British Army's 1 LANCS head back to UK after last gruelling test on deployment in Cyprus
After two years in Cyprus, 1 Battalion Duke of Lancaster's Regiment are heading back to the UK.
Their final exercise took place at an Urban Training Facility at RAF Akrotiri, with an emphasis on conventional warfighting.
The soldiers have been learning how to raid buildings, throw grenades through doors and manoeuvre around a built-up environment.
It also provided the chance for them to train with military assets not so easily accessible in the UK, such as 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, based at Episkopi, and 84 Squadron, based at RAF Akrotiri, flying the Puma helicopter.
To make it as realistic as possible, the soldiers were also tested at night.
It provided a change of pace for some of the Kingsmen not long out of training, who could be operating in built-up, densely populated, battlegrounds in the near future.
1 LANCS have been based at Episkopi in Cyprus where they took part in Operation Polar Bear, the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan, and jungle training in Belize, as well as guarding national infrastructure across British Forces Cyprus and the wider region.
The battalion will now move to Weeton Barracks in Lancashire, joining 4th Light Brigade Combat Team, also known as the 'Black Rats'.
The 'Black Rats' are the lead light brigade in the newly formed Joint Expeditionary Force (Land).
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