UK Field Army selects innovative Inflatable Wall Training System (IWTS) to deliver urban close quarter battle training

1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 Mercian), the Salisbury-based Armoured Infantry unit specialised in urban warfare, took  delivery of the first set of Inflatable Walls Training System (IWTS) in August 2019. 1 Mercian immediately benefited from the flexibility and portability of the system to deliver urban close quarter battle (CQB) training.  IWTS enabled 1 Mercian to empower junior commanders to own and deliver training to their soldiers and enhance their skills in a safe environment.  They shared their experience with the wider Field Army, in conjunction with Survitec, at a demonstration of the IWTS at Bulford Camp in November 2019. This was endorsed by Army Commercial to be the system used in conjunction with their roll out of Simunition training equipment, known in the British Army as the Marker Round Training System - MRTS.

   
Copyright: UK Army 

The UK Field Army is purchasing an additional 3 Intermediate sets of the Inflatable Wall Training System. The 3 sets will support urban CQB training across the Field Army span of command enabling training both in barracks and on defence training estates where it can be used to enhance existing hard urban training facilities. This includes Imber and Copehill Down Villages on Salisbury Plain Training Area, or as standalone objectives.  The flexibility of the system means that it can be rapidly reconfigured to deliver increasingly complex tactical problems to troops undertaking training activity.  For example, each of the intermediate kits is capable of creating an urban structure measuring 16.5m x 10.6m, or 175m², which can be erected in about 90 minutes using the electric powered air blowers.  Each complete intermediate kit is made up of; 8 x full walls, 12 x full walls with window, 12 x full walls with door, 6 x ½ width walls, and 4 x ½ height walls.  The kit weighs 2,000 kgs and takes up 7.78m3 (5 pallet spaces) of storage spaces – meaning the complete system can be easily moved and stored.



The system’s low logistic footprint and simplicity allow it to be used in barracks, on UK and overseas training areas, and in support of deployed overseas training teams. The IWTS will enable soldiers to train more frequently and more realistically; developing the tactics required to fight and win in demanding operational environments. This Survitec technology is currently used by military and civilian forces in USA, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Holland, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong.  It has huge benefits as it is cost effect, fully portable and enables critical skills to be learnt ahead of confidence training and refined after.  All three kits will be delivered to the UK Field Army by the end of March 2020.


Copyright: UK Army

For more information on the IWTS, please visit the dedicated IWTS webpage or contact

Charles Bagshaw, Category Manager - Land

charles.bagshaw@survitecgroup.com