A MAJOR military training exercise involving more than 300 personnel is taking place in Dorset to help ensure Armed forces are “fit for the future, and NATO remains ready to meet the threats of tomorrow”.

In a British-led event, NATO Allies are taking part in Accelerator 2.0, which aims to help units share information faster and operate more effectively.

As well as soldiers, engineers, coders and defence technology companies are taking part in the 10-day operation tackling one of NATO’s biggest challenges: ensuring forces from different nations can connect and fight as a single force.

“Led by the British Army with NATO Allied Land Command and US Army Europe and Africa, the exercise will test technologies such as how Allied forces connect sensors, command systems and AI-enabled decision-support tools through shared data architectures and secure networks to share information faster and make better decisions, strengthening NATO’s ability to deter and respond to threats and keep this country safe,” a spokesperson said.

“Accelerator 2.0 will also demonstrate how the Ajax Armoured Vehicle is critical to the Army’s digital fighting system, helping troops detect, understand and share battlefield information rapidly across UK and Allied forces, enabling better-informed decisions and faster action.

“The exercise will provide practical evidence of which technologies can be deployed, scaled or developed further, enhancing Army lethality, and boosting NATO’s deterrence to make the UK safer.”

Chief of General Staff for the British Army, General Sir Roly Walker, added: “NATO succeeds when we combine the ingenuity of industry, the expertise of our militaries and the resolve of our nations. Exercise Accelerator 2.0 does exactly that, bringing Allies together to accelerate innovation, sharpen our warfighting edge and reinforce NATO’s deterrence.

“In an era of constant adaptation, our greatest advantage will be our ability to learn and evolve faster than any adversary.”