A soldier has died during a routine exercise on Salisbury Plain after crashing with an armoured vehicle.
Emergency services were rushed to the Wiltshire training ground on Monday morning where a 26-year-old was found with significant head injuries.
The man died at the scene, just west of Tidworth, after crashing with a Warrior armoured fighting vehicle – thought to weigh around 25 tonnes.
He had been taking part in routine training alongside other forces in the 5th Battalion The Rifles.
An Army Spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm the death of a soldier in Wiltshire on 21st June 2022.
“Our thoughts are with the soldier’s family and friends at this difficult time and we ask that their privacy is respected.”
The Army will now carry out an investigation alongside police and the Health and Safety Executive.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police, said: “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time.
“His family are being supported by a specialist family liaison officer.
“An investigation into the collision is being led by Wiltshire Police alongside the Army and Health and Safety Executive.”
Salisbury Plain is a large military training area for the British Army.
The 5 Rifles are based at nearby Bulford, Wilts, and are known as “one of the most potent war-fighting infantry battalions” of the British Army.
It was the last unit in Afghanistan in 2014 and the first to be deployed in NATO’s Enhanced Forward presence in Estonia.
The battalion has previously served in Iraq, Kenya and Belize and has a reputation for being ‘first in, last out’.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Serious Collision Investigation Team via 101 and quote crime reference number 54220064345.
