Big exercise starts on Stanford training area

A major military exercise lasting over a month has begun in Norfolk .Soldiers from undisclosed regiments will be training on the Afghan Village, on the Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, until the end of July.

A major military exercise lasting over a month has begun in Norfolk .

Soldiers from undisclosed regiments will be training on the Afghan Village, on the Stanford Training Area, near Thetford, until the end of July.

Military sources said exercises would also include aircraft and there would be some night flying until 11pm.

'The training for deployment that our soldiers receive whilst at Stanford Training Area ensures that they are as prepared as possible for operations,' an MoD spokesman said.

'The integration of helicopters and aircraft from the RAF and the Army into these exercises is critical and allows us to train as we fight."

Opened earlier this year, the �14m Afghan Village is the latest addition to Stanford, or STANTA.

The area comprises 30,000 acres of countryside, which was originally commandeered in 1942 to train troops in readiness for the D-Day landings.