Brit troops using iPad app to train for Afghan missions

LONDON - British troops are now using a special iPad app to train for combat missions in Afghanistan.

Early trials at the Royal School of Artillery in Wiltshire, witnessed troops learning the jargon and procedures more quickly than when they were taught by instructors, reports The BBC.

Lance Bombardier Jason Markham from 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, who is training for a second tour to Afghanistan, told Newsbeat how it works.

He said: “I’d be at the HQ - the troops on the ground would call me for fire support and they’d give me the target location and a description of the target.

“We’d use all of that information to come up with a solution.

“This has been designed to let us practise, so that when we get out there into theatre we’re a lot slicker.

“It makes it more fun instead of being sat in a classroom looking at a presentation being given information.

“If you’re on a course you can take this back to the block and practise with it, even have little competitions with it.”

Soldiers at the command post have to learn how to communicate with those on the front line, to ensure that the right weapons are fired, at the right time and at the right target.

Currently they’re also sharpening their skills using the iPad in Wiltshire.

“If we can use this sort of technology, we can probably shorten the amount of training and that is pretty key nowadays when people are so committed to operations in Afghanistan,” said Major Rich Gill, an army training officer, who has been involved in rolling out the app.

He went on: “There’s so much they need to do before they go there and when they come back.

“If we can use this to reduce the amount of training it’ll be fantastic.” (ANI)