The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the future scale of British Army activity at its major training facility in Canada will depend on the outcome of the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.
In written answers to Parliament, ministers set out recent and planned use of the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta, one of the Army’s most important overseas training areas. Responding to questions from Conservative MP James Cartlidge, Veterans Minister Al Carns said BATUS “continues to be used for both training and experimentation activity”, but made clear that longer-term decisions have yet to be taken.
Figures released by the MOD show that 18 training exercises have taken place at BATUS over the past decade, with activity significantly reduced during and immediately after the COVID-19 period. According to the data provided:
- 3 exercises took place in 2016–17
- 3 in 2017–18
- 2 in 2018–19
- 2 in 2019–20
- 0 in 2020–21
- 0 in 2021–22
- 2 in 2022–23
- 2 in 2023–24
- 2 in 2024–25
- 2 in the current 2025–26 financial year
The MOD also confirmed that one further training exercise is currently scheduled for the next financial year, though no additional activity has yet been approved beyond that point.
Asked whether the Army plans to increase its use of BATUS in the current or next Parliament, the minister repeated that future levels of activity remain undecided, stating that “future use of BATUS is dependent upon the outcome of the Defence Investment Plan.”
BATUS, located at Canadian Forces Base Suffield, provides the British Army with access to vast training space unavailable in the UK, enabling live-fire armoured manoeuvre training and large-scale experimentation. It has historically been central to preparing armoured and combined arms formations for high-intensity conflict.
It’s getting very repetitive now! Everything depending on the DIP are we to really to believe they have no clue what money they are going to have and where and when it’s going?
I think what’s happened is that the MOD produced a DIP that matched the latest SDR, and the Treasury said no way, go away and rewrite the SDR to match what we are prepared to give you. Then Reeves discovered the latest £28B black hole and the whole process just collapsed.
My guess is no DIP before the May Elections, and that we won’t like it.
Starmer doesn’t give a shit, he knows he’ll be gone by then. Anyway, he hates defence.
Yet there doesn’t seem to be an ‘investment plan’ holding up any other government departments does there?they get to splash£bs Willy Nelly!
Al Carns says: “British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta, [is] one of the Army’s most important overseas training areas”. Yes, it is, or at least should be. It was always established to enable a full armoured Battlegroup to conduct exercises in a life firing phase against hard unmanned targets and a phase using deployed vehicles and tactical simulators (SIMFIRE) for weapons effects to allow force-on force.
Apparently it is not used for that anymore and Mr Carns coyly avoids mentioning that. I presume the exercises now are very small scale and do not use armour as the armour was apparently relocated to the UK. The tank fleet reduced to 227 on the active list way back in 2010 (Cameron defence review) and the army continued to train with a prepositioned BG of equipment out there, so I am not sure what prompted the move of BATUS armour back to the UK.
Morning Graham.
I was going to mention this point but you beat me to it!
With these charlatans it’s always the detail they don’t tell you that matters.
It was reported a few years ago that due to the needs of Cabrit, the varied Armoured vehicles complements at BATUS were withdrawn. It sort of made sense, having them in Europe where needed?
I also understand the army also now use the training area at Ras Madrakah in Oman.
As you reference, I understand the BG sized all aems live fire exercises that were conducted at BATUS cannot be replicated at any of our own TAs, even SPTA.
Back then, HMG confirmed it would remain and still be used but I’ve always assumed by Light forces only.
BATUS had it’s own complement of Challenger, Titan and Trojan, AS90, and other types assume 432s and Warrior too.
BATUSZ flight of the AAC with it’s Gazelles also long dead.
There was another site we used out there at Wainwright, I don’t know what’s happened to that.
Edit, Z typo.
“Forthcoming DIP”…
It feels as imminent as the Second Coming 🤷🏻♂️
There’s clearly complete paralysis at the MOD until the DIP is published. How convenient.
DIP dependant upon DWP, DHSS, NHS ?
Why is it that everything always seems to depend on the next Review? The only result seems to be less gets done and it costs more. China gets things done because it streamlines everything… US gets things done because hey throw money at it.. Russia gets things done becayse they buy NK stuff and steal other people’s territory…
We need a plan. Best option would be to set up a Streamlining Review to review how we can do things better.
Given the state of the Army we hardly need this expensive overseas training area. Get rid of and train in Scotland instead. Use the Royal Estates
😉 If that was an anti royal vibe, fair enough, not my position but ok.
If serious, not a great idea given most of Scotland’s terrain and that needed for Armoured manoeuvre!
Apart from Kirkubright I don’t think any areas have been used for Armoured live fire up there.
And as all the assets are now either around SPTA, Catterick, or forward in Germany and Estonia something nearer would be logistically better.
SPTA is used now but even that areas huge size, by UK standards, is nothing compared to BATUS.
Maybe the Army will muddle through without it, as usual.
It seems that the DIP is being horse-traded on the fly to make the numbers fit. I’m starting to believe that ministers really haven’t got a clue about what’s in and what’s out, because nobody does. I wonder what percentage remains in the haggle. The job that should have been sorted last Autumn will take to Spring as the circle can’t be squared and the SDR can’t be delivered with current budgets, yet they are still trying to. Give it up, guys. Do your best and tell the government what has had to be cut this time around. The ever lengthening time is costing more than getting it wrong would. Only it wouldn’t be wrong to choose between options that fall short of an unachievable perfection. In fact, it’s not choosing that’s getting it wrong.
Of course the UK is looking to get rid of it’s largest and arguably most important training site.