Exercise: "Brave Defender" 2 to 13 September 1985

This was a national military home defence exercise.  Which involved 3 PARA, the CO was Major General Dair Farrar Hockley. 3 PARA was to operate in civilian clothes on Exercise "Brave Defender" taking the role of Red Forces with a view to testing the security of critical national infrastructure in the North-East of England.

The aims of the exercise were to test plans and procedures for the ground defence of vital establishments; liaison between the military and civil authorities over military home defence matters; and to demonstrate the Government's commitment to Home Defence. It is planned that about 65,000 servicemen, both regular and reservist, who would have a home defence role on mobilisation will take part. The Territorial Army, including the Home Service Force, will have an important role to play in the exercise. There will also be some United States forces involved in the exercise.

The exercise, which comprised of two phases. The first phase consisted of practice mobilisation of Home Defence forces and their deployment to the installations they are to defend. A representative selection of installations will be chosen as key points for exercise purposes. The second phase will involve guarding a variety of installations, practising defending them against simulated attack and forming mobile reaction forces. The installations used in the exercise will not necessarily be actual key points, information about which is classified. Enemy forces will be drawn from units with roles outside the United kingdom and will include a small element from British Army of the Rhine.

Source: Hansard, 12 March 1985

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