Armoured regiment (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The Type 58 armoured regiment is one of two
organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army
, and is a battalion-sized formation equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks. It is the descendant of traditional heavy cavalry
, intended to provided massed armour for use in a major conflict. As the likelihood of a major Cold War
confrontation died down, and the Army has been deployed to lower-intensity conflicts, the role of heavy armour has become less well-defined, focusing more on infantry co-operation and support rather than pure armoured conflict.
, five regular army regiments are equipped for the heavy armoured role: Of the five regiments, three are currently assigned to 1st (UK) Armoured Division and two to 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division.
Type 58 armoured regiments;
Heavy armoured regiments;
Two regiments of the Territorial Army, the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
and the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
, provide replacement crews for the regular regiments.
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment
also operates a small number of Challenger 2 tanks for training and demonstration.
and a utility truck; each squadron also has a medical detachment with a Samaritan ambulance
and a fitter section with various recovery vehicles. The regimental headquarters has a further two Challenger 2 tanks, for a total of fifty-eight in the regiment, as well as five Sultan command vehicles
and a small group of utility vehicles. In addition to this, each armoured regiment has a reconnaissance squadron with eight Scimitars.
Of the five armoured regiments, two have the full four-squadrons structure, whilst three have the fourth squadron replaced by one equipped with an Interim Medium Armour Squadron, equipped with twelve Scimitars.
and later as the Tank Corps
. Each battalion had three companies, each of three sections of four tanks, for a combat strength of thirty-six tanks; a further twelve were kept in reserve for training and replacement purposes. A total of twenty-six battalions were formed during the war, quickly reduced to four battalions after the end of hostilities.
The 1998 Strategic Defence Review
cut the number of armoured regiments to six, converting one of the existing regiments to the formation reconnaissance role and using the other to form the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Regiment. As a part of this change, the six remaining regiments were expanded from a three-squadron structure with 38 tanks to a four-squadron one with 58. This structure is also known as the "Type 58" regiment. Under the 2003 Defence White Paper, this was reduced to five armoured regiments - the sixth converting to the formation reconnaissance role - with three armoured squadrons to be converted to "light armoured" squadrons which would eventually be equipped with the Future Rapid Effect System
.
Formation reconnaissance regiment
The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment....
organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...
, and is a battalion-sized formation equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks. It is the descendant of traditional heavy cavalry
Heavy cavalry
Heavy cavalry is a class of cavalry whose primary role was to engage in direct combat with enemy forces . Although their equipment differed greatly depending on the region and historical period, they were generally mounted on large powerful horses, and were often equipped with some form of scale,...
, intended to provided massed armour for use in a major conflict. As the likelihood of a major Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
confrontation died down, and the Army has been deployed to lower-intensity conflicts, the role of heavy armour has become less well-defined, focusing more on infantry co-operation and support rather than pure armoured conflict.
Current use
Following the 2003 Defence ReviewDelivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the...
, five regular army regiments are equipped for the heavy armoured role: Of the five regiments, three are currently assigned to 1st (UK) Armoured Division and two to 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division.
Type 58 armoured regiments;
- The Royal Dragoon Guards - 58 Challenger 2s, 8 CVR(T) ScimitarsFV107 ScimitarFV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...
. - The Queen's Royal HussarsThe Queen's Royal HussarsThe Queen's Royal Hussars is the senior United Kingdom light cavalry regiment. It was formed on 1 September 1993 from the amalgamation of The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars...
- 58 Challenger 2s, 8 CVR(T) Scimitars.
Heavy armoured regiments;
- The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) - 44 Challenger 2s, 22 CVR(T) Scimitars.
- The King's Royal Hussars - 44 Challenger 2s, 22 CVR(T) Scimitars.
- 2nd Royal Tank Regiment2nd Royal Tank RegimentThe 2nd Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps...
- 44 Challenger 2s, 22 CVR(T) Scimitars.
Two regiments of the Territorial Army, the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
Royal Wessex Yeomanry
The Royal Wessex Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army consisting of four squadrons, each of which bears the cap badge of an old yeomanry regiment:*B Squadron*A Squadron...
and the Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry
The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry is a yeomanry regiment of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army. It currently serves in the armoured replacement role, providing replacement tank crews for regular armoured regiments....
, provide replacement crews for the regular regiments.
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment
1st Royal Tank Regiment
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Tank Regiment, itself part of the Royal Armoured Corps. It was originally formed as 1st Battalion, Royal Tank Corps in 1934....
also operates a small number of Challenger 2 tanks for training and demonstration.
Organisation
The basic combat organisation of an armoured regiment is four armoured squadrons (or "Sabre squadrons"), each of four troops of three Challenger 2 tanks. The squadron headquarters has two tanks, for a total of fourteen per squadron, along with a Spartan APCFV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...
and a utility truck; each squadron also has a medical detachment with a Samaritan ambulance
FV104 Samaritan
The FV104 Samaritan is the British Army armoured ambulance variant of the CVR family. It has a capacity for up to 6 casualties.The Samaritan is one of the variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of armoured fighting vehicles developed by Alvis plc for the British military....
and a fitter section with various recovery vehicles. The regimental headquarters has a further two Challenger 2 tanks, for a total of fifty-eight in the regiment, as well as five Sultan command vehicles
FV105 Sultan
FV105 Sultan is a British Army command and control vehicle based on the CVR platform. It has a higher roof than the APC variants, providing a more comfortable "office space" inside. This contains a large vertical map board and desk along one side, with a bench seat for three people facing it...
and a small group of utility vehicles. In addition to this, each armoured regiment has a reconnaissance squadron with eight Scimitars.
Of the five armoured regiments, two have the full four-squadrons structure, whilst three have the fourth squadron replaced by one equipped with an Interim Medium Armour Squadron, equipped with twelve Scimitars.
History
The first armoured regiments - known at the time as "tank battalions" - were formed in the First World War, first in the Machine Gun CorpsMachine Gun Corps
The Machine Gun Corps was a corps of the British Army, formed in October 1915 in response to the need for more effective use of machine guns on the Western Front in World War I. The Heavy Branch of the MGC was the first to use tanks in combat, and the branch was subsequently turned into the Tank...
and later as the Tank Corps
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
. Each battalion had three companies, each of three sections of four tanks, for a combat strength of thirty-six tanks; a further twelve were kept in reserve for training and replacement purposes. A total of twenty-six battalions were formed during the war, quickly reduced to four battalions after the end of hostilities.
The 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
cut the number of armoured regiments to six, converting one of the existing regiments to the formation reconnaissance role and using the other to form the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Regiment. As a part of this change, the six remaining regiments were expanded from a three-squadron structure with 38 tanks to a four-squadron one with 58. This structure is also known as the "Type 58" regiment. Under the 2003 Defence White Paper, this was reduced to five armoured regiments - the sixth converting to the formation reconnaissance role - with three armoured squadrons to be converted to "light armoured" squadrons which would eventually be equipped with the Future Rapid Effect System
Future Rapid Effect System
The Future Rapid Effect System is the British MOD programme to deliver a fleet of more than 4,000 armoured fighting vehicles for the British Army...
.