Soldiers from 2 Yorks 'take over' Swindon and test uncrewed vehicles

Soldiers from 2 Yorks took over a town centre as part of a training exercise, deploying some interesting new pieces of kit and technology.

Under LIVEX 23, an experimentation and trials group exercise, remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs) were driven through the centre of Swindon, simulating transporting ammunition and casualty extraction.

The training exercises included the deployment of drones and the use of ballistic shields.

• British troops train at Europe's largest urban training facility complete with own airport
• Royal Welsh take on 'The Crystal Maze' – Europe's largest urban warfare training area
• The Royal Yorkshire Regiment: All you need to know

The soldiers from 2 Yorks and personnel from the Trials and Development Unit (TDU) exercised with experimental kit and equipment, initially in the urban domain, specifically the town's disused Debenhams store.

During the exercise, the Phalanx Platoons concept was trialled for the first time with new kit and equipment on a multi-phase exercise.

The purpose of the trial was to test the concept that incorporates a systems operator into the platoon to provide situational awareness using uncrewed systems.

Drone warfare and the use of uncrewed vehicles have become a more significant concept in military training, and lessons have been drawn from the use of such systems in Ukraine.

Exercises that place troops in both urban and rural domains aim to grow their skills in adapting to any environment.

Images from the training also show troops trying out equipment at what appears to be a specially designed military urban training area.