It sounds like something out of a war film, a British armoured vehicle unleashing a torrent of fire on what it thought was an enemy tank, only to discover it had been blasting one of its own.
During a live-fire training exercise at Castlemartin ranges in Pembrokeshire, the crew of an FV510 Warrior infantry fighting vehicle spotted a shape through their thermal scope about 500 metres away. Convinced they had found a hostile tank, they launched an “emergency shoot” with their 30mm Rarden cannon.
On fully automatic, the Warrior rattled through its three-clip magazine, spraying round after round at the target. The problem? The “enemy” was actually a Challenger 2 main battle tank, manned by four British soldiers from the Royal Tank Regiment.
The outcome could have been catastrophic. Thankfully, the Rarden cannon was loaded with inert practice rounds rather than the high-explosive or armour-piercing shells usually carried into combat.
Even so, five rounds hit the Challenger 2. The tank’s world-class Dorchester armour shrugged them off with barely a scratch. Miraculously, none of the crew inside was injured, and the vehicle was back in action shortly afterwards.
The training involved troops from the Royal Tank Regiment and the Royal Welsh Regiment, both of which are preparing to deploy to Estonia as part of NATO’s eastern flank defences.
An MOD spokesperson moved quickly to reassure the public:
“The safety of the public and our service personnel is an absolute priority, and we immediately launched a formal investigation following the incident. The incident took place on private land with no access to the public.
No civilians or service personnel were injured, and no vehicles were damaged, with the Challenger having already returned to training.”
The spokesperson added that live-fire exercises are always conducted under the highest safety standards and reiterated that only practice ammunition had been used.
The incident comes hot on the heels of another alarming case of friendly fire. Earlier this week, a court heard how a special forces soldier accidentally shot a comrade seven times during a night exercise after mistakenly reloading with live ammunition instead of blanks.
The victim, known only as Soldier A, suffered life-changing injuries, including severe damage to his arm and chest, and has since been medically discharged. The shooter, Soldier B, was found to have fired 23 live rounds in the chaos, with the final seven causing the devastating injuries.
Suggested Image: A photo of a Challenger 2 tank on training grounds, ideally with soldiers nearby to give context. Alternatively, a Warrior IFV and Challenger 2 side by side at a British Army exercise, emphasising the contrast between the two vehicles involved. A dramatic training shot with dust, smoke, or thermal optics overlay would also visually highlight the “fog of war” element.
