British Army

British Army
Founded	1660
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	Elizabeth II
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	87,610 Regular 30,000 Regular Reserve 28,800 Volunteer Reserve
Patron	Elizabeth II
Website	www.army.mod.uk
Commanders
Chief of the General Staff	General Sir Nicholas Carter KCB CBE DSO
Army Sergeant Major	WO1 Glenn Haughton
Insignia
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Non-ceremonial flag

British Army of the British Armed Forces
Components
Army (Operational Structure of the British Army List of units current regiments) Army Reserve
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Personnel
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Equipment
Current equipment British military rifles
History
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The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom. As of 2016 the British Army comprises just over 80,000 trained Regular, or full-time, personnel and just over 26,300 trained Reserve, or part-time personnel.

The origins of the modern British Army can be traced as far back as 1660, when it was known as the English Army, with the term British Army adopted in 1707 after the Acts of Union between England and Scotland. Today, although all members of the British Army are expected to swear (or affirm) allegiance to Elizabeth II as their Commander-in-Chief, the Bill of Rights of 1689 requires parliamentary consent for the Crown to maintain a standing army in peacetime. Therefore, the UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years. Day to day the Army comes under administration of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) and is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff (United Kingdom).

Throughout its history the British Army has seen action in a number of major wars involving the world's great powers, including the Seven Years' War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean War, the First World War and Second World War. Repeatedly emerging victorious from these decisive wars allowed Britain to influence world events with its policies 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 continued to deploy to many conflict zones, often as part of an expeditionary force, a coalition force or as part of a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

History

Main article: History of the British Army

John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, was one of the first generals in the British Army, fighting campaigns in the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1660 the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were restored under Charles II. Charles favoured the foundation of a new army under royal control and began work towards its establishment by August 1660. The first English Army regiments, including elements of the disbanded New Model Army, were formed between November 1660 and January 1661, and became a standing military force for Britain financed by the Parliament of England. The Royal Scots Army and the Irish Army were financed by the Parliament of Scotland and the Parliament of Ireland. Parliamentary control was established by the Bill of Rights 1689 and Claim of Right Act 1689, although the monarch continued to have influence over aspects of army administration until at least the end of the nineteenth century. By the time of the Acts of Union in 1707, many regiments of the English and Scottish armies were already combined under one operational command and stationed in the Netherlands fighting in the War of Spanish Succession. Consequently, although the regiments were now part of the new British military establishment, they remained under the same operational command, and so not only were the regiments of the old armies transferred in situ to the new army so too was the institutional ethos, customs, and traditions, of the old standing armies that had been created shortly after the restoration of the monarchy 47 years earlier. The order of seniority of the most senior line regiments in the British Army is based on the order of seniority in the English army. Although the Scots Royal Regiment of Foot was raised in 1633, the oldest Regiment of the Line, Scottish and Irish regiments were only allowed to take a rank in the English army from the date of their arrival in England or the date when they were first placed on the English establishment. For example, in 1694 a board of general officers was convened to decide the rank of English, Irish and Scots regiments serving in the Netherlands; the regiment that became known as the Scots Greys were designated as the 4th Dragoons because there were three English regiments raised prior to 1688 when the Scots Greys were first placed on the English establishment. In 1713, when a new board of general officers was convened to decide upon the rank of several regiments, the seniority of the Scots Greys was reassessed and based on their entry into England in June 1685. At that time there was only one English regiment of dragoons, and so after some delay the Scots Greys obtained the rank of 2nd Dragoons in the British Army.

After William and Mary's accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War of the Grand Alliance, primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Mary's father, James II. Following the union of England and Scotland in 1707, and the creation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, British foreign policy on the continent was to contain expansion by its competitor powers such as France and Spain. Spain, in the previous two centuries, had been the dominant global power, and the chief threat to England's early transatlantic ambitions, but was now waning. The territorial ambitions of the French, however, led to the War of the Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars.

From the time of the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, Great Britain was the leading naval power and with France one of the two economic powers of the world.

Early British Empire

The extinction of the Scottish clan system came with the defeat of the clansmen at the Battle of Culloden in 1746

The British Empire expanded in this time to include colonies, protectorates, and Dominions throughout the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Although the Royal Navy is widely regarded as having been vital for the rise of the British Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played an important role in the colonisation of India and other regions.

The death of General Wolfe during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham; the campaigns of the French and Indian War resulted in British control of modern Canada.

British soldiers also helped capture strategically important territories, allowing the empire to expand. The army was also involved in numerous wars to pacify the borders, or to prop up friendly governments, and thereby keep other, competitive, empires away from the British Empire's borders. Among these actions were the Seven Years' War, the American Revolutionary War, the Napoleonic Wars, the First and Second Opium Wars, the Boxer Rebellion, the New Zealand wars, the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, the First and Second Boer Wars, the Fenian raids, the Irish War of Independence, its serial interventions into Afghanistan (which were meant to maintain a friendly buffer state between British India and the Russian Empire), and the Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire at a safe distance by coming to Turkey's aid).

As had its predecessor, the English Army, the British Army fought Spain, France, and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies. With native and provincial assistance, the Army conquered New France in the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War and subsequently suppressed a Native American uprising in Pontiac's War. The British Army suffered defeat in the American War of Independence, losing the Thirteen Colonies but holding on to Canada.

See also: British Army during the Napoleonic Wars and British Army during the Victorian Era

The Duke of Wellington's and Field Marshal von Blücher's triumph over Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo

The British Army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars and served in multiple campaigns across Europe (including continuous deployment in the Peninsular War), the Caribbean, North Africa and later in North America. The war between the British and the First French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte stretched around the world and 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 defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

The English had been involved, both politically and militarily, in Ireland since being given the Lordship of Ireland by the Pope in 1171. The campaign of the English republican Protector, Oliver Cromwell, involved uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns (most notably Drogheda and Wexford) that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. The English Army (and subsequently the British Army) stayed in Ireland primarily to suppress numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for independence. In addition to its ongoing conflict with ethnic Irish nationalists, it was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots peoples in Ireland, angered primarily by unfavourable taxation of Irish produce imported into Britain, who, alongside other Irish groups, had raised their own volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions were not met. Having learnt from their experience in America, the British government sought a political solution. The British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster (Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen) in the 1798 rebellion.

The Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 saw a small British force repel an overwhelming attack by Zulu forces; eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for the defence.

In addition to battling the armies of other European Empires (and of its former colonies, the United States, in the American War of 1812), in the battle for global supremacy, the British Army fought the Chinese in the First and Second Opium Wars, and the Boxer Rebellion, Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars, Nawab Shiraj-ud-Daula's forces and British East India Company mutineers in the Sepoy Rebellion of 1857, the Boers in the First and Second Boer Wars, Irish Fenians in Canada during the Fenian raids and Irish separatists in the Anglo-Irish War. The vastly increasing demands of imperial expansion, and the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the underfunded, post-Napoleonic Wars British Army, and of the Militia, Yeomanry, and Volunteer Force, led to the Cardwell and Childers Reforms of the late 19th century, which gave the British Army its modern shape, and redefined its regimental system. The Haldane Reforms of 1907 formally created the Territorial Force as the Army's volunteer reserve component by merging and reorganising the Volunteer Force, Militia, and Yeomanry.

World wars

Main articles: British Army during World War I and British Army during the Second World War

British Mark I tank during the First World War. Note the guidance wheels behind the main body which were later scrapped as they were unnecessary. Armoured vehicles of this time still required much infantry and artillery support and still do to a lesser extent today. The photo was taken by Ernest Brooks.

Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers; in the 20th century, most notably Germany. A century before, it was still vying with Napoleonic France for pre-eminence in Europe and around the world, and Hannoverian Britain's natural allies were the various Kingdoms and principalities of Northern Germany. By the middle of the 19th century, Britain and France were allied in preventing Russia's appropriation of the Ottoman Empire (although it was the fear of French invasion that led, shortly after, to the creation of the Volunteer Force). By the first decade of the 20th century, however, the United Kingdom was allied with France (by the Entente Cordiale) and Russia (which had its own secret agreement with France of mutual support in any war against the Prussian-led German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.)

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force (BEF), consisting mainly of Regular Army troops, to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The British Army created the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) in Egypt and sent it to Gallipoli in an unsuccessful attempt to capture Constantinople and secure a sea route to Russia. After the retreat from Gallipoli nearly 400,000 men in 13 divisions from the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and the Force in Egypt formed a strategic reserve in Egypt called the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF). With most of the strategic reserve sent to the Western Front, the EEF, now consisting of two British infantry and one Australian and New Zealand mounted division in the Eastern Force, successfully defend the Suez Canal and Romani in 1916 from German and Ottoman incursions. This force captured the Sinai and garrisoned the extended lines of communication, but in early 1917 their advance was stopped at Gaza until towards the end of the year when a greatly enlarged force of infantry and mounted troops captured Beersheba, most of southern Palestine and Jerusalem. The EEF, now including Indian Army units which replaced a number of British units sent to the Western Front, captured the southern Jordan Valley in 1918 and carried out two major, but unsuccessful attacks to Amman and Es Salt and occupied part of the Jordan Valley, during preparations for his final successful assault in September at the Battle of Megiddo. As a result of the EEF's capture of two Ottoman armies, an armistice with the Ottoman Empire was signed on 31 October 1918.

Infantrymen of the Middlesex Regiment with horse-drawn Lewis gun carts returning from the trenches near Albert, France, September 1916. A line of supply lorries can be seen in the background.

The First World War was the most devastating in British military history, with nearly 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was virtually destroyed and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscript) force replaced it. Major battles included the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Passchendaele. Advances in technology saw advent of the tank, with the creation of the Royal Tank Regiment, and advances in aircraft design, with the creation of the Royal Flying Corps, which were to be decisive in future battles. Trench warfare dominated strategy on the Western Front for most of the war, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation.

Led by their piper, men of the 7th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders, part of the 46th (Highland) Brigade, advance during Operation Epsom, 26 June 1944.

The Second World War broke out in September 1939 with the German Army's invasion of Poland. British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. Again, as in the First World War, a relatively small British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in May 1940. Only the Dunkirk evacuation saved the entire BEF from capture. Later, however, the British would have spectacular success defeating the Germans and Italians at the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa in 1942–1943, Italy and in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, with the help of American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Indian and Free French forces. Almost half of the Allied soldiers on D-Day were British. In the Far East, the British Army battled the Japanese in the Burma Campaign. The Second World War saw the British Army develop its Special Air Service, Commando units and the Parachute Regiment.

Postcolonial era

After the end of the Second World War, the British Army was significantly reduced in size, although National Service continued until 1960. This period also saw the process of decolonisation commence with the partition and independence of India and Pakistan, followed by the independence of British colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly, the army's strength was further reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs, outlined in the 1957 Defence White Paper. This was despite major actions in Korea in the early 1950s and Suez in 1956. A large force of British troops also remained in Germany, facing the threat of Soviet invasion. The British Army of the Rhine was the Germany garrison formation, with the main fighting force being I (BR) Corps. The Cold War saw significant technological advances in warfare and the Army saw more technologically advanced weapons systems come into service.

Despite the decline of the British Empire, the Army was still deployed around the world, fighting wars in Aden, Indonesia, Cyprus, Kenya and Malaya. In 1982 the British Army, alongside the Royal Marines, helped to liberate the Falkland Islands during the Falklands conflict against Argentina, after Argentina's invasion of the British territory.

In the three decades following 1969, the Army was heavily deployed in Northern Ireland, to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service of Northern Ireland) in their conflict with republican paramilitary groups, called Operation Banner. The locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming home service battalions in the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992, before being disbanded in 2006. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the Troubles. Following the IRA ceasefires between 1994 and 1996 and since 1997, demilitarisation has taken place as part of the peace process, reducing the military presence. On 25 June 2007, the Second Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment vacated the Army complex at Bessbrook Mill in Armagh, bringing to an end the longest British Army operation.

Today

Personnel

Troopers of the Blues and Royals.

The British Army has been purely a professional force since National service came to an end in the 1960s. Since the creation of the part-time reservist Territorial Force in 1908 (renamed the Army Reserve in 2011) the full-time component of the British Army has been known as the Regular Army. The size and structure of the British Army is continually evolving. Accordingly, the Ministry of Defence publishes monthly reports on personnel. Figures for May 2016 show; 83,360 Regulars, 2,850 Gurkhas and 29,630 Army Reservists. Of those Army Reservists, 26,330 were trained.

The future transformation of the British Army is referred to as "Army 2020", which is the result of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. According to the Ministry of Defence, Army 2020 will "ensure that the British Army remains the most capable Army in its class" and enable "it to better meet the security challenges of the 2020s and beyond". Initially, the SDSR outlined a reduction of the Regular British Army by 7,000 to a trained strength of 95,000 personnel by 2015. However, following a further independent review on the future structure of the British Army, "Future Reserves 2020", it was announced that the Regular Army will be reduced to a trained strength of 82,000 while the Army Reserve will be increased to a trained strength of around 30,000 personnel. This reform will bring the ratio of regular and part-time personnel of the British Army in line with US and Canadian allies. Perhaps the most important aspect of Army 2020 is that the Army Reserve will become "fully integrated" with the Regular Army and "better prepared" for overseas deployments and operations.

In addition to the active elements of the British Army (Regular and Army Reserve), all ex-Regular Army personnel remain liable to be recalled for duty in a time of need, this is known as the Regular Reserve. The Regular Reserve is separated into two categories: A and D. Category A is mandatory, with the length of time serving in category A depending on time spent in Regular service. Category D is voluntary and consists of personnel who are no-longer required to serve in category A. Regular Reserves in both category A and D serve under a fixed-term reserve contract and are liable to report for training or service overseas and at home, much in the manner of the Army Reserve. In 2007 there were 121,800 Regular Reserves of the British Army, of which, 33,760 served in categories A and D. Publications since April 2013 no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for the Regular Reserves serving in categories A and D only. They had a reported strength of 30,000 personnel in 2015.

The table below shows historical personnel trends of the British Army from 1710 to 2010. The Army Reserve – or Territorial Army, as it was known then – did not come into existence until 1908.

Strength of the British Army, 1710–2010
	(1707–1800)										(1801–1921)												(1921– Present)
	1710	1720	1730	1740	1750	1760	1770	1780	1790	1800	1810	1820	1830	1840	1850	1860	1870	1880	1890	1900	1918	1920	1930	1945	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000	2010	2015
Regular	70,000	20,000	20,000	55,000	27,000	87,000	48,000	79,000	84,000	163,000	226,000	114,000	106,000	130,000	151,000	215,000	185,000	165,000	210,000	275,000	3,820,000	Interwar period		3,120,000	364,000	258,000	176,000	159,000	153,000	110,000	113,000	83,360
Army Reserve																					incld. above	—		incld. above	83,000	120,000	80,000	63,000	73,000	45,000	29,000	29,630
Total	70,000	20,000	20,000	55,000	27,000	87,000	48,000	79,000	84,000	163,000	226,000	114,000	106,000	130,000	151,000	215,000	185,000	165,000	210,000	275,000	3,820,000	—		3,120,000	447,000	378,000	256,000	222,000	226,000	155,000	142,000	130,000

Challenger 2, Warrior, AS90, MLRS and Stormer of 1 YORKS battlegroup

Notes: 1710–1900, 1918 & 1945, 1920, 1930, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980–2000, 2010, 2015

• A ^ End of the First World War.
• B ^ End of the Second World War.
• C ^ National Service ends.
• D ^ End of the Cold War.
• E ^ Figures rounded to nearest thousand.

Equipment

Main article: Modern equipment of the British Army

Infantry

The basic infantry weapon of the British Army is the L85A2 assault rifle, sometimes equipped with an L17A2 underbarrel grenade launcher or other attachments using the Picatinny rail. The rifle has several variants, including the L86A2, the Light Support Weapon (LSW), and the L22A2 carbine issued to tank crews. These weapons are usually equipped with iron sights or an optical SUSAT, although in recent years several optical sights have been purchased to supplement these.

Support fire is provided by the FN Minimi light machine gun and the L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG); whilst indirect fire is provided by 81 mm mortars. The L129A1 Sharpshooter Rifle was brought into service during the War in Afghanistan and to provide the Infantry with a long-range weapon; in addition, dedicated Sniper rifles used include the L118A1 7.62 mm, the L115A3 and the AW50F, all produced by Accuracy International. Additionally, in times of need, other weapons may be temporarily adopted such as the L128A1 (Benelli M4) 'combat shotgun'.

Armour

The British Army's main battle tank is the Challenger 2. This is supported by the Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle as the primary armoured personnel carrier, the many variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (tracked) and the FV430 series, which had its engines and armour upgraded as the Bulldog. Light armoured units will often utilise the Supacat "Jackal" MWMIK and Coyote in a reccosiance and fire support role.

Artillery

The Army uses three main artillery systems: the Multi Launch Rocket System (MLRS), the AS-90 and L118 Light Gun. The MLRS was first used operationally in Operation Granby and has a range of 85 km. The AS-90 is a 155 mm self-propelled armoured gun with a range of 24 km. The L118 Light Gun is a 105 mm towed gun used in support of 16 Air Assault Brigade, 3 Commando Brigade (Royal Marines) and the Adaptive Force. For acquiring enemy artillery targets the Army operates several weapon locators, such as the MAMBA Radar and also utilises Artillery sound ranging. For Air Defence the Army uses the Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) Rapier FSC Missile System, which has been widely deployed since the Falklands War, and the Very Short-Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) Starstreak HVM (High Velocity Missile), which is either launched by a single soldier or from a vehicle-mounted launcher.

Protected Mobility

For environments where armour is either not required or mobility and speed are favoured the British Army utilises Protected Patrol Vehicles such as the Panther variant of the Iveco LMV and variants of the Cougar family such as the Foxhound, Ridgeback, Husky & Mastiff. For day to day utility work the British Army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf which is based on the Land Rover Defender.

Engineers

Specialist engineering vehicles include bomb disposal robots and the modern variants of the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers, including the Titan bridge-layer, Trojan combat engineer vehicle, Terrier Armoured Digger and Python Minefield Breaching System.

Utility/Logistics

Day to day utility work is undertaken by a series of Support Vehicles, including 6, 9 & 15 tonne trucks (often referred to as 'Bedfords' after a historic utility vehicle), Heavy Equipment Transporters (HET), close support tankers, quad bikes and ambulances.

Signals

Tactical communication is conducted using the Bowman radio system, whilst Operational or Strategic communication comes under the control of the Royal Corps of Signals.

Army Aviation

The Army Air Corps (AAC) provides direct aviation support for the Army, although the RAF also contributes by providing support helicopters. The primary attack helicopter is the Westland WAH-64 Apache, a licence-built, modified version of the US AH-64 Apache, which replaced the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. Other helicopters include the Westland Gazelle as a light surveillance aircraft, the Bell 212 for support in specific Jungle / 'hot and high' environments and the AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat as a dedicated ISTAR platform. The Eurocopter AS 365N Dauphin is used for Special Operations Aviation and the Britten-Norman Islander is a light fixed-wing aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command and control. The British Army operates two Unmanned aerial vehicles in a survellience role, the small Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III and the larger Thales Watchkeeper WK450.

• 

  Challenger II main battle tank

• 

  Warrior IFV

• 

  AS-90

• 

  GMLRS

• 

  AgustaWestland Apache

• 

  L85A2

Recent conflicts

Although the ending of the Cold War saw a significant cut in manpower, the British Army has continued to operate in a global role, notably in:

Persian Gulf War

Main articles: Gulf War and Operation Granby

Wrecked and abandoned vehicles along Highway of Death.

The British Army contributed 50,000 troops to the coalition force that fought Iraq in the Persian Gulf War, where British forces were put in control of Kuwait after its liberation. 47 British Military personnel died during the Persian Gulf War.

Balkans conflicts

Main article: Yugoslav wars

The British Army was deployed to Yugoslavia in 1992; initially this force formed part of the United Nations Protection Force, but in 1995 command was transferred to IFOR and then to SFOR, rising to a commitment of over 10,000 troops. In 1999 British forces under the command of SFOR were sent to Kosovo, rising to a commitment of 19,000. Between early 1993 and June 2010, 72 British military personnel died on operations in the former Yugoslavian countries of Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia.

War in Afghanistan

Main articles: War in Afghanistan (2001–present), Operation Herrick, and Operation Toral

Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand Province.

In November 2001 the United Kingdom, as a part of Operation Enduring Freedom with the United States, invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban. The 3rd Division were deployed in Kabul, to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital and to defeat Taliban forces in the mountainous terrain. From 2006 the British Army concentrated on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand province (known as Operation Herrick), with around 9,500 British troops (including marines, airmen and sailors) deployed at its peak, making it the second largest force after the United States. In December 2012, the prime minister, David Cameron, announced that the combat mission would end in 2014 and troop numbers gradually fell as the Afghan National Army took over the brunt of the fighting. Between 2001 and 26 April 2014 a total of 453 British military personnel died on operations in Afghanistan. Operation Herrick officially ended with the handover of Camp Bastion on 26 October 2014. The British Army currently maintains a deployment in Afghanistan as part of Operation Toral.

Iraq War

Main articles: Iraq War and Operation Telic

British soldiers from 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers Battlegroup engage Iraqi positions with mortars south of Basra.

In 2003 the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the invasion of Iraq, sending a force that would reach 46,000 military personnel. The British Army controlled the southern regions of Iraq and maintained a peace-keeping presence in the city of Basra. All British troops were fully withdrawn from Iraq by 30 April 2009 after the Iraqi government refused to extend their mandate. 179 British Military personnel died on operations in Iraq. British Armed Forces returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of Operation Shader to counter the threat of ISIL.

The Troubles

Main article: Operation Banner

Although there were permanent garrisons in Northern Ireland, the British Army was deployed as a peacekeeping force between 1969 and 2007 under the code-named "Operation Banner". Initially this was in the wake of Unionist attacks on Nationalist communities in Derry and Belfast and to prevent further Loyalist attacks on Catholic communities, but later developed into support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) against the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA). Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement there was a gradual reduction in the number of soldier deployed and in in 2005, after the Provisional Irish Republican Army announced an end to its armed conflict in Northern Ireland, the British Army dismantled posts and withdrew many troops, and restored troop levels to that of a peace-time garrison.

Operation Banner ended at midnight on 31 July 2007, bringing to an end some 38 years of continuous deployment, making it the longest in the British Army's history. An internal British Army document released in 2007 stated that the British Army had failed to defeat the IRA but had made it impossible for them to win through the use of violence. Operation Helvetic replaced Operation Banner in 2007 maintaining fewer servicemen in a much more benign environment. From 1971 to 1997 a total of 763 British military personnel were killed during the "Troubles". Some 300 deaths during the conflict were attributed to the British Army, including paramilitary and civilians.

Current deployments

Low intensity operations

Location	Date	Details
Afghanistan	2015	Operation Toral: The British Army maintains a deployment of 500 personnel in support of NATO's Resolute Support Mission.
Iraq	2014	Operation Shader: The British Army currently has personnel stationed in Iraq as part of the ongoing military intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levent (ISIL). Primarily these are there to assist in the training of the Iraqi Security Forces. Along with other elements of the British Armed Forces there are 275 personnel in theatre as of 2016.
Cyprus	1964	Operation TOSCA: There are 275 troops personnel deployed as part of UNFICYP as of 2016.
Sierra Leone	1999	International Military Assistance Training Team: The British Army were deployed to Sierra Leone for Operation Palliser in 1999 to aid the government in quelling violent uprisings by militiamen, under United Nations resolutions. Troops remain in the region to provide military support and training to the Sierra Leonean government.
Baltic States	2017	Very High Readiness Joint Task Force: The British Army will deploy up to 800 troops in 2017 as part of its commitment to NATO in order to counter perceived Russian aggression against the Baltic states.

Permanent overseas postings

Location	Date	Details
Belize	1949	British Army Training and Support Unit Belize: British troops were based in Belize from 1949 until 1994. Belize's neighbour, Guatemala, claimed the territory and there were numerous border disputes. At the request of the Belizean government, British troops remained in Belize after independence in 1981 to provide a defence force. The main training unit was mothballed in 2011, following the Strategic Defence and Security Review. However, in 2015, it was reported that the training unit was seeing increased usage.
Bermuda	1701	Royal Bermuda Regiment: British troops have been based in Bermuda since 1701. Home defence in this overseas territory is now carried out by the Royal Bermuda Regiment.
Brunei	1962	British Forces Brunei: One battalion from the Royal Gurkha Rifles, British Garrison, Training Team Brunei (TTB) and 7 Flight AAC. A Gurkha battalion has been maintained in Brunei since the Brunei Revolt in 1962 at the request of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III. The Training Team Brunei (TTB) is the Army's jungle warfare school, while the small number of garrison troops support the battalion. 7 Flight AAC provides helicopter support to both the Gurkha battalion and the TTB.
Canada	1972	British Army Training Unit Suffield: A training centre in the Alberta prairie which is provided for the use of British Army and Canadian Forces under agreement with the government of Canada. British forces conduct regular, major armoured training exercises here every year, with helicopter support provided by 29 (BATUS) Flight AAC.
Cyprus	1960	Part of British Forces Cyprus: Two resident infantry battalions, Royal Engineers, 16 Flight AAC and Joint Service Signals Unit at Ayios Nikolaos as a part of British Forces Cyprus. The UK retains two Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus after the rest of the island's independence. The bases serve as forward bases for deployments in the Middle East. Principal facilities are Alexander Barracks at Dhekelia and Salamanca Barracks at Episkopi.
Falkland Islands	1982	Part of British Forces South Atlantic Islands: British Army contribution consists of an infantry company group and an Engineer Squadron. Previously a platoon-sized Royal Marines Naval Party acted as the military presence. After the war in 1982 between Argentina and the UK, the garrison was enlarged and bolstered with a base at RAF Mount Pleasant on East Falkland.
Germany	1945–2020	Part of British Forces Germany: Home of 1st (UK) Armoured Division. British forces remained in Germany after the end of the Second World War. Forces declined considerably after the end of the Cold War, and in October 2010 the prime minister, David Cameron, announced large cuts in defence with all UK troops currently in Germany to leave by 2020.
Gibraltar	1704	Part of British Forces Gibraltar: British Army garrison is provided by an indigenous regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.
Kenya	2010	British Army Training Unit Kenya: The Army has a training centre in Kenya, under agreement with the Kenyan government. It provides training facilities for three infantry battalions per year

Formation and structure

Arms of the British Army
Combat Arms
Royal Armoured Corps Infantry Guards Division Scottish Division Scottish, Welsh and Irish Division King's Division Queen's Division Prince of Wales' Division Parachute Regiment Royal Gurkha Rifles The Rifles Special Air Service Army Air Corps Special Reconnaissance Regiment
Combat Support Arms
Royal Artillery Royal Engineers Royal Corps of Signals Intelligence Corps
Combat Services
Royal Army Chaplains' Department Royal Logistic Corps Army Medical Services Royal Army Medical Corps Royal Army Dental Corps Royal Army Veterinary Corps Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Adjutant General's Corps Educational and Training Services Branch Army Legal Services Branch Provost Branch (Royal Military Police Military Provost Staff Military Provost Guard Service) Small Arms School Corps Royal Army Physical Training Corps General Service Corps Corps of Army Music

Main article: Structure of the British Army

The structure of the British Army is broadly similar to that of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with a single command based at Andover known as "Army Headquarters". As the top-level budget holder, this organisation is responsible for providing forces at operational readiness for employment by the Permanent Joint Headquarters.

The command structure is hierarchical with divisions and brigades controlling groupings of units from an administrative perspective. Major Units are regiment or battalion-sized with minor units being either company sized sub-units or platoons All units within the service are either Regular (full-time) or Army Reserve (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; notably the term Battalion in the infantry is synonymous with a cavalry/artillery/engineer Regiment, and the Infantry Company is synonymous with an engineer or cavalry Squadron and an artillery Battery. The table below highlights how units of different sizes are named differently:

Infantry	Cavalry	Artillery	Engineers
Regiment (2 or more Battalions grouped for administration)	No Equivalent	No Equivalent	No Equivalent
Battalion	Regiment	Regiment	Regiment
Company	Squadron	Battery	Squadron
Platoon	Troop	Troop	Troop

Further adding to the naming confusion is the tendency for units, again for historical reasons, to mis-use titles for larger administrative structures. For example, the Royal Artillery comprises 13 Regular Regiments (equivalent to infantry battalions), yet also calls itself the 'Royal Regiment of Artillery' when referring to all these units as a whole. Similarly the Royal Logistic Corps and Intelligence Corps are not of Corps size, but rather comprise of multiple Battalions/Regiments.

Operational structure

The field forces of the British Army after the Army 2020 Refine reforms are organised, in garrison, as:

• Reaction forces comprising a modified 16 Air Assault Brigade and an armoured division (3rd (UK) Division) of three armoured infantry brigades. These will be the 1st, 12th and 20th Armoured Infantry Brigades.
• Adaptive forces comprising a division (1st (UK) Division) of seven infantry brigades, three of which (the 4th, 7th, and 51st) will be deployable.
• Force Troops Command comprising nine brigades of supporting units.

For operational tasks the most common unit is the Battlegroup, which is formed around a combat unit, supported by units or sub-units from other areas. An example of a battlegroup in the Reactive Force (e.g. 1st Brigade) would be two companies of Armoured Infantry (e.g. from 1st Battalion the Mercian Regiment), one squadron of heavy armour (e.g. A Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment), a company of engineers (e.g. B Company, 22 Engineer Regiment), a battery of artillery (e.g. D Battery, 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery) and then smaller attachments from medical, logistic and intelligence units; typically organised and commanded by a Battlegroup Headquarters and named after the unit that provided the most combat units (e.g. in this example it would be called the 1 Mercian Battlegroup). This creates a self-sustaining mixed formation of armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and support units, typically consisting of between 600 and 1000 soldiers under the command of a Lieutenant Colonel. The structure and command of a Battlegroup is often changed to suit the environment where the unit is operating (e.g. if there is a demand for more heavy armour over armoured infantry the battlegroup is adjusted to include 2 squadrons of tanks and 1/2 of infantry).

The table below demonstrates how three or four Battlegroups make up a Brigade and then three or four Brigades make up a Division. A division is currently the largest unit that the British Army is capable of deploying independably, although that Division could be grouped with three or four other divisions from a multi-national coalition to form a Corps.

Type of Unit	Division	Brigade	Battlegroup	Battalion / Regiment	Company / Squadron	Platoon / Troop	Section	Fire Team
Contains	3 Brigades	3/4 Battalions/Battlegroups	Combined arms unit	4–6 Companies	3 Platoons	3 Sections	2 Fire Teams	4 Individuals
Personnel	10,000	5,000	700–1000	720	120	30	8–10	4
Commanded by	Maj-Gen	Brig	Lt Col	Lt Col	Maj	Capt, Lt or 2nd Lt	Cpl	LCpl

The British Army currently has two operational divisions.

Name	Headquarters	Subunits
1st (United Kingdom) Division	Imphal Barracks, York	Seven infantry brigades and one logistics brigade that comprise the bulk of the 'Adaptive Force'.
3rd (United Kingdom) Division	Bulford Camp, Wiltshire	Three armoured infantry brigades and one logistics brigade that comprise the bulk of the 'Reactive Force'.

Brigades which are not under 1st (UK) Division at any one time report directly into Regional Command.

Rapid Reaction Force

16 Air Assault Brigade forms the bulk of the Army's rapid reaction force.

Combat support

Force Troops Command, or FTC, forms the basis of the Army's Combat support, containing units ranging from artillery to military police.

Aviation components

The British Army has its own Army Air Corps (United Kingdom), but also relies on the support from the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm. Military helicopters of all three services are commanded by Joint Helicopter Command, a joint 2 star headquarters operating under HQ Land Forces.

Special forces

The SAS Cap Badge.

The British Army contributes two of the three special forces formations within the United Kingdom Special Forces directorate: the Special Air Service Regiment and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

The Special Air Service overall comprises one regular regiment and two Army Reserve regiments. The regular regiment, 22 SAS, has its headquarters and depot located in Hereford and consists of five squadrons: A, B, D, G and Reserve with a training wing. 22 SAS is supported by two reserve regiments, 21 SAS and 23 SAS (collectively, the Special Air Service (Reserve) (SAS(R))), which now come under the command of 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR), formed in 2005 from existing assets, undertakes close reconnaissance and special surveillance tasks.

The Special Forces Support Group, which comes under the Operational Control of the Director of Special Forces, provides operational manoeuvre support to the elements of United Kingdom Special Forces. It was formed around the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, with attached Royal Marines and RAF Regiment assets.

Locally raised units of British Overseas Territories

Historically the British Army included many units from Commonwealth Dominion countries and as these countries gained independence the control of these armies passed to the native government (e.g. Australian Army). However, units raised in other territories, including self-governing, Crown colonies and protectorates, remain under the control of the UK Government. To this day the UK retains responsibility for the defence of all of the fourteen remaining British Overseas Territories, of which four retain locally raised Regiments:

• Royal Bermuda Regiment
• Royal Gibraltar Regiment
• Falkland Islands Defence Force
• Royal Montserrat Defence Force

• 

  Falkland Islands Defence Force on parade in June 2013.

• 

  A detachment of the Falkland Islands Defence Force in ceremonial dress.

• 

  Royal Bermuda Regiment on parade

• 

  Changing of the Guard - Royal Gibraltar Regiment in 2012.

• 

  Royal Gibraltar Regiment in London, April 2012.

Royal Navy and Royal Air Force infantry units

The other armed services have their own infantry units which are not part of the British Army. The Royal Marines are amphibious light infantry forming part of the Naval Service, and the Royal Air Force has the RAF Regiment used for airfield defence, force protection duties and Forward Air Control.

Recruitment

Main article: Recruitment in the British Army

One of the most recognisable recruiting posters of the British Army; from World War I featuring Kitchener.

The Army mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, but does accept applications from people from Commonwealth nations and occasionally from friendly nations who meet certain criteria. In 2016 the decision was made that all roles will be open to women from 2018, previously women were not permitted to join the Combat Arms. The British Army is an equal opportunities employer (with some exceptions due to stringent medical standards) and does not discriminate based on race, religion or sexual orientation.

The minimum recruitment age is 16 (after the end of GCSEs), although soldiers may not serve on operations below 18 years; the maximum recruitment age was raised in January 2007 from 26 to 33 years. The maximum age for Army Reserve soldiers is higher. Traditionally a soldier would sign on for a term of 22 years, although recently there has been a shift towards shorter 12 year terms of service with an option to extend out to 22 years. Once enlisted a soldier is not normally permitted to leave until they have served four years and must give 12 months notice.

Oath of allegiance

All soldiers must take an oath of allegiance upon joining the Army, a process known as attestation. Those who wish to swear by God use the following words:

I, [soldier's name], swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, her heirs and successors and that I will as in duty bound honestly and faithfully defend Her Majesty, her heirs and successors in person, crown and dignity against all enemies and will observe and obey all orders of Her Majesty, her heirs and successors and of the generals and officers set over me.

Others replace the words "swear by Almighty God" with "solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm". Under the reign of another monarch, the name of the monarch and all pronouns with gender are replaced appropriately.

Training establishments

See also: List of British Army installations and Selection and Training in the British Army

New College buildings of Royal Military Academy Sandhurst

• Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) is the officer training establishment.
• Royal School of Artillery (RSA) trains the Royal Artillery.
• Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) trains the Corps of Royal Engineers.
• Army Training Regiments:
  • The Army Training Regiment, Grantham provides training for Army Reserve recruits.
  • The Army Training Regiment, Pirbright provides training for the Army Air Corps, the Royal Artillery, the Royal Corps of Signals, the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the Adjutant General's Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Intelligence Corps.
  • The Army Training Regiment, Winchester provides training for the Royal Armoured Corps, the Army Air Corps, the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Corps of Signals, the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, the Adjutant General's Corps, the Royal Army Medical Corps and the Intelligence Corps.
• Infantry Training Centres:
  • Infantry Training Centre, Catterick
  • Infantry Battle School, Brecon
• Army Foundation College (Harrogate)
• Army Training Units

Flags and ensigns

The official flag of the Army as a whole is the Union Flag, flown in a ratio of 3:5, although a non-ceremonial flag does exist and is often used at recruiting events, military events, exhibitions and also flies from the Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall. Whilst at war, the Union Flag is always used, and this flag represents the Army on The Cenotaph at Whitehall in London (the UK's memorial to its war dead).

Each British Army unit has a set of flags known as the Colours—normally a Regimental Colour and a Queen's Colour (the Union Flag).

• 

  Flag Ratio: 3:5. The official flag of the Army.

• 

  The non-ceremonial flag of the British Army. Sometimes the word Army in gold letters appears below the badge.

• 

  Ensign for general use by the Royal Logistic Corps

• 

  Ensign flown by the Royal Logistic Corps from vessels commanded by commissioned officers

• 

  Ensign of the Corps of Royal Engineers

Ranks, specialisms and insignia

Main article: British Army ranks

NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D)	Student officer
United Kingdom (Edit)													No equivalent
	Field Marshal1	General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Officer Cadet
Abbreviation:	FM	Gen	Lt Gen	Maj Gen	Brig	Col	Lt Col	Maj	Capt	Lt	2Lt	OCdt
1Rank in abeyance.

NATO Code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4		OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
British Army (Edit)																	No Equivalent										No Insignia
	Warrant Officer Class 1						Warrant Officer Class 2		Staff/Colour Sergeant		Sergeant												Corporal		Lance Corporal		Private (or equivalent)
Abbreviation:	Cdr			WO1			WO2		S/Sgt / C/Sgt		Sgt												Cpl / Bdr /L/Sgt		L/Cpl / L/Bdr		Pte

Every regiment and corps has its own distinctive insignia, such as cap badge, beret, tactical recognition flash and stable belt. Many units also call soldiers of different ranks by different names (e.g. a NATO OR-1 (Private) is called a Guardsman in Guards Regiments, a Gunner in Artillery units and a Sapper in Engineer units). These names make no different to the pay or role that the soldier undertakes.

Uniform

Further information: Uniforms of the British Army

The uniform of the British Army currently exists in sixteen categories ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress.

Working Dress

The day-to-day uniform is No. 8 Dress and is known as Personal Clothing System – Combat Uniform (PCS-CU). It is based around a Multi-Terrain Pattern (MTP) windproof smock, a lightweight jacket and trousers with a range of ancillaries such as thermals and waterproofs. In recent years, the British army has introduced Tactical Recognition Flashes (TRFs) – worn on the right arm of a combat uniform, this distinctive insignia denotes the wearer's regiment or corps.

Working headress is normally worn, which is typically a beret. The colour of the beret usually shows what type of regiment the wearer is from. The colours are as follows:

• Khaki—Foot Guards, Household Cavalry, Honourable Artillery Company, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, Royal Anglian Regiment,
• Light grey—Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps
• Brown—King's Royal Hussars
• Black—Royal Tank Regiment
• Dark (Rifle) green—The Rifles, Royal Gurkha Rifles
• Maroon—Parachute Regiment
• Beige—Special Air Service
• Sky blue—Army Air Corps
• Cypress green—Intelligence Corps
• Scarlet—Royal Military Police
• Green—Adjutant General's Corps
• Navy blue—All other Army units

In addition to the working dress the British Army has a number of parade uniforms that are used for both ceremonial and non-ceremonial occasions. The most commonly seen uniforms are No.1 Dress (full ceremonial - seen at formal occasions such as at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace) and No.2 Dress (Service Dress) which is a smart brown design seen at non-ceremonial parades.

Tommy Atkins and other nicknames

Further information: List of nicknames of British Army regiments

A long established nickname for a British soldier has been Tommy Atkins or Tommy for short. The origins are obscure but most probably derive from a specimen army form circulated by the Adjutant-General Sir Harry Calvert to all units in 1815 where the blanks had been filled in with the particulars of a Private Thomas Atkins, No 6 Company, 23rd Regiment of Foot. German soldiers in both world wars would usually refer to their British opponents as Tommys. Present-day British soldiers are often referred to as Toms or just Tom. The British Army magazine Soldier has a regular cartoon strip, Tom, featuring the everyday life of a British soldier. Outside the services, soldiers are generally known as squaddies by the British popular press, and the general public.

Another nickname which applies only to soldiers in Scottish regiments is Jock, derived from the fact that in Scotland the common Christian name John is often changed to Jock in the vernacular. Welsh soldiers are occasionally referred to as Taffy or just Taff. This may only apply to those from the Taff-Ely Valley in South Wales, where a large portion of men, left unemployed from the decline of the coal industry in the area, enlisted during the First and Second World Wars. Alternatively, it is derived from the supposed Welsh pronunciation of Dafydd—the vernacular form of Dave or Davey, the patron Saint of Wales being Saint David. As a nickname for the Welsh it has existed since 1699.

Junior officers in the army, especially those from a privileged background, are sometimes known as Ruperts by the other ranks. This nickname is believed to have been derived from the children's comic book character Rupert Bear who epitomises traditional public school values and from the purported preponderance of that particular forename amongst young men from a public school background.

See also

• Army Cadet Force (ACF)
• British Army order of precedence
• British Army uniform
• British campaign medals
• British military history
• Future of the British Army (Army 2020)
• Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015
• Jankers (army punishments)
• List of British Army installations
• Ministry of Defence
• Modern equipment of the British Army
• Redcoat
• Royal Air Force
• Royal Navy
• Sexual orientation and military service
• Army Reserve (United Kingdom)
• United Kingdom Special Forces
• Volunteer Force

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External links

• British Army Website