British Army recruits trial new app designed to improve live firing skills

British Army recruits have been trialling a new app designed to improve their shooting skills.

The new XCALIBR system uses data from recruits' weapons training to give analysis and feedback via a mobile phone app which can guide an individual towards boosting their performance.

The trial at Catterick Infantry Training Centre involved analysing the live firing performance of recruits throughout their basic training to understand the benefits of using the technology.

• Exercise Saxon Shield: Army reservists test marksmanship
• British firearm firms take training 'to a different level'
• Machine gunners test their combat marksmanship skills

XCALIBR provides an understanding of how each soldier has performed and contributed to their team during training exercises.

It also allows analysis of every single round fired, showing how marksmanship principles have been followed, from positioning and technique to other factors such as wind values and what effect was had on the target of that round.

Data taken before, during and after firing is then reviewed to understand which areas the soldiers need to focus on improving.

Private Farrington, C Company, 1st Infantry Training Battalion, has been using the XCALIBR system for 12 weeks and said: "I've found it very useful because it's able to tell you exactly what you're doing wrong.

"You can go into the app and really go into details such as whether you need to adjust your targeting slightly, if you're shouldering the rifle, pulling with your supporting hand and so on, so from there, it's really easy to develop."

Major Alan Lipowski, SO2 Combat Training, Army Futures Directorate, said: "One of the key parts of Future Soldier is preparing our forces to fight.

"This system allows us to train our marksmanship skills better. If we shoot better, we're more likely to defeat our adversaries.

"The trial has gone really well. We've had a lot of positive feedback from the recruits and training teams.

"We've been working very closely with our industry partner to better understand the system and what we can do with it, integrating it and how we can use it across the Army.

The project is being delivered by Cervus and funded by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.