New urban fighting facility supports operational readiness

Set to improve the training experience for troops, the Skills House, which is one of two facilities that have been delivered across the Ministry of Defence (MOD) defence training estate, is a large building with briefing spaces and a training space with moveable walls, which can be arranged to replicate many different interior urban spaces. The other facility is located at Whinny Hill in Catterick.

The two new Skills Houses, which will help soldiers hone their close combat skills in realistic scenarios, form part of the British Army's c£17m investment in immersive urban training facilities across the MOD estate.

The newly completed training complex was delivered by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) on behalf of the British Army, together with industry partner Landmarc, Veteran-owned business 4GD and Knights Brown Construction. It includes smoke, sound, and lighting effects which aid in post-training analysis.

Talking about the new Skills House, DIO's Colonel Richard Gibb, Deputy Head UK Defence Training Estate, said:

We are delighted to see this project come to fruition.

DIO supports our Armed Forces by providing what they need to live, work and train. Current operational requirements identified that there was a need for further investment and development in the urban training infrastructure.

This Skills House is a significant milestone in evolving the British Army's urban warfare capability. It offers a safe and highly realistic space to better prepare military personnel for operations around the world.

Andy Green, Senior Project Manager from Landmarc, said:

I'm proud to have been involved in this project from concept through to delivery. As a former member of the Armed Forces, I would have really appreciated training in a facility like this.

While there were challenges along the way, we gained valuable lessons learned that have already benefitted other projects across the Defence Training Estate. The pragmatic and collaborative approach taken by all stakeholders made this a really positive experience. I believe the design not only meets current training needs but also allows for future adaptability.

Lt Col Gord Robinson (RANGERS), SO1 Optimisation, Land Warfare Centre commented:

These state-of-the-art facilities have been extremely well received by the soldiers who have used them. These modern facilities offer a realistic space to better prepare soldiers for operations around the world. It is an enhancement to the Defence Training Estate which fully enables the achievement of platoon level urban training objectives in a controlled realistic urban environment.