400 troops of the 5 RIFLES Battlegroup have deployed to Castlemartin Ranges in Pembrokeshire.

The deployment includes soldiers from D Squadron The Queens Royal Hussars (The Queen’s Own and Royal Irish) , A Battery (The Chestnut Troop) 1 Royal Horse Artillery and 5 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 22 Engineer Regiment.

5 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 22 Engineer Regiment this evening is carrying out night time live fire training, engaging targets from their Spartan Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVRT), using their 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG). As part of their preparation ahead of the deployment with 5 Rifles Battle Group (BG) to Op CABRIT.

The British Army say that over the duration of the training package they will conduct ACTs across all platforms and integrated AI live firing up to Platoon level – day and night packages.

A Warrior Armoured Fighting Vehicle from 5th Battalion the Rifles live firing on Castle Martin Ranges.

“The aim of the training is for all elements of the 5 RIFLES BG to at the best standard possible ahead of their forthcoming deployment on Op CABRIT 7.”

Members of 5th Battalion the Rifles Mortar Platon live firing on Castle Martin Ranges.

Op CABRIT is the NATO enhanced forward Presence in Estonia a multinational battlegroup led by British troops.

D Company “The Delta Dogs”, 5 Rifles conducted a live fire Company attack on the ranges at Castlemartin training area, as part of the 5 Rifles Battle Group preparation, ahead of their deployment on Op CABRIT.
George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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41 COMMENTS

  1. Is there a major difference in capabilitys between warriors and Ajax? Seems stupid to have two different kinds if they are somewhat similar.

    • That’s a good question and I suspect it will get a number of replies
      But overwhelmingly as i see it the ajax is not an infantry section carrier, mainly reconnaissance. The warrior is.

      It’s odd to me that the rifles whose origins is light infantry are operating in heavy armoured infantry carriers.

      • Yeah, shouldn’t we scrap warrior and just buy more boxer and Ajax. But I suppose we already have hundreds of warriors so why not just update them to save money on buying new platforms…

        • Again this might cause comment. There is a programme to upgrade the Warrior. Question is is this the right thing to do? I offer no immediate comment but it is a moot question.

          • The question over whither the British Army seems to have every interested party perplexed, including the general staff. To the casual observer, they seem to have been going around in circles since Iraq and Afghanistan.

        • We are updating them Cam. The WCSP. It, like so many stalled defence programmes, is costing a small fortune providing new turrets.

          As Trevor says, Warrior is an IFV. Ajax a recc vehicle.

          There is strong support to cut warrior and go all in on Boxer. That would require 8 battalions worth plus those for supporting regiments.

          Personally I’d keep WCSP as is, and properly arm Boxer, buying various other variants that have mounted ATGW, Starstreak mounted variants for air defence, a fire support variant, and so on.

          Money, however, is dictating that we use Ajax for the fire support, removing armoured cavalry from the armoured brigades which they were originally bought to furnish!

      • The rifles your thinking of is not the rifles of today. Instead it is just a boiling point of orphan infantry battalions, who took the name rifles to maintain some resemblance of culture. Besides this is only 1 battalion, I believe another rifle battalion is mechanised infantry and 3 our light infantry.

        • The Rifles Regiment of today I recall is formed from the battalions of the RGJ, and, The Light Infantry.

          That’s what Trevor is getting at I think?

          • They were but its not necessarily an imagination as it was with say the RAC units. It was more of an attempt to remove the regimental system and go to a more modern one of just having generic infantry battalions.

          • And one I disagree with. The regimental system is one of the British Army’s strengths.

            Those reforms “Future Army Structures” just made it easier to cut units. Easier to cut a battalion from a 5 battalion regiment than a single battalion one. Less political fallout.
            Just one of the reasons why they cut CS an CSS units instead.

            Those battalions still have their customs and traditions, and in many cases their own names. Quite right too.

            How could the British Army not have The Black Watch, for example. Scandalous. The name is still maintained in 3 Bn RRS.

          • it was also done to improve basing and family life. The names and traditions in many cases live on….certainly to Company level

          • Yes, and as I recall to end the arms plot. Keep units in their roles. Though this is not absolute.

          • Was the intention that the battalions within these large regiments would have a mixture of roles, therefore allowing troops to move between the different roles if they wanted to, but still remain within the same regiment? No idea if this happens much in practice.

            I think the rifles are currently 2 light, 1 mechanised and 1 armoured Battalion, plus a specialised infantry unit.

            I always thought it was a shame that 1 Rifles was taken out of 3 commando and became the sole battalion in the Welsh brigade. I recall from somewhere that’s lots of 1 Rifles had got their green berets as they thought their future was with the RM.

          • Yes, that was my understanding too on all that Bob.
            I don’t know why 1 Rifles was removed.

          • Danielle, I understand you have not actually been a soldier? Forgive me if I am wrong but let me impart some microcosm of personal experience to your support of the regimental system.
            It is a waste of time and money in its current format and has now morphed into this weird, ball and chain, feudalist, archaic load of old **** that gets in the way of people doing their job as well as they could.

            There does seem to be a little more cross over in terms of individuals from different units supporting each other which is great but big picture: it has become like a football league.
            Good infantry regiments, solid and dependable vs mega money monsters that really don’t continue to demonstrate value for money any more
            (Lancs vs Para is Preston vs Man Utd for example)

            In the whole, the regimental system is weighted down by the heirlooms of the past. Imagine what we could do if wed simplified it all and let the chains off? (And threw those stable belts in the bin ?)

          • You’re correct Reaper. I’m an interested researcher.
            And I’m all ears. I’d read many times that
            the regimental system is seen as a strength.
            If it’s not, who am I to say otherwise

            How would you change it?

          • yes and the former RGBW which definitely wasn’t light infantry. Formerly known as the Gloucesters and The Duke of Ed’s Royal Regiment

        • The 5 current Rifles Battalions are an amalgamation of 1 & 2 LI, 1 & 2 RGJ and 1 DDLI & 1 RGBW.

          I’d argue that calling the RGJ and LI orphan regiments is harsh! My user name may suggest why I’d think that. 2 LI (the regiment I joined up with) later became 3 Rifles, and had some of the best fighting soldiers in the Army. Outstanding Recce Platoon if I do say so myself!

          As for the DDLI & RGBW I’m inclined to not comment 🙂

    • Ajax is a recce vehicle but can be easily converted to a IFV. Essentially if the consuls at the rear our removed you can fit 6 blokes in the back. Although someone presumably worked out it be cheaper to just modify existing warriors.

    • Cam..The Army had the same set up with CVRT vehicles where there were recce, apc, repair, ambo etc variants. Im assuming Ajax is a direct replacement. Pain in the ass to be a armourer in a armd inf bn as you’d need an imperial toolkit to work on 60’s vintage CVRT and metric for working on Warrior! Both good in thier time but Warrior is way underarmed with RARDEN.

    • Hi Dan,

      Yeh and the US style helmet… I happened to be looking at Wikipedia today and noted that the British Army does indeed use a number of US rifles in specialist roles. Looking at Wikipedia I think that is the L129A1 Sharpershooter Rifle, which would make that particular Rifleman the squad marksman.

      The same rifle is also used, apparently, by the number 2 in the two man sniper teams.

      Cheers CR

    • Yeah it’s a sharpshooters rifle, made be Lewis machine tool. A very well regarded gun manufacturer who also makes the BTP ar15 and NZDF new service rifles.

    • Pretty much replaced the LSW (L86). Used to snot targets on the 600 mtr range with the L86 but it’s a right b*tch to manoeuvre with. Front heavy and Fugly!

      Wasn’t at all fond of it if you guessed.

      • To be fair to the old girl, she was really very accurate firing semi-auto, considering it was fitted with a SUSAT.

        Kind of morphed into the section DMR as the LSW role it was intended for didn’t really suit the 30 round mag capacity it was mostly deployed with.

  3. Anyone know more about this new Hornady 6mm ARC cartridge designed to get the most out of an AR type platform?

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