The British Army required the provision of a rapidly erectable and repeatedly re-deployable Staff Working Environment (SWE) shelter system with a 10-year lifespan. Operating as a scalable headquarters for up to 120 personnel, the solution had to be capable of protecting personnel and mission critical equipment, worldwide, in climatic conditions A2 to C1 (DEF Stan 00-35 Part 4 Issue 5). Each module had to be erectable by a maximum of five regular service personnel, with the entire 120-person SWE able to be erected within 48 hours, without the use of dedicated MHE. The chosen system needed to interface with in-service air conditioning units, lighting, and power distribution systems, FEPS generators and emergency lighting. The ability to expand to accept other shelter designs with inter-connecting boots was also required.

M2S based its design response around a proven core shelter system, rigorously tested in controlled environments and through repeated NATO deployments. Running from a central spine, each gable end was fitted with a standard door opening or an extra wide connection to allow a clear line of sight through the SWE. M2S also designed a complete data pack of customised testing to demonstrate the system’s ability to perform under the required environmental conditions and the anticipated operational use per year of the HQ-SWE.

The main central shelter spine was built in 5-metre incremental sections, allowing a fully scalable headquarters for 40-120 personnel. The door connectors on the ends/sides married up to all shelter sizes using a simple toggle and eyelet joint with weather seals over all mechanical door connections. The system also provides the ability to seamlessly connect mission vehicles using a boot between the shelter door opening and the vehicle. An additional option was included for CBR(N)D incident protection, with the ability to deploy the HQ-SWE as a Collective Protection (ColPro) system, if required.