In an undisclosed location on the Falkland Islands, British Army personnel have been honing their skills in one of the world's most desolate and unforgiving training environments.
Exercise Cape Upholder saw personnel from 5 Rifles conduct live-firing training on the isolated island in the South Atlantic, some 300 miles east of Argentina's coast.
This was routine practise for the battalion, which sees soldiers operate in a wide range of environments throughout the year – from the blistering heat of Kenya to the freezing conditions of Finland.
Desolate and unforgiving
The Falklands Islands are defined by their exposure.
Exposed moorland, peat bogs, rocky high ground and rugged coastlines all relentlessly shaped by near-constant wind and rain present an abundance of challenges and considerations for soldiers and commanders alike.
Every movement across the landscape is laborious and slow, with the smallest navigation errors leading to significant detours, and a misjudgement of the ground quickly resulting in exhaustion or injury.
It is for this reason that prior knowledge and field craft developed during exercises in the UK – environments such as Brecon Beacons and Dartmoor to name a few – are so invaluable.
Ex Cape Upholder marked the final stages of 5 Rifles deployment as the Roulement Infantry Company, which not only tested them in one of the most demanding environments on the planet, but gave reassurance to the local population, demonstrating commitment to the UK's sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.
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