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In a bid to help potential recruits get a real feel for life as an Army Reservist, the Ministry of Defence is turning to virtual reality.

During a series of events in London and Manchester today, the recruits will be fitted with Oculus Rift headsets and dropped into virtual training exercises. 

One will reveal what it's like to take part in a live fire exercise on Salisbury Plain, while another will let wearers take part in a mission in a Challenger 2 tank. 

During a series of events in London and Manchester, Army Reservist recruits will be fitted with Oculus Rift headsets (stock image) and dropped into virtual training exercises. One will reveal what it's like to take part in a live fire exercise, while another will let wearers take part in a mission in a Challenger 2 tank

The events are taking place at Waterloo station in London and at Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens.

The Rift headset is made by Oculus, a virtual reality firm which initially received funding for the device through Kickstarter.

It raised more than $2 million dollars (£1.3 million) in 2012, and last year Oculus was bought by Facebook for $2 billion (£1.3 billion).

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said at the time of the acquisition: 'Oculus [is] the clear leader in something that has the potential to be the next important, or one of the next most important, computing platforms.'

The headset is yet to go on consumer sale, although it is available online as a development kit for around £230 ($350).

The first Army experience that uses the headset will drop the wearer into a live fire exercise with virtual members of the Army Reserve at the Ministry's Salisbury Plain Training Area.

As a crewman in a Challenger 2 tank, in the second experience, the wearer will be surrounded by other tanks engaging enemy positions using laser sights. 

They will also be able to communicate with other soldiers in armoured vehicles driving alongside. 

The Army said it will add further experiences in the future.

The Army's new recruitment campaign, which involves a new TV advert that will be on show at the drive, comes as new research reveals one in four people said they felt challenge and excitement was missing from their job.

Today's events are taking place at Waterloo station in London, the other at Manchester's Piccadilly Gardens. The first experience will drop the wearer into a live fire exercise with virtual members of the Army Reserve at the Ministry's Salisbury Plain Training Area (stock image pictured)

As a crewman in a Challenger 2 tank (stock image), in the second experience the wearer will be surrounded by other tanks engaging enemy positions using laser sights. They will also be able to communicate with other soldiers in armoured vehicles driving alongside. The Army said it will add further experiences in the future

The MoD offers a '100% Army Fit' app (pictured) to help recruits build their fitness to the level of a soldier in training

According to the Army, a One Poll survey revealed that around seven in 10 people would consider volunteering or a part-time job alongside their normal work.

And one in four said they would consider joining the Army Reserves to 'find that challenge and excitement'.

Major General Chris Tickell, director-general of the Army recruiting and training division, said: 'This research tells us that people feel their day jobs are lacking challenge, excitement and the opportunity to travel - all of which are available at a world-class standard with the Army Reserve.

'By using the virtual headsets, people will be able to step straight into an exciting real-world scenario of volunteering with the Army Reserve and the huge variety of challenging roles there are to choose from.

'Introducing virtual reality technology is just one of the ways that the Army is transforming the way it recruits. 

The Army recently introduced a simplified, online application form for mobile, tablet or desktop to help people sign up. 

It also offers a '100%  Army Fit' app that helps new recruits build their fitness to the level of a soldier in training,  and new mobile recruitment offices.