British Army Goes Underground For Training

Airborne medics have gone into the “cold, dark, damp, claustrophobic, and dirty” underground as they look to apply lessons from Ukraine to improve their survivability on the battlefield.

Responding to the challenge of operating under the all-seeing eyes of drones, 16 Medical Regiment (16 Med Regt) has worked on making itself harder to detect. Troops set up medical facilities out of sight in cellars, while medics out on the ground moved by quad bike rather than Land Rovers to present smaller targets.

Major Iain MacArthur said: “The key military development in recent years has been the emergence of drones, initially as reconnaissance assets but increasingly providing a strike capability. As we’re seeing from fighting in Ukraine, drones make it harder to camouflage, conceal and protect troops and facilities.

“In this training, we’re thinking about what we can do to reduce our footprint and be harder to detect, so that we are better able to survive on the modern battlefield and continue delivering medical care.”

A key serial saw troops establish a medical facility in the cellars of houses on the Longmoor training area in Hampshire, with simulated patients carried in through tunnels to receive lifesaving treatment in the safety of subterranean cover.

Staff Sergeant Shaun Newbury, a Combat Medical Technician (CMT), has been on specialist training for firefighters and paramedics rescuing casualties from collapsed buildings and basements.

To read more, please visit the British Army's website.