LONDON (Haseeb Arslan) -The Pakistan Army Cambrian Team has achieved Gold in Cambrian Patrol 24 held from 4-13 October 2024 in Brecon Beacons Mountains in Wales, UK.
The Pakistan Army secured the highest points 864 in Ex CP-24 and defeated 118 teams representing 36 countries from all across the world.
67 Punjab Regiment won the gold medal by securing highest ever 864 points in the competition. 67 Punjab participated in the event for the second consecutive year after standing first in Pakistan Army’s internal competition. 67 Punjab was raised on 23 July 1972.
The unit is famously known as Fakhr e Sehra. It has achieved tremendous success in eliminating terrorists in Khyber and Orakzai Agency. Pakistan Team was trained, mentored and guided by Maj Saqib Ali Malik, Training Officer, Maj Usman Iqbal, Team Manager, Capt Raja Hassan Raza, Patrol Commander and Capt Hamza Tahir Shah, Reserve Patrol Commander.
The Exercise has been running for over 60 years and is the British Army’s principal All Arms Patrol Exercise and is open to all three Services (Regular and Reserve) and international participants.
Army and Air Adviser UK Col Taimur Rahat said that Cambrian Patrol is the world’s most challenging test of basic soldiering skills, especially under fatigue, sleep deprivation, and stress.
Participants are assessed on their performance throughout the event, based on factors such as battlecraft, individual training, robustness, and leadership, he said while commenting on Pakistan’s win.
He said: “Exercise Cambrian Patrol is an annual international military exercise that involves its participating units covering a 40-mile (65 km) course in less than 48 hrs while performing numerous types of military manouvers and patrols placed throughout the rugged Cambrian Mountains and swamp lands of mid-Wales (Brecon Beacons National Forest).
It is a matter of pride for the entire nation to have such gallant, capable and dedicated officers and soldiers. Countries which have a military with such capabilities and ethos is the greatest fortune a country can have”.
Exercise Cambrian Patrol is a mission focused and scenario-based exercise. The patrol performance is assessed throughout based on Battlecraft Syllabus (BCS) and Individual Training Requirement (ITR), in addition to robustness and leadership.
The Exercise is currently made up of eight phases, each of 48 hrs, over 10 days. Each patrol will cover approximately 60 kms (average climb and descent is over 1000m) carrying no more than 32 kgs per person.
Teams which participated included UK, Pakistan, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Finland, Greece, Australia, Nepal, Belgium, Italy, Kosovo, Albania,Turkmenistan, Armenia, Chile, North Macedonia ,Spain, Ghana and Lithuania.