MS Instruments Ltd has announced that they have acquired the marketing rights to a Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training system.

MS Instruments Ltd (MSI) – part of the Theissen Group of companies – has announced that they have acquired the marketing rights to a Close Quarter Battle (CQB) training system currently known as Partition Panel Systems from Barrie Pegrum of Sector Associates. This is a unique system enabling specialist Military and Police Forces to undertake CQB training in rooms and corridors, and rapidly re-configure them to keep training fresh.

Barrie Pegrum, who designed the system, has over 35 years’ experience all over the world designing, building, equipping and testing weapon ranges and close quarter battle training facilities and military training facilities for police and military forces. His system is Patented. Charles Kendall Group successfully helped to develop the systems to the point where they have achieved accreditation from the British Army (TAS) and have delivered their first sale of all 3 systems to an Asian Special Force through Cubic Defense. MSI, who have worked with Barrie Pegrum for over 30 years in related activities, have agreed terms to promote, distribute and support all three modular partition systems.

It is the only stand-alone CQB system that can be attacked with live fire and forcibly entered, and yet can be assembled by just two people at a rate of a panel every 60 seconds. The system is modular and very simple enabling CQB scenarios to be built without the need for overhead rails or qualified crane or fork truck drivers. There are three versions: Ballistic, Heavy Duty (HD) and Lite, and all three versions can interconnect if required.

Ballistic Panels have an armoured steel core, and are proofed to 556/223/762 and have built-in retractable castors in their bases, enabling two men to manoeuvre the panels using a simple push trolley. Heavy Duty Panels are similar to the Ballistic Panels, but do not have an armoured steel core, and are used to where live ammunition will not strike. HD Panels are suitable for Paintball or CQT ammunition.

Entry Panels for use within Ballistic, HD and Lite Partition walls, can incorporate doors (easily changed from left to right hinge, in to out opening) or can be rapidly changed to windows, hatches, counters or arches, or can be blanked off to alter the route through the scenario. Doors can be attacked with sledgehammers for reduced level MOE exercises. An up-rated MOE door system is available for full force MOE attack. The system is self-standing and does not require bracing back to other structures. All three Systems are distinguishable from each other for safety reasons yet they can be interconnected if appropriate into a single scenario.

A SmartApp is being developed to load onto a computer tablet, providing many different room and corridor layouts representing street layouts, apartments, offices, shops, banks, discos, restaurants, hotel floors, conference rooms etc. Training Officers can easily enter their own layouts into the SmartApp and it will then provide step-by-step instructions for assembly.

Paul Everington, managing Director of MS Instruments said: “As Managing Director of MS Instruments Ltd (MSI), I am delighted to be working with Barrie Pegrum in the marketing of this innovative product.

As a company that designs, builds and equips training and ballistic test ranges, we are always looking to develop new and imaginative ideas, and I am very happy to have been able to agree terms to promote, distribute and support these systems.

We have worked with Barrie Pegrum over many years on various projects, as well as through his membership of the Ballistic Tool Kit (BTK – www.ballistictoolkit.org) which encourages UK SMEs in the Defence Sector to work together. This is another great example of that ethos.”