22 January 2002

British Army demonstrates its combined firepower - Warminster Gallery

By Peter Felstead, Jane’s Web Editor

The British Army’s Land Warfare Training Centre (LWTC) staged the first of its tri-annual Combined Arms Firepower Demonstrations (CAFDs) on 16 and 17 January at the Warminster Training Centre on the edge of Salisbury Plain, England.

Staged primarily for the benefit of the Army Junior Division and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, these events demonstrate through a live-fire exercise the interlocking use of all the British Army’s main firepower assets, from main battle tanks (MBTs) to individual weapons, in conjunction with airborne elements from the Army Air Corps (AAC) and air force.

The troops involved in the demonstration were mostly drawn from the LWTC Battlegroup, which consists of the 1^st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment along with A Squadron 1^st Royal Tank Regiment (1 RTR) and the LWTC’s own engineer troop.

Opening this latest CAFD was a demonstration of mine warfare assets, including a Barmine layer, the Shielder Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine System and the Python (Improved Giant Viper) minefield breaching system. LWTC engineers then demonstrated the deployment of a Chieftain armoured vehicle-launched bridge and the preparation of an anti-tank ditch using an FV180 Combat Engineer Tractor and JCB.

The British Army’s range of armoured assets were then put through their paces. 1 RTR provided a troop of Challenger 2 MBTs while 1 Staffords provided a platoon of three Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, a section of three 81mm mortar-carrying FV432 armoured personnel carriers along with a reconnaissance section comprising two Sabre CVR(T) reconnaissance vehicles. From 14^th Regiment Royal Artillery (14 Regt RA) came a battery of four AS90 155mm self-propelled howitzers and a Warrior artillery observation post vehicle that forward-deployed with the Sabres.

A Multiple Launch Rocket System and Stormer High Velocity Missile Carrier from 14 Regt RA also put in an appearance, although these units could not fire due to the confines of the range.

Infantry sections deploying from the Warriors, meanwhile, were able to demonstrate their inherent firepower with individual weapons, grenades and L10A1 51mm mortars as well as their anti-armour capabilities with firings of MILAN and 94mm LAW anti-tank weapons. The 1^st Battalion The Royal Welch Fusiliers also contributed with a demonstration of sustained fire support using general-purpose machine guns.

Airborne anti-armour and observation/scout assets involved in the CAFD came in the form of a Westland Lynx AH.7 and Westland Gazelle AH.1 from 3 Regiment AAC, while a Chinook HC.2 from 27 Squadron at RAF Odiham demonstrated its ability to carry an underslung L118 105mm Light Gun into the battle area.

The finale of the CAFD comprised a battle scenario that also involved RAF assets. Two Tornado GR.4s from 12 Squadron (RAF Lossiemouth) provided strike support and two Harrier GR.7s from 3 Squadron (RAF Cottesmore) clearly demonstrated their close air support role with a rocket attack on the target area.

Click here to access images from the CAFD.

Click here to access video from the CAFD.