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PROGRAMME
TRAINING HUMAN OPTIMISATION FOR READINESS (THOR)
The Army is undertaking transformational change, initiated by the Army 2020 Programme, to be more efficient, productive and optimised to meet the challenges of the 21st Century. In this smaller Army deployability is key to the maintenance of fighting power. Ill health and Musculoskeletal Injury (MSKI) account for the vast majority of non-deployability and must be addressed. Specifically, the Army must embed a culture of holistic physical conditioning that optimises soldier performance, whilst providing the necessary resources and personnel to do this.
Considering this, and the Role that the RAPTC would need to play in supporting Army 2020, Lt Col (SMAA) Tom Scarr RAPTC initially presented THOR as a Project to the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), General Sir N P Carter KCB CBE DSO ADC Gen, in March 2017. CGS directed that Project THOR was to be taken forward and overseen by the Commander
Programme THOR the Projects
Maj (MAA) C Deed RAPTC
TRAINING HUMAN OPTIMISATION FOR READINESS
THE ARMY PHYSICAL TRAINING SYSTEM
THE ARMY PHYSICAL TRAINING SYSTEM
Mission Specific
Optimise the Resilience
Build the Foundation
Home Command Lieutenant General J I CB Bashall CBE. Due to its scale, Project THOR was elevated to Programme level. Programme THOR was designed in response to the issue of MSKI and aims to increase deployability and reduce the impact that MSKI has on the modern Army.
THOR VISION
“Programme THOR will embed a culture of holistic physical training in order to contribute to optimal human performance and enhanced resilience, thereby reducing MSKI and achieving sustained operational effectiveness throughout an individual’s career”.
Programme THOR comprises of five interlinked projects, all designed around optimising the performance of the Soldier Athlete. The full effect of Programme THOR will not be realised until each project is complete, that being said, projects 1 through 4 are underway and will deliver during 2018. A more comprehensive update on the effect that programme THOR has had on deployability and the reduction of MSKI will be included in next year’s MBS.
PULL
LUNGE
SQUAT ROTATE
BRACE
HINGE
PUSH
THOR
Project 1: Development of the Army Physical Training System (APTS) (Regular only). The APTS takes a science- based holistic approach to conditioning through physical training which supports unit operational readiness and activity cycles. It is designed to be flexible enough to meet all unit commitments
whilst increasing adherence to exercise providing the soldier athlete with every opportunity to optimise their performance. This in turn has the potential to reduce MSKI whist increasing overall unit fitness and deployability. It places greater emphasis on PTI-supervised strength and conditioning work whilst reducing running and heavy load carriage. It will contribute to the success of the Women In Ground Close Combat (WGCC) programme, inform and support development of future Physical Employment Standards (PES) policy, meet Commander Field Army’s (CFA’s) priority to increase deployability to 90% and support at least nine of the Army’s
strategic objectives.
Project 2: Increasing Army PTI Capability and Utility. In June 2017, the RAPTC extended the length of the AAPTI qualification from 5 years to 10 years. This change will increase the cohort of circa 3000 AAPTIs by 600 per year for the next 5 years. Increasing the number of qualified and appropriately trained personnel will enable the Levels of PT and the APTS effect to
For further information regarding The Army Physical Training System,
contact you Unit RAPTCI / AAPTI
The Royal Army Physical Training Corps - Soldier Physical Performance Specialists
Creative Media Design ADR007420
be delivered.