Armed police, military personnel and a military helicopter will take part in a planned multi-agency exercise in Cambuslang on Friday, with blank ammunition expected to be heard during the afternoon, Police Scotland has said.
The activity will take place at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters as part of Exercise Tartan Kukri, involving Police Scotland, the military and other emergency services. Police said local residents may see armed officers and military personnel arriving at the site, alongside a military helicopter.
The force said: “On Friday 11 September, we will be using facilities at the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Headquarters in Cambuslang.”
It added: “This means you may see armed police officers and military personnel, as well as a military helicopter, arriving at SFRS HQ in Cambuslang.”
Blank ammunition will also be used during the exercise, with Police Scotland warning that it may sound like live gunfire to people nearby.
The force said: “You may hear blank ammunition, which sounds like gun shots, being used from around 12pm – 2.30pm.”
There will be no public access to the exercise area and Police Scotland said activity will not be visible once those taking part are inside the grounds of the fire service headquarters.
Exercise Tartan Kukri forms part of a larger RAF-led training activity known as Exercise Kukri Dawn, which is running from 2 to 18 September.
Police Scotland said: “Exercise Tartan Kukri is a multi-agency training exercise nested within the wider Exercise Kukri Dawn, a routine RAF-led exercise running from 2 to 18 September 2026, which is designed to train new Chinook aircrew by replicating operational scenarios.”
The wider exercise is therefore focused on training new Chinook crews in scenarios intended to reproduce aspects of operational flying, while the Cambuslang element brings in police and emergency service personnel.
Chinook helicopters are used by the RAF for heavy-lift and troop transport tasks and regularly support training involving rapid movement of personnel and equipment.
The use of armed police and blank ammunition in Cambuslang is part of the planned scenario rather than a response to a live incident.
Police Scotland said exercises of this kind are intended to improve coordination between organisations that may need to work together during major incidents or operational deployments.
The force said: “Exercises are a crucial way for different organisations to work together, share knowledge and strengthen our response.”
The Cambuslang activity is scheduled for Friday 11 September, with the period of greatest audible activity expected between noon and 2.30pm.
