The British Army's largest infantry regiment, The Rifles, has been captured on film undergoing a gruelling and intense training regimen designed to prepare young soldiers for the brutal realities of close-quarter combat. In a stark new documentary, recruits are shown being drilled in the use of bayonets – referred to as 'swords' within the regiment – as part of a six-month programme to ready them for potential frontline deployment, a necessity underscored by the ongoing war in eastern Europe.
Unleashing Controlled Aggression on 'Sword Lane'
At the heart of this preparation is the notorious 'Sword Lane' training exercise, a pivotal component of the Channel 5 documentary Platoon 24/7: Preparing for War, which airs tonight. This segment is meticulously designed to push soldiers to their absolute limits, testing both physical stamina and mental fortitude under conditions of extreme exhaustion and severe sleep deprivation. The core objective is to instil what military instructors term 'controlled aggression' – the ability to summon lethal intent in battle and then swiftly de-escalate afterwards.
A Glimpse into the Mindset of a Soldier
An exclusive clip from the documentary offers a visceral insight into this process. Soldiers are seen charging through a river, shouting 'kill, kill' in unison, before violently engaging and stabbing training dummies with their bayonets. One young rifleman candidly describes the psychological transformation, stating to producers: 'It goes from you being like a normal thinking human to a violent individual. It's something you can't really train for, but I suppose it's probably going to be one of the closest things you're ever going to get to it.'
This sentiment is echoed by Platoon Sergeant Dan Mann, who is directly responsible for the soldiers' development. He emphasises the critical balance required: 'It's all about controlled aggression to kill the enemy and then turn it off again.' Another recruit reflects on the intense, almost trance-like state induced by the training, noting: 'Just everything feels heightened. You definitely get in the zone. A lot of people get too far in the zone and it's hard to come out.'
Beyond Bayonets: The Complete Soldier Forge
The documentary reveals that the bayonet drill is merely one facet of a comprehensive and brutal conditioning programme. Another key element is the 'War Face' training, which focuses explicitly on cultivating the correct psychological mindset for warfare. Sergeant Mann explains its purpose: 'It's all about getting in the rifleman's heads, getting them angry. At the end of the day, the rifleman needs to switch from being a regular soldier to a killer.' A soldier involved describes the resulting mindset simply as 'pure anger' and a readiness to follow orders.
Further skills are honed through events like the 'Top Dog' competition, which rigorously scrutinises fitness, mental resilience, and even vehicle recognition. The entire process is built around the platoon structure – 30-strong units who live, train, and would fight together, forging the unbreakable bonds of a 'band of brothers'.
The Faces of 13 Platoon
The first episode focuses intimately on 13 Platoon, D Company, 5th Battalion The Rifles. This diverse group, most arriving with only basic training experience, faces a formidable week-long exercise in the demanding terrain of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Their ranks include:
- Callum Hancock, a former bouncer and powerlifter from Cornwall.
- Will Halliday, notable as the only member of the platoon holding A-levels.
- Owen Morris, an 18-year-old fresh into the Army after being expelled from school.
- Ryan Dutton, who is returning to duty following a lengthy layoff due to injury.
Their journey from raw recruits to cohesive, combat-ready soldiers forms the emotional core of the series.
Training in the Shadow of Geopolitical Reality
This intense preparation programme unfolds against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tension and planning. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has recently pledged that British and French forces will be stationed in 'military hubs' within Ukraine as part of peacekeeping efforts, should a ceasefire be brokered. This coalition initiative, involving some 35 nations, aims to train Ukrainian troops and protect weapon stocks to deter future Russian aggression, highlighting the very real potential scenarios for which these British soldiers are being prepared.
Platoon 24/7: Preparing For War begins on Channel 5 tonight at 9pm, offering an unprecedented look at the making of a modern British soldier for a world where high-intensity conflict has returned to the European continent.
