Princess Royal opens new Nato communications hub for 280 Signal Squadron

Princess Anne opened a new purpose-built Nato communications facility at Beacon Barracks in Stafford, marking 280 (Nato) Signal Squadron's move into its new home. 

The Princess Royal is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Corps of Signals, a role that she took up in 1977.

During the visit, she toured the building, unveiled a plaque, presented medals to squadron personnel and signed the squadron album.

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The squadron is the British Army's only unit permanently assigned to Nato. 

Based in Stafford after moving from Dorset, it forms part of 1st Nato Signal Battalion and provides deployable communications and information systems in support of alliance headquarters on operations.

The new purpose-built facility was designed to support that role. 

It includes offices, conference and reception areas, workshops, garages, storage and welfare space inside a secure compound, as well as a Deployable Communications Module to help build and manage secure communications and information systems for Nato operations worldwide.

The site has been described as the most advanced facility of its kind across Nato's 32 member nations.