Castlemartin Training Area

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Castlemartin Training Area

Coordinates 51°37′51″N 4°58′47″W / 51.630895°N 4.979633°W / 51.630895; -4.979633
Type Training Area
Site information
Owner Ministry of Defence
Controlled by Defence Estates[1]

The Castlemartin Army Training Area was established in 1939[2] and covers 2,390 hectares (5,900 acres) [3] of Pembrokeshire in South Western Wales. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) its is located within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

The ranges are active for 44 weeks of the year[4] and when in use can include a coastal exclusion zone of some 12 nautical miles (22 km) off the coast, or as little as 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) depending on weapons systems/munitions being used.[4][5]

History

In 1962 there was a shortage of suitable tank training areas in Northern part of Germany for the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR), an agreement was made whereby armoured training for German recruits was undertaken in the UK so the Bergen-Hohne Training Area could be freed for use by the British Army. This carried on until the 1990s when additional ranges in Eastern Germany became available on reunification.

The Ranges today

In 1999 the Defence Training Estate was formed and units from all over the UK and NATO have trained on the ranges.[1]

Within the Pembrokeshire Estate there are:

  • Castlemartin ranges - one of the UK's armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) ranges with direct live firing gunnery exercises and armoured vehicle manoueuvres,[1]
  • Manorbier, Penally and Templeton Airfield - air defence systems[1]
  • Pembrey Sands - air to ground training, every RAF fast jet pilot is trained here[1]

  • Centurion Mk12 tank at the entrance to Merrion Camp (Castlemartin ranges).

  • Leopard 1 similar to those during the 1970s and 1980s at Castlemartin by the Heer

  • Leopard 2 as used by the Heer at Castlemartin Ranges

  • The Royal Armoured Corps used the Chieftain tank at Castlemartin during the 1970s and early 1980s.

  • Challenger 2 Main Battle tank on exercise in the UK

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 DTE Pembrokeshire (Website accessed: 02/09/10)
  2. ↑ http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/7E093806-7E86-4BE7-B89F-7A79D4E8A255/0/Castlemartin.pdf
  3. ↑ DTE Pembrokeshire ranges (Website accessed: 02/09/10)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Milford Haven Port Authority (Website accessed: 02/09/10)
  5. ↑ Castlemartin Ranges - Home

External links

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