The purpose-built ‘skills houses’ have opened at Rollestone Camp on Salisbury Plain and Whinny Hill in Catterick Garrison to provide an immersive experience that replicates the complexity and unpredictability of modern war.
Part of a wider £17m investment in urban training, they feature moveable walls that allow them to be set up for specific scenarios, unlike fixed spaces such as Copehill Down.
The hangars offer authenticity through light, smoke and sound effects, as well as briefing rooms for after-action reviews.
Col Richard Gibb from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation – which led the project – said the facilities represented a significant milestone in furthering the army’s urban combat capability.
“They offer safe and highly realistic spaces to better prepare military personnel for operations around the world,” he continued.
The first units through the doors in the Wiltshire venue included the Infantry Battle School, 2 Medical Regiment and 4th Battalion, The Rangers.
Meanwhile in Yorkshire, 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery and 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland were among the initial customers.
Lt Col Gord Robinson (Rangers) from the Land Warfare Centre added that the “state-of-the-art” compounds had been well received by soldiers and would enable units to meet platoon-level training objectives.
