Major military exercise on Salisbury Plain 03 March 2009
Up to 2,000 troops and 100 vehicles are to take part in a major Army exercise on Salisbury Plain Training Area to ensure that soldiers are sufficiently prepared for possible deployment during the next few months.
The Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRX) for local units from Bulford-based 12 Mechanised Brigade will take place from March 9 to 22.
100 vehicles are to take part in the exercise on Salisbury Plain.
The exercise involves aircraft, both fast air and helicopters, life firing and increased military traffic on roads on Salisbury Plain. The bulk of the activity however will mainly take place on the training areas and will avoid public roads wherever possible to ensure minimum disruption to local residents and other public road users.
Brigadier David Cullen, Commander of 12 Mechanised Brigade said: "This exercise is the culmination of an intensive period of training and preparation and offers an excellent opportunity to place the deploying troops under conditions similar to those they are likely to encounter on operations.
"Whilst training of this nature and scale will inevitably involve an amount of disruption to the local community we will make every effort to ensure that this is kept to a minimum. As a local brigade we are very grateful for the support and patience of the community that allows us to train effectively for operations."
Traffic advice:* The police have been made aware of vehicle routes and timings.
* During the exercise convoys will be limited to a maximum of twenty vehicles in each group to minimise the impact on local traffic.
* Principal roads used will be on Salisbury Plain although one section of the A338 from the crossing point DD, north of Tidworth and crossing point CC, just south of the A342, will also be used.
* Traffic controls will be placed at these crossing points and use of this section of public road will be confined to outside rush hour traffic times.
* Details of the low flying aspects of the exercise will be posted on the website
www.mod.uk/issues/lowflying.
