The Killing House

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The British Special Air Service's prime training facility for hostage rescue operations is the Killing House. The point of the Killing House is to train the SAS operatives to enter a room and be able to assess the situation and take down any threats. The Counter-Terrorism team of SAS uses it for Close Quarter Battles training (CQB) ^[1].

The Killing House is a two story building with four rooms on each level. It is designed just like a regular building, with furniture, pictures, toilets, etc. It is also a unique building in that it has special rubber-coated walls to absorb bullets, extractor fans to clear out gun fumes, and video cameras in corners to record the action in the rooms. Each room has at least one metal target.

Members of the SAS's counter-terrorism team practice in the Killing House every day. They always use live ammo during any training exercise.

The Killing House has brought in many special dignitaries to witness the SAS's skills. Notable VIP's include Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ^[2]. They were used as hostages in hostage rescue training exercises. The SAS operatives would enter the rooms where they were held, shoot the targets inches behind their heads and bring them safely to the exit.

The idea of the Killing House has been adopted by other elite units, including America's Delta Force, the FBI, and Israeli special forces^[3].

The Killing House is also featured in the game Call of Duty 4 as a training mission in the beginning of the campaign.