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| British Army Infantry Training Centre | |
|---|---|
| Name | Infantry Training Centre |
| Caption | Main entrance, Infantry Training Centre |
| Established | 1995 |
| Location | Pirbright, Surrey |
| Type | Military training establishment |
| Parent | Army Recruiting and Training Division |
British Army Infantry Training Centre
The Infantry Training Centre at Pirbright is the principal establishment for initial and specialised infantry training for the British Army. It delivers phase 1 and phase 2 instruction, specialist cadre courses and collective battle training to recruits and soldiers from regiments including the Parachute Regiment, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and other line infantry units. The establishment interacts with formation-level commands such as Field Army and training organisations including Army Recruiting and Training Division, School of Infantry and regional training units.
The site at Pirbright traces its military use through the late 19th and 20th centuries when nearby facilities supported units mobilised for the Second Boer War, First World War and Second World War. Post-war reorganisations led to consolidation of infantry training following reviews such as the 1994 Options for Change and the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, culminating in the establishment of a centralised infantry training function at Pirbright in the 1990s. The centre absorbed predecessors and elements formerly located at regimental depots and specialist schools, integrating doctrine from institutions like the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and the School of Infantry.
Command of the centre is vested in a Commandant, usually a lieutenant colonel or colonel drawn from infantry regiments including the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Royal Welsh and Yorkshire Regiment. The establishment is subordinate to the Army Recruiting and Training Division and coordinates with formations such as Home Command and Field Army for manpower outputs. Units within the centre include training battalions, demonstration platoons and specialist companies that work alongside instructor cadres from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and cadre seconded from operational brigades like 16 Air Assault Brigade and 11 Infantry Brigade.
Programmes cover initial soldiering (phase 1) and trade, role and leadership trade training (phase 2/3) for infantry soldiers, NCOs and officers. Courses accommodate volunteers from regiments including The Rifles, Royal Anglian Regiment, Mercian Regiment and the Royal Gurkha Rifles. Specialist pipelines include airborne insertion familiarisation for Parachute Regiment volunteers, range management aligned with Ministry of Defence regulations, and platoon commander and sergeant courses that reflect doctrine from the British Army Doctrine Centre and collective training standards used by NATO partners such as the United States Army and Canadian Army.
Primary facilities are situated on the Pirbright Camp complex in Surrey, adjacent to ranges at Bisley and training areas such as Deepcut and on Salisbury Plain Training Area. On-site infrastructure includes assault courses, live-fire ranges, urban operations simulations, austere accommodation, lecture suites and maintenance workshops. The centre utilises collective training venues including the Salisbury Plain Training Area, amphibious training at Portsmouth, and airborne facilities linked to RAF Brize Norton and RAF Odiham. Support elements include medical establishments, the Royal Army Physical Training Corps facilities, and family support offices associated with Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association.
Instruction covers small arms proficiency with weapons such as the L85A3 family, general-purpose machine guns including the L7A2 GPMG, light support weapons and sniper systems; anti-armour and anti-tank weapon training includes use of the NLAW and procedures for calling in indirect fires and artillery from formations like 3rd (UK) Division. Tactics modules stage platoon and company-level manoeuvre, patrolling, urban operations (MOUT), and combined arms integration employing doctrine influenced by NATO publications and lessons from operations such as Operation Herrick and Operation Telic. Fieldcraft, camouflage, target acquisition and night-fighting using devices consistent with Defence Equipment and Support standards are emphasised.
Selection for infantry roles involves physical fitness tests, including the Personal Fitness Assessment used across the British Army, aptitude assessments, and medical standards aligned with Defence Medical Services. Candidates undergo entry interviews, character and security vetting coordinated with Ministry of Defence Police and suitability boards convened by Regimental Liaison Officers. Ongoing assessment during courses uses performance metrics, peer and instructor appraisal, and proficiency grading referenced to competency frameworks used by the Army Recruiting and Training Division and endorsed by the Chief of the General Staff.
Alumni include soldiers and officers who served with distinction in conflicts such as Falklands War, Gulf War, Iraq War and War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), progressing to commands within divisions like 1st (UK) Division and NATO headquarters; recipients of awards such as the Victoria Cross and Military Cross have passed through infantry training establishments. Notable incidents at or relating to training safety have prompted reviews of range procedures and welfare policies, leading to procedural changes overseen by the Ministry of Defence and specialist inquiries involving the Service Prosecuting Authority and coronial processes.