland. The troops practiced landing on the beaches there.

Who Was Involved in the Exercise?

Many different parts of the British military took part.

• RAF West Freugh was a key air force base used in the exercise.
• HMS Illustrious, a large aircraft carrier, was also involved.
• Two naval air squadrons, 845 NAS and 846 NAS, operated from HMS Illustrious.
• From the Royal Air Force (RAF), 1 Squadron and 43 Squadron participated.

The exercise had two main teams:

• Blue Force: These were the "invaders." Their mission was to capture RAF West Freugh.
• Orange Force: These were the "defenders." Their job was to protect RAF West Freugh.

This setup helped both sides practice attacking and defending.

International Observers and Media Coverage

Exercise Purple Warrior was watched by many people from other countries.

• There were 34 representatives from 20 different nations.
• Twelve of these observers came from Warsaw Pact countries. The Warsaw Pact was a group of countries allied with the Soviet Union at the time.
• Having international observers allowed other nations to see how the British military trained. This observation cost the United Kingdom about £21,000.

The exercise also caught the attention of the media. The BBC Television series "Horizon" made two episodes about it. These episodes aired in March 1988.

• The first episode was called "Purple Warrior: Rules of Engagement."
• The second episode was called "Purple Warrior: Limited War."

These shows gave the public a look into how such large military exercises are planned and carried out.