Troops launch on to Salisbury Plain

When not practicing clearing minefields and launching armoured bridges on Salisbury Plain, soldiers from 26 Engineer Regiment turned to the River Avon to produce drinking water.

Some 130 soldiers from 30 Armoured Engineer Squadron, part of the Tidworth-based regiment, took part in Exercise ZULU RUN - their final preparation before deployment on a larger exercise in Canada later in the year.

The troops spent two weeks on the Plain, carrying out a range of training activities. They prepared non-equipment bridges, which can be used to assist civilian evacuations from battle areas.

Soldiers also produced drinking water from the River Avon which, in a real life situation, can be issued to friendly troops and civilians. The training culminated in a week-long test exercise designed to validate the squadron’s training competence.

Exercise ZULU RUN, which included 40 heavy, light and wheeled vehicles, gave the soldiers the opportunity to prove that they are ready to carry out their role in Canada. There, they will be preparing for their role as the lead armoured engineer squadron, part of the Army’s Lead Armoured Battle Group (LABG). This demanding 40-day exercise will test the Squadron’s ability to work with infantry, armour and artillery as part of the Army’s lead armoured capability.

Lt Col Joe Fossey, Commanding Officer of 26 Engineer Regiment said:

“Salisbury Plain Training Area is an ideal area in which to train and test an armoured engineer squadron. It provides the space in which a large sub-unit can manoeuvre and practice its primary role of enabling battlegroups to live, move and fight. 

“Widely accessible, it allows engineer squadrons to generate tempo and momentum by repeatedly practising mobility and survivability techniques, and, generate the right level of maintenance and support training. 

“This training area provides my squadrons with an unparalleled opportunity to increase their collective armoured engineer expertise and allow a degree of innovation as we test new capabilities such as Terrier in novel ways.”

Salisbury Plain Training Area is maintained by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which delivers the training service, enabling defence training users to live, work, train and deploy at home and overseas.

Ends

Further information:

Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Senior Communications Officer 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk

DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio

Twitter: @mod_dio

Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/

Notes to Editors   

1) The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) plays a vital role in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.

2) DIO is part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD). It is responsible for managing and maintaining land and properties, as well as providing related support services, to meet the current and future needs of the MOD and personnel at home and abroad, and to support current operations.

3) Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.

4) Picture caption – please credit ‘Crown copyright/MOD 2014’: Soldiers from 26 Engineer Regiment take part in Exercise Zulu on Salisbury Plain Training Area

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