What does an officer for the STA special patrol observer do?

Hi there,

Thank you for your question.

4/73 (Sphinx) Special Observation Post Battery Royal Artillery is a Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA) Patrol unit within 5th Regiment Royal Artillery. They are based in Catterick, North Yorkshire.

The Special Observers in 4/73 Battery deploy a specialist force on the ground at range, in close proximity to the enemy. They locate and prosecute targets as required. Working as the ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) group, the STA Patrols Troop are subject matter experts on Static Covert Surveillance and complement the reconnaissance activity conducted by other Ground Manned Reconnaissance forces in the Brigade and Division.

As an officer within the Battery you would be expected to be the subject matter expert in the above tasks and provide specialist advice and input into the plans of the combat unit to whom you were attached. As well as this you would manage the soldiers under your command and be responsible for their career and professional development, as well as their day to day management and training.

To join the Battery you would need to complete officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, and then the Royal Artillery Young Officers’ Course. Officers within 4/73 Battery have to be qualified Fire Support Team Commanders and are therefore generally not first tour officers, so will have served at another regiment or Battery within 5th Regiment Royal Artillery first. You would then need to complete the Special Patrols selection course which is an arduous specialist course to prepare you for the role.

It is a great Battery which provides a unique and indispensable service to ground forces.

I hope this goes some way to answering your question but if you’d like to know anything more specific please ask.

Katie