British army. Features of the British Armed Forces British Armed Forces

England willingly participates in NATO's active policy and today its main goal is to work together with America and their common advantage over the states of the CIS and all the countries of the Warsaw Pact.

The British troops are actively involved in all NATO operations, and thus gain indispensable experience, because in the modern world there are almost no wars, and many troops of other countries are losing their former combat properties, and the British armed forces remain strong and powerful.

What is the British Armed Forces

The active participation of the British armed forces in NATO operations in the world's hot spots gives them not only advantages over other countries, but also the opportunity to difficult situation count on your partners.

I personally decided to go to the UK to find out all the information about the armed forces of this country, because it is really very interesting topic. Of course, I had access to many of the sights in England, but I went here to really learn about the British army, as it is closely related to my work.

United Kingdom is a great country, but it, like other countries, has its own problems. The global crisis hit this country hard, and the eternal flow of foreigners from other countries gives rise to such problems as increased crime, unemployment and more. In this regard, the British government has reduced spending, including on the armed forces of Great Britain.

To date, the state of Great Britain, in order to somehow eliminate the consequences of the crisis, has reduced the number of troops and significantly reduced costs.

As for the military authorities, it must be said that, according to the law of Great Britain, the chief leader of the troops is the king or queen. But in reality, the country's troops are controlled by a defense committee, headed by the prime minister. If he speaks about the Defense Committee, then he decides his main questions on the use of military forces, reduces the number of military men and commands all kinds of military operations. The prime minister is at the head, and the committee also includes the ministers of foreign and internal affairs.

Let's talk next about the Ministry of Defense . It is led by the military forces of the country and deals with the formation and financial support of the army. The defense headquarters is responsible for arming the troops, and its chairman is considered the main one who leads the armed forces.

It is also worth mentioning the troops. Ground forces have the most a large number of military and are an independent army, but sometimes performs operations as part of NATO. The ground forces include: motorized infantry division, armored and artillery. There is also the air force, which is engaged in tracking the enemy from the air. The leadership of the air force is responsible for the construction of the necessary facilities, the development of a strategy and material support for the troops.

Naval Forces- this is the fleet, marines and naval aviation. They are engaged in the destruction of important enemy targets, mainly ships, both conventional and underwater, attacks on the enemy are carried out with nuclear missile weapons. The troops also provide assistance to the ground forces, and conduct landing operations.

These are the main armed forces of Great Britain, in total the total number of military personnel is more than 280 thousand people. Truly in a great country - Grand Army.

Interestingly everything is arranged? Check it out, it's even more interesting!

High command structure

In accordance with the reforms in the army, from November 1, 2011, a new structure of the Higher commanders army.

Chief of the General Staff or CGS for short ****

He is in command of Army Headquarters, which seems to operate from Andover.

Commander of the Land Forces ***

He exercises command of all ground forces, including reservists and helicopter units, which are attached to the ground armed forces.

Adjutant General (Assistant Chief of the General Staff) ***

His duties include interaction with the Ministry of Defense, as well as with the Commander of the Ground Forces.

Commander Force Development and Training ***

The area of responsibility of the commander is the preparation and maintenance of the army.

This new structure is intended to improve feedback and understanding with the Ministry of Defense and other UK government agencies. It is also more effective in the current, generally calm, situation in the world.

Divisions and brigades:

1 Armored Division (1st Armored Division)

The history of the 1st division dates back to 1809, when the Duke of Wellington created it from 2 British brigades and the Hanover German Legion (King's German Legion). Since then, the 1st division has maintained ties with Germany. Since the 1960s, the 1st division with other British units was part of the composition of the NATO "Rapid Response Group" in Germany. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the strength of the British army was reduced from 155 to 116 thousand people. As a result, at the moment in Germany, the 1st division continues to serve as part of the "mandatory presence" in connection with NATO terms.

2nd Division

3rd Division (3rd Division)

The 3rd Division is the only fully land division in the British Armed Forces. The history of this division can be traced back to 1809, when the Duke of Wellington, in the war against Napoleon, decided to try (for the first time in the history of the British Army) to form an infantry division.

The division was formerly known as the Fighting Division. She participated in Crimean War(1854-56) and in the Boer War in 1899-1900. Also, she participated in the First and Second World Wars and at one time bore the name "Iron Division" for her stamina.

During World War II, the division was initially part of the "French Expeditionary Force" to stop the advance of the German troops. But due to the general setbacks of the Allies, she was evacuated and later took part in the landings in Normandy as part of the 21st Army Group and ended the war in Germany in 1945.

Composition of the 3rd division:

1st mechanized brigade (1 Mechanized Brigade (Tidworth)
4th mechanized brigade (4 Mechanized Brigade (Catterick)
12th mechanized brigade (12 Mechanized Brigade (Bulford)
19th Light Brigade (Lisburn)

5th Division

Controls the border forces. Also controls British Gurkha units and British forces in Brunei. Helps to more effectively organize and manage the ground units of the army.

16 Air Assault Brigade (16 Air Assault Brigade)

This brigade was formed on September 1, 1999 in accordance with the reform program in the army. It included units of the 5th Airborne Brigade and the 24th Airborne Brigade. The main task that was pursued during the creation of this brigade was to create a mobile strike force that is capable of being where it is needed in the shortest possible time. The main emphasis is on airborne assault with the support of helicopter units.

The name of the brigade was inherited from the 1st and 6th airborne divisions, which existed during the Second World War. The emblem of the 16th Brigade, "Striker Eagle", was borrowed from the Special Training Center, which was located in Lochailot, Scotland. It trained soldiers

The maroon and light blue colors on the patch match the traditional colors airborne troops and aviation. The 16th brigade is the main strike unit of the British Army, therefore, it participates in all military operations conducted by Great Britain (Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Iraq, Afghanistan).

There are about 8,000 employees in the brigade. It is the largest of all brigades in the British Army. It includes airborne units, infantry, artillery, signalmen and intelligence officers, medical and engineering units.

List of units and formations included in the 16th brigade:

7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
23rd Engineer Regiment (23 Engineer Regiment)
1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment
5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland ("The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders" 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland)
2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment
3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment
3rd Regiment Army Aviation Corps (3 Regiment Army Air Corps)
4th Regiment Army Aviation Corps (4 Regiment Army Air Corps)
9th Regiment Army Aviation Corps (9 Regiment Army Air Corps)
13th Airborne Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps (13 Air Assault Regiment Royal Logistics Corps)
16th Medical Regiment (16th Medical Regiment)
7th Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (7 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers)
D Squadron The Household Cavalry Regiment
216th signal squadron (216 (Parachute) Signals Squadron)
156th company of the Royal Military Police (156 Provost Company Royal Military Police)
Reconnaissance Platoon (Pathfinder Platoon)

Headquarters in London (HQ London District)

Carries out general management of all parts of the army, as well as preparing and conducting ceremonies, parades and other events related to the army.

This structural unit of the British Army was formed on August 31, 2001 and is mainly engaged in intelligence, analysis of possible threats to the UK, provision, communications and other things, without which the successful implementation of British military operations would be impossible.

Coordinates with the allied forces of the 1st Armored Division, which is part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Group (Allied Rapid Reaction Corps), located in Germany.

Publications on this topic

In recent years, due to the deterioration economic situation Great Britain and rising inflation, as well as the strengthening of the national independence of a number of countries of the former British Empire, the British military-political leadership was forced to partially reduce the armed forces in various parts of the world and focus their main efforts on strengthening the aggressive North Atlantic bloc and developing closer military-political and economic cooperation with and other participating countries. Already in peacetime, it placed at the disposal of the command of the combined armed forces of NATO in Europe over 70% of the formations and units of the ground forces.

Despite the country's economic difficulties, British militaristic circles, acting contrary to the easing of international tension, continue to build up their military potential.

The armed forces of Great Britain consist of ground forces (army), air force, navy and reserve components. Staffing is done by recruiting volunteers. According to foreign press reports, the total strength of the regular armed forces is about 340,000, and the reserves - over 230,000.

The ground forces are the largest branch of the British armed forces. They consist of a regular army (more than 170 thousand people, including 7.7 thousand Gurkha shooters), a regular reserve (about 110 thousand people) and a territorial army volunteer reserve - TADR (more than 50 thousand people). Ground forces are subdivided into types of troops and services. The main branches include infantry, artillery, army aviation, engineering troops and signal troops; to services - transport, artillery and technical, repair and restoration, medical and others.

The Department of the Army, headed by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Defense for the Army, is the supreme governing body of the British Army. He exercises administrative control over the ground forces and is responsible for their construction, condition, manning, mobilization deployment, logistics and R & D in the field of weapons.

Responsibility for the operational use of ground forces rests with the Chief of Staff of the Army, who reports directly to the Chief of the Defense Staff of the British Armed Forces.

According to Western press reports, the British regular ground forces have four divisions, eight separate infantry (motorized infantry) brigades, five separate armored reconnaissance regiments, a separate parachute sabotage and reconnaissance regiment, two NUR missile regiments, two heavy artillery regiments, two SAM regiments, as well as supply and maintenance parts.

Formations and units of the ground forces in the European theater of war are designed to conduct combat operations both independently and as part of the combined NATO armed forces. Organizationally, they are consolidated into the command of the ground forces in the metropolis, the British Army of the Rhine (c) and a separate motorized infantry brigade stationed in West Berlin.

The combat composition of the command of the ground forces on the territory of the metropolis includes: the 3rd infantry division (three airborne brigades), five separate infantry brigades, the 22nd separate parachute sabotage and reconnaissance regiment, units and subunits of various types of troops and services.

These units and formations include a contingent of British ground forces, allocated in accordance with the plans of the block command to NATO mobile forces: a separate infantry (air-transportable) battalion, an artillery battery, an armored reconnaissance squadron, a communications company, a sapper platoon, support and maintenance units with a total strength of about 1.5 thousand people. These personnel are considered to be trained for combat operations in the Arctic and are often involved in exercises conducted in Northern Norway.

Formations and units of the ground forces stationed in the territory of the metropolis form the so-called mobile forces of Great Britain and are part of the strategic reserve of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Armed Forces of NATO in Europe. They are intended mainly to reinforce British troops in the Federal Republic of Germany in the event of an emergency situation in Europe, as well as to defend the British Isles. In addition, units and subunits of the ground forces, including those from the British Army of the Rhine (BRA), have been used in Ulster for a number of years to suppress the national democratic uprisings of the Northern Irish civil rights fighters. According to the foreign press, there are currently three brigade headquarters, an armored reconnaissance regiment, up to 20 infantry units, three engineering squadrons, two squadrons of army aviation helicopters and a Northern Irish territorial infantry regiment (about 14 thousand people in total) in Northern Ireland. Before being sent to this area, the personnel of the units undergo special training in special centers, where soldiers and officers study the “experience” of Vietnam and gain skills in conducting punitive operations.

British Army of the Rhine(headquarters in Reindalen), with over 55 thousand people, is the largest and most combat-ready grouping of British ground forces. Its content is the main contribution of Great Britain to the military organization of NATO. At the same time, the BRA is an important political tool for London in Western Europe. Its commander is also the commander of NATO's Northern Army Group.

The basis of the BRA is the 1st Army Corps, which, together with the West German, Belgian and Dutch army corps, forms the Northern Army Group, which is part of the combined armed forces of NATO on. The 1st Army Corps (headquarters in Bielefeld) is considered the most combat-ready formation of the British ground forces, equipped with nuclear attack weapons and other modern weapons and military equipment. It consists of the 2nd Motorized Infantry Division (Lubbecke), the 1st Armored Division (Förden), the 4th Armored Division (Herford), the 1st Artillery and 7th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigades, two separate armored reconnaissance regiments, units and support and maintenance units.

As reported in the foreign press, the number of British troops stationed on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany during the period of mobilization deployment in the event of an emergency situation in Europe can be more than doubled due to the transfer of formations and units from the territory of the mother country.

In the English zone of West Berlin, a separate Berlin motorized infantry brigade is deployed, numbering about 3 thousand people. It is not part of the joint NATO military forces in Europe and is intended to provide security in the British sector of the city.

Units and subunits of the British ground forces deployed in overseas territories are designed to protect the interests of British monopolies, maintain British influence in dependent countries, and also to support reactionary regimes fighting the national liberation movement. Judging by reports in the foreign press, there are relatively small contingents of ground troops in the overseas territories, which can be significantly reinforced in the event of an emergency.

In Gibraltar The basis of the garrison is an infantry battalion. In the coming years, the number of personnel of the garrison is planned to be reduced by 10%.

At the British military bases on about. Cyprus two infantry battalions, an armored reconnaissance squadron, as well as support and maintenance units are deployed. In addition, as part of the UN emergency troops on this island, there is a reduced infantry battalion, an armored reconnaissance squadron, an army aviation helicopter link and the corresponding logistics units of the British ground forces.
One infantry battalion of Gurkha Riflemen is stationed in Brunei (Southeast Asia). Negotiations are currently underway between the UK and the government of Brunei regarding the timing of the withdrawal of the battalion from this territory.

The largest contingent of British troops with a total number of about 9 thousand people is deployed in Hong Kong. It consists of five infantry battalions (of which three are Gurkha), an armored reconnaissance squadron, two engineering squadrons, an army aviation squadron and logistic service units. In 1976-1977, this garrison is planned to be reduced to four infantry battalions (of which three are Gurks) and an engineering squadron.

In Belize(former British Honduras) is an infantry battalion.

For several years, a large group of British military advisers and instructors has been supporting the Sultan of Oman in the armed struggle against the Dhofar patriots.

The command of the ground forces believes that already in peacetime it is necessary to have well-trained and equipped reserves ready for immediate use in case of emergency. The reserves of the ground forces of Great Britain are made up of reservists and personnel of units and subunits of the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve.

The first category is intended for the general replenishment of the regular army with trained personnel (if necessary, bringing it to wartime states). Completed and cohesive units and subunits are allocated from the TADR to the regular troops. In addition, the TADR is tasked with covering the mobilization deployment of ground forces and ensuring the country's internal security.

The TADR has the 44th brigade, two separate armored reconnaissance regiments, two separate parachute sabotage and reconnaissance regiments, 35 separate infantry battalions, five artillery and seven engineering regiments, as well as communications and logistics units.

In order to increase the combat readiness of reserve components, their training is closely linked with the combat training of units and subunits of the regular army. The command of the ground forces systematically involves units and subunits of the TADR in the exercises of formations and units of the 1st Army Corps of the British Army of the Rhine. The tactics of the actions of small subunits in various types of combat are constantly being improved (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Training of TADR reservists in overcoming obstacles in one of the training centers

The command of the ground forces pays great attention to equipping units and formations with modern weapons and military equipment. So, in the near future it is planned to replace the obsolete Honest John missile launcher with nuclear warheads. The units and formations are armed with about 900 medium tanks (Fig. 2) and 180 light tanks. After carrying out the appropriate modernization, the Chieftain tanks will remain in service with tank units until the mid-80s. Work continues on the creation of a new MBT 80 tank jointly with the FRG.

Rice. 2. Medium tanks "Chieftain" in tactical exercises

In service artillery units consist of 105-, 155- and 203.2-mm howitzers, as well as 175-mm guns. Currently, the 105 mm mountain howitzer is being replaced by a light 105 mm howitzer gun. Together with Germany and Italy, it is also developing the SP70 self-propelled howitzer. Mass production these systems are planned to start by the end of the 70s.

The main means of military air defense are the Thunderbird SAM (12 launchers), designed to deal with air targets at high and medium altitudes, SAM "and 40-mm anti-aircraft guns - to hit low-flying air targets. The latter are being replaced by ZURO systems. The development of the ZURO system for combating low-flying air targets continues.

The infantry units and subunits are armed with 81-mm mortars, 84-mm anti-tank grenade launchers, 120-mm Wombat recoilless guns (Fig. 3), ATGM launchers, as well as various samples of light and heavy machine guns, automatic rifles of caliber 7, 62mm and pistols.

Rice. 3. Loading a 120-mm Wombat recoilless rifle onto a vehicle during tactical exercises of a motorized rifle unit

The main means for transporting infantry are tracked armored personnel carriers, there are also armored vehicles of the type, and others. Reconnaissance units are equipped with combat reconnaissance vehicles and Simiter.

The army aviation has about 120 Scout helicopters, 175 Sioux helicopters and more than 40 helicopters. Army aviation units and subunits continue to receive Gazelle helicopters designed to replace obsolete Sioux helicopters. They are used mainly for reconnaissance, air fire support, transport of personnel and evacuation of the wounded. The arrival of Lynx general purpose helicopters is expected, which are supposed to be used to transport personnel, fight tanks and other armored targets, conduct reconnaissance, etc.

The army corps is considered the highest tactical formation of the ground forces of Great Britain, the main one is the division. The brigade belongs to the lowest tactical unit. As noted in the foreign press, the British army has three types of divisions (infantry, motorized infantry and armored).

An infantry division includes three airborne brigades (three infantry battalions and one light artillery regiment each), a medium artillery regiment and a light anti-aircraft artillery regiment, an army aviation regiment, as well as support and maintenance units and subunits. The number of personnel of the division is over 16 thousand people. The units and subunits are armed with 18 139.7-mm howitzer-guns, 36 105-mm mountain howitzers, 18 40-mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns, 54 81-mm mortars, 54 120-mm Wombat recoilless anti-tank guns, ATGM launchers, army aviation helicopters and other weapons.

A motorized infantry division (about 13 thousand people) includes an armored brigade (two motorized infantry battalions, two tank regiments, light self-propelled artillery and engineer regiments) and a motorized infantry brigade (three motorized infantry battalions, a tank and a light self-propelled artillery regiment), a medium self-propelled artillery regiment, a regiment army aviation, as well as units and subunits of support and maintenance of divisional subordination. The division is armed with over 150 medium tanks "Chieftain", four 203.2-mm and 12 155-mm self-propelled howitzers, 36 105-mm self-propelled guns, 30 81-mm mortars, about 50 Swingfire ATGM launchers, 30 120 -mm Wombat recoilless anti-tank guns, 240 84-mm anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as about 30 Scout and Gazelle helicopters (up to 50% of them are armed with ATGMs), as well as about 3 thousand armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

An armored division includes two brigades of the same type (two tank regiments each, two motorized infantry battalions, a light self-propelled artillery and engineer regiment), a medium self-propelled artillery regiment and an army aviation regiment, as well as units and subunits of support and maintenance of divisional subordination. The number of personnel of the division is about 13 thousand people. There are over 200 medium tanks "Chieften", four 203.2-mm and 12 155-mm self-propelled howitzers, 36 105-mm self-propelled guns "Abbot", 24 81-mm mortars, 24 120-mm recoilless anti-tank guns, about 50 Swingfire ATGM launchers, up to 200 84-mm anti-tank grenade launchers, as well as about 30 Scout and Gazelle helicopters (half armed with ATGM), about 3 thousand armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

The artillery brigade includes a headquarters battery, two heavy artillery regiments of three batteries (a total of 12 175-mm M107 self-propelled guns), an artillery instrumental reconnaissance regiment and two rocket regiments of the Onest John NUR.

The anti-aircraft artillery brigade includes a headquarters battery, a regiment of Thunderbird missiles (12 launchers) and two light anti-aircraft artillery regiments of three batteries.

There are no full-time reconnaissance units in British divisions. Reconnaissance in the interests of formations is carried out by the forces and means of the corps commander. Thus, the 1st Army Corps has two separate armored reconnaissance regiments. The regiment consists of a headquarters and three reconnaissance squadrons, an army aviation squadron, support and maintenance units. The number of personnel of the regiment is up to 600 people. The armored reconnaissance regiment is armed with about 100 Scorpion light amphibious tanks, Simiter combat reconnaissance vehicles and armored vehicles, six Gazelle helicopters, Swingfire ATGM launchers, detection radars and other weapons.

The main tactical unit (part) is an infantry (motorized infantry) battalion, which includes a headquarters company, a fire support company and three infantry companies, as well as support and maintenance units. The battalion has more than 700 personnel, six 81-mm mortars, six 120-mm recoilless anti-tank guns, up to six Swingfire ATGM launchers, grenade launchers, light and heavy machine guns, automatic rifles and pistols.

The tank regiment is a tactical unit and consists of a headquarters squadron, three tank squadrons and logistics units. The regiment has more than 500 personnel, weapons - 50 medium tanks "Chieftain", up to six ATGM "Swingfire", armored personnel carriers, armored vehicles, cars and motorcycles.

The British Ministry of Defense decided to carry out in 1976-1980 the reorganization of the ground forces, which British military experts consider the largest since the end of the Second World War. A variant of the new organizational structure is shown in fig. 4.

Rice. 4. The proposed organization of the British ground forces (option)

By 1980, as part of the 1st BRA Army Corps (without increasing the number of personnel), it is planned to create four (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th) armored divisions without a brigade command level, an artillery division and the 5th corps field group.

The armored divisions of the new organization are to include two tank regiments, three motorized infantry battalions, an armored reconnaissance regiment, a direct artillery support regiment (five batteries), and a general artillery support regiment, as well as combat and logistics support units and subunits.

The 5th corps field group is supposed to include three motorized infantry battalions, an armored reconnaissance regiment, support and maintenance units.

On the basis of the formation and units of the command of the ground forces in the UK in 1977-1979, it is planned to create three field groups (6, 7 and 8), equivalent to reinforced brigade groups, which will be intended to strengthen the combined armed forces of NATO in Europe.

Equipment story UK portal

british army is the main land warfare force in the United Kingdom, part of the British Armed Forces. As of 2019, the British Army consists of just over 78,500 trained regular (full-time) personnel and just over 27,000 trained reserve (part-time) personnel.

Modern traces of the British Army back to 1707, with an antecedent in the English Army which was created during the Restoration in 1660. The term british army was adopted in 1707 after the Acts of Union between England and Scotland. Although all members of the British army are expected to swear (or promise) allegiance to the monarch as their commander-in-chief, the Bill of Rights 1689 requires parliamentary consent for the Crown to maintain a peacetime standing army. Therefore, Parliament approves the army by passing the Armed Forces Act at least once every five years. The army is administered by the Ministry of Defense and commanded by the Chief of the General Staff.

The British Army saw action in the world's major wars of the great powers, including the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War and the First and Second World Wars. Britain's victories in these decisive wars allowed it to influence world events and establish itself as one of the world's leading military and economic powers. Since the end of the Cold War, the British Army has been deployed to a number of conflict zones, often as part of an expeditionary force, a coalition of forces or part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

story

formation

Lord General Fairfax, first commander of the new army model

The British Army was actively involved in the Napoleonic Wars, participating in a number of campaigns in Europe (including continuous deployment in the Peninsular War), the Caribbean, in North Africa and North America. The war between the British and the First French Empire from Napoleon Bonaparte extended all over the world; at its peak in 1813, the regular army contained over 250,000 men. A coalition of Anglo-Dutch and Prussian armies under the Duke of Wellington and Field Marshal von Blücher finally defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.

The English have been involved politically and militarily in Ireland since receiving the Lordship of Ireland from the pope in 1171. The campaign of the English Republican defender Oliver Cromwell involved the uncompromising treatment of the Irish cities (primarily Drogheda and Wexford) which supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. The English army (and subsequent British army) remained in Ireland primarily to put down Irish rebellions or upset. In addition to conflict with Irish nationalists, she faced the prospect of fighting the Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots in Ireland, who were angered by the unfavorable taxation of Irish products imported into the UK. With other Irish groups, they raised militia and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their terms were not met. Learning from their experiences in America, the British government sought a political solution. The British army fought Irish rebels—Protestant and Catholic, mainly in Ulster and Leinster (Wolfe Tone in United Irishmen) in the 1798 Rebellion.

In addition to fighting the armies of other European empires (and its former colonies, United States, in the War of 1812), the British Army fought the Chinese in the first and second Opium Wars and the Yihetuan, Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars, Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daulah's forces and British East India Company rebels in the sepoys of 1857 g., Boers in the first and second Boer Wars, Irish Fenians in Canada during raids by Fenians and Irish Separatists in the Anglo Irish War. Increasing demands for imperial expansion and the inadequacy and inefficiency of underfunding the British Army, Militia, Yeomanry and Volunteer Force after the Napoleonic Wars led to the late 19th-century Cardwell and Childers reforms that gave the army its modern look and revised its regimental system. In 1907 the Haldane Reforms created the Territorial Group as a volunteer reserve component of the army, merging and reorganizing the Volunteer Force, Home Guard and Yeomanry.

World Wars (1914-1945)

Britain was contested by other powers, most notably the German Empire and the Third Reich, during the 20th century. A century earlier vying with Napoleonic France for global supremacy, and Hanoverian Britain's natural allies were the kingdoms and principalities of North Germany. By the middle of the 19th century, England and France were allies in preventing the appropriation of Russia by the Ottoman Empire, although fear of a French invasion soon led to the creation of a Volunteer Force. By the first decade of the 20th century, the United Kingdom was allied with France (by the Entente) and Russia (which had a secret agreement with France for mutual support in the war against the Prussian-led German Empire and the Austria-Hungary Empire).

When World War I broke out in August 1914, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), consisting mainly of regular army troops, towards France and Belgium. The fight bogged down in static trench warfare until the end of the war. In 1915, the army created a Mediterranean expeditionary force to invade the Ottoman Empire via Gallipoli, an unsuccessful attempt to capture Constantinople and secure the sea route to Russia.

World War I was the most destructive in British military history, with almost 800,000 people killed and over two million injured. At the beginning of the war, the BEF was practically destroyed and was replaced first by volunteers and then by conscription. Major battles included those on the Somme and Passchendaele. Advances in technology saw the arrival of the tank (and the creation of the Royal Tank Regiment) and advances in aircraft design (and the creation of the Royal Flying Corps) which would be decisive in future battles. Positional warfare dominated the Western Front's strategy for most of the war, and the use of chemical weapons (off and poisonous gases) added to the empty.

war in iraq

In 2003, the United Kingdom is the main contributor to the invasion of Iraq by sending a force of over 46,000 troops. The British Army controlled southern Iraq, and maintains a peacekeeping presence in Basra. All British troops were withdrawn from Iraq by 30 April 2009, after the Iraqi government refused to renew its mandate. One hundred and seventy-nine British servicemen lost their lives in Iraq operations. The British Armed Forces returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of Operation Shadowing to Counter the Islamic State (ISIL).

operations in the UK and military assistance to civilian authorities

The British Army maintains an ongoing responsibility to maintain civilian power in certain circumstances, usually either in niche capability (such as an explosive removal of an ordance) or in general support of civilian power when their power is exceeded. In recent years it has been seen as military personnel supporting civilian authorities in the face of the 2001 UK foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the 2002 firefighter strike, widespread flooding in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014, and more recently the security services' support in Operation Temperer following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

modern army

staff

The British Army has been a volunteer force since national service ended in the 1960s. Since the creation of the Absentee Territorial Force in 1908 (renamed the Reserve Army in 2014), the full-time British Army has been known as the Regular Army. In January 2018, there were just over 81,500 trained regulars and 27,000 reservists.

Engineers, utilities and signals

Specialized engineering vehicles include bomb disposal robots and modern variants of the Royal Engineers Armored Car, including the Titan Layer Bridges, the Trojan Combat Engineer Vehicle, the Terrier Armored Digger, and the Python Minefield Breach System. The day-to-day operation of the utility uses a number of auxiliary Vehicle, including six-, nine-, and fifteen-ton trucks (often referred to as "Bedfords", after historic utility vehicles), heavy equipment transporters (HETs), close support tankers, ATVs, and ambulances. Tactical communications use the Bowman radio system and operational or strategic communications are controlled by the Royal Corps of Signals.

aviation

Current deployments

Low Intensity Operations

Location	the date	Details
Afghanistan	2015	Operation Torala: The Army is supporting the deployment of 1,000 personnel in support of NATO's Resolute Support mission.
Iraq	2014	Operation Shader: The Army has stationed in Iraq as part of the ongoing military intervention against ISIL, primarily to assist in the training of the Iraqi security forces. With other elements of the British Armed Forces, there were 275 military personnel in 2016.
Cyprus	1964	Operation Tosca: There were 275 troops with UNFICYP in 2016.
Sierra Leone	1999	International Military Assistance Training Command: The British Army was deployed to Sierra Leone for Operation Palliser in 1999, in accordance with United Nations resolutions, to assist the government in putting down rebellions by violent militiamen. Troops remain in the region to provide military support and training to the government of Sierra Leone. British troops also provided support during the 2014 West African Ebola virus epidemic.
Baltic States	2017	NATO Response Force: The British Army will deploy up to 800 troops in 2017 as part of its NATO commitment to counter perceived Russian aggression against the Baltic states.

Permanent foreign postings

Location	the date	Details
Belize	1949	British Army Training and Support Section Belize: British troops were based in Belize from 1949 to 1994. Belize's neighbor, Guatemala, claimed territory and there were a number of border disputes. At the request of the Belizean government, British troops remained in Belize after independence in 1981 as a defense force. Although the main training block was supposed to be mothballed after the Strategic Defense and Security Review, in 2015 it still used.
Bermuda	1701	Royal Bermuda Regiment: Colonial militia and volunteers existed from 1612 until 1816. Regular English Army and then British Army, Bermuda Garrison was first established in an independent company in 1701 Volunteers were recruited into the regular army and the Board of Artillery of the military corps for part-time, local service from the 1830s to the 1850s due to a lack of militia. The British government considered Bermuda as an Imperial fortress, not a colony. After the French Revolution, the governor of Bermuda was usually a military officer (usually a lieutenant colonel or colonel in the Royal Artillery or Royal Engineers) responsible for all military forces in Bermuda, with the Bermuda Garrison coming under Nova Scotia Command. From 1868, the Bermuda Garrison became an independent Bermuda command, with Governors being lieutenant-generals or major generals, occupying the role of commander-in-chief or commanding general (GOC). Locally recruited reserve units, the Royal Artillery-badged Bermuda Home Guard Artillery (BMA) and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps (BVRC) were raised again in 1894, later joined by the Royal Engineers-branded Bermuda Volunteer Engineers (1931-1946), general service corps -badged Bermuda infantry militia (1939–1946), and militia (1942–1946). After the Royal Naval Dockyard was renamed a naval base in 1951, the army garrison was closed in 1957, leaving only a part-time BMA (re-assigned as an infantry in 1953, although still badged and uniformed as Royal Artillery) and BVRC (renamed Bermuda Rifles in 1949). The Bermuda Command Headquerters and all regular military personnel other than members of the Permanent Headquarters of Local Territorial Studies were withdrawn. The main protection has been provided by the Royal Bermuda Regiment since formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the BMA and the Bermuda Rifles.
Brunei	1962	British Brunei Forces: One battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, British Garrison, Brunei Training Group (TTB) and 7 AAC flights. The Gurkha Battalion was retained in Brunei since the Brunei Uprising in 1962 at the request of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III. The Brunei Training Command (TTV) is the army's jungle warfare school, and a small number of battalion garrison troops support. 7 Flight AAC provides helicopter support for the Gurkha Battalion and TTV.
Canada	1972	British Army Training Unit Suffield: a training center on the Alberta Prairie for use by the British Army and Canadian Forces under agreement with the Government of Canada. British forces conduct regular, basic armored exercise training each year with helicopter support provided by 29 (Batus) Flight AAC.
Cyprus	1960	Two resident infantry battalions, the Royal Engineers and the Unit's Joint Signals Service at Ayios Nikolaos as part of the British forces in Cyprus. The UK retains two sovereign base areas in Cyprus after the rest of the island's independence, which are forward bases for deployment in the Middle East. The main facilities are the Alexander Barracks in Dhekelia and the Salamanca Barracks in Episkopi.
Falkland Islands	1982	Part of the British South Atlantic Islands Force: The British Army's contribution consists of a rifle company group and an engineer squadron. Previously, the platoon size of the Royal Marines Navy Party was a military presence. After the war in 1982 between Argentina and Britain, the garrison was enlarged and reinforced from a base at RAF Mount Pleasant in the East Falklands.
Gibraltar	1704	Part of the British Gibraltar Force: The British Army garrison is provided by a native regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
Kenya	2010	British Army Training Unit Kenya: The Army maintains a training center in Kenya, under an agreement with the Government of Kenya, which provides training facilities for three infantry battalions per year.

Structure

brackets british army

Combat weapon
Royal Tank Corps and Mounted
Combat Arms Support

Combat Services

The command structure is hierarchical, with subdivision and brigade control group of units. The main units of a regiment/battalion are -sized, and the smaller units of a company are -sized units (or platoons). All Regular (full-time) or Army Reserve (part-time) units.

Naming conventions for units vary for historical reasons, creating some confusion; the term "battalion" in infantry is synonymous with cavalry, artillery or regimental engineer, and "company" Infantry is synonymous with engineer or cavalry squadron and artillery battery. The table below shows the various names for equivalent units.

Adding to the confusion is the tendency for units (again for historical reasons) to headings untargeted for large administrative structures. Although the Royal Artillery is composed of 13 regular regiments (equivalent to battalions of infantry), it calls itself the Royal Regiment of Artillery when speaking of units as a whole. The Royal Logistic Corps and the Intelligence Corps are not -sized corps, but the corps in this case are administrative branches, consisting of several battalions or regiments.

organizational structure

The forces of the British Army after the Army 2020 reforms are organized into garrison as:

The 3rd Battalion and the Modified 16 Air Assault Brigade will be the main armored fighting force in the Army. Consists of: 1st Armored Infantry Brigade, 12th Armored Infantry Brigade, 20th Armored Infantry Brigade, 1st Artillery Brigade, 101st Logistic Brigade, 25th Engineer Group, 7th Air Defense Group. By 2020, this unit will reorganize and consist of two armored infantry brigades and two shock brigades.
The First Division, with its mixture of light infantry, logistics, engineer and corpsmen will provide more strategic choices and a wide range of capabilities, conducting capacity building, stabilization operations, aftermath natural Disasters and Operations Failover UK. It will include: 4th (Infantry) Brigade, 7th (Infantry) Brigade, 11th (Infantry) Brigade, 51st (Infantry) Brigade, 8th Engineer Brigade, 102nd Logistic Brigade, 104th Logistic Brigade, 2nd Medical Brigade ;
6th Division (United Kingdom) which will provide forces for asymmetric warfare, intelligence, counterintelligence,

Since I have already told (and I will tell more) about the regimental structure of the armies of the former British colonies, it would be necessary to write about a model for them - the British army. Moreover, after the latest mergers and acquisitions in the spring of 2015, it will be stable for the next five years.

The modern regimental structure of the British Army dates back to the reforms of the ministers of war in the liberal cabinets of Gladstone in the 70s and 80s of the 19th century. It was then that the transition to the territorial regimental structure was made in the British army.

The very ideas of such a transition had already been expressed by that time for half a century. Viscount Palmerston, reflecting on ways to increase the attractiveness of military service in 1829, said:
"They [i.e., the lower strata of society] would like to serve in a certain regiment associated with their home county, next to their friends, and under the command of officers closely associated with the locality."
However, as with the abolition, the reform met with resistance from conservatives and the officer corps, who advocated the preservation of traditions.
And only the impressive victories of the Prussian weapons in the wars with Austria and France forced the British to switch in matters military reform from words to deeds.

During the reform of the Minister of War Edward Cardwell in 1872, instead of 109 regular and 121 militia infantry regiments, 69 territorial regiments were created. The system was finalized by the reform of Secretary of War Hugh Childers in 1881. At the same time, a huge amount of work was carried out to standardize uniforms and colors, linked to old regimental traditions.

On the territory of the United Kingdom, 69 infantry regiments were recruited. Of these, only two had no territorial binding - the King's Own Royal Rifle Corps and the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).
The other 67 were recruited and based in certain districts into which the entire territory of the country was divided. 46 districts (and regiments, respectively) were created in England, 10 in Scotland, 8 in Ireland, 3 in Wales. Each infantry regiment had two regular and two (three in Ireland) militia battalions. While one regular battalion was serving abroad, the second was training at home.

True, in practice, due to the lack of population in many districts, only 25 regiments were formed in two battalions, the rest had one battalion each.

With the approach (and even more so the beginning) of the First World War, the number of battalions in the regiments increases dramatically.
After the end of the war, the regiments were reduced to two battalions; in 1922, after the secession of Ireland, five Irish regiments were disbanded.

During the Second World War, there was a new increase in the number of infantry regiments.

After its completion, by 1948, all regiments were reduced to a single battalion.
By 1957, the British infantry consisted of 14 administrative brigades, each consisting of 3-4 regiments.

Between 1958 and 1961, a reduction in the number of regiments followed - 24 infantry regiments were combined into 12.

At the same time, the idea of moving to "large regiments" was expressed - each of the administrative brigades was to become a regiment of 3-4 battalions.
In this way, between September 1964 and July 1968, 6 new "large regiments" were created from 22 old regiments: the Royal English Regiment, the Royal Green Jackets, Her Majesty's Regiment, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, the Royal Irish Rangers, Light Infantry.

The reform caused great protests in the military environment, as a result, by 1970 it was stopped.

A new stage in the reform of the armed forces began after the end of cold war. In 1992-94, three more "large regiments" were created: the Royal Irish Regiment, the Royal Regiment of the Princess of Wales and.
At the same time, throughout the 90s, the number of battalions within the "big regiments" continued to be reduced - first to 3 battalions per regiment, and then to two.

In 2004, a new reform completes the creation of "large regiments", by 2006 the Regiment of the Duke of Lancaster (His Majesty, Lancashire and Frontier) was also created.

During the latest reform in 2012-14, there is a new reduction in the number of battalions in the infantry regiments - most of them now have only two battalions.

The British cavalry was not formally affected by the reforms of Cardwell and Childers; by the beginning of the 20th century, cavalry regiments with a number designation continued to exist - 3 dragoons, 7 dragoon guards, 9 hussars and 5 lancers.
Formally, they did not have a territorial connection, but during the reforms to create the Territorial Army (TA) at the beginning of the 20th century, each regular cavalry regiment was associated with a certain reserve cavalry regiment (yeomanry), which were just built on a territorial basis. So the cavalry regiments received the regions of recruitment without prior notice.

The First World War ended the history of the cavalry, in the 20-30s the cavalry regiments were mechanized. The last to lose horses in 1941 were the Royal Scots Grays serving in Palestine.
By the beginning of World War II, the British cavalry had 8 tank regiments and 20 cavalry. During the war years, their number increased, mostly due to conversion from TA infantry units.

British army. Features of the British Armed Forces British Armed Forces

What is the British Armed Forces

High command structure