UK troops train for combat in live-fire Falklands exercise

An infantry company from the Royal Irish Regiment has completed its final major training exercise in the Falkland Islands, using the remote South Atlantic territory as a demanding test of soldier endurance, navigation and self-sufficiency.

According to CSOC, B Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment, carried out its Final Roulement Infantry Company (RIC) exercise in January, drawing to a close its deployment to the islands. The exercise was designed to push troops beyond routine training conditions, exploiting one of the most austere environments in which the British Army routinely operates.

The Falklands present challenges long before soldiers reach the ground. Personnel, vehicles, ammunition and sustainment must be deployed across thousands of miles, placing a premium on planning and coordination.

🇫🇰The Falkland Islands provide one of the most challenging environments the @BritishArmy trains in —cold, wet & windy, with limited natural cover & difficult ground.

Here soldiers demonstrate effective land & air interoperability when on exercises, training at the highest level. pic.twitter.com/LQMa6keRXo

— Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (@CSOC_MOD) February 3, 2026

Movement across the terrain is slow and physically demanding, particularly when carrying heavy loads. Small navigation errors can result in major detours, while misjudging the ground can quickly lead to fatigue or injury. Although the environment was new to many in the company, soldiers reported that earlier training in the UK, particularly in Brecon, proved essential preparation, especially in pacing, personal administration and managing cold-weather equipment.

The largely treeless landscape offers little natural cover or concealment, forcing troops to rely on terrain appreciation, spacing and disciplined tactical movement. What appears to be firm ground can conceal bog or unstable footing, while stone runs, long stretches of angular boulders, present a distinctive hazard, especially under load.

As part of the wider training serial, the company also conducted a rapid air landing using A400M aircraft operated by 1312 Flight in the Falklands, as part of Exercise Cape Bayonet. This element tested the integration of infantry manoeuvre with air mobility in a remote theatre.

Operating at the extreme end of the UK military supply chain added another layer of realism. Resupply cannot be conducted quickly, and medical evacuation timelines are far longer than those in the UK, reinforcing the importance of self-sufficiency, robust first aid capability and detailed contingency planning. The exercise allowed the company to train beyond baseline requirements but beyond individual and collective training value, such patrols and exercises serve a broader purpose. They demonstrate the UK’s ability to operate and sustain forces in the Falklands, reassure the local population, and reinforce British sovereignty over the islands.