British soldiers to be trained on Call of Duty to 'sharpen their combat skills'

British soldiers will be trained on computer games like Call of Duty to sharpen their combat skills, an army general has announced, Report informs via LBC News.

General Sir Tom Copinger-Symes made the remarks as the Ministry of Defense (MoD) unveiled the launch of the International Defense Esports Games (IDEG) on Friday.

The tournament will see Britain's top "future cyber warriors" battle it out against military teams from 40 other nations as they face off in a number of virtual shooting games.

Players will also compete in the drone-simulation game VelociDrone, which has already been tested out by Ukrainian soldiers. Defense chiefs say having troops play these games will heighten their combat skills in real-life situations.

It replicates the sort of scenarios that have become commonplace in battlefields in Ukraine, where operators use small drones to attack troops and vehicles, and is being used as a way to help train Britain's own operators.

General Sir Tom, deputy commander of Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, said: "Lessons from conflicts, including Ukraine, have demonstrated the real-world value of gaming technology in training drone operators and enhancing cyber capabilities.

"IDEG will strengthen our war-fighting readiness whilst building crucial partnerships with allied nations who share our commitment to technological innovation in defense."

The MoD said: "Personnel develop critical battlefield skills through competitive gaming, such as tracking multiple threats at once, directing soldiers on the ground, performing under intense pressure and changing tactics based on live intelligence."

In 2024, Britain officially recognized electronic sports, or "esports", as a military sport.

Defense chiefs are hoping to entice gamers to join the military amid a lull in recruitment. Our army now is as small as it was in the Napoleonic times, despite critics warning for years that the world is becoming more dangerous.

Currently, we have a target of 76,000 regular forces, but latest numbers show that it's only around 70,000.

Government insiders have said that there will be new efforts to cut red tape in joining our army, navy and air force, too - including ditching old blockers like if a candidate had asthma as a child, which would usually rule people out.

In February, the armed forces announced it will accelerate the recruitment of "cyber warriors" following more than 90,000 online attacks on Britain over the past two years.

Specialist recruits will see their basic training reduced from 10 weeks to just one month and will be offered starting salaries of £40,000-among the highest in the armed forces-as the UK strengthens its cyber defenses.

After completing their initial training, recruits will undergo three months of specialist instruction at the Defense Cyber Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, before being deployed to operational roles by the end of the year.

The initial pilot scheme aims to recruit around 32 specialists in 2025, with numbers expected to increase in future years.

The cyber roles will initially be part of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with the Army set to join recruitment campaigns from 2026 onwards.