LONDON, England, Oct. 27, 2004. A 'Battlelab' which will give the Army access to cutting edge technology as it develops has been built at Warminster Land Warfare Centre as part of a £300 million programme which could revolutionise the way a commander plans and fights a battle.

The Battlelab is part of the Joint Effects Tactical Targeting System (JETTS), a software project which will give commanders swifter and more efficient control of their assets in the battlefield.

"JETTS is a hugely complex project which will automatically synchronise everything from artillery to fast jets, so that they can work together quickly and safely, ensuring land commanders get the most from all the assets at their disposal on the battlefield," said Lord Bach, Minister for Defence Procurement.

"The new facility here at Warminster will be used to test the software as it develops and allow the Army to experiment with new tactics and doctrines in a synthetic environment. The Battlelab will be vital to the development of JETTS -- a project which could have dramatic implications for the way a battle is planned and fought."

The facility will have 11 full-time staff, including officers from all three Services and Raytheon Systems Ltd., the JETTS prime contractor. Raytheon won the contract for the 2.5-year assessment phase in June. JETTS is anticipated to achieve initial capability in 2007 with full operational capability in 2015.