In May 2026, the main stream media and social media reported that the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) set up a HQ on the platform to a NATO wargame about an invasion of the Baltic States in five years time.
Some people in defence thought it was fake news; the thought of a reported ‘top secret’ exercise held in the public eye seemed ridiculous. Actually, the exercise did take place, but it was not exactly what it seemed. Using an underground station does not protect from NBC attack. It offers some protection from N, but without back up generators, water supply and secure hardened communications channels, the HQ might survive but without communications. A HQ that cannot communicate is useless. Without forced air systems, an underground station offers little protection against B and C.
The ARRC HQ has 400+ staff and they simply would not fit on the platform at Charing Cross. Also the computer monitors were facing the track, so those passing on the trains could photograph what was on the screens.
Practising deploying to an underground carpark out of the public eye would have given the same training benefit to the HQ.
So what was the purpose of the exercise? It seems likely it was to be seen. It is part of an attempt to shift the narrative and prepare the British public for the threat of war affecting the UK homeland.
Actually, councils in the UK are considering civil resilience; issues such as climate change, floods, cyber-attack, food shortages, civil disorder etc. If the UK government mentioned civil defence, such councils would object on ideological grounds. However, everyone agrees that developing local resilience is sound apolitical policy. There is a surge in table top wargames about these topics up and down the UK.
