The British Army's largest ever virtual simulation exercise, using cutting edge technology and advanced science, has paved the way for a new future in battle training.
Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh have been pioneering the technique as part of Exercise Urban Warrior 5.
Using virtual simulation at the Land Warfare Centre in Warminster, as many as 190 soldiers fought various scenarios, with their every action monitored by a sophisticated system of computers and advanced simulation software.
All information was collected for further analysis by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and Niteworks Partnership who have developed the simulation programme.
Brigadier Simon Deakin, Director Army Force Development, said: "This experiment gives us a unique view into what is required for the British Army to operate successfully on future operations. By testing our soldiers in a number of demanding scenarios we can determine the optimum tactics, equipment and training that are required for us to shape the Army of the future."
Corporal Jeremy Appiah, Section Commander in 2 R WELSH, said: "The exercise is an excellent way to develop our mindset from what we have learnt in Afghanistan to future conflicts. The simulation phase will help ensure we are better equipped and prepared in years to come."
Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said: "Science and technology has a crucial role to play in growing our understanding of the battlefield. Evidence gathered from this experiment will be used to guide decisions on the type of equipment we need to fight conflicts in all terrains. Simulation is playing an increasingly important part in delivering cost-effective training solutions across all our defence domains."
The exercise follows a previous real-life simulation exercise in December 2012 at the Urban Warfare Training Centre in France, which was featured exclusively on British Forces News in a series of special features.
