Hi, I’m WO1 Jeff Elson, a Training Safety Marshall on Salisbury Plain. The Salisbury Plain Training Area is the largest training area in the UK at around 38,000 hectares. Its size means there is a wide range of training opportunities available, from artillery firing and small firing to armoured manoeuvres and infantry training in complex, rural and urban environments.
![Salisbury Plain is used for a wide variety of training types. [Crown Copyright/MOD2015]](https://insideDIO.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/03/20151130-Troops-wearing-new-VIRTUS-body-armour-engaged-in-a-mock-foot-patrol-on-Salisbury-Plain-Crown-Copyrigh.jpg)
New facilities at New Zealand Camp
It’s an important and useful site for our personnel but it is in desperate need of updating, which is why DIO is investing £2.4 million to bring it in line with modern day and future training requirements.
As part of this work, 12 buildings will be demolished and replaced with 11 multi-functional structures. In military lingo these are known as ‘stone tents’. To achieve this, DIO is working with its contractors Landmarc Support Services, which maintains the training estate across the UK.
The new buildings will form the base of a modern, multi-purpose training camp. The new and diverse training features that will be incorporated into the site will benefit our training troops by enabling a variety of exercise scenarios to be undertaken. Depending on the requirements of their training scenario, troops will be able to use it as a Forward Operating Base or to replicate a terrorist camp, refugee camp or Non-Governmental Organisation Base. It can be used as part of a complex manoeuvre environment and will also provide an exercise base for troops training in the local area.
Other Improvements
As well as demolishing existing buildings and constructing new ones, the project will also improve the surrounding infrastructure with upgraded tracks and hardstandings to support the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks, Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicles and the new AJAX fleet.
![A Challenger Main Battle Tank on Salisbury Plain. [Crown Copyright/MOD2008]](https://insideDIO.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2016/03/Challenger-2-tank-Salisbury-Plain-2008-Cpl-Russ-Nolan-RLC-Crown-Copyright.jpg)
This is the biggest single investment in a training camp on Salisbury Plain since Copehill Down village in the late 1980s and the project is due for completion in July 2016.
2 comments
Comment by Richard Drew posted on
IMG_7289-1024x681 This is MY photo that YOU have copyrighted in your name. Taken by me on 09 October 2020, 10:43:45.
So does that mean I can use any of your Landmark photos???
It would have been nice to have been asked.
Comment by DIO Communications Team posted on
Hi Richard
Apologies, we weren't aware! There must have been crossed wires back when this blog was written. We have deleted the image and sorry again!
DIO Communications team