Military training area
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A military training area, training area (Australia, Ireland, UK) or training centre (Canada) is land set aside specifically to enable military forces to train and exercise for combat. Training areas are usually out of bounds to the general public, but some have limited access when not in use. As well as their military function, they often serve as important wildlife refuges. They are distinct from
proving ground A proving ground (US) is an installation or reservation in which technology such as weapons, military tactics and automobile prototypes are experimented with or tested. Proving grounds can be operated by government bodies or civilian industries. ...
s which are designed for purposes such as testing weaponry or equipment.


Description

Military training areas are important because they enable troops to train more realistically and in greater numbers over a wide area without unduly inconveniencing the public or putting others at risk. They are particularly important for all arms training where the different elements of armed forces come together to cooperate and coordinate their fire and movement. Training areas often incorporate a variety of terrain types, including forests, heathland, waterbodies and farmland, as well as urban training facilities such as the 'Afghan village' at
Thetford Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland District of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just east of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , in 2015 had a population of 24,340 ...
on
Stanford Training Area Stanford Training Area (STANTA), originally known as Stanford Battle Area, is a British Army training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately in size; it is some north of the town of Thetford and south-west ...
. Such training areas are run by the military and are normally out-of-bounds to the public who may sometimes be allowed access during weekends or holidays. Training areas may incorporate
firing range A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by military ...
s or designated areas where live firing is permitted.


Wildlife

Military training areas are often important wildlife refuges and can make a "significant contribution to conservation... if properly managed." This is because they comprise large tracts of countryside with restricted access and are free from development, cultivation or other exploitative activities. They typically divide into areas that are regularly disturbed by vehicle traffic or weapons such as bombs and missiles and areas that are relatively undisturbed. Military training areas are home to some of our most endangered species of animals and plants "precisely because they are used by the military." In the US, 21% of endangered species live on DoD land which forms only 3% of the country. A Polish study showed that the training was not significantly detrimental to biodiversity. The major factor in this was the lack of human intervention for lengthy periods of time. In Germany, it has been found that wolves moving into new areas will invariably settle first in military training areas before spreading out. This may be because there is less poaching and the hunting areas tend to be far larger than those on private land, so they are less easy to find.


Training areas by country


Asia


Singapore

* Ama Keng Training Area * Sungei Gedong Training Area * Southern Islands Live-Firing Area (SILFA)


Australasia


Australia

* Bindoon Military Training Area, Bindoon,
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
* Bradshaw Field Training Area – Timber Creek,
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
* Buckland Military Training Area, near
Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...
,
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
* Cowley Beach Training Area - Cowley Beach,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
* Lancelin Training Area, Lancelin,
Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
* Kangaroo Flats Training Area – Berry Springs,
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
* Mount Bundey Training Area - Mount Bundey,
Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
* Murray Bridge Training Area,
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
*
Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area is a heritage-listed military installation at Byfield Road, Byfield, Queensland, Byfield, Shire of Livingstone, Queensland, Australia. It is a large, relatively undisturbed and intact natural system with a ...
,
Shoalwater Bay Shoalwater Bay is a large bay on the Capricorn Coast of Central Queensland, Australia 100 km north of the coastal town of Yeppoon and 628 km north-north-west of the state capital, Brisbane. Since 1966, the land surrounding Shoalwater Ba ...
,
Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...
(4545 km2)


Europe


Austria

Austria has had important training areas since the 18th century. From 1938 the German
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
established new training areas, the largest being Döllersheim (now Allentsteig) Training Area in the
Waldviertel The (Forest Quarter; Central Bavarian: ) is the northwestern region of the northeast Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is bounded to the south by the Danube, to the southwest by Upper Austria, to the northwest and the north by the Czech Repu ...
. Other areas in use today include: *
Allentsteig Allentsteig is a municipality in the district of Zwettl, in Lower Austria, Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a ...
, Lower Austria (157 km2), largest training area in Austria *
Bruckneudorf Bruckneudorf ( hu, Királyhida) is a small town in the district of Neusiedl am See in the federal state of Burgenland in Austria, neighbouring Bruck an der Leitha ("Leitha Bridge"). Its name means ''bridge new village'', whereas the Hungarian vers ...
, Lower Austria * Glainach, Carinthia * Großmittel, Lower Austria *
Hochfilzen Hochfilzen is a town and municipality in the Kitzbühel district of the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is located in the Pillersee valley 5 km east of Fieberbrunn. Population was 1,147 in 2016. It is a popular winter sports resort, especially f ...
, Tyrol * Marwiesen, Carinthia * Lizum-Walchen, Tyrol (50 km2) *
Pöls Pöls is a former municipality in the district of Murtal in Styria, Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a fede ...
, Styria * Seetaler Alpen, Styria


Czech Republic

There are five military training areas (MTAs) in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
with the total area of 1296 km2. They are run by "Military Regions" and have been used since 1994 for joint exercises and training between the Czech armed forces and its allies. This was initially carried out as part of
Partnership for Peace The Partnership for Peace (PfP; french: Partenariat pour la paix) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; ...
Programme and subsequently with NATO. In addition, since 2001, the armed forces of Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the US have conducted national exercises on Czech MTAs. * Boletice Military Training Area * Libavá Military Training Area * Ralsko Military Training Area


Denmark

* Borris Skydeterræn (47 km2)


Finland

*
Rovajärvi Rovajärvi is the main artillery practice range of the Finnish Army. At area, it is the largest practice range of the Finnish Defence Forces, and the largest such range in western Europe. It is located within the municipalities of Rovaniemi an ...
training area near
Rovaniemi Rovaniemi ( , ; sme, Roavvenjárga ; smn, Ruávinjargâ; sms, Ruäʹvnjargg) is a city and municipality of Finland. It is the administrative capital and commercial centre of Finland's northernmost province, Lapland, and its southern part Perà ...
in Lapland is the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. * The
Artillery Brigade An artillery brigade is a specialised form of military brigade dedicated to providing artillery support. Other brigades might have an artillery component, but an artillery brigade is a brigade dedicated to artillery and relying on other units fo ...
in
Niinisalo Niinisalo is a village in the municipality of Kankaanpää in the region of Satakunta in Finland. It is known for the Niinisalo Garrison which is the base of the Finnish Army unit Artillery Brigade. The population of Niinisalo is 996 (2009). The ...
, currently housing the Finnish ordnance R&D centre (established 1921)


Germany

*
Bergen-Hohne Training Area Bergen-Hohne Training Area (German: ''NATO-Truppenübungsplatz Bergen'' or ''Schießplatz Bergen-Hohne'') is a NATO military training area in the southern part of the Lüneburg Heath, in the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It covers a ...
, Lower Saxony (284 km2), NATO facility, largest training area in Germany * Grafenwöhr, Bavaria (229 km2) a US facility *
Hammelburg Hammelburg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It sits in the district of Bad Kissingen, in Lower Franconia. It lies on the river Franconian Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt. Hammelburg is the oldest winegrowing town (''Weinstadt'') in Franconi ...
, Bavaria (40 km2), featuring a complete artificial village for
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
training *
Hohenfels, Bavaria Hohenfels (literally ''High Cliffs'') is a municipality in the district of Neumarkt in the region of Upper Palatinate (german: Oberpfalz) in Bavaria, Germany. The town is host to the United States Army Garrison Hohenfels, which operates the Join ...
(160 km2) *
Heuberg Training Area The Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg is a training ground of the Bundeswehr in the districts of Sigmaringen and Zollernalbkreis in Baden-Württemberg. Since the establishment of the Wilhelmine Empire it has always been a reflection of German history.Ger ...
, Baden-Württemberg *
Munster Training Area Munster Training Area (German: ''Truppenübungsplatz Munster'') is a military training area in Germany on the Lüneburg Heath. It comprises two separate areas with different purposes: Munster North (''Munster-Nord'') (size: ) and Munster South ( ...
, Lower Saxony *
Sennelager Training Area The Sennelager Training Area (German: ) is a military training area in Germany, under the control of British Forces based in Paderborn Garrison. It covers an area of , and belongs to the German Government, which discharges its responsibility th ...
, North Rhine-Westphalia, managed by 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 ...
* Vogelsang Training Area, in the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
, NRW * Wildflecken Training Area in Bavaria


Ireland

*
Glen of Imaal The Glen of Imaal ( or ; ga, Gleann Uí Mháil) is a remote glen in the western Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It is ringed by the Lugnaquilla massif and its foothills, including Table Mountain and Keadeen. Much of the glen is used by the Irish ...
(27 km2), an
Irish Army The Irish Army, known simply as the Army ( ga, an tArm), is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland.The Defence Forces are made up of the Permanent Defence Forces – the standing branches – and the Reserve Defence Forces. The Ar ...
artillery, live fire, and tactical training area


Italy

*
Salto di Quirra Salto di Quirra is a restricted weapons testing range and rocket launching site near Perdasdefogu on Sardinia. It is the largest military range in Italy, composed of 12000 hectares of land owned by the Italian Ministry of Defence and one of the l ...
(120 km2), an Italian interforce training area on
Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...


Poland

* Drawsko Training Ground (340 km2), belonging to the Polish Army and Air Force since 1946 and also used by NATO since 1996. This facility is internationally known as DPTA (Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area). It is also an important archeological excavation site. * OÅ›rodek Szkolenia Poligonowego Wojsk LÄ…dowych Å»agaÅ„ (about 34,000 ha) in
Żagań County __NOTOC__ Żagań County ( pl, powiat żagański) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lubusz Voivodeship, western Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms ...
and
Bolesławiec County __NOTOC__ Bolesławiec County ( pl, powiat bolesławiecki) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lower Silesian Voivodeship, southwestern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish lo ...
, belonging to the
Polish Land Forces The Land Forces () are the land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 62,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military history stret ...
and also used by NATO


Portugal

*
Alcochete Alcochete () is a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,569, in an area of 128.36 km². The municipality is composed of three parishes and is located in Setúbal District. Alcochete is known for its bullfighting tradition ...
(75 km2), an artillery and air bombing range. Established in 1904, it was managed by the
Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army ( pt, Exército Português) is the land component of the Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
until 1993 and since then is managed by the
Portuguese Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...
. It is the largest closed military facility in Europe. In 2008, it was chosen to be the site of the future New Lisbon International Airport.


Spain

* Chinchilla, Albacete ( CENAD Chinchilla), 232 km2 * San Gregorio, Zaragoza ( CENAD San Gregorio), 340 km2


United Kingdom

The UK has six regional training areas and twenty two overseas training areas.''The defence training estate''
at gov.uk. Retrieved 22 December 2021. *
Bronaber Bronaber is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau and in Trawsfynydd community. General information During the Second World War, the War Office used a site near Bronaber up in the Ranges for training exercises. ...
Training Area, Wales *
Salisbury Plain Training Area Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in the south western part of central southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies wi ...
(380 km2) *
Stanford Training Area Stanford Training Area (STANTA), originally known as Stanford Battle Area, is a British Army training area situated in the English county of Norfolk. The area is approximately in size; it is some north of the town of Thetford and south-west ...
(STANTA),
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
(120 km2), established 1942, includes an "Afghan" village *
Otterburn Training Area The Otterburn Army Training Estate is a military training area near Otterburn, Northumberland, in northern England. It is owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) and operated by Landmarc on contract from the MoD's Defence Infrastructure O ...
,
Northumberland Northumberland () is a county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Abbey. It is bordered by land on ...
(242 km2)


North America


Canada

*
CFB Suffield Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and sou ...
,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
(2690 km2), training base for the
Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force. ...
and
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 ...
*
Canadian Forces Base Wainwright 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright, commonly referred to as Canadian Forces Base Wainwright or CFB Wainwright, is a Canadian Forces Base located in Denwood, Alberta, adjacent to the town of Wainwright. Military Camp Wainw ...
,
Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
(609 km2), home of the Land Force Western Area Training Centre (LFWATC) and Canadian Manoeuvre Training Centre (CMTC) *
CFB Shilo Canadian Forces Base Shilo (CFB Shilo; french: Base des Forces canadiennes Shilo — BFC Shilo) is an operations and training base of the Canadian Armed Forces, located east of Brandon, Manitoba and adjacent to Sprucewoods. During the 1990s, C ...
,
Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
(400 km2), home station of the
Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery , colors = The guns of the RCA themselves , colors_label = Colours , march = * Slow march: "Royal Artillery Slow March" * Quick march (dismounted parades): "British Grenadiers/ The ...
*
Land Force Central Area Training Centre Meaford 4th Canadian Division Training Centre (also 4 CDTC) is a Canadian Forces training facility operated by Land Force Central Area, 4th Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. It is located in Grey County, Ontario, Grey County, Ontario, in the Sauge ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
(68 km2), training centre for the
4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. The division was first created as a formation of the Canadian Corps during the First World War. During the Second World War the division was reactivated as the 4th Canadian Infantr ...
*
Garrison Petawawa Garrison Petawawa is located in Petawawa, Ontario. It is operated as an army base by the Canadian Army. Garrison facts The Garrison is located in the Ottawa Valley in Renfrew County, northwest of Ottawa along the western bank of the Ottawa ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
(307 km2), home of 2 CMBG and 4th CDSG *
CFB Valcartier Canadian Forces Base Valcartier (CFB Valcartier), now re-designated 2 Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier (2 CDSB Valcartier), is a Canadian Forces base located in the municipality of Saint-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, north northwest of Quebe ...
,
Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
(28 km2), home of 5 CMBG *
CFB Gagetown 5th Canadian Division Support Base (5 CDSB) Gagetown, formerly known as and commonly referred to as CFB Gagetown, is a large Canadian Forces Base covering an area over , located in southwestern New Brunswick. Construction of the base At the ...
,
New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
(1100 km2), the primary Eastern Canada training area *
Land Force Atlantic Area Training Centre Aldershot 5th Canadian Division Support Group Detachment Aldershot (also 5 CDSG Det Aldershot) is a training facility for 5th Canadian Division of the Canadian Army. It is located in Kings County, Nova Scotia. 5 Cdn Div Support Group Det Aldershot is locat ...
,
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...
(11.4 km2)


Footnotes


References

{{Reflist


Literature

* Dudley, Marianna (2012). ''An Environmental History of the UK Defence Estate, 1945 to the Present''. Bloomsbury.