WHO DARES WINS* (*at playing Call Of Duty in SAS training for operations)

SAS troops are preparing for combat by playing Call Of Duty.

Members of the crack unit spend at least four hours a day “combat gaming” as part of their war preparations.

It is understood they use consoles such as the Xbox One to hone their skills in ambushes and house clearances.

Troops from the SAS and SBS have been using the games for at least two years as part of a series of “warming up and warming down exercises” around overseas operations.

Sources have told us troops returning from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq said the games helped to give them a “sharper edge”.

Our insider said: “Video games are now incredibly realistic and pretty much accurately reflect what modern combat is like.

“I have been in situations, especially in urban environments, which are not too dissimilar from those in games like Modern Warfare. It’s uncanny.

“If you get killed in a video game you can look at the situation and ask why you made certain decisions. The games heighten your awareness – they get you a lot more wired.

“Look at any kid after he has spent four or five hours on a video game and see how wired he has become. That’s how you want to be going into combat.” They added: “Using video games is not for everyone and there will always be those people who say they are a waste of time. But if they help to save someone’s life they are worth looking at.” Special forces units began experimenting with video games after learning that Formula One drivers use simulators to help them get ready for races. Some older soldiers say they are a waste of time and distort the reality of war. Video game technology is already being used in other parts of the military.

RAF pilots operating drones over Iraq and Afghanistan have long claimed that flying bombing and surveillance operations are similar to the video games they grew up with.

And the controls on the British Army’s Challenger 2 tanks have also been modelled on gamepads to make them easier to use.

Meanwhile, the US Navy has been introducing controls based on those used with the Xbox 360 to operate the periscopes on its submarines.