Troops thunder on to Salisbury Plain
Some 600 soldiers have taken part in a major tactical training exercise on Salisbury Plain which saw troops pit their wits against a ‘thinking enemy’ – helping them prepare more effectively for battlefield operations.
Over the past 15 days Exercise WESSEX THUNDER has been in full swing, involving The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS) and 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS), supported by Field Training Unit.
The exercise enabled 3 SCOTS to conduct low-level training at the start of their training progression whilst 3YORKSconducted training for their newly-assumed role as the Land Warfare Centre Battle Group (LWC BG).
The LWC BG supports the major training events that take place on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA), by providing a ‘thinking enemy’ for exercising units to train against.
The exercise allowed 3 SCOTS to exercise at the company level before conducting a Battalion level exercise at the end of their training, which included a final attack inCopehillDownVillage.
Meanwhile, 3YORKS were training for their specific role, exercising in both the light and armoured roles. Both Battalions made use of the AWES (Air Weapons Effect Simulator) system to simulate weapon effects.
Talking about the training Lt Col Adrian Reilly, Commanding Officer, 3 SCOTS said:
“Training on Salisbury Plain as a Battalion has been a fantastic opportunity. It has been several years since we trained as this level and we have really benefited from having the chance to plan, refine and execute complex tactical actions.
“We have learned lots. The jocks were magnificent, rising to the challenges and we have lots to be pleased about, but areas for improvement too.The Field Training Unit has provided us with some fantastic, objective feedback, which we will now work in to our future training.”
SPTA 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.
Commenting on the exercise, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Hiskett, Principal Training Safety Officer, DIO Ops Training South West, said:
“DIO’s priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations. The size and nature of the Plain means that it offers excellent training facilities, ideal conditions and the perfect backdrop for specialised and diverse exercises such as these.“
At over 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres) Salisbury Plain is the UK’s largest training area and offers first-class and diverse training facilities to enable the British Army to meet its training requirements to prepare for operations worldwide.
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Communications Manager 0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio
Notes to Editors
1. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is part of the MOD. We are 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.
2. Our work includes providing, supporting and improving: operational units; single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these and supporting services, such as soft facilities management and guarding, to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, heritage protected and environmental goals achieved.
3. Picture caption – please credit: ‘Crown copyright/MOD 2013’: Soldiers being briefed before exercising on Salisbury Plain Training Area as part of Exercise WESSEX THUNDER.
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