Structure of the British Army
Encyclopedia
The structure of the British Army
is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy
and Royal Air Force
, being divided into two Commands: HQ Land Forces and the Adjutant-General
. As top-level budget holders, these two organisations are responsible for providing forces at operational readiness for employment by the Permanent Joint Headquarters
. The Adjutant-General's organisation is responsible for most of the recruitment and personal and professional training of personnel whilst the staff of Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces is responsible for commitment planning and ensuring that the operational formations are resourced and have undergone appropriate collective training. Headquarters Northern Ireland
additionally has devolved responsibility for all activities in the Province.
The command structure is hierarchical with division
s and brigade
s 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 Territorial Army (part-time), 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.
HQ Land Forces is at Wilton, Wiltshire
and has two main subdivisions, Field Army and Regional Forces. Commander Field Army
commands 1st (Armoured) Division, 3rd (Mechanized) Division, HQ 6th Division, Theatre Troops, and Director General Training Support.
Commander Regional Forces
commands 2nd Division, 4th Division, 5th Division and London District, the administrative organisation of garrisons in mainland UK and United Kingdom Support Command (Germany)
.
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Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces (CINCLAND) is the Standing Joint Commander (UK) (SJC(UK)), responsible for overall command of Military Aid to Civil Power
within mainland United Kingdom.
Previously the Army had regional commands in the UK, including Aldershot Command
, Eastern Command
, Northern Command
, Scottish Command
, Southern Command
and Western Command
.
is a formation of two or more divisions, potentially fifty thousand personnel or more.
Whilst the British Army has the capability there is no standing UK Corps organisation, forces being allocated through a number of multi-partite 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 word corps is more formally used for administrative groupings by common function, such as the Royal Armoured Corps
and Army Air Corps, with various Combat Support Arms and Services being referred to in the wider sense as a Corps, such as the Royal Corps of Signals
.
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.
UK Defence Secretary Des Browne
, during July 2007, announced the creation of another "two star" headquarters, to be known as HQ 6th Division. This unit was intended as a deployable headquarters unit to support deployed forces in Afghanistan, due to the difficulty of the existing two formations supporting simultaneous operational deployments. The final withdrawal of British forces from Iraq saw this overstretch reduced, and HQ 6 Division was disbanded in April 2011.
The remaining divisional headquarters and London District act as regional commands in the UK, training subordinate formations and units under their command for operations in the UK and overseas. This task leads to them being described as Regenerative Divisions. These divisions would only be required to generate field formations in the event of a general war.
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:
contains three or four battalion-sized units, around 5000 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 around the core of one unit, an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, with sub-units providing artillery, engineers, logistics, aviation, etc., as required.
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.
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.
The 1st Royal Tank Regiment
operates dual roles, with two squadrons allocated to each:
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 the system is inefficient and the system 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.
Four further infantry units in the regular army are not grouped within the various infantry divisions:
The role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
is limited to the defence of Gibraltar
.
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.
Note: UKSF is considered a joint organisation and as such falls outside the Army chain of command.
consists of 16 regiments, four of which retain the cap badge
and traditions of the Royal Horse Artillery
. The Royal Artillery undertakes seven different roles:
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:
The remainder are field regiments attached to various deployable formations:
Two squadrons of 36 Engineer Regiment are cap badged as Queen's Gurkha Engineers and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
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.
Two squadrons are cap badged as the Queen's Gurkha Signals and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
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:
is a corps which 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:
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.
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:
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.
Phase two training is specific to the trade which 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.
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.
(HCMR) and King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
are units whose primary function is ceremonial. The HCMR is manned by fully trained soldiers who are periodically rotated through from operational units of the Household Cavalry
.
at Buckingham Palace
and Windsor Castle
is primarily mounted by the two Foot Guards
Battalions and one Line Infantry Battalion in London District together with the Foot Guards Incremental companies:
The guard at Horse Guards
is normally drawn from the HCMR.
The following units provide gun salutes in London:
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:
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
and Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, being divided into two Commands: HQ Land Forces and the Adjutant-General
Adjutant-General to the Forces
The Adjutant-General to the Forces, commonly just referred to as the Adjutant-General , is one of the most senior officers in the British Army. He is in charge of administration, personnel and organisational matters. The Adjutant-General usually holds the rank of General or Lieutenant-General...
. As top-level budget holders, these two organisations are responsible for providing forces at operational readiness for employment by the Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters
The Permanent Joint Headquarters is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London....
. The Adjutant-General's organisation is responsible for most of the recruitment and personal and professional training of personnel whilst the staff of Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces is responsible for commitment planning and ensuring that the operational formations are resourced and have undergone appropriate collective training. Headquarters Northern Ireland
HQ Northern Ireland
HQ Northern Ireland was the command formation responsible for the administration of all British Armed Forces stationed in and around Northern Ireland...
additionally has devolved responsibility for all activities in the Province.
The command structure is hierarchical with division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
s and brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
s controlling groupings of units from an administrative perspective. Major Units are regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
or battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
-sized with minor units being either company
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
sized sub-units or platoons. All units within the service are either Regular (full-time) or Territorial Army (part-time), 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
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion is equivalent to a cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
regiment. An infantry regiment is an administrative and ceremonial organisation only and may include several battalions. For operational tasks a battle group
Battlegroup (army)
A battlegroup , or task force in modern military theory, is the basic building block of an army's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an infantry battalion or armoured regiment, which is usually commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel...
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.
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.HQ Land Forces is at Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
and has two main subdivisions, Field Army and Regional Forces. Commander Field Army
Commander Field Army (United Kingdom)
The Commander Field Army was a senior British Army officer who had command over the Deployable Divisions of the British Army i.e. those divisions on full strength...
commands 1st (Armoured) Division, 3rd (Mechanized) Division, HQ 6th Division, Theatre Troops, and Director General Training Support.
Commander Regional Forces
Commander Regional Forces (United Kingdom)
The Commander Regional Forces was a senior British Army officer who had command over the Regenerative Divisions of the British Army i.e. those divisions that are not on full strength and would only be mobilised in a national emergency. The post was held by a Lieutenant General and was based at HQ...
commands 2nd Division, 4th Division, 5th Division and London District, the administrative organisation of garrisons in mainland UK and United Kingdom Support Command (Germany)
British Forces Germany
British Forces Germany , is the name for British Armed Forces service personnel and civilians based in Germany. It was first established following the Second World War as the British Army of the Rhine ....
.
Military Aid to the Civil Power
Military aid to the civil power is assistance by the armed forces to the civil authorities of the state with the provision of specialist equipment or trained personnel...
within mainland United Kingdom.
Previously the Army had regional commands in the UK, including Aldershot Command
Aldershot Command
-History:After the success of the Chobham Manoeuvres of 1853, a permanent training camp was established at Aldershot in 1854 on the recommendation of the Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Hardinge...
, Eastern Command
Eastern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Fourth Army Corps and was based in London. Among the formations raised under its supervision in World War I was the 12th Division. Its headquarters was initially located at Horseguards in London. During World War II the Command relocated to...
, Northern Command
Northern Command (United Kingdom)
-Nineteenth century:The District Commands of the British Army in Great Britain and Ireland first appear in print in 1840, at which time Northern Command was held by Maj-Gen Charles James Napier, appointed in 1838. During his time the troops stationed within Northern Command were frequently deployed...
, Scottish Command
Scottish Command
-History:The Command was established in 1905 at Edinburgh Castle but moved to Craigiehall in the early 1950s.Since 1936 the General Officer Commanding Scottish Command has also always been appointed Governor of Edinburgh Castle....
, Southern Command
Southern Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 from the Second Army Corps and was initially based at Tidworth but in 1949 moved to Fugglestone Farm near Wilton in Wiltshire....
and Western Command
Western Command (United Kingdom)
-History:The Command was established in 1905 and was originally called the Welsh & Midland Command before changing its name in 1906. In 1907 Western Command relocated to Watergate House in Chester...
.
Corps
A corpsCorps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
is a formation of two or more divisions, potentially fifty thousand personnel or more.
Whilst the British Army has the capability there is no standing UK Corps organisation, forces being allocated through a number of multi-partite 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
Headquarters Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps
The Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation High Readiness Force Headquarters ready for deployment worldwide within five to thirty days.-History:...
.
The word corps is more formally used for administrative groupings by common function, such as the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
and Army Air Corps, with various Combat Support Arms and Services being referred to in the wider sense as a Corps, such as the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
.
Divisions
A divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
is a formation of three or four brigades, around twenty thousand personnel, commanded by a Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
.
The British Army has two deployable divisions, capable of deploying the headquarters and subordinate formations immediately to operations.
- 1st (UK) Armoured Division
- 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division
UK Defence Secretary Des Browne
Des Browne
Desmond Henry Browne, Baron Browne of Ladyton is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010...
, during July 2007, announced the creation of another "two star" headquarters, to be known as HQ 6th Division. This unit was intended as a deployable headquarters unit to support deployed forces in Afghanistan, due to the difficulty of the existing two formations supporting simultaneous operational deployments. The final withdrawal of British forces from Iraq saw this overstretch reduced, and HQ 6 Division was disbanded in April 2011.
The remaining divisional headquarters and London District act as regional commands in the UK, training subordinate formations and units under their command for operations in the UK and overseas. This task leads to them being described as Regenerative Divisions. These divisions would only be required to generate field formations in the event of a general war.
- 2nd Division - (Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North of England)
- 4th Division4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
- (East Midlands and South East England) - 5th Division - (Wales, West Midlands and South West England)
- London DistrictLondon District (British Army)London District is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. Established in 1870 as Home District, it was re-formed in 1905 as London District to be an independent district within the larger command structure of the army, and has remained so...
London District is responsible for the maintenance of capability for the defence of the capital and the provision of ceremonial units
Public duties
Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
and garrisons for the Crown Estate
Crown Estate
In the United Kingdom, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio owned by the Crown. Although still belonging to the monarch and inherent with the accession of the throne, it is no longer the private property of the reigning monarch and cannot be sold by him/her, nor do the revenues from it belong...
in London, such as the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
.
Several infantry
British Army Infantry
The British Army's Infantry, part of the Structure of the British Army, comprises 51 battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments. Of these 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial' force...
regiments are organised into five administrative divisions based on the type of infantry unit or traditional recruiting areas:
- Guards DivisionGuards DivisionThe Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Regiment.-Introduction:...
- King's DivisionKing's DivisionThe King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade...
- Prince of Wales' DivisionPrince of Wales' DivisionThe Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade, Welsh Brigade and Wessex Brigade...
- Queen's DivisionQueen's DivisionThe Queen's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers. The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and...
- Scottish DivisionScottish DivisionThe Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. The Scottish Division was formed on July 1, 1968 with the amalgamation of the Lowland Brigade and Highland Brigade...
Brigades
A brigadeBrigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
contains three or four battalion-sized units, around 5000 personnel and is commanded by a one star officer, a Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. 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
Battlegroup (army)
A battlegroup , or task force in modern military theory, is the basic building block of an army's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an infantry battalion or armoured regiment, which is usually commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel...
, the primary tactical formation employed in British doctrine. The battlegroup is a mixed formation around the core of one unit, an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, with sub-units providing artillery, engineers, logistics, aviation, etc., as required.
- Key
- Armoured Regiment
- Armoured Infantry Battalion
- Artillery Regiment
- Army Air Corps Detachment
- Provost Unit
- Royal Logistic Corps Squadron
- Engineer Squadron
- Javelin Air Defence Battery
- Long-Range Anti-Tank Guided Weapons Troop
- Mechanised Infantry Battalion
Combat formations
- 1 Mechanised Brigade
- 4 Mechanised Brigade
- 7 Armoured Brigade
- 12 Mechanised Brigade
- 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 19 Light Brigade
- 20 Armoured Brigade
- 52 Infantry Brigade
Order of precedence
The British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
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
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
parades with its guns.
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 cavalryCavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
and the Royal Tank Regiment
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...
together form the Royal Armoured Corps which has units equipped with either main battle tanks or with light armour for formation reconnaissance
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....
. 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.
| Armoured Regiments | Formation Reconnaissance Regiments |
|---|---|
| The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) Royal Scots Dragoon Guards The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and the senior Scottish regiment. It was formed on 2 July 1971 at Holyrood, Edinburgh, by the amalgamation of the 3rd Carabiniers The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) (SCOTS DG) is a cavalry regiment of... |
The Household Cavalry Regiment Household Cavalry Regiment The Household Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were... |
| The Royal Dragoon Guards Royal Dragoon Guards The Royal Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments: The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards... |
1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards |
| The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish) |
9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) 9th/12th Royal Lancers The 9th/12th Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, formed in 1960 by the amalgamation of the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers and the 12th Royal Lancers. It is currently a formation reconnaissance regiment, equipped with the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of vehicles and... |
| The King's Royal Hussars King's Royal Hussars The King's Royal Hussars is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and was formed on 4 December 1992 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:... |
The Light Dragoons |
| 2nd Royal Tank Regiment 2nd Royal Tank Regiment The 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... |
The Queen's Royal Lancers |
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....
operates dual roles, with two squadrons allocated to each:
- Contribution to the Joint CBRN RegimentJoint CBRN RegimentThe Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Regiment is a specialist expeditionary unit of the British armed forces. It is currently a joint unit consisting of:*1st Royal Tank Regiment*No. 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment...
in the NBC protection role. - Main battle tank training squadrons within the Combined Arms Training Battlegroup at Land Warfare Centre, WarminsterWarminsterWarminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
.
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:- Air Assault InfantryAir assaultAir assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
- Armoured Infantry
- Light InfantryLight infantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
- Mechanised InfantryMechanized infantryMechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....
- Public DutiesPublic dutiesPublic duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
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 the system is inefficient and the system 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 Guards Division The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Regiment.-Introduction:... |
Scottish Division Scottish Division The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. The Scottish Division was formed on July 1, 1968 with the amalgamation of the Lowland Brigade and Highland Brigade... |
King's Division King's Division The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade... |
Prince of Wales' Division Prince of Wales' Division The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade, Welsh Brigade and Wessex Brigade... |
Queen's Division Queen's Division The Queen's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers. The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Bn, Grenadier Guards Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards... |
The Royal Scots Borderers Royal Scots Borderers The Royal Scots Borderers is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Two infantry regiments ; the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers merged on the 28 March 2006, and with the other Scottish infantry regiments amalgamated into the single seven battalion strong Royal... , (1st Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland) |
1st & 2nd Bn, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment is an infantry regiment of the line within the British Army. It recruits throughout the North West of England... |
1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Mercian Regiment Mercian Regiment The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion... |
1st & 2nd Bn, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) |
| 1st Bn, Coldstream Guards Coldstream Guards Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division.... |
The Royal Highland Fusiliers Royal Highland Fusiliers The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.... (2nd Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland) |
1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) Yorkshire Regiment The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas... |
1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Welsh Royal Welsh The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The... |
1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier... |
| 1st Bn, Scots Guards Scots Guards The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland... |
The Black Watch Black Watch The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. The unit's traditional colours were retired in 2011 in a ceremony led by Queen Elizabeth II.... (3rd Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland) |
1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Anglian Regiment Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the... |
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| 1st Bn, Irish Guards Irish Guards The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities... |
The Highlanders The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons) The Highlanders, 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.Prior to 28 March 2006, the Highlanders was an infantry regiment in its own right; The Highlanders , part of the Scottish Division... (4th Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland) |
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:... |
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| 1st Bn, Welsh Guards Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order... |
The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland is an infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.... (5th Bn, The Royal Regiment of Scotland) |
Four further infantry units in the regular army are not grouped within the various infantry divisions:
- 1st Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling) 83rd and 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment)
- 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Parachute Regiment
- 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
.
The role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
is limited to the defence of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
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 SignalsQueen's Gurkha SignalsThe Queen's Gurkha Signals is a regular unit of Royal Corps of Signals, one of the combat support arms of British Army. Together with the Queen's Gurkha Engineers, the Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment and the Royal Gurkha Rifles they form part of the Brigade of Gurkhas...
:- 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
- Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment:
- 10 The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment
- Queen's Gurkha Engineers:
Special Forces
- Special Air ServiceSpecial Air ServiceSpecial Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
- The regular army's special forcesSpecial forcesSpecial forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
formation is a single, battalion sized unit, 22nd SAS Regiment. - Special Forces Support GroupSpecial Forces Support GroupThe Special Forces Support Group or SFSG is a special operations unit of the British Armed Forces. The SFSG is the newest addition to the United Kingdom Special Forces. It was formed officially on 3 April 2006 to support the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service on operations. This could...
- A tri-service unit formed around 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment and enhanced with personnel from Combat Support Services, the Royal Marines and RAF RegimentRAF RegimentThe Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
. SFSG is designed to provide support to Special Forces operations. - Special Reconnaissance RegimentSpecial Reconnaissance RegimentThe Special Reconnaissance Regiment or SRR is a Special Forces regiment of the British Armed Forces. It was established on 6 April 2005 and is part of the United Kingdom Special Forces under command Director Special Forces, alongside the Special Air Service , Special Boat Service and the Special...
- A tri-service element of the United Kingdom Special Forces alongside the SAS and Special Boat ServiceSpecial Boat ServiceThe Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
.
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
- 2 Regiment, AAC - Training Regiment
- 3 Regiment, AAC - Attack Regiment - 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 4 Regiment, AAC - Attack Regiment - 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 5 Regiment, AAC - 3rd Infantry Division
- 7 Regiment, AAC - Training Regiment
- 9 Regiment, AAC - Attack Regiment - 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 667 Squadron, AAC
- 7 Flight - Aviation support to British ForcesBritish Military Garrison BruneiThe British Military Garrison Brunei is the name given to the British armed forces presence in Brunei. Since the handover ceremony of Hong Kong in 1997, the garrison in Brunei is the only remaining British military base in the Far East, and along with Diego Garcia one of only two East of Suez...
in BruneiBruneiBrunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia... - 8 Flight - Joint Special Forces Air Wing
- 25 Flight - Aviation support to British Forces in BelizeBelizeBelize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
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 ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
consists of 16 regiments, four of which retain the cap badge
Cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
and traditions of the Royal Horse Artillery
Royal Horse Artillery
The regiments of the Royal Horse Artillery , dating from 1793, are part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery of the British Army...
. The Royal Artillery undertakes seven different roles:
| Home Defence | Air Defence | General Support (MLRS) |
Close Support (AS90) |
Close Support (L118 Light Gun) |
Surveillance and Target Acquisition |
Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King's Troop, RHA King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to drive a team of six horses that pull each of the six First World War-era 13-pounder state saluting guns... |
12 Regiment RA 12th Regiment Royal Artillery 12th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role, and is equipped with the Starstreak HVM missile... |
39 Regiment RA 39th Regiment Royal Artillery 39 Regiment Royal Artillery is part of the Royal Artillery. Its name is pronounced "three nine", The Regiment is one of the Depth fire units of 1st Artillery Brigade, part of the British Army... |
1st Regiment RHA 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun... |
7th (Para) Regiment RHA | 5 Regiment RA 5th Regiment Royal Artillery 5th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition role equipped with various weapon locating equipment using radars and acoustic sound ranging, it also provides Special Observation Post... |
14 Regiment RA 14th Regiment Royal Artillery 14th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the training role.-Batteries:*1 Battery "The Blazers"*24 Battery *34 Battery-External links:*... |
| 16 Regiment RA 16th Regiment Royal Artillery 16th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role, and is equipped with the Rapier missile.... |
3rd Regiment RHA 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery in the British Army. They are currently based in Caen Barracks, Hohne, Germany.-Current role:... |
29 (Cdo) Regiment RA 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery 29 Commando Regiment is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery. The regiment is under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade providing artillery support and gunnery observation.- History :... |
32 Regiment RA 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the surveillance and target acquisition role, and is equipped with the Hermes 450 and Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicles.-History:... |
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| 47 Regiment RA 47th Regiment Royal Artillery 47th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role, and is equipped with the Starstreak HVM missile.It is currently located at Baker Barracks, Thorney Island in Hampshire... |
4 Regiment RA 4th Regiment Royal Artillery The 4th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun.... |
40 Regiment RA 40th Regiment Royal Artillery 40th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Lowland Gunners – is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 19 Light Brigade in the field artillery role. It is structured into Fire Support Teams equipped with MSTAR, and the regiment's three gun batteries are equipped with... |
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| 19 Regiment RA 19th Regiment Royal Artillery 19th Regiment Royal Artillery – The Highland Gunners – is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently supports 12 Mechanised Brigade in the armoured field artillery role. The regiment has Fire Support Teams mounted in Warrior Mechanised Artillery Observation Vehicles... |
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| 26 Regiment RA 26th Regiment Royal Artillery 26th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the armoured field artillery role, and is equipped with the AS-90 self-propelled gun.-Batteries:... |
Corps of Royal Engineers
The Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
is a corps of 15 regiments in the regular army providing military engineering (civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, 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 BrigadeBritish 1st Infantry Brigade (Guards)The 1st Mechanized Brigade is a British Army formation with a long history including service during the First and Second World Wars .- History :Initially as 1st Brigade, the formation was part of 1st Division during World War I...
- 23 Engineer Regiment - 16th Air Assault Brigade
- 24 Engineer Regiment24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers24 Commando Engineer Regiment is a unit of the British Army's Royal Engineers which supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. It was formed in April 2008...
- 3rd Commando Brigade3 Commando Brigade3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando... - 26 Engineer Regiment - 12th Mechanised Brigade
- 28 Engineer Regiment - 1st Armoured Division
- 32 Engineer Regiment - 7th Armoured Brigade
- 35 Engineer Regiment - 20th Armoured Brigade
- 36 Engineer Regiment - 3rd (UK) Division
- 38 Engineer Regiment - 19th Light Brigade
- 62 Cyprus Squadron - 62 Squadron provides the engineering support for British Forces in CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
. - 42 Engineer Regiment - GeographicGeographyGeography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
services
- 8 Force Engineer Brigade
- 12 (Air Support) Engineer Group, support to the RAF:
- 25 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) - engineering support to the RAF
- 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support) - engineering support to the RAF
- 529 Specialist Team Royal Engineers (Air Support)
- 29 (EOD & Search) Engineer Group; Explosive Ordnance DisposalBomb disposalBomb disposal is the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. Bomb disposal is an all encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the following fields:*Military:...
- 33 Engineer Regiment - EOD
- 101 Engineer Regiment - EOD (Volunteers)
- Also attached to 29 Engineer Group are two EOD regiments of the Royal Logistic CorpsRoyal Logistic CorpsThe Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
.
- 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group (formerly Military Works Force); responsible for permanent and temporary infrastructureInfrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
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)
- 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.
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal SignalsRoyal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
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)
- 14 Signal Regiment - 11 Signal Brigade (Electronic Warfare)
- 15 Signal Regiment - HQ Northern Ireland
- 16 Signal Regiment - 1 Signal Brigade
- 18 Signal Regiment - UK Special Forces18 (UKSF) Signal Regiment18 Signal Regiment is a Regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army and provides communications and information systems support to the force elements of the United Kingdom Special Forces...
- 21 Signal Regiment - Joint Helicopter Command
- 22 Signal Regiment (Forming 2007)
- 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 CorpsRoyal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps provides logistic support functions to the British Army. It is the largest Corps in the Army, comprising around 17% of its strength...
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 Regiment, 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
- 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 SandhurstRoyal Military Academy SandhurstThe Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
) - 89 Postal and Courier Unit (SHAPESupreme Headquarters Allied Powers EuropeSupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
) - 105 Logistic Support Squadron (BATUSBritish Army Training Unit SuffieldThe British Army Training Unit Suffield is a British Army unit located at the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, Canada...
) - 132 Aviation Supply Squadron (16 Air Assault Brigade)
- Cyprus Service Support Unit (British Forces CyprusBritish Forces CyprusBritish Forces Cyprus is the name given to the British Armed Forces stationed in the UK sovereign base areas of Dhekelia and Akrotiri on the island of Cyprus...
)
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
is a corps which 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 - 19 Light Brigade
- 6th Battalion, REME - 1 Mechanised Brigade
- 7th Battalion, REME - 16 Air Assault Brigade
Medical services
The Army Medical ServicesArmy Medical Services
The Army Medical Services is the organisation responsible for administering the four separate corps that deliver medical, veterinary, dental and nursing services in the British Army...
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 CorpsRoyal Army Medical CorpsThe Royal Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
- 3 Medical Regiment - 3rd Infantry Division
- 4 Medical Regiment - 101 Logistic Brigade
- 5 Medical Regiment - 102 Logistic Brigade
- 16 Medical Regiment - 16 Air Assault Brigade
- 22 Field Hospital - 2 Medical Brigade
- 34 Field Hospital - 2 Medical Brigade
- Royal Army Dental CorpsRoyal Army Dental CorpsThe Royal Army Dental Corps is a specialist corps in the British Army that provides dental care services to British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace...
- Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing CorpsQueen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps is the nursing branch of the British Army and part of the Army Medical Services....
- Royal Army Veterinary CorpsRoyal Army Veterinary CorpsThe Royal Army Veterinary Corps is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and care of animals. It is a small but technically competent corps forming part of the Army Medical Services...
- 1 Military Working Dog Regiment
Adjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's CorpsAdjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps is a corps in the British Army responsible for many of its general administrative services. As of 2002, the AGC had a staff of 7,000 people...
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 CorpsRoyal Army Pay CorpsThe Royal Army Pay Corps was a former corps of the British Army responsible for administering all financial matters. It was amalgamated into the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992....
with elements of the Royal Army Ordnance CorpsRoyal Army Ordnance CorpsThe Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
and Women's Royal Army CorpsWomen's Royal Army CorpsThe Women's Royal Army Corps was the corps to which all women in the British Army except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chaplains and nurses belonged from 1949 to 1992.-History:The...
. - 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 CorpsRoyal Army Educational CorpsThe Royal Army Educational Corps was a corps of the British Army tasked with educating and instructing personnel in a diverse range of skills...
. - 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 MPSMilitary Provost Staff CorpsThe Military Provost Staff Corps was the corps of the British Army which ran its military prisons. As the Military Provost Staff , the corps is now administratively part of the Adjutant General's Corps. It also provides operational support and technical advice for Prisoner of War handling during...
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 RMPRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
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 TA 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.
- Military Provost Staff: The MPS
Other services
- Royal Army Physical Training Corps
- Corps of Army MusicCorps of Army MusicThe Corps of Army Music is a corps of the British Army. It was formed in 1994 as an umbrella organisation, centred on the Royal Military School of Music, to oversee the 29 new permanent Military Bands formed following Options for Change, although each band continues to wear the capbadges and Full...
- Royal Army Chaplains' DepartmentRoyal Army Chaplains' DepartmentThe Royal Army Chaplains' Department is an all-officer corps that provides ordained clergy to minister to the British Army.As of 2007, there are about 280 serving regular chaplains in the British Army; these can belong to either one of several Christian churches, or to the Jewish faith, although...
- Small Arms School CorpsSmall Arms School CorpsThe Small Arms School Corps is a small corps of the British Army responsible for maintaining the proficiency of the army in the use of small arms, support weapons and range management.-History:...
Training
Training in the British 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 SandhurstRoyal Military Academy SandhurstThe Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
, 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 CentreInfantry Training CentreThe Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the British Army administered by HQ School of Infantry responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...
at Catterick GarrisonCatterick GarrisonCatterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
which combines phase one and phase two training. - Soldiers in other specialisations undergo the 20 week Army Development Course at one of four Army Training Regiments; Bassingbourne, Lichfield, Pirbright or Winchester, or the Army Foundation College, Harrogate.
Phase two training is specific to the trade which 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.
Armour (TA)
The four armoured regiments of the Territorial Army operate in two roles - provision of crew replacements for armoured and NBC regiments, and formation reconnaissance:- Royal YeomanryRoyal YeomanryThe Royal Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the Territorial Army consisting of five squadrons and a military band:*A Squadron *B Squadron...
- Royal Wessex YeomanryRoyal Wessex YeomanryThe 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...
- Royal Mercian and Lancastrian YeomanryRoyal Mercian and Lancastrian YeomanryThe 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....
- Queen's Own YeomanryQueen's Own YeomanryThe Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...
Infantry (TA)
- 52nd Lowland52nd Lowland RegimentThe 52nd Lowland Regiment now forms the 6th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, also known as 6 SCOTS. Due to its erstwhile association with the 1st Regiment of Foot, it is the senior Territorial line infantry battalion in the British Army...
, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, each formerly an individual regiment... - 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of ScotlandThe Royal Regiment of Scotland is the senior and only Scottish line infantry regiment of the British Army Infantry. It consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, each formerly an individual regiment...
- 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 FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of FusiliersThe Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier...
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
- 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)Yorkshire RegimentThe Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas...
- 4th Battalion, The Mercian RegimentMercian RegimentThe Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion...
- 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
- 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
- 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment4th Battalion, The Parachute RegimentThe 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment is a Territorial Army unit of the British Army. It is based across the U.K. Originally the Battalion covered the North of England with its Headquarters located in Pudsey, West Yorkshire...
- 6th Battalion, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
- 7th Battalion, The RiflesThe RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
Special Forces (TA)
- 21st Special Air Service Regiment (Artist's)
- 23rd Special Air Service Regiment
Royal Artillery (TA)
| Air Defence | General Support (MLRS) | Close Support (Light Gun) | Surveillance and Target Acquisition Patrols |
|---|---|---|---|
| 104 Regiment RA(V) 104th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) 104th Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the British Territorial Army formed on 1 April 1967. It is a Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle Support Regiment.... |
101 (Northumbrian) Regiment RA(V) 101st (Northumbrian) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) 101st Regiment Royal Artillery are a M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and Surveillance and Target Acquisition regiment of the Territorial Army with sub units throughout Northumbria. It is the only unit of the Territorial Army equipped with MLRS.The Regiment's role is to provide... |
100 (Yeomanry) Regiment RA(V) 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery 100th Regiment Royal Artillery is a British Territorial Army Royal Artillery regiment that has three gun batteries, all equipped with the L118 Light Gun.- The Batteries are :... |
Honourable Artillery Company Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"... |
| 105 Regiment RA(V) 105th Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers) 105th Regiment Royal Artillery The Scottish & Ulster Gunners is a British Territorial Army Regiment of the Royal Artillery. The regiment is part of 51st Brigade... |
103 Regiment RA(V) | ||
| 106 (Yeomanry) Regiment RA(V) 106th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery The 106th Regiment Royal Artillery is a Territorial Army Air Defence Artillery Regiment, with mixed equipment, in the British Army. One unit use the Starstreak HVM missile, while the other two use the Rapier SAM. The role 106 Regt is to provide reinforcement to regular army units... |
- Note: Although the Honourable Artillery CompanyHonourable Artillery CompanyThe Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
currently has an Artillery role, it is a separate regiment in its own right, with its own colours, uniforms and traditions.
Royal Engineers (TA)
- 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) - Air Support Regiment
- 73 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) - Air Support Regiment
- 75 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) - Field Regiment
- 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Volunteers) - Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment
- Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia)Royal Monmouthshire Royal EngineersThe Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is the most senior regiment in the British Territorial Army, having given continuous loyal service to the crown since 1539. It is part of the reserve forces, and is the only remaining Militia unit in the British Army...
- Field Regiment - 131 Independent Commando Squadron (Volunteers) - Commando Support
- 135 Independent Geographic Squadron (Volunteers) - Topography
- 65 Works Group, RE (Volunteers) - Communications Infrastructure
Royal Signals (TA)
- 32 (Scottish) Signal Regiment32 (Scottish) Signal RegimentThe 32nd Signal Regiment is a British Territorial Army regiment of the Royal Corps of Signals.- Regimental heritage :The 1st Lanarkshire Engineer Regiment were raised in Glasgow on 5 December 1859 as part of the Volunteer Force. The regiment was formally registered with the War Office on 27...
- 37 (Wessex and Welsh) Signal Regiment
- 38 (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment38 (City of Sheffield) Signal Regiment38 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment's task is to "provide contingency communications throughout the whole of Northern England, from the Scottish Borders to the Northern Home Counties...
- 39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment39 (Skinners) Signal Regiment39 Signal Regiment is Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations...
- 71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment71 (Yeomanry) Signal Regiment71 Signal Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the Royal Corps of Signals in the British Army. The regiment forms part of 2 Signal Brigade, providing military communications for national operations....
Intelligence Corps (TA)
- 3 (Volunteer) Military Intelligence Battalion (Strategic Intelligence)
- 5 (Volunteer) Military Intelligence Battalion (Tactical Intelligence)
Note: Although the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers
The Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is the most senior regiment in the British Territorial Army, having given continuous loyal service to the crown since 1539. It is part of the reserve forces, and is the only remaining Militia unit in the British Army...
is part of the Royal Engineers order of battle, it is a separate regiment with its own cap badge
Cap badge
A cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
, regimental colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
and traditions.
Adjutant General's Corps
- Elements of 4 Regiment, Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
- Elements of 5 Regiment, Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- 101 Battalion (V), REME
- 102 Battalion (V), REME
- 103 Battalion (V), REME
- 104 Battalion (V), REME
Royal Logistic Corps
- 88 Postal and Courier Regiment
- 150 (Yorkshire) Transport Regiment
- 151 (Greater London) Logistic Support Regiment
- 152 (Ulster) Transport Regiment
- 155 Transport Regiment
- 156 (North-West) Transport Regiment156 (North-West) Transport RegimentThe 156 Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.-Units:*235 Squadron *234 Transport Squadron*236 Squadron*238 Squadron...
- 157 (Wales and Midlands) Logistic Support Regiment
- The Scottish Transport RegimentThe Scottish Transport RegimentThe Scottish Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps , is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom. The Scottish Transport Regiment is the only regiment of the RLC based in Scotland. It role is to provide general transport support at 'third line' for the British Army...
- 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment
- 159 Supply Regiment
- 160 Transport Regiment160 Transport Regiment160 Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.It is a National TA unit, formed in April 1995, which recruits personnel from all over the country and is based at Prince William of Gloucester Barracks, Grantham, Lincolnshire.It provides 3rd...
- 162 Movement Control Regiment162 Movement Control RegimentThe 162 Movement Control Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.In 2006 it was amalgamated with the 163 Movement Control Regiment and is now the only volunteer Movement Control Regiment in the Territorial Army...
- 163 Movement Control Regiment
- 165 Port Regiment
- 166 Supply Regiment
- 168 Pioneer Regiment
- Catering Support RegimentCatering Support RegimentThe Catering Support Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, is a regiment of the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.The regiment was formed as part of the Royal Logistic Corps in 1993 and was the successor to the Central Volunteer Headquarters of the Army Catering Corps. In 1998 the Regiment was...
- 383 Commando Petroleum Troop
- 395 Air Despatch Troop
Army Medical Services
- 225 Medical Regiment (Volunteers) 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 Medical Regiment254 (City of Cambridge) General Support Medical Regiment254 Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps, is a regiment in the Territorial Army in the United Kingdom.- History :The regiment was formed in 1983 and was named 254 Field Ambulance...
(Volunteers) in CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
- HQ Squadron - Cambridge
- A Squadron - Norwich
- B Squadron - Colchester
- C Squadron
- D Squadron - Hitchin
- 144 Parachute Medical Squadron (Volunteers) (part of 16 Medical Regiment)
- 2 Medical Brigade
- 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
Ceremonial units
The Household Cavalry Mounted RegimentHousehold Cavalry Mounted Regiment
The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is a ceremonial cavalry regiment of the British Army. It is classed as a regiment of guards, and carries out mounted ceremonial duties on State and Royal occasions. These include the provision of the Sovereign's Escort, most commonly seen at the present...
(HCMR) and King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery
The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to drive a team of six horses that pull each of the six First World War-era 13-pounder state saluting guns...
are units whose primary function is ceremonial. The HCMR is manned by fully trained soldiers who are periodically rotated through from operational units of the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
.
Queen's Guard/Queen's Life Guard
The Queen's GuardQueen's Guard
The Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
and Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
is primarily mounted by the two Foot Guards
Foot Guards
-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
Battalions and one Line Infantry Battalion in London District together with the Foot Guards Incremental companies:
- Nijmegen Company, Grenadier GuardsGrenadier GuardsThe Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards...
- No 7 Company, Coldstream GuardsColdstream GuardsHer Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division....
- F Company, Scots GuardsScots GuardsThe Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland...
The guard at Horse Guards
Horse Guards (building)
Horse Guards is a large grade I listed building in the Palladian style between Whitehall and Horse Guards Parade in London, England. It was built between 1751 and 1753 by John Vardy to a design by William Kent. The building was constructed on the site of the Guard House of the old Whitehall Palace,...
is normally drawn from the HCMR.
Gun salutes
The following units provide gun salutes in London:
- Honourable Artillery CompanyHonourable Artillery CompanyThe Honourable Artillery Company was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII. Today it is a Registered Charity whose purpose is to attend to the “better defence of the realm"...
- King's Troop, Royal Horse ArtilleryKing's Troop, Royal Horse ArtilleryThe King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery is a ceremonial unit of the British Army. It is a mounted unit and all of its soldiers are trained to drive a team of six horses that pull each of the six First World War-era 13-pounder state saluting guns...
Delivering Security in a Changing World
In July 2004 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 2Challenger 2 tank
FV4034 Challenger 2 is a British main battle tank currently in service with the armies of the United Kingdom and Oman. It was designed and built by the British company Vickers Defence Systems . The manufacturer advertises it as the world's most reliable main battle tank...
squadrons by re-roling one regiment as force reconnaissance. The artillery strength was to be rebalanced, reducing AS-90
AS-90
The AS-90 is a lightly armoured self-propelled artillery piece used by the British Army. It was first delivered in 1993...
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 Brigade3 Commando Brigade3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
. (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 GuardsFoot Guards-British Army:The Foot Guards are the Regular Infantry regiments of the Household Division of the British Army. There have been six regiments of foot guards, five of which still exist. The Royal Guards Reserve Regiment was a reserve formation of the Household Brigade in existence from 1900-1901...
regiments, operationally these will conform to the new structure, with each battalion being given a specific role (1 armoured infantry, 2 light infantryLight infantryTraditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
, 2 public dutiesPublic dutiesPublic duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role.-Germany:...
). Operationally therefore, the Guards will be a single large regiment. The London RegimentLondon RegimentThe London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908...
will be transferred to the Guards DivisionGuards DivisionThe Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Regiment.-Introduction:...
, and become the Guards TA battalion.
Territorial Army
- With the exception of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, every infantry regiment will receive one Territorial Army battalion, with the exception of the Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Rifles, which will receive two. The Guards Division will gain an affiliated TA battalion.
Bands
- The British Army has 23 military bandMilitary bandA military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
s of varying strength. There are seven bands which 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 bandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
or a concert bandConcert bandA concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
. The Bands of the Household Cavalry also play mounted.
Regular Army
| Guards Division Guards Division The Guards Division is an administrative unit of the British Army responsible for the administration of the regiments of Foot Guards and the London Regiment.-Introduction:... |
Scottish Division Scottish Division The Scottish Division is a British Army Infantry command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all Scottish line infantry units. The Scottish Division was formed on July 1, 1968 with the amalgamation of the Lowland Brigade and Highland Brigade... |
King's Division King's Division The King's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for infantry regiments in the North of England. The King's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Lancastrian Brigade, Yorkshire Brigade and North Irish Brigade... |
Prince of Wales' Division Prince of Wales' Division The Prince of Wales's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for all land force units in the West of England and Wales. The Prince of Wales's Division was formed in 1968 with the union of the Mercian Brigade, Welsh Brigade and Wessex Brigade... |
Queen's Division Queen's Division The Queen's Division is a British Army command, training and administrative apparatus designated for has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers. The Queen's Division was formed in 1968 with the regimentation of the Home Counties Brigade, Fusilier Brigade and... |
Light Division Light Division The Light Division was a light infantry Division of the British Army formed in the early 19th Century. It can trace its origins to the Light Companies which had been formed to move at speed over inhospitable terrain and protect the main forces by skirmishing tactics... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Bn, Grenadier Guards Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army. It is the most senior regiment of the Guards Division and, as such, is the most senior regiment of infantry. It is not, however, the most senior regiment of the Army, this position being attributed to the Life Guards... |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, Royal Regiment of Scotland | 1st & 2nd Bn, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment | 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Welsh Royal Welsh The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The... |
1st & 2nd Bn, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment "PWRR" redirects here. For the railroad with these reporting marks, see Portland and Western Railroad.The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division... |
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles The Rifles The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light... |
| 1st Bn, Coldstream Guards Coldstream Guards Her Majesty's Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards, also known officially as the Coldstream Guards , is a regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division or Household Division.... |
1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn, Yorkshire Regiment Yorkshire Regiment The Yorkshire Regiment is one of the largest infantry regiments of the British Army. The regiment is currently the only line infantry or rifles unit to represent a single geographical county in the new infantry structure, serving as the county regiment of Yorkshire covering the historical areas... |
1st, 2nd & 3rd Bn, Mercian Regiment Mercian Regiment The Mercian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, formed by the amalgamation of three existing regiments on 1 September 2007.The regiment has three regular army battalion's and one Territorial Army or reserve battalion... |
1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Royal Regiment of Fusiliers The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on April 23, 1968, as part of the reforms of the army that saw the creation of the first 'large infantry regiments', by the amalgamation of the four English fusilier... |
||
| 1st Bn, Scots Guards Scots Guards The Scots Guards is a regiment of the Guards Division of the British Army, whose origins lie in the personal bodyguard of King Charles I of England and Scotland... |
1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Anglian Regiment Royal Anglian Regiment The Royal Anglian Regiment is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Queen's Division.The regiment was formed on 1 September 1964 as the first of the new large infantry regiments, through the amalgamation of the four regiments of the East Anglian Brigade.* 1st Battalion from the... |
||||
| 1st Bn, Irish Guards Irish Guards The Irish Guards , part of the Guards Division, is a Foot Guards regiment of the British Army.Along with the Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighbourhoods of major British cities... |
|||||
| 1st Bn, Welsh Guards Welsh Guards The Welsh Guards is an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Guards Division.-Creation :The Welsh Guards came into existence on 26 February 1915 by Royal Warrant of His Majesty King George V in order to include Wales in the national component to the Foot Guards, "..though the order... |
- 1st Bn, Royal Irish Regiment
- 1st & 2nd Bn, Royal Gurkha RiflesRoyal Gurkha RiflesThe Royal Gurkha Rifles is a regiment of the British Army, forming part of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The Royal Gurkha Rifles are now the sole infantry regiment of the British Army Gurkhas...
- 2nd & 3rd Bn, Parachute Regiment
- Royal Gibraltar RegimentRoyal Gibraltar RegimentThe Royal Gibraltar Regiment is the home defence unit for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It was formed in 1958 from the Gibraltar Defence Force as an infantry unit, with an integrated artillery troop.-Formation:...
Territorial Army
| Guards Division | Scottish Division | King's Division | Prince of Wales' Division | Queen's Division | Light Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Regiment London Regiment The London Regiment is a Territorial Army regiment in the British Army. It was first formed in 1908 in order to regiment the various Volunteer Force battalions in the newly formed County of London, each battalion having a distinctive uniform. The Volunteer Force was merged with the Yeomanry in 1908... |
6th & 7th Bn, Royal Regiment of Scotland | 3rd Bn, King's Lancashire and Border 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
Strategic Defence and Security Review
In 2010, the incoming government conducted a new defence review. Those elements affecting the army were released as part of the Future Army Structure (Next Steps) publication:- The three regional divisional HQs (2 Division, 4 Division and 5 Division) will be disbanded and replaced with a single 2-Star Headquarters named HQ UK Support Command.
- Deployable brigades will be reorganised to a uniform multi-role structure, with armour, formation reconnaissance, armoured, mechanised and light infantry. 19 (Light) Brigade will be disbanded, with its units and personnel distributed among the remaining five deployable brigades. 16 (Air Assault) Brigade will be retained as the army's high rediness formation.
- All British forces stationed in Germany will be withdrawn to the UK by 2015.
Other corps of the British Armed Forces
- Royal Air Force RegimentRAF RegimentThe Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
- Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
British Army restructuring
- Options for ChangeOptions for ChangeOptions for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....
(1990) - Front Line FirstFront Line FirstFront Line First: The Defence Cost Study was a programme of defence cuts announced on 14 July 1994 by then Defence Secretary Malcolm Rifkind. Front Line First was announced four years after Options for Change, which was a military draw-down as a result of the end of the Cold War, often described as...
(1994) - Strategic Defence ReviewStrategic Defence ReviewThe 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...
(1998) - Delivering Security in a Changing WorldDelivering Security in a Changing WorldThe 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...
(2003) - Strategic Defence and Security ReviewStrategic Defence and Security ReviewThe Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
(2010)
The British Army
- List of Regiments of Foot
- List of British Army Regiments (1881)
- List of British Army Regiments (1962)
- List of British Army Regiments (1994)
Traditions
- Beret
- Cap badgeCap badgeA cap badge, also known as head badge or hat badge, is a badge worn on uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearer's nationality and/or organisation. The wearing of cap badges is a convention commonly found among military and police forces, as well as uniformed civilian groups such as the Boy...
- Colours and Guidons
- TartanTartanTartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colours. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns...
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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)