Military training area

A military training area, training area (Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom) or training centre (Canada) is land set aside specifically to enable military forces to train and exercise for combat. Training areas are usually out of bounds to the general public, but some have limited access when not in use. As well as their military function, they often serve as important wildlife refuges. They are distinct from proving grounds which are designed for purposes such as testing weaponry or equipment.

MLRS firing a live missile at Otterburn Training Area

Description

Military training areas are important because they enable troops to train more realistically and in greater numbers over a wide area without unduly inconveniencing the public or putting others at risk. They are particularly important for all arms training where the different elements of armed forces come together to cooperate and coordinate their fire and movement. Training areas often incorporate a variety of terrain types, including forests, heathland, waterbodies and farmland, as well as urban training facilities such as the 'Afghan village' at Thetford on Stanford Training Area. Such training areas are run by the military and are normally out-of-bounds to the public who may sometimes be allowed access during weekends or holidays.[lower-alpha 1] Training areas may incorporate shooting ranges or designated areas where live firing is permitted.

Wildlife

Military training areas are often important wildlife refuges and can make a "significant contribution to conservation... if properly managed." This is because they comprise large tracts of countryside with restricted access and are free from development, cultivation or other exploitative activities. They typically divide into areas that are regularly disturbed by vehicle traffic or weapons such as bombs and missiles and areas that are relatively undisturbed.[1]

Military training areas are home to some of our most endangered species of animals and plants "precisely because they are used by the military." In the US, 21% of endangered species live on DoD land which forms only 3% of the country. A Polish study showed that the training was not significantly detrimental to biodiversity. The major factor in this was the lack of human intervention for lengthy periods of time.[2]

In Germany, it has been found that wolves moving into new areas will invariably settle first in military training areas before spreading out. This may be because there is less poaching and the hunting areas tend to be far larger than those on private land, so they are less easy to find.[3]

Training areas by country

Singapore

Austria

Austria has had important training areas since the 18th century. From 1938 the German Wehrmacht established new training areas, the largest being Döllersheim (now Allentsteig) Training Area in the Waldviertel.[4] Other areas in use today include:

Czech Republic
See also: Unincorporated area § Czech Republic
Military Area Boletice, Czech Republic

There are five Military Training Areas (MTAs) in the Czech Republic with the total area of 1,296 km2. They are run by "Military Regions" and have been used since 1994 for joint exercises and training between the Czech armed forces and its allies. This was initially carried out as part of Partnership for Peace Programme and subsequently with NATO. In addition, since 2001, the armed forces of Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the US have conducted national exercises on Czech MTAs.[5]

Denmark

Finland

Germany
British Challenger 2 main battle tanks at Bergen-Hohne TA

Ireland

Italy

Poland
  • Drawsko Training Ground (340 km2), belonging to the Polish Army and Air Force since 1946 and also used by NATO since 1996. This facility is internationally known as DPTA (Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area). It is also an important archeological excavation site.
  • Ośrodek Szkolenia Poligonowego Wojsk Lądowych Żagań (about 34,000 ha) in Żagań County and Bolesławiec County, belonging to the Polish Land Forces and also used by NATO
  • Poligon Bierdusko (about 7,300 ha) in Biedrusko near Poznań, mainly used for tank and artillery training.

Portugal

Spain

United Kingdom

The UK has six regional training areas and twenty two overseas training areas.[7]

Canada

Australia

Footnotes
  1. For example, there is guidance on public access to UK training areas at the HM Government website.

References
  1. Military training areas can be important wildlife refuges: new study at mongabay.com. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  2. Training among endangered species at nato.int. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  3. Wolves in Germany Are Making a Comeback, And The Military Is Weirdly Helping at sciencealert.com. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  4. Truppenübungsplätze at aeiou.at. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  5. Military Regions at army.cz. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  6. Poligono Sperimentale e di Addestramento Interforze del Salto di Quirra
  7. The defence training estate at gov.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2021.

Literature
  • Dudley, Marianna (2012). An Environmental History of the UK Defence Estate, 1945 to the Present. Bloomsbury.
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