Forces briefing: New army rifles and German training ground

ROYAL WELSH TRY NEW TRAINING GROUND

The Royal Welsh have become the first British battlegroup to exercise on Europe's largest urban warfare training facility, Schnoeggersburg, in eastern Germany.

Supported by Challenger 2s from the Royal Tank Regiment, the battlegroup have been enhancing their skills in urban combat inside the facility which looks deceptively like an ordinary sleepy small town or village.

The training area is said to be so convincing that to the untrained eye, it appears like any other ordinary German town and to increase the believability of the facility, mines and burnt-out vehicles have been put in place to give the town a frontline feel.

The Royal Welsh exercised at Schnoeggersburg. (Image: BFBS 140923)

NEW RIFLE FOR THE ARMY

The MOD has awarded a £90 million contract to supply 1,620 new rifles, known as the Alternative Individual Weapon (AIW) to the Army with an option to buy 10,000 over the next ten years.

The AIW is a new assault rifle fitted with a muzzle signature reduction system and a new optical sight. The new sight will enable the user to engage targets at a greater range and the signature reduction system will reduce the threat of detection by sight and hearing.

The new Alternative Individual Weapon. (Image: MOD)

AJAX BACK ON TRACK

AJAX, the Army’s new fault plagued infantry fighting vehicle being trialled by Bulford based Household Cavalry Regiment is said to be making ‘significant progress’!

CGS spoke to troopers from the HCR and was briefed by James Cartlidge, Minister of State for Defence Procurement at an equipment exhibition in London last week.

The HCR is resuming field training on Ajax, and 15,000kms have been clocked up on reliability growth trials,’ the programme is back on track’ Mr Cartilidge assured CGS.

AIR WARS

1 RHA Air Troop Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) have been deployed in support of Op Interflex, working with the 4 Scots and 1 Ranger training team to deliver vital support for the Ukrainian Platoon Commanders Battle Course.

JTACs (Image: 1RHA)

Alongside this the JTACs worked hard to execute training for US 48 Fighter Wing and 1 Regiment AAC on the ground and in the air across the UK.