§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Urban Battlefield Trainer, with particular reference to its use in training soldiers for fighting in built-up areas. [84848]
§ Dr. MoonieThe Urban Battlefield Trainer (URBAT) is a computer system facilitating procedural training in an urban environment up to company level. It is designed to test and practice procedures through the generation of a battle picture, rather than having to deploy men and equipment physically. In particular, it tests headquarters in the timely issue and dissemination of orders, monitoring the effective flow of information and reaction to the unexpected. The current URBAT is located at Copehill Down training village on Salisbury Plain training area and is the only computer training system able to provide the required level of terrain definition to allow urban operations to be exercised effectively. A new system, known as URBAT 2, is currently being procured and should be in service by the end of July 2003. It will significantly enhance the training benefit by making use of different urban terrain mapping and increasing operator participation.