In the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, the Annual Fitness Test is designed to assess soldiers' lower and upper body strength and endurance. The test was formerly known as the Combat Fitness Test – and is still colloquially known by soldiers as the CFT. The test involves a fast-paced march at fifteen minutes per mile (brisk and uncomfortable walking pace), in full combat gear including the

SA80 The SA80 (Small Arms for the 1980s) is a British family of 5.56×45mm NATO service weapons used by the British Army. The L85 Rifle variant has been the standard issue service rifle of the British Armed Forces since 1987, replacing the L1A1 Se ...

personal weapon, across rough terrain and on roads. The exact weight of the equipment carried depends upon the type of unit and it is usually (including helmet, webbing & rifle) 15 kg to 25 kg dependent on service or arm, but all will cover a distance of 8 miles in less than 2 hours. Typically, British Army Infantry units will carry the most weight (25 kg). Combat Support Arms,

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...

, and

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

) carry a lower amount of weight (20 kg). Combat Service Support Arms such as the

Army Medical Services The Army Medical Services (AMS) is the organisation responsible for administering the corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army. It is headquartered at the former Staff College, Camberley, near the ...

Royal Logistic Corps The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army. History The Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) was formed on 5 April 1993, by the union of five British Army corps: * Royal Engine ...

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is a corps of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's Professional Engineers". History Prior to REME's for ...

and

Adjutant General's Corps The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services, named for the Adjutant-General to the Forces (now the Commander Home Command). As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 peopl ...

carry (15 kg). Female soldiers carry the same weight as their male counterparts. Weight is determined by the Arm a soldier is in so a clerk in an Infantry unit should carry 15 kg for their AFT. The Annual Fitness Test, together with the Personal Fitness Assessment (mile and a half run, press ups and sit ups) are formalized in the British Army's Military Training Test as MATT 2. The Annual Fitness Test is the same regardless of sex – all personnel have the same test regardless of age or sex, whilst the Personal Fitness Assessment is ''gender fair'' – service personnel have to reach a minimum standard in accordance with age group and gender – older personnel and females get more time. Tables for the PFA are below. . As from 2020/2021 a new set of fitness tests, the Role Fitness Test, have been introduced, which cover a broader range of physical performance but have the disadvantage of requiring equipment such as a hex bar for deadlifts, a pull up bar for pull ups, power-bags to lift and carry, and weighted bag (simulating a casualty) to drag. Unlike the PFA which could be done en-masse, with many parts the new tests takes more time and has the soldiers standing around waiting testing. Even the loaded march has been made more complicated with part having to be done at a set rate with a set weight, and then the next part at another set rate with a lesser weight. All of the test are the same regardless of sex, and have been 'scientifically' devised.

References

External links

Fitness requirements
– British Army Recruiting * {{Military fitness tests British Army training Fitness tests

See also

References

External links