Otterburn Training Area
Encyclopedia
The Otterburn
Army Training Estate (ATE) was established in 1911 and covers about 230 square kilometres (90 miles) of the Southern Cheviots. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
, and used for training some 30,000 soldiers a year. Otterburn is the UK's largest firing range, and is in frequent use — artillery can be clearly heard from Lindisfarne
to the north-east and Fontburn Reservoir in the south. The ranges are used by AS-90
Artillery
and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
's and Otterburn is the only place in the UK where the MLRS can be fired, requiring a 11 mile long via 2 mile wide firing range.
The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park
.
Because of this, recreational use of the area is restricted, although it is possible for the public to use some parts of the estate subject to the relevant bylaws. The MoD publishes a booklet, Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands, which offers advice on this matter. .
Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle Upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border...
Army Training Estate (ATE) was established in 1911 and covers about 230 square kilometres (90 miles) of the Southern Cheviots. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, and used for training some 30,000 soldiers a year. Otterburn is the UK's largest firing range, and is in frequent use — artillery can be clearly heard from Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
to the north-east and Fontburn Reservoir in the south. The ranges are used by AS-90
AS-90
The AS-90 is a lightly armoured self-propelled artillery piece used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993...
Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System
The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is an armored, self-propelled, multiple rocket launcher; a type of rocket artillery.Since the first M270s were delivered to the U.S. Army in 1983, the MLRS has been adopted by several NATO countries. Some 1,300 M270 systems have been manufactured in the...
's and Otterburn is the only place in the UK where the MLRS can be fired, requiring a 11 mile long via 2 mile wide firing range.
The training area accounts for 23% of the Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks...
.
Because of this, recreational use of the area is restricted, although it is possible for the public to use some parts of the estate subject to the relevant bylaws. The MoD publishes a booklet, Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands, which offers advice on this matter. .