Highly respected around the world, the British Army maintains its reputation through constant, thorough and tough training in realistic conditions. 

Wiltshire is proud of its long running association with the armed forces, their contribution to the local economy and the important role we play as a location for military research establishments. This critical research work also benefits the wider Wiltshire Research & Development and economic activity.   

Now home to many military bases, training facilities and Ministry Of Defence (MoD) sites, Wiltshire’s long association with the military first began in 1897 with land purchased for training. Just 5 years later, the total area purchased had risen to 43,000 acres (17,400 hectares).

Permanent barracks were started at Tidworth in 1905. After the First World War, the MoD resumed buying land on Salisbury Plain and spread westward across the Devizes to Tilshead Road. The Larkhill Royal School of Artillery was built in 1920, while the Warminster Land Warfare Centre dates from 1937.

This strong military presence also creates opportunities for local businesses, many of whom benefit from contracts awarded to fulfil the need for services and products by personnel and estates.

SECTOR PROFILE

In real terms, the military infrastructure in Wilshire is substantial:

RAF Lyneham - Currently the RAF’s centre of excellence for tactical transport, RAF Lyneham has been the subject of a strategic review which may see its use changed after 2012.

Tidworth  - A new super-garrison is proposed at Tidworth, which will bring a large number of new troops to the area.  This will increase the amount of disposable income in the area and the multiplier effect of this will benefit the county and local businesses. A super garrison will also mean building contracts, and various other contract opportunities for local businesses.

Azimghur Barrack, Colerne - The home of the 21 Signal Regiment, its role is to provide communications for the RAF Support Helicopter Force.

Basil Hill Barracks development, Corsham - The headquarters for communication and information services for sites across the world, MoD Corsham is currently spread over 4 sites- Basil Hill, Copenacre, Hawthorn and Rudloe. In 2000, the Corsham Development Project (CDP) was established to meet the government's pledge to provide Armed Forces and MoD staff with modern appropriate facilities, whilst achieving long term value for money.

This is a vital project for the MoD and the site’s development will enable better support for worldwide operations, deliver the kind of modern working environment that attracts and retains staff, and achieves greater economies of scale enabled by more streamlined operations. The project will help secure the future of the Defence Communications Services Agency (DCSA) in Corsham and enhance the MoD estate.

The development will accommodate 1,850 workspaces, living quarters for 180 service personnel and provide modern sports amenities, a new nursery and retention of existing operational and logistical operations. The project also takes into account sustainability and aims to incorporate highest standards of energy efficiency.

Kemble Airfield - Located in the very north of the District, this former military site now is used as a private airfield.

Hullavington Airfield - Home to Royal Logistics Corps (Army), this airfield also has a private flying training school onsite, while some of the hangars are allocated for business use.

Army Training Estate - Salisbury Plain - A unique location that provides training for some aspects of military operations, particularly by armoured vehicles, which are not available elsewhere in the UK. ATE SP is the UK’s largest training area and incorporates Larkhill and Westdown artillery impact areas, and Warminster live firing area, of particular training benefit for armoured vehicles, artillery, engineers, infantry and aircraft. The newest facility is the ‘village’ on Copehill Down used to train for operations in built-up areas.

Regulars, Territorials and Cadets use the training area alongside our NATO allies. ATE SP also manages the airspace over, and adjacent to, the Plain: military aircraft from all three Services use this airspace day and night, sometimes being joined by NATO aircraft.

Every effort is made to minimise the impact of military training on people’s lives: a special parish liaison system is in place enabling a direct point of contact for people in all 45 parishes around the Plain. A regular newsletter informs residents of forthcoming exercises and other planned military activities. Noise levels are constantly monitored, and exercise planning takes account of the effects of training on the local population. The military garrisons around the Plain (Bulford, Larkhill, Tidworth and Warminster) contain some 14,000 soldiers. They, and visiting units, spend some 600,000 man days on the Plain annually.

Erskine Barracks - HQ Land Command is located at Erskine Barracks, Wilton near Salisbury and controls about 80% of the troops in the British Isles and almost 100% of its fighting capability. HQ Land Command replaced HQ United Kingdom Land Forces (HQ UKLF) in 1995.

Land Command's role is to deliver and sustain the Army's operational capability, whenever required throughout the world, and the Command comprises all operational troops in Great Britain, Germany, Nepal and Brunei, together with the Army Training Teams in Canada, Belize and Kenya.

Plans exist to relocate Land Command to Andover, Hampshire though no timetable has been confirmed. A Wilton Task Force, led by Salisbury District Council, has been formed to enable future ideas and plans for the 16ha site to be discussed, with the longer term aim of putting in place a strategy to minimise the impacts and maximise opportunities presented by the MoD’s announcement.

ACADEMIC RESEARCH & EXPERTISE

Wiltshire’s status as a major centre for the Army also brings associated benefits. The existing and developing infrastructure offers a unique range of facilities and skill sets that create a supportive environment for transferring knowledge between companies, both established and developing.

Key players in Wiltshire include:

DSTL (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), based at Porton Down, is the MoD’s centre for chemical and biological defence research to provide protection to UK armed forces and British civilians. The MoD’s trusted adviser on defence-related science and technology, DTSL Porton Down has been a site of scientific excellence for many years and is now expanding its knowledge base even further as it undergoes refurbishment and expansion to become its agency’s headquarters.

In order to achieve greater scientific integration, activities will be consolidated onto three core sites, with headquarters at Porton Down. The move will bring a further 900 staff to the Porton site from elsewhere in DSTL, swelling the total to approximately 2,000. The expansion is due to be completed by 2008.

Research undertaken at DSTL Porton Down has led to world-leading vaccines and the best protection for the UK armed forces when on the battlefield. Military research often has wider applications, and so a number of successful spin-out companies are already evolving innovative scientific developments for commercial applications.

As DSTL Porton Down expands further, the potential for creating more joint venture companies for exploiting military science in civilian applications is expected to increase.

QinetiQ is based at MoD Boscombe Down, a fully operational military airfield located in the heart of the Salisbury Research Triangle and home to considerable aerospace and defence expertise. QinetiQ is the largest science and technology organisation in Europe, and in 2003, was awarded the Long Term Partnering Agreement for the provision of strategic test and evaluation capabilities to the UK MoD.
Through this unique partnership between Government and industry, QinetiQ has developed an international reputation and their team includes some of the industry’s most highly skilled engineers and scientists, whose work benefits from a vast array of the most sophisticated test facilities. 

QinetiQ has built its reputation principally in the military defence sector but also has established its capability in the commercial sector. This includes the testing and disposal of automotive airbags; testing of communications ground stations; and the environmental testing of railway rolling stock.

INDUSTRY & SECTOR SUPPORT

Wiltshire offers one of the widest ranges of business support and growth opportunities in Europe, enabled by a dynamic, growing industry that is driven by exceptional knowledge and skills.

Home to some of the world's top defence operations, our considerable experience of hosting many military operations continues to grow.

We can help you build dedicated facilities with the latest integral biometric and Internet Protocol (IP) security. We can offer you a range of strategic sites, supported by a large pool of labour, with military-specific skills in a variety of specialisms. With homeland security now an important global issue, Wiltshire offers a secure environment for your operationally sensitive activities.