The ground assault plan into Iraq by the 7th US Corps units called for the 1st United Kingdom (UK) Armored Division to follow and pass through the 1st US Infantry Division's (mechanized) breach of initial Iraqi defenses during the night. This operation equated to a deliberate river-crossing operation and its planning requirements.

As plans were developed to pass the British forces through the 1st Infantry Division, a crossing force HQ was formed that included the 176th US Engineer Group, British liaison officers (LOs), and the 1st US Infantry Division's assistant division commander for maneuver (ADC-M) as the crossing force's commander. Most planning and coordination was done face to face or through the British LOs, due to the incompatibility of communications equipment between the US and British forces.

The crossing force HQ orchestrated several terrain walks and drive-through rehearsals with the 1st UK Division. This series of rehearsals began with sand-table exercises with key British leaders. Scaled-down obstacle mock-ups were used showing lanes, marking signs, and traffic-control points. Force-passage time lines were determined along with passage-control measures. Terrain walks with the British leadership followed at a training obstacle site constructed for the 1st Infantry Division (mechanized). The site was about 10 kilometers deep, contained eight breach lanes, and represented the worst-case obstacle that could be found in Iraq. All British vehicle drivers, riding in 25 percent of the British vehicle fleet, participated in a drive-through rehearsal at the training obstacle site. This drive through was conducted in daylight; all lane-marking signs were in place, and traffic-control points were manned. The 1st UK Division commander was impressed with the results and ordered a full division rehearsal through the training obstacle site with all combat and support forces. This rehearsal took 36 hours to complete, including a nighttime crossing. One British brigade got lost during the rehearsal, missing the breach location. Some soldiers were killed in accidents during the crossing. The British leadership believed that this was a very serious operation and took all of this into account as wartime preparation. Following the 1st UK Armored Division rehearsal, after-action reviews were held with the crossing force HQ, refining the procedures for the actual passage.