Afghanistan recreated in Hampshire to train sailors

The forward operating base (Fob) has been constructed at the Longmoor training camp in Liss, Hampshire, to enable an accurate simulation of warzone conditions.

The Fob includes four sangars for sailors to guard the base, a kitchen tent, showers, portable toilets, a shipping container for accommodation and a portable building for the operations room.

The Royal Navy deploys hundreds of sailors each year to landlocked Afghanistan as individual augmentees (IAs).

This means they are sent on a one-in-one-out basis to take up posts such as intelligence gathering, detainee handling and helicopter movements.

Lieutenant Commander Willie Routledge, officer-in-command of the Royal Navy pre-deployment training and mounting centre at Portsmouth Naval Base, said: “It is a fantastic training facility for the Royal Navy.

“Sailors deploying to Afghanistan need to know what to expect – this is a land-based operation where they will be expected to work alongside other service personnel and they must be able to hit the ground running.

“This facility allows them to do exactly that.

“Our training for Royal Navy personnel is top-notch - the feedback we get is that this is some of the best operational training provided and we aim to ensure this standard is continually met and exceeded.”

As part of the course sailors stay at the Fob in Longmoor for a week.

A navy spokeswoman said that there are more than 2,100 Royal Marine and navy personnel deployed on Operation Herrick 14, with 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines as the lead element of Britain’s current operations.

She said: “The objective is to prevent al-Qaida both using Afghanistan as a training base for terrorist operations in the UK and threatening legitimate government in Afghanistan.”