Up to 5800 troops with 500 vehicles will be training on Salisbury Plain later this month in what will be one of the largest exercises to be held in the UK.

Between 21 July and 1 August Royal Marines and soldiers from 3 Commando Brigade will be taking part in the Mission Rehearsal Exercise for a future deployment to Afghanistan later this year. They include 1^st Battalion The Rifles which was formed from the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment and still recruits from Wiltshire.

The exercise will also involve aircraft from all three Services; up to six Apache attack helicopters, two Lynx, two Sea King and up to four Chinook helicopters.  Small numbers of fast jets will also support the exercise along with two Hercules transport aircraft.  The exercise will also use the MOD site at Ludgershall where there will be a lot of helicopter activity.

A spokesman for 3 Commando Brigade said: "3 Commando Brigade has to be ready to deploy anywhere in the world, especially Helmand; rehearsing key skills is an essential element in maintaining operational capability.  This is an operationally focussed Brigade that gleans its most recently operational experience from Helmand Province in Afghanistan.''

"Every effort will be made to ensure that noisy activity is limited to normal training times.  In principle, flying hours have been limited to between 7am and 11pm during the week with only limited flying on weekends. However, on some occasions flying will be conducted throughout the night.

"Exercise planners have made every effort to avoid over-flying sensitive and built-up areas. Ground activity will take place on military training areas during the day and night and over the weekend. While everything possible will be done to keep to the published plan, weather restrictions may necessitate slippage of some dates and venues."

Local MPs, parish councils, police, the AA and other interested parties will be contacted in advance of the exercise. A spokesman for the Exercise Control said: "While it is appreciated that this exercise will cause some minor disruption and inconvenience to people in the local areas involved we would ask for their co-operation and understanding to ensure that the Armed Forces maintain their genuine operational effectiveness."

Lieutenant Colonel Mike Beard, Commandant of Salisbury Plain Training Area, said drivers should be particularly aware at tank crossings around the Plain where there will be more activity than usual and horse owners should take extra care when there is low flying.

Details of the low flying aspects of the exercise will be posted on the website: http://www.lowflying.mod.uk/