In the dark, echoing tunnels beneath central London, soldiers move through a space that was once part of the capital’s transport network. Now, it is a command centre for a war that has not happened—but is being prepared for as if it already has.
The British Army has transformed a disused platform at Charing Cross Underground station into a fully operational military command post as part of a major NATO-led exercise simulating a future conflict with Russia.
Hundreds of troops have been taking part in what the Army describes as “one of the most ambitious military exercises in a generation”, under Exercise Arrcade Strike, run by the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC).
The scenario is set in a fictional 2030 — the year that military planners believe the threat from Russia could be at its most serious.
The exercise tests NATO’s ability to conduct electronic warfare, including jamming Russian communications and countering drones, in the event of a Russian invasion of a Baltic country.
Defence sources say the UK currently has enough drones to fight for a week, using a hundred each day, which is well below the quantity needed to sustain operations.
In comparison, Ukraine has been using thousands of drones daily in the ongoing conflict, amid repeated calls from military leaders for Europe’s defence industry to meet a growing strategic threat.
Lieutenant General Mike Elviss said the exercise is needed to practise NATO’s “recce-strike” approach, which focuses on finding and destroying enemy forces.
He explained that Russia would likely have two advantages in any conflict. They have the ability to concentrate forces at the point of attack, and they would strike first, meaning they have the initial momentum of launching an offensive.
He said NATO’s response is to rely in part on its recce-strike concept to counter these advantages.
He told The Independent: “Today’s deployment is a mission rehearsal. We rehearse this not just to be good at it, but because the adversary is watching, and we want him to know that we are ready for the challenge.”
The decision to move operations underground reflects concerns that visible headquarters are becoming more vulnerable.
On today’s battlefield, military leaders say fixed or exposed command posts can be quickly detected by satellites, surveillance aircraft, and drones, and then targeted by long-range missiles.
Disused underground stations such as parts of Charing Cross provide enough space to host a full command post, while also demonstrating that military operations can be carried out even in the most urban of environments.
Major Jess Wood, 36, Chief of the Joint Air Ground Integration Centre said: "The London Underground has proved itself to be a really good facility.
“Underground offers good protection and is very adaptable, so we are able to deliver our frontline from a range of locations. It doesn't matter where we are based to achieve effect."
The underground setting brings to mind the Second World War, when London Underground stations were used as air raid shelters during the Blitz, offering protection to civilians from bombing raids on the city.
