Structure of the British Army
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The structure of the British Army is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with a single command based at Andover known as "Army Headquarters". As the top-level budget holder, this organisation is responsible for providing forces at operational readiness for employment by the Permanent Joint Headquarters.
The command structure is hierarchical with divisions and brigades controlling groupings of units from an administrative perspective. Major Units are regiment or battalion-sized with minor units being either company sized sub-units or platoons. All units within the service are either Regular (full-time) or Army Reserve (full-time or casual), or a combination with sub-units of each type.
Naming conventions of units differ for traditional British historical reasons, creating a significant opportunity for confusion; an infantry battalion is equivalent to a cavalry regiment. An infantry regiment is an administrative and ceremonial organisation only and may include several battalions. For operational tasks, a battle group will be formed around a combat unit, supported by units or sub-units from other areas. Such an example would be a squadron of tanks attached to an armoured infantry battle group, together with a reconnaissance troop, artillery battery and engineering support.
Since the 1957 Defence Review, the structure of the Army has consistently shrunk. A comparison of the List of British Army Regiments (1962), the List of British Army Regiments (1994) and the List of British Army Regiments (2008) will show the steep decline in the number of infantry and armoured regiments. Since 1990, reductions have been almost constant, through succeeding defence reviews: Options for Change (1990), Front Line First (1994), the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, Delivering Security in a Changing World (2003), and the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010.
Army Headquarters
Through a major army reorganisation effective 1 November 2011, the Chief of the General Staff took direct command of the Army through a new structure, based at Andover[1] and known as "Army Headquarters".[2][3]
Reporting to the Chief of the General Staff are: the Commander Land Forces, the Adjutant-General and the Commander Force Development and Capability. The Commander Land Forces is responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations, the Adjutant-General is responsible for developing the Army's personnel policies and supporting its people and the Commander Force Development and Training is responsible for recruiting and training the Army, and developing its capability, sustainability and doctrine.[4]
The Commander Land Forces commands 1st (United Kingdom) Division, 3rd (United Kingdom) Division and Theatre Troops. He also commands the garrisons in the mainland UK through HQ Support Command based in Aldershot and British Forces Germany.
The Chief of the General Staff is the Standing Joint Commander (UK) (SJC(UK)), responsible for overall command of Military Aid to Civil Power within mainland United Kingdom.[5]
Formations
Commands
A command is a military formation that handles a specific task or region, and can direct forces as large as multiple corps or as little as a few battalions. Previously the Army had regional commands in the UK, including Aldershot Command, Eastern Command, Northern Command, Scottish Command, Southern Command and Western Command. In addition, there were functional commands, such as Anti-Aircraft Command (disbanded in the 1950s), and overseas commands, such as Middle East Command. Gradually, these were consolidated into a land command in the UK, Headquarters UK Land Forces, and a land command in Germany, British Army of the Rhine. Eventually, both were merged into Land Command.
From 1995, UK commands and later districts were replaced by regenerative divisions. 2nd Division, 4th Division, 5th Division and London District acted as regional commands within the UK reporting to Commander Regional Forces. Scotland District was absorbed by 2nd Division in 2000. The divisions were responsible for training subordinate formations and units under their command for operations in the UK, such as Military Aid to the Civil Community, as well as training units for overseas deployments. 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions were replaced by Support Command on 1 November 2011.[6]
London District includes many units with significant ceremonial roles. The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle is primarily mounted by the two Foot Guards Battalions and one Line Infantry Battalion, together with the Foot Guards Incremental companies: Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards, No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards, and F Company, Scots Guards. The guard at Horse Guards is normally drawn from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR). The Honourable Artillery Company carries out public duties in the City of London. The HAC and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery provide gun salutes in London. Under the General Officer Commanding Scotland, public duties in Edinburgh are the responsibility of a new incremental company, Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), formed after the reduction of the Argylls from battalion status.
Corps
A corps, in the sense of a field fighting formation, is a formation of two or more divisions, potentially 50,000 personnel or more. While the British Army has no standing corps headquarters, forces are allocated through a number of multinational arrangements to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and European commitments, providing much of the headquarters capability and framework for the multinational Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. The last purely British corps, I (BR) Corps, disbanded in Germany after the end of the Cold War.
The word corps is also used for administrative groupings by common function, such as the Royal Armoured Corps and Army Air Corps. Various Combat Support Arms and Services are referred to in the wider sense as a Corps, such as the Royal Corps of Signals.
Divisions
A division is a formation of three or four brigades, around twenty thousand personnel, commanded by a Major General.
The British Army has two deployable divisions, capable of deploying the headquarters and subordinate formations immediately to operations.
London District is responsible for the maintenance of capability for the defence of the capital and the provision of ceremonial units and garrisons for the Crown Estate in London, such as the Tower of London.
Several infantry regiments are organised into five administrative divisions based on the type of infantry unit or traditional recruiting areas:
Brigades
A brigade contains three or four battalion-sized units, around 5,000 personnel, and is commanded by a one star officer, a Brigadier. The brigade will contain a wide range of military disciplines allowing the conduct of a spectrum of military tasks.
The brigade would be required to deploy up to three separate battlegroups, the primary tactical formation employed in British doctrine. The battlegroup is a mixed formation built around the core of one unit, an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, with sub-units providing artillery, engineers, logistics, aviation, etc., as required.
Combat formations include:
- 4th Infantry Brigade
- 7th Infantry Brigade
- 11th Infantry Brigade
- 38th Infantry Brigade
- 42nd Infantry Brigade
- 51st Infantry Brigade
- 160th Infantry Brigade
- 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade
- 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade
- 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade
- 16 Air Assault Brigade
There are also several non-combat focused service support units of brigade size.
Order of precedence
The British Army parades according to the order of precedence, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest on the order.
The Household Cavalry has the highest precedence, unless the Royal Horse Artillery parades with its guns.
Arms and services
Combat Arms
The Combat Arms are the "teeth" of the British Army, infantry, armoured and aviation units which engage in close action.
Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps
Regiments of line cavalry and the Royal Tank Regiment together form the Royal Armoured Corps which has units equipped with either main battle tanks or with light armour for formation reconnaissance. An additional reconnaissance regiment is provided by the Household Cavalry Regiment, of the Household Cavalry, which administratively is not considered to be part of the RAC, but is included among the RAC order of battle for operational tasking.
Infantry
The Infantry is divided for administrative purposes into five divisions, with battalions being trained and equipped to operate in one of five main roles:
Under the arms-plot system, a battalion would spend between two and six years in one role, before re-training for another. Following a review of the operation of the army, it has been demonstrated that this system is inefficient and is being phased out, with battalions specialising in role—this will see armoured infantry, mechanised infantry and air assault battalions remaining in a single posting; however, light infantry battalions will continue to be periodically rotated between postings. Personnel will be "trickle posted" between battalions of the same regiment as required, and to further their careers.
| Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Prince of Wales' Division | Queen's Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Bn, Grenadier Guards | 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland | 1st & 2nd Bn, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) | 1st & 2nd Bn, The Mercian Regiment | 1st & 2nd Bn, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) |
| 1st Bn, Coldstream Guards | 1st & 2nd Bn The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) | 1st Bn, The Royal Welsh | 1st Bn, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | |
| 1st Bn, Scots Guards | 1st Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment) | 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Anglian Regiment | ||
| 1st Bn, Irish Guards | The Royal Gibraltar Regiment | |||
| 1st Bn, Welsh Guards |
Three further infantry units in the regular army are not grouped within the various infantry divisions:
- 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Parachute Regiment
- 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles.
The role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment is limited to the defence of Gibraltar.
The three senior regiments of foot guards, plus the Royal Regiment of Scotland, each maintain an additional reinforced company that retains custody of the colours of battalions that are in suspended animation:
- Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards (ex 2nd Bn, Grenadier Guards)
- No. 7 Company, Coldstream Guards (ex 2nd Bn, Coldstream Guards)
- F Company, Scots Guards (ex 2nd Bn, Scots Guards)
- Balaklava Company, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, The Royal Regiment of Scotland (ex 5th Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland)
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Royal Gurkha Rifles is the largest element of the Brigade of Gurkhas, which includes its own support arms. These units are affiliated to the equivalent British units, but have their own unique cap badges.
- Support units of the Brigade of Gurkhas
- Queen's Gurkha Engineers:
- 69 Field Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
- 70 Field Support Squadron, 36 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
- Queen's Gurkha Signals:
- 246 Gurkha Signal Squadron, 2 Signal Regiment, Royal Signals
- 248 Gurkha Signal Squadron, 22 Signal Regiment, Royal Signals
- 250 Gurkha Signal Squadron, 30 Signal Regiment, Royal Signals
- 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment RLC
- Queen's Gurkha Engineers:
Special Forces
- Special Air Service – The Regular Army's special forces formation is a single, battalion sized unit, 22nd SAS Regiment.
- Special Forces Support Group – A tri-service unit formed around 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment and enhanced with personnel from Combat Support Services, the Royal Marines and RAF Regiment. SFSG is designed to provide support to Special Forces operations.
- Special Reconnaissance Regiment – A tri-service element of the United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the SAS and Special Boat Service.
Note: UKSF is considered a joint organisation and as such falls outside the Army chain of command.
Army Air Corps
The Army Air Corps provides battlefield air support with 6 Regiments and 4 independent squadrons and flights:
- 1 Regiment, AAC – 1st Armoured Division (Lynx)
- 2 Regiment, AAC – Training Regiment
- 3 Regiment, AAC – Attack Regiment – 16 Air Assault Brigade (Apache)
- 4 Regiment, AAC – Attack Regiment – 16 Air Assault Brigade (Apache)
- 5 Regiment, AAC – Northern Ireland (Gazelle & Defender)
- 7 Regiment, AAC – Training Regiment
- 9 Regiment, AAC – Attack Regiment – 16 Air Assault Brigade (Lynx)
- 667 Squadron, AAC - Development & Trials [7]
- 658 Squadron, AAC – Joint Special Forces Air Wing (support to UKSF)
- 7 Flight – Aviation support to British Forces in Brunei
- 25 Flight – Aviation support to British Forces in Belize
Combat Support Arms
The Combat Support Arms provide direct support to the Combat Arms and include artillery, engineer, signals and aviation.
Royal Regiment of Artillery
The Royal Artillery consists of 14 regiments, four of which retain the cap badge, or "cypher", and traditions of the Royal Horse Artillery. The Royal Artillery undertakes seven different roles:
| Home Defence (Ceremonial) | Air Defence | General Support (MLRS) | Close Support (AS90) | Close Support (L118 Light Gun) | Surveillance and Target Acquisition | Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Troop, RHA | 12 Regiment RA | 39 Regiment RA | 1st Regiment RHA | 7th (Para) Regiment RHA | 5 Regiment RA | 14 Regiment RA |
| 16 Regiment RA | 19 Regiment RA | 29 (Cdo) Regiment RA | 32 Regiment RA | |||
| 26 Regiment RA | 3rd Regiment RHA | 47 Regiment RA | ||||
| 4 Regiment RA |
Corps of Royal Engineers
The Royal Engineers is a corps of 15 regiments in the regular army providing military engineering (civil engineering, assault engineering and demolition) capabilities to the field army and facilities management expertise within garrisons.
Regiments are associated with Brigade level formations with a number of independent squadrons and support groups associated with specific tasks:
The Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) comprises two recruit training regiments:
- 1 RSME Regiment – Construction Engineer School
- 3 RSME Regiment – Combat Engineer School
The remainder are field regiments attached to various deployable formations:
- 21 Engineer Regiment – 4th Mechanised Brigade
- 22 Engineer Regiment – 1st Mechanised Brigade
- 23 Engineer Regiment – 16th Air Assault Brigade
- 24 Commando Regiment – 3rd Commando Brigade
- 26 Engineer Regiment – 12th Mechanised Brigade
- 28 Engineer Regiment – 1st Armoured Division
- 32 Engineer Regiment – 7th Armoured Brigade
- 35 Engineer Regiment – 20th Armoured Brigade
- 38 Engineer Regiment – 19th Light Brigade
- 42 Engineer Regiment – Geographic services
- 8 Force Engineer Brigade
- 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, support to the RAF:
- 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) – engineering support to the RAF
- 529 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Air Support)
- 29 EOD & Search Group; Explosive Ordnance Disposal
- 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD)
- 101 Engineer Regiment (EOD)
- 36 Engineer Regiment (Search)
- Also attached to 29 Engineer Group are two EOD regiments of the Royal Logistic Corps.
- 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, support to the RAF:
Two squadrons of 36 Engineer Regiment are cap badged as Queen's Gurkha Engineers and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
- 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group (formerly Military Works Force); responsible for permanent and temporary infrastructure development, including water, fuel, communications and utilities:
- 62 Works Group, RE – Water Infrastructure
- 63 Works Group, RE – Utilities Infrastructure
- 64 Works Group, RE – Fuel Infrastructure
- 65 Works Group, RE – Line of Communications Infrastructure
- 530 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Materials)
- 627 Works Marines Comabat engineers (Destruction)
- 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group (formerly Military Works Force); responsible for permanent and temporary infrastructure development, including water, fuel, communications and utilities:
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Signals is a corps of 10 Regiments and 13 independent squadrons which provides communications and information systems support to formations of Brigade level and above. Below the Brigade level support is provided by Battalion Signallers drawn from the parent unit. Within the deployable brigades, the Signal Regiment also provides support to the HQ function including logistics, life support and force protection capabilities.
- Regiments
- 1 (UK) Armoured Division HQ and Signal Regiment
- 2 Signal Regiment – 11 Signal Brigade
- 3 (UK) Division HQ and Signal Regiment
- 7 Signal Regiment – 1 Signal Brigade (Allied Rapid Reaction Corps)
- 10 Signal Regiment – 2 (National Communications) Signal Brigade
- 11 Signal Regiment – Royal School of Signals (Training)
- 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare) – 11 Signal Brigade (Electronic Warfare)
- 15 Signal Regiment – HQ Northern Ireland
- 16 Signal Regiment – 1 Signal Brigade
- 18 Signal Regiment – UK Special Forces
- 21 Signal Regiment – Joint Helicopter Command
- 22 Signal Regiment – 1 Signal Brigade
- 30 Signal Regiment – 11 Signal Brigade
- Squadrons
- 200 Signal Squadron – 20 Armoured Brigade
- 204 Signal Squadron – 4 Mechanised Brigade
- 207 Signal Squadron – 7 Armoured Brigade
- 209 Signal Squadron – 19 Light Brigade
- 213 Signal Squadron – 39 Infantry Brigade (NI)
- 215 Signal Squadron – 1 Mechanised Brigade
- 216 Signal Squadron – 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 218 Signal Squadron – 8 Infantry Brigade (NI)
- 228 Signal Squadron – 12 Mechanised Brigade
- 261 Signal Squadron – 101 Logistic Brigade
- 262 Signal Squadron – 102 Logistic Brigade
- 628 (UK) Signal Troop – Allied Forces North (AFNORTH)
- Cyprus Communications Unit
Two squadrons are cap badged as the Queen's Gurkha Signals and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
Intelligence Corps
The Intelligence Corps provides intelligence support including collection, interpretation and counter-intelligence capabilities with three battalions and a joint service group:
- 1 Military Intelligence Battalion
- 2 Military Intelligence Battalion
- 4 Military Intelligence Battalion
- 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group
Combat Service Support Arms
The Combat Service Support Arms provide sustainment and support for the Combat and Combat Support Arms. Whilst CSS personnel are not intended to close with and engage opposition forces, the fluidity of the modern battlefield means that these personnel are likely to be engaged in close combat at times, particularly when associated with Battle Groups.
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps is the largest single corps in the British Army; responsible for a range of supply, sustainment and movement tasks. Within the corps there are 21 regiments and 6 independent sub-units:
- 1 Logistic Support Regiment
- 2 Logistic Support Regiment
- 3 Logistic Support Regiment
- 4 Logistic Support Regiment
- 5 Training Regiment
- 6 Regiment
- 7 Regiment
- 8 Regiment
- 9 Regiment
- 10 Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment
- 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment
- 12 Logistic Support Regiment
- 13 Air Assault Support Regiment
- 17 Port and Maritime Regiment
- 19 Combat Service Support Battalion[8]
- 23 Pioneer Regiment
- 24 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment
- 25 Training Regiment
- 27 Regiment
- 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment
- ARRC Support Battalion
- 20 Logistic Support Squadron (London District)
- 44 Support Squadron (Royal Military Academy Sandhurst)
- 89 Postal and Courier Unit (SHAPE)
- 105 Logistic Support Squadron (BATUS)
- 132 Aviation Supply Squadron (16 Air Assault Brigade)
- Cyprus Service Support Unit (British Forces Cyprus)
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps that provides maintenance support to equipment. Most units will have either a Light Aid Detachment (LAD) or Workshop (Wksp) attached. Seven battalions provide support to formations of brigade level and above:
- 1st Battalion, REME – 4 Mechanised Brigade
- 2nd Battalion, REME – 7 Armoured Brigade
- 3rd Battalion, REME – 20 Armoured Brigade
- 4th Battalion, REME – 12 Mechanised Brigade
- 19 Combat Service Support Battalion[8] – 19 Light Brigade
- 6th Battalion, REME – 1 Mechanised Brigade
- 7 Air Assault (Air Asslt) Battalion, REME – 16 Air Assault Brigade
Medical services
The Army Medical Services provide primary and secondary care for the armed forces in fixed locations and whilst deployed on operations. Personnel are attached to a parent unit, one of five field regiments or the defence medical services. The AMS comprises four different Corps providing the range of medical and veterinary care, with the Royal Army Medical Corps also providing the administrative framework for the regiments.
- Royal Army Medical Corps
- 1 Medical Regiment - 20th Armoured Brigade
- 2 Medical Regiment - 7th Armoured Brigade
- 3 Medical Regiment – 4th Mechanized Brigade
- 4 Medical Regiment – 12th Mechanized Brigade
- 5 Medical Regiment – 1st Mechanized Brigade
- 16 Medical Regiment – 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 22 Field Hospital – 2 Medical Brigade
- 34 Field Hospital – 2 Medical Brigade
- Royal Army Dental Corps
- Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
- Royal Army Veterinary Corps
Adjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps provides administrative, police and disciplinary and educational support to the army. The AGC is an amalgamation with three of the constituent units retaining their previous cap badge. Personnel from the AGC administrative and educational specialisations serve in attached posts to establishments or units of other arms. The police and disciplinary activities retain their own cap badges and act as discrete bodies. The Corps as a whole is divided into four separate branches:
- Staff and Personnel Branch: The SPS branch is the largest part of the AGC and has responsibility for providing most administrative functions, including finance, IT support, human resources. The SPS branch was formed by the amalgamation of the Royal Army Pay Corps with elements of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and Women's Royal Army Corps.
- Education and Training Services Branch: The ETS branch provides for the educational needs of all serving personnel. These cover both professional development within the army, and wider personal development. The ETS branch was formed through the renaming of the Royal Army Educational Corps.
- Army Legal Services Branch: The ALS branch provides legal advice to the army and to individuals requiring representation at Courts Martial. It is one of the smallest individual units, numbering 120 professionally qualified lawyers. All of its members are officers. The ALS branch retains the cap badge and traditions of the Army Legal Corps.
- Provost Branch: The Provost branch consists of three separate elements:
- Military Provost Staff: The MPS is the element of the provost branch responsible for administering military prisons. The MPS is one of the few elements in the army that does not recruit directly; instead, its members are volunteers from other branches of the army. The MPS retains the cap badge and traditions of the Military Provost Staff Corps.
- Royal Military Police: The RMP provides the army's policing services, both in peacetime and in wartime. Units of the RMP are trained to deploy with the Field Army in the event of mobilisation. The RMP provides two regular regiments and supplements Army Reserve regiments with one Provost company each. A further provost company is trained in the air assault mission and is permanently attached to 16 Air Assault Brigade. The Corps also provides a number of specialist capabilities, such as the Special Investigation Branch, Close Protection Teams and special escort capabilities.
- 1 Regiment, Royal Military Police
- 3 Regiment, Royal Military Police
- 160 Provost Company – 4 RMP
- 101 Provost Company – 5 RMP
- 114 Provost Company – 5 RMP
- 156 Provost Company – Air assault
- Military Provost Guard Service: The MPGS is a unit dedicated to the guarding of military installations, allowing the army to replace civilian guards with trained soldiers. The MPGS has responsibilities at installations belonging to all three services.
Other services
- Royal Army Physical Training Corps
- Corps of Army Music
- Royal Army Chaplains' Department
- Small Arms School Corps
Training
Training in the Regular Army differs for soldiers and officers but in general takes place in at least two phases:
Phase one training is basic military training for all new recruits. Here candidates learn the basic standards of military performance including operation in the field, weapon handling, personal administration, drill etc.
- Prospective officers attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where they undergo basic training in soldiering, defence policy and the structure of government, administration, command and leadership. The Commissioning Course for new entry officers lasts 44 weeks. Some specialist branches, Medical and Legal, undergo a short course which provides basic military training.
- Infantry soldiers undergo a 26 week course at the Infantry Training Centre at Catterick Garrison which combines phase one and phase two training.
Soldiers in other specialisations undergo the 14 week Army Development Course at the Army Training Centre, Pirbright, the Army Training Regiment at Winchester or the Army Foundation College at Harrogate.
Phase two training is specific to the trade that the soldier or officer will follow and is conducted in a branch specialised school. Phase two training enables the individual to join an operational unit prepared to contribute to operational effectiveness. These schools are under the direction of the parent corps or arm of the service, as illustrated above, with the Infantry Training Centre being formed of two training battalions.
Units of the Army Reserve
Combat Arms
Armour
The four armoured regiments of the Army Reserve operate in two roles - provision of crew replacements for armoured and NBC regiments, and formation reconnaissance:
Infantry
- 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
- 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
- The London Regiment
- 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
- 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
- 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)
- 4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
- 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
- 6th Battalion, The Rifles
- 7th Battalion, The Rifles
Special Air Service
Army Air Corps
- 6 Regiment, Army Air Corps
Combat Support
Honourable Artillery Company
Royal Artillery
- 101 (Northumbrian) Regiment RA - MLRS
- 103 Regiment RA - Light Gun
- 104 Regiment RA - UAV
- 105 Regiment RA - Light Gun
- 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment RA - Air Defense
- 20th (Irish Regiment Royal RA) - Light Inf
Royal Engineers
- The Engineer and Logistic Staff Corps – Specialist industry knowledge (invitation only, industry leaders)
- Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) – Field Regiment
- 71 Engineer Regiment – Air Support Regiment
- 72 Engineer Regiment – Field Regiment
- 73 Engineer Regiment – Air Support Regiment
- 75 Engineer Regiment – Field Regiment
- 221 and 579 Squadrons of 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment – Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment
- 131 Independent Commando Squadron – Commando Support
- 135 Geographic Squadron – Geographic Support to Defence
- 591 Independent Field Squadron – Field Squadron
- 65 Works Group, RE – Communications Infrastructure
- 299 Parachute Squadron RE – Parachute Field Squadron
Note: Although the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is part of the Royal Engineers order of battle, it is a separate regiment with its own cap badge, regimental colours and traditions.
Royal Signals
- 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment
- 37 (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment
- 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment
- 71 (City of London) Yeomanry Signal Regiment
- 63(SAS) Signal Squadron
Intelligence Corps
- 3 Military Intelligence Battalion (Strategic Intelligence)
- 5 Military Intelligence Battalion (Tactical Intelligence)
Combat Service Support
Adjutant General's Corps
- Elements of 4 Regiment, Royal Military Police
- Elements of 5 Regiment, Royal Military Police
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 101 Battalion, REME
- 102 Battalion, REME
- 103 Battalion, REME
- 104 Battalion, REME
- 105 Battalion, REME
- 106 Battalion, REME
Royal Logistic Corps
- 88 Postal and Courier Regiment
- 150 (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment
- 151st (London) Transport Regiment
- 152 (North Irish) Transport Regiment
- 155 Transport Regiment
- 156 (North-West) Transport Regiment
- Welsh Transport Regiment
- Scottish Transport Regiment
- 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment
- 159 Supply Regiment
- 160 Transport Regiment
- 162 Movement Control Regiment
- 163 Movement Control Regiment
- 165 Port Regiment
- 166 Supply Regiment
- 168 Pioneer Regiment
- Catering Support Regiment
- 383 Commando Petroleum Troop
- 395 Air Despatch Troop
Army Medical Services
- 225 Medical Regiment in Dundee
- 153 Medical Squadron – Dundee
- 222 Medical Squadron – Leicester with Derby detachment
- 231 Evacuation Squadron – Glenrothes
- 251 Medical Squadron – Sunderland
- A Support Squadron – Dundee
- 254 (East of England) Medical Regiment
- HQ Squadron – Cambridge
- 160 Squadron – Norwich
- 161 Squadron – Colchester
- 220 Squadron - Maidstone
- 162 Squadron – Hitchin
- 144 Parachute Medical Squadron (part of 16 Medical Regiment)
- 2 Medical Brigade
- 201 (Northern) Field Hospital
- 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital
- 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital
- 204 (North Irish) Field Hospital
- 205 (Scottish) Field Hospital
- 207 (Manchester) Field Hospital
- 208 (Merseyside) Field Hospital
- 212 (Yorkshire) Field Hospital
- 243 (Wessex) Field Hospital
- 256 (City of London) Field Hospital
Restructuring
Delivering Security in a Changing World
In July and December 2004, a significant restructuring of the armed forces was announced with a wide ranging impact on all three services. For the army, the infantry strength was to be reduced by four infantry battalions (three English and one Scottish), with the remaining single battalion regiments amalgamating within their division; Scottish, King's and Prince of Wales's. The armoured strength was to be rebalanced, reducing the strength by seven Challenger 2 squadrons by re-roling one regiment as force reconnaissance. The artillery strength was to be rebalanced, reducing AS-90 battery numbers by six by re-roling a regiment to the light gun and reducing the size of individual Ground Based Air Defence batteries.
The brigade structure was to be restructured to become:
- One Air Assault Brigade – 16 Air Assault Brigade
- One Commando Brigade – 3 Commando Brigade. (This is a Royal Naval Commando formation, not part of the Army Chain of Command)
- One Light Role Brigade – 19 Brigade
- Three Mechanized Brigades – 1 Mechanised Brigade, 4 Mechanised Brigade and 12 Mechanised Brigade
- Two Armoured Brigades – 7 Armoured Brigade and 20 Armoured Brigade
Infantry restructuring
The arms plot is to be abolished, with all infantry battalions given a set role and (for armoured and mechanised battalions) location. In order that officers and soldiers can keep up the various skills gained through each of the distinct roles, all single battalion regiments (with the exception of the Guards regiments and the Royal Irish Regiment) will be amalgamated into large regiments. It is planned that each division will have a total of five battalions; of these, one will be armoured infantry, one will be mechanised infantry and the remainder light infantry.
Guards Division
- Although there will remain five single battalion Guards regiments, operationally these will conform to the new structure, with each battalion being given a specific role (1 armoured infantry, 2 light infantry, 2 public duties). Operationally, therefore, the Guards will be a single large regiment. The London Regiment will be transferred to the Guards Division, and become the Guards Army Reserve battalion.
Army Reserve
- The Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Rifles will each receive two Army Reserve battalions. With the exception of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, every other infantry regiment will receive one Army Reserve battalion. The Guards Division will gain an affiliated Army Reserve battalion.
Bands
- The British Army has 23 military bands of varying strength. There are seven bands that each have 49 musicians, whereas the other bands each have 35 musicians. All bands can play in many different formats, but primarily as a marching band or a concert band. The Bands of the Household Cavalry also play mounted.
New Infantry structure and Order of Precedence
Regular Army
| Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Prince of Wales' Division | Queen's Division | Light Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Bn, Grenadier Guards | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, Royal Regiment of Scotland | 1st & 2nd Bn, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Welsh | 1st & 2nd Bn, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles |
| 1st Bn, Coldstream Guards | 1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn, Yorkshire Regiment | 1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn, Mercian Regiment | 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | ||
| 1st Bn, Scots Guards | 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Anglian Regiment | ||||
| 1st Bn, Irish Guards | |||||
| 1st Bn, Welsh Guards |
- 1st Bn, Royal Irish Regiment
- 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Gurkha Rifles
- 2nd & 3rd Bn, Parachute Regiment
Army Reserve
| Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Prince of Wales' Division | Queen's Division | Light Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Regiment | 6th & 7th Bn, Royal Regiment of Scotland | 4th Bn, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | 3rd Bn, Royal Welsh | 3rd Bn, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | 6th & 7th Bn, The Rifles |
| 4th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment | 4th Bn, Mercian Regiment | 5th Bn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers | |||
| 3rd Bn, Royal Anglian Regiment |
- 2nd Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment
- 4th Bn, Parachute Regiment
Army 2020
In 2010, the incoming government conducted a new defence review. Those elements affecting the army were released as part of the Future British Army Structure (Next Steps) publication:.[9] This was subsequently superseded by the Army 2020 concept announced in 2012. Under Army 2020 the army will be divided into:
- Reaction forces comprising a modified 16 Air Assault Brigade and an armoured division (3rd (UK) Division) of three armoured infantry brigades. These will be the 1st, 12th and 20th Armoured Infantry Brigades.[10][11]
- Adaptive forces comprising a division (1st (UK) Division) of seven infantry brigades, three of which (the 4th, 7th, and 51st) will be deployable. This will be assisted by another 2-star command, Support Command (United Kingdom)[12][13][14]
- Force troops and logistics support comprising eight brigades.
All units from Germany will slowly move back to the UK. The basing plan was released on 5 March 2013. This positions 3rd (Mechanised) Division, to be renamed as 3rd (UK) Division, as the head of the Reaction Force. 1st (Armoured) Division, to be renamed as 1st (UK) Division, will be the division in charge of the Adaptable Force, being based in York. This basing plan locates all three Reaction Force Brigades, along with the three Armoured Regiments and the six Armoured Infantry Battalions, in the Salisbury Plain training area.[15][16]
See also
- Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015
- List of Regiments of Foot
- List of British Army Regiments (1881)
Notes
- ↑ Correspondence from Army Secretariat
- ↑ Army Command reorganization Defence Marketing Intelligence, 10 November 2011
- ↑ Higher Command
- ↑ Army conducts Top Level Organisational Review Defence News, 9 December 2009
- ↑ Operations in the UK: The Defence Contribution to Resilience (Interim Joint Doctrine Publication 2)
- ↑ Charles Heyman, 'The British Army: A Pocket Guide 2012-2013', p.31
- ↑ 667 (Development & Trials) Squadron AAC
- 1 2 19 CSS Battalion is an integrated combat service support unit combining both RLC and REME elements.
- ↑ Briefing Paper SN06038 Defence Basing Review: Headline Decisions House of Commons Library
- ↑ "Famed Desert Rats to lose their tanks under Army cuts". Telegraph. 2013-03-05. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ↑ Army Basing Plan: The basing plan table labels them as "Armoured Infantry Brigades"
- ↑ Army Basing Plan: The basing plan table labels them in order
- ↑ Transforming the British Army Annex A
- ↑ Transforming the British Army Annex C
- ↑ "Regular army basing plan" (PDF). 5 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
- ↑ Major Army sites - basing
External links and sources
- Official Army Website
- SaBRE
- British Monarchy and the British Army
- A Guide to Appointments and Invitations for Defence Staffs within High Commissions and Embassies in London, UK Ministry of Defence, June 2005 edition
- Operations in the UK: The Defence Contribution to Resilience (Interim Joint Doctrine Publication 2)