Everything about The British Army totally explained
The
British Army is the
land armed forces branch of the
British Armed Forces. It came into being with unification of the Kingdoms of
England and
Scotland into the
Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was administered by the
War Office from
London. Since 1963, it has been managed by the
Ministry of Defence.
As of April 2007, the British Army includes roughly 101,310 regular personnel and 38,460
Territorial Army members. The full-time element of the British Army has also been referred to as the
Regular Army since the creation of the reservist
Territorial Army in 1908. The British Army is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of both
Expeditionary Forces and in
United Nations Peacekeeping forces. The British Army is currently deployed in
Kosovo,
Cyprus,
Germany,
Iraq,
Afghanistan and many other places.
In contrast to the
Royal Navy,
Royal Marines and
Royal Air Force, the British Army doesn't include "Royal" in its title, however many of its constituent Regiments and Corps are styled Royal.
The professional head of the British Army is the
Chief of the General Staff, currently Sir
Richard Dannatt.
History
The British Army came into being with the merger of the
Scottish Army and the English Army, following the unification of the two countries' parliaments and the creation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated existing English and Scottish regiments, and was controlled from London.
From roughly 1763 the United Kingdom has been one of the leading military and economic powers of the world. 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 Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played important roles in colonisation. Typical tasks for the Army included
garrisoning the colonies, capturing strategically important territories and participating in actions to pacify colonial borders, provide support to allied governments, suppress Britain's rivals, and protect against foreign powers and hostile natives. British troops also helped capture strategically important territories for the British, allowing the British Empire to expand throughout the globe. The Army also involved itself in numerous wars meant 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 War of Independence, the
Napoleonic Wars, the
First and
Second Opium Wars, the
Boxer Rebellion, the
New Zealand Wars, the
Indian Mutiny, the
First and
Second Boer Wars, the
Fenian raids, the
Anglo-Irish War, 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
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.
The British army was heavily involved in the
Napoleonic Wars in which the army served in Spain, across Europe, and in North Africa. The war between the British and French Empires stretched around the world. The British Army finally came to defeat Napoleon at one of Britain's greatest military victories at the battle of
Waterloo.
Under
Oliver Cromwell, the English Army had been active in the conquest, and the settlement, of Ireland since the 1650s. The Cromwellian campaign was characterised by its uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns (most notably
Drogheda) that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. It (and subsequently, the British Army) have been almost continuously involved in Ireland ever since, primarily in suppressing numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for self-determination. It was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots settlers in Ireland, who alongside their Irish countrymen had raised their own volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions (primarily concerning home rule and freedom of trade) were not met. 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.
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;
Indian princely forces and
British East India Company mutineers in the
Indian Mutiny; 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.
Following 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 1707 union of England and Scotland, and then the 1801 creation of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British foreign policy, on the continent, was to contain expansion by its competitor powers such as
France and
Spain. The territorial ambitions of the French led to the
War of the Spanish Succession and the
Napoleonic Wars. Russian activity led to the
Crimean 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.
Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, notably the
German Empire. The UK was allied with France (by the
Entente Cordiale) and Russia, and when the
First World War broke out in 1914, the British Army sent the
British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with near 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was decimated and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscripted) force replaced it. Major battles included the
Battle of the Somme. 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, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation.
In 1939, the
Second World War broke out with the German invasion of
Poland. British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. Again an
Expeditionary Force was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in 1940. Only the
Dunkirk evacuations saved the entire Expeditionary Force from capture. Later, however, the British would have success defeating the Italians and Germans at the
Battle of El Alamein in
North Africa, and in the
D-Day invasions of Normandy with the help of American, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces. In the Far East, the British Army battled the
Japanese in
Burma. World War II saw the British army develop its
Commando units including the
Parachute Regiment and
Special Air Service. During the war the British army was one of the major fighting forces on the side of the allies.
After the end of World War II, 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 end of the
British Raj, and the independence of other colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly the strength of the British military was further reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs, outlined in the
1957 Defence White Paper, although major conflicts had been recently fought in form of the
Korean War in 1950 and
Suez Crisis in 1956. A large deployment of
British troops also remained in Germany, facing the threat of
Soviet invasion. 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 colonial wars in
Aden,
Cyprus,
Kenya and
Malaya. In 1982 the British Army, alongside the
Royal Marines, helped to recapture the
Falkland Islands during the
Falklands War against
Argentina.
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 loyalist and republican paramilitary groups, called
Operation Banner. The locally-recruited
Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming the
Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. 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, much reducing the military presence in the area. On June 25th 2007, the Second Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment vacated the Army complex at Bessbrook Mill in Armagh. This is part of the 'normalisation' programme in Northern Ireland in response to the IRA's declared end to its activities.
Recent and current conflicts
Persian Gulf War
The ending of the
Cold War saw a 40% cut in manpower, as outlined in the
Options for Change review. Despite this, the Army has been deployed in an increasingly global role. In 1991, the United Kingdom was the second largest contributor to the coalition force that fought
Iraq in the
Gulf War.
The nation supplied just under 50,000 personnel and was the nation put in control of
Kuwait after it was liberated.
Balkans conflicts
The British Army was deployed to
Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially this force formed part of the
United Nations Protection Force. In 1995 command was transferred to
IFOR and then to
SFOR. Currently troops are under the command of
EUFOR. Over 10,000 troops were sent. In 1999 British forces under the command of
SFOR were sent to
Kosovo during the conflict there. Command was subsequently transferred to
KFOR.
Afghanistan
In 2001 The
3rd Division Signal Regiment were deployed in
Kabul,
Afghanistan to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital. The Royal Marines'
3 Commando Brigade also swept the
Afghan mountains but this force is part of the
Royal Navy. The British Armed forces are currently in charge of NATO forces in the nation. The British Army is today concentrating on fighting
Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand province under NATO control.
Iraq War
In 2003, the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the United States-led
invasion of Iraq. There was some disagreement amongst the populace but the House of Commons voted for the conflict, sending over 45,000 army personnel to the region. The British Army maintains a presence in the city of
Basra and the southern regions of
Iraq. The British Army isn't currently at war, but this is a conflict against groups acting within Iraq. The British Army's main duty in Iraq is peace-keeping.
The British military admitted, on
March 27 2008, that it breached the human rights of an Iraqi man, named Baha Mousa, who died in custody, and that its soldiers also violated the rights of eight other detained Iraqis.
Northern Ireland
The British Army was initially deployed in
Northern Ireland in the wake of Catholic rioting in
Derry and
Belfast and to prevent Protestant Loyalist attacks on Catholic communities, under
Operation Banner between 1969 and 2007 in support of the
Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). There has been a steady reduction in the number of troops deployed in
Northern Ireland since the
Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. In 2005, after the
Provisional Irish Republican Army announced an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland, it was revealed that the British Army would dismantle posts in the province and withdraw many troops and restore troop levels to that of a peace time garrison. The operation ended at midnight on
31 July 2007, making it the longest continuous deployment in the British Army's history, lasting some thirty-eight years. An internal British Army document released in 2007 stated an expert opinion that the British Army had failed to defeat the IRA but had made it impossible for them to win through the use of violence.
Tommy Atkins and other nicknames
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. Present day English soldiers are often referred to as 'Toms' or just 'Tom' (The Scots equivalent being 'Jock', the Welsh equivalent 'Taffy'). Outside the services soldiers are generally known as 'Squaddies' by the
British popular press. The British Army magazine
Soldier has a regular cartoon strip, 'Tom', featuring the everyday life of a British soldier.
Junior officers in the army are generally known as 'Ruperts' by the
Other ranks. This nickname is believed to be derived from the children's comic book character
Rupert Bear who epitomises traditional public school values.
The term 'Pongo', as in where the army goes the pong goes, or 'Perce' is often used by Sailors and Royal Marines to refer to soldiers. It isn't considered complimentary.
Today's Army
Statistics
Current deployments
'High Intensity' Operations
| Country |
ates |
eployment |
etails |
| Afghanistan | 2001– |
7,000 troops |
British troops have been based in Afghanistan since the US-led invasion there in 2001. Currently, under Operation Herrick, the Army maintains a battalion in Kabul and most of a brigade in the southern province of Helmand.
|
| Iraq | 2003– |
5,000 troops |
As part of Operation Telic (Gulf War 2), the British Army participated in the invasion of Iraq. Following the decision for continued security operations, the UK commands the Multi-National Division (South-East) with a headquarters unit, National Support Element, and a combat brigade (at the moment 1 Mechanised Brigade), along with troops from Italy, Norway, Romania, Denmark, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Portugal and Lithuania. A large number of Territorial Army soldiers have been deployed for a variety of tasks, both as individuals serving and as formed units. Troop numbers are gradually decreasing, though the UK Government doesn't have a timetable for a full withdrawal.
|
| Kosovo | 2008- |
600 troops |
As part of the EU's peacekeeping force in Kosovo called EULEX, the UK has sent a battle-group based on 2 Rifles, a light infantry battalion of about 600 soldiers, to help maintain public order.
|
'Low-Intensity' Operations
| Country |
ates |
eployment |
etails |
| Cyprus | 1960– |
Two resident infantry battalions, Royal Engineers, 16 Flight Army Air Corps and Joint Service Signals Unit at Ayios Nikolaos as a part of British Forces Cyprus |
The UK retains two Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus after the island's independence. The bases serve as forward bases for deployments in the Middle East. British forces are also deployed separately with UN peacekeeping forces on the island.
|
| Falkland Islands | 1982– |
An infantry company group and an Engineers Squadron |
Previously a platoon-sized Royal Marines Naval Party served as garrison. After 1982 the garrison was enlarged, and bolstered with an RAF base.
|
| Gibraltar | 1704– |
One infantry battalion, Joint Provost and Security Unit as a part of British Forces Gibraltar |
British Army garrison is provided by an indigenous regiment, the Royal Gibraltar Regiment, which has been on the Army regular establishment since the last British regiment left in 1991.
|
| Rest of the Middle East | 1990 |
3,700 troops |
Since the Gulf War in 1991, the UK has had a considerable military presence in the Middle East. Besides Iraq, there are also an additional 3,500 troops in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as regular training missions in Oman.
|
| Sierra Leone | 1999 |
About 1000 troops |
The British Army were deployed to Sierra Leone, a former British colony, in 1999 to aid the government in quelling violent uprisings by militiamen, under United Nations resolutions. Troops (Royal Marines ) remain in the region to provide military support and training to the Sierra Leone government.
|
Permanent overseas postings
Equipment
The basic infantry weapons of the British Army are the
SA-80 assault rifle family, with several variants such as the
L86A2 Designated Marksmans Rifle and the short stock variant, issued to tank crews. The general issue sidearm is the
Browning L9A1, though a search is currently underway to find a replacement. Support fire is provided by the
FN Minimi light machine gun and the
L7 GPMG; indirect fire by
51 and
81 mm Mortar, as well as the
UGL, mounted under the barrel of the SA80 rifle. Sniper rifles used include the
L96A1 7.62 mm, the
L115A1 and the
AW50F, all produced by
Accuracy International. In addition, some units use the
L82A1 .50 calibre Barrett sniper rifle.
The British Army commonly uses the
Land Rover Wolf and
Land Rover Defender; with the
Challenger 2 as its Main Battle Tank. The
Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the primary APC, although many variants of the
Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) are used, as well as the
Saxon APC and
FV430 series now being re-engined and uparmoured and returned to front line service as
Bulldog.
The Army uses three main artillery systems; the
MLRS, which debuted in
Operation Granby and has a range of 30 km: the
AS-90, a self-propelled howitzer, and the
L118, a 105 mm towed gun-howitzer, used primarily by lighter units and in support of the
Royal Marines
The
Rapier FSC Missile System is the Army's primary battlefield air defence system, widely deployed since the
Falklands War; and the
Starstreak HVM is a surface-to-air missile, launched either by a single soldier or from a vehicle-mounted launcher. The Starstreak fills a similar role to the American
FIM-92 Stinger
The
Army Air Corps (AAC) provide direct aviation support for the Army, although the RAF also assist in this role. The primary attack helicopter is the
Westland WAH-64 Apache; a license-built, modified version of the
AH-64 Apache that will replace the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. The Westland Lynx performs several roles including tactical transport, armed escort, reconnaissance and evacuation. It used to also offer the anti-tank warfare roll; it could carry eight
TOW anti-tank missiles. The Tow missile system fit, for the Lynx was withdrawn from service by the MOD in December 2005, after the coming in to service of the WAH-64 Apache.
The
Bell 212 is used as a specialist utility and transport helicopter, with a crew of two and a transport capacity of twelve troops.
The
Westland Gazelle helicopter is a light helicopter, primarily used for battlefield scouting and control of artillery and aircraft.
The Agusta A109 is used for Special Operations Aviation, along with the Gazelle.
The
Britten-Norman Islander is a light aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command, primarily in Northern Ireland.
Formation and structure
See main article: Structure of the British Army
The structure of the British Army is complex, due to the different origins of its various constituent parts. It is broadly split into the Regular Army (full-time soldiers and units) and the
Territorial Army (part-time soldiers and units).
In terms of its military structure it has two parallel organisations, one Administrative and one Operational.
Administrative
- Divisions administrating all military units, both Regular and TA, within a geographical area (for example 5 Div based in Shrewsbury).
Operational
The three major commands are
Land Command, Headquarters
Adjutant General, and Headquarters Northern Ireland.
Corps made up of two or more Divisions (now unlikely to be deployed as a purely national formation due to the size of the British Army) for example the
ARRC.
Division made up of two or three Brigades with an HQ element and support troops. Commanded by a Major-general.
- Brigade made up of three Battalions an HQ element and associated support troops. Commanded by a Brigadier.
- Battlegroup. This is a mixed formation of armour, infantry, artillery, engineers and support units, and its structure is task specific. It is formed around the core of either an Armoured Regiment or Infantry Battalion, and has other units added or removed from it as necessary. A Battlegroup will typically consist of between 600 and 700 soldiers under the command of a Lieutenant Colonel.
- Company of about 100 soldiers, typically in three platoons, commanded by a Major.
A number of elements of the British Army use alternative terms for Battalion, Company and Platoon. These include the Royal Armoured Corps, Corps of Royal Engineers, Royal Logistics Corps, and the Royal Corps of Signals who use Regiment(Battalion), Squadron(Company) and Troop(Platoon). The Royal Artillery are unique in using the term Regiment in place of both Corps and Battalion, they also replace Company with Battery and Platoon with Troop.
Aviation components
The British Army operates alongside the Royal Air Force as part of a Joint Force, but the army also has its own Army Air Corps.
The AAC has in its arsenal:
Westland Apache Helicopters
Westland Lynx Helicopters
Westland Gazelle Helicopters
Bell 212 Helicopters
Britten-Norman Islander Aircraft
Agusta A109
Special Forces
The British Army contributes two of the three special forces formations within the United Kingdom Special Forces Command; the Special Air Service Regiment and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.
The most famous formation is the Special Air Service Regiment. Formed in 1941, the SAS is considered the role model for many other special force Regiments in the world .
The SAS comprises one regular Regiment and two Territorial Army Regiments and is headquartered at Duke of York Barracks, London.
The regular Regiment, 22 SAS Regiment has its headquarters and depot located in Hereford and consists of five squadrons: A, B, D, G and Reserve and a training wing. The regiment has battlespace roles in deep reconnaissance, target identification and indication and target destruction and denial. In its Counter Terrorism role it's seen as one of the prime anti-terrorist, hostage rescue and target capture units in the world.
The two reserve SAS Regiments; 21 SAS Regiment and 23 SAS Regiment have a more limited role, focusing on the battlespace, with tasks including Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols and Combat Search and Rescue; rather than Counter-Terrorism.
The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) which was formed in 2005, from existing assets, undertakes close reconnaissance and special surveillance tasks.
Formed around 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, with attached Royal Marines and RAF Regiment assets, the Special Forces Support Group are under the Operational Control of Director Special Forces to provide operational manoeuvre support to the elements of United Kingdom Special Forces.
Recruitment
The Army mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, and normally has a recruitment target of around 25,000 soldiers per year.
Low unemployment in Britain has resulted in the Army having difficulty in meeting its target
, and in the early years of the 21st century there has been a marked increase in the number of recruits from other (mostly Commonwealth) countries. In 2008 Commonwealth origin volunteers comprised approximately 6.7% of the Army's total strength. In total 6,600 foreign soldiers from 42 countries were represented in the Army, not including Gurkhas. After Gurkhas, the nation with most citizens in the British Army is Fiji, with 1,900, followed by Jamaica and Ghana with 600 each; soldiers also come from more prosperous countries such as Australia, South Africa and the Republic of Ireland.
The Ministry of Defence is now considering capping the number of recruits from Commonwealth countries, although this won't affect the Gurkhas. If the trend continues 10% of the army will be from Commonwealth countries before 2012. The cap is being debated, as some fear the army`s "Britishness" is being diluted, and employing too many could make the army seen as employing too many mercenaries.
The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (but only 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 normal term of engagement is 22 years, and once enlisted soldiers are not normally permitted to leave until they've served at least 4 years.
There has been a strong and continuing tradition of recruiting from Ireland including what is now the Republic of Ireland. Almost 150,000 Irish soldiers fought in the First World War; 49,000 died. More than 60,000 Irishmen, more than from Northern Ireland, also saw action in the Second World War; like their compatriots in the Great War, all were volunteers.
There were more than 400 men serving from the Republic in 2003.
Oath of allegiance
All soldiers must take an oath of allegiance upon joining the Army, a process known as "attestation". Those who believe in God use the following words:
Training establishments
Army Training Regiments:
- ATR Bassingbourn
- ATR Winchester
- ATR Pirbright
- ATR Lichfield
- AFC Harrogate
Infantry Training Centres:
- ITC Catterick
- Infantry Battle School, Brecon
- Support Weapons School, Warminster
Regional training centres
Tri Service Police College
Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS)
Flags and ensigns
Flag Ratio: 3:5. The official flag of the Army.]]
The British Army doesn't have its own specific ensign, unlike the Royal Navy, which uses the White Ensign, and the RAF, which uses the Royal Air Force Ensign. Instead, the Army has different flags and ensigns, for the entire army and the different regiments and corps. The official flag of the Army as a whole is the Union Flag, flown in ratio 3:5. A non-ceremonial flag also exists, which is used at recruiting events, military events and exhibitions. It also flies from the MOD building in Whitehall. Whilst at war, the Union Flag is always used, and this flag represents the Army on the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London (the UK's memorial to war dead). A British Army ensign also exists for vessels commanded by a commissioned officer, the Blue Ensign defaced with the Army badge. Army Vessels are operated by the Maritime element of the Royal Logistic Corps.
Each line regiment (which doesn't include the Rifle Regiments) also has its own flags, known as the Colours - the Regimental Colour and the Queen's Colour. These Colours have been taken into battle in the past and give pride to the regiment. There is great variation in the designs of different Regimental Colours. Typically the colour has the Regiment's badge in the centre.
Ranks, specialisms and insignia
| Abbreviation |
FM |
Gen. |
Lt-Gen. |
Maj-Gen. |
Brig. |
Col. |
Lt-Col. |
Maj. |
Capt. |
Lt. |
2nd Lt. |
| 1 Now an honorary or wartime rank only.
|
Every regiment and corps has its own distinctive insignia, such as cap badge, beret and stable belt.
Throughout the army there are many official specialisms. They don't affect rank, but they do affect pay bands.
| Band 2 Specialisms: |
Band 3 Specialisms: |
| Musician |
Survey Technician |
| Farrier |
Lab Technician |
| Driver Tank Transporter |
Registered General Nurse |
| Radar Operator |
Telcom Op (Special) |
| Meteorologist |
Aircraft Technician |
| Bomb Disposal Engineer |
SAS Trooper |
| Telcom Op (Linguist) |
Ammunition Technician (Bomb Disposal) |
| Operator Special Intelligence |
| Construction Materials Technician |
| Driver Specialist |
| Armoured Engineer |
Royal Navy and RAF 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 Royal Navy, and the Royal Air Force has the RAF Regiment used for airfield defence, force protection duties and Forward Air Control.
Overseas Territories Military Units
Numerous military units were raised historically in British territories, including self-governing and Crown colonies, and protectorates. Few of these have appeared on the Army List, and their relationship to the British Army has been ambiguous. Whereas Dominions, such as Canada and Australia, raised their own armies, Crown possessions (like the Channel Islands), and colonies (now called Overseas Territories) were, and are, dependencies of the UK, and their defence remains the responsibility of the National (for example, United Kingdom) government. All military forces of overseas territories are, therefore, under the direct command of the UK Government, via the local Governor and Commander-In-Chief. Many of the units in colonies, or former colonies, were also actually formed at the behest of the UK Government as it sought to reduce the deployment of the British Army on garrison around the world at the latter end of the 19th century. Today, three overseas territories retain locally-raised military units, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and the Falkland Islands. The units are patterned on the British Army, are subject to review by the Ministry of Defence, and are ultimately under the control of the British government, not the local governments of the territories (though day-to-day control may be delegated to Ministers of the territorial governments). Despite this, the units may have no tasking or funding from the MOD, and are generally raised under acts of the territorial assemblies.
Bermuda Regiment
Royal Gibraltar Regiment
Falkland Islands Defence ForceFurther Information
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