British Army special operations formation
Military unit
The Army Special Operations Brigade , previously called the Specialised Infantry Group , is a formation of the
British Army , initially created as a result of the
Army 2020 Refine reorganisation, intended to
train foreign forces .
[2]
[3] Its name and role was adapted after the
Defence in a Competitive Age reforms, to a unit that not only trains partner nations, but also fights alongside them in " complex high-threat environments" .
[4]
[5]
History
Specialised Infantry Group
The group was formed to work alongside partner forces,
[3] a role which has similarities to that of the US Army
Security Force Assistance Brigades .
[6]
[7] Initially formed in October 2017 with the 4th Battalion,
The Rifles (4 Rifles) and
Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion ,
Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 Scots).
[8]
[9]
[10]
[2]
[3] in July 2018, the 2nd Battalion,
Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment was added to the Group.
[8]
[9]
[10]
[3] and in January 2019, a fourth battalion, the 2nd Battalion,
Duke of Lancaster's Regiment , was added and this was followed by the 3rd Battalion,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles in 2020.
[9]
[11]
[10]
[12]
[3]
[13]
In February 2018, 4 Rifles deployed for the first time to
Kuwait to work with the
Kuwait Army and
Kuwait National Guard .
[14] R Company, It also trained the Afghan Army and forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
[15] In July 2018, C Company from the 2 PWRR was dispatched to Nigeria, where 1 Scots also trained the
Nigerian Army for their fight against
Boko Haram .
[16]
Army Special Operations Brigade
In August 2021 the group was re-designated as the Army Special Operations Brigade,
[17] with the four battalions of the newly created
Ranger Regiment and two reinforcement companies of the Royal Gurkha Rifles along with 255 Signal Squadron under command,
[18] and 1 Squadron
Honourable Artillery Company attached to provide
long-range surveillance patrols .
[19]
[20]
The mentoring and training role that was previously undertaken by the Specialised Infantry Group, will be taken on by a new brigade, formed through the conversion of
11th Infantry Brigade , into the
11th Security Force Assistance Brigade .
[4]
[21]
[22]
The inaugural Brigade Commander was
Brigadier Angus Fair DSO* OBE who formerly commanded the Specialised Infantry Group.
[23]
[24]
[25]
Structure
Former Structure (2021)
The structure of the Specialised Infantry Group in March 2021 was as follows:
Group Headquarters at Saint Omer Barracks,
Aldershot Garrison
[26]
Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion ,
Royal Regiment of Scotland (1 SCOTS), at
Palace Barracks ,
Belfast
[27]
2nd Battalion,
Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (2 PWRR), at
Keogh Barracks ,
Mytchett
[28]
[29]
[30]
[31]
2nd Battalion,
Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (2 LANCS), at Elizabeth Barracks,
Pirbright Camp
[32]
[29]
[30]
[33]
4th Battalion,
The Rifles (4 RIFLES), at Normandy Barracks, Aldershot Garrison
[29]
[34]
[35]
3rd Battalion,
The Royal Gurkha Rifles (3 RGR), at Aldershot Garrison
[36]
Future Structure (2030)
Graphic representing the structure of the new brigade.
The future structure of the brigade (by 2030) will be:
[37]
[5]
[38]
Brigade Headquarters at Saint Omer Barracks,
Aldershot Garrison
[4]
[39]
[3]
255 Signal Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals, at Swinton Barracks, Perham Down (Aldershot from 2027)
[18]
1st Battalion,
Ranger Regiment (1 RANGER), at
Palace Barracks ,
Belfast
[40]
2nd Battalion, Ranger Regiment (2 RANGER), at
Keogh Barracks ,
Mytchett
[41]
[42]
[30]
[31]
3rd Battalion, Ranger Regiment (3 RANGER), at Elizabeth Barracks,
Pirbright Camp
[32]
[42]
[30]
[33]
4th Battalion, Ranger Regiment (4 RANGER), at Normandy Barracks, Aldershot Garrison
[42]
[44]
[35]
Joint Counter Terrorist Training and Advisory Team , at Risborough Barracks, Shorncliffe Army Camp
[46]
1 Squadron,
Honourable Artillery Company will provide Special Patrols to the Brigade.
[47]
See also
References
^
Defence in a Competitive Age (PDF) . Ministry of Defence. March 2021. pp. 46, 68.
ISBN
9781528624626 . Retrieved 12 January 2022 .
^
a
b
"Defence review to see dozens of sites close" . BBC News . 7 November 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Specialised Infantry Group" . army.mod.uk . British Army. Archived from
the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^
a
b
c
"New British Army brigade: reshaping UK special operations for the better?" . IISS . Retrieved 4 September 2021 .
^
a
b
"Army Special Operations Brigade" . Retrieved 8 September 2021 .
^ Matisek, Jahara; Williamson, Joshua (June 2020). "Limited Wars in the Periphery: The Dilemma of American Military Assistance". Expeditions with MCU Press .
doi :
10.36304/ExpwMCUP.2020.03 .
^ Matisek, Jahara; Reno, William (2019).
"Getting American Security Force Assistance Right: Political Context Matters" (PDF) . Joint Force Quarterly . 92 (1st quarter): 65–73.
^
a
b
"Leadership in The Specialised Infantry: An Interview with Brigadier James Roddis" . thearmyleader.co.uk . The Army Leader. 8 December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^
a
b
c
"Army 2020 Refine Structure" (PDF) . britisharmedforcesreview . HM Armed Forces Review. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019 .
^
a
b
c
"Written Statement: Strategic Defence and Security Review – Army:Written statement – HCWS367" . parliament.uk . Hansard. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2019 . Specialised Infantry Battalions
^
"New Gurkha battalion to be established as brigade grows" . gov.uk . London. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^
"New 3rd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles Will Begin Recruiting 2019" . warfare.today . 12 March 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^ Latter, Mick (3 February 2020).
"The Third Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles reformation parade" .
^ Grzeszczyk, Sian (21 February 2018).
"EXCLUSIVE: Specialist British Soldiers' First Operational Deployment In Kuwait" . Forces News . Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^ Wiltshire, Amy (2 May 2019).
"Duchess Of Cornwall Presents 4 RIFLES With Medals" . Forces News . Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^ Cotterill, Tom (23 July 2018).
"Portsmouth soldiers teach Nigerian Army how to defeat brutal terror group Boko Haram" . Portsmouth News . Portsmouth. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^
"First glimpse of 'Future Soldier' " . Soldier Magazine. 1 August 2021. p. 14.
^
a
b
"Unit Details" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 25 November 2021 .
^ Gregory, Lieutenant General Sir Andrew (25 November 2021).
"The Integrated Review" . Ministry of Defence. p. 1. Retrieved 3 December 2021 .
^ Gregory, Lieutenant General Sir Andrew (25 November 2021).
"The Integrated Review" . Ministry of Defence. p. 2. Retrieved 3 December 2021 .
^
"New Army Ranger Regiment: What We Know So Far" . Forces Network . 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021 .
^
"New Army Ranger Regiment: What We Know So Far" . Forces Network . 6 April 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021 .
^ Nicholls, Dominic (25 November 2021).
" 'Emotional intelligence' key for Army's new Rangers units" . The Telegraph . Retrieved 13 January 2022 .
^ Luscombe, Stephen.
"Light Dragoons" . The British Empire . Retrieved 13 December 2021 . Angus George Costeker Fair
^
"Aldershot Soldiers Receive Operational Medals" . British Army (Press release). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2022 .
^
"Specialised Infantry Group" . army.mod.uk . British Army. Archived from
the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019 .
^ Weir, Fiona (2 October 2014).
"Warm Welcome for 1 SCOTS in Holywood" . Forces Network . Retrieved 29 October 2020 .
^
"Army 2020 Refine changes since 2017" (PDF) . Dropbox . Retrieved 10 October 2019 .
^
a
b
c Fallon, Michael (15 December 2016).
"Strategic Defence and Security Review – Army: Written statement – HCWS367" . Hansard. Retrieved 16 December 2016 .
^
a
b
c
d
"Regiments to change bases, in major Army restructure" . Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 22 December 2016 .
^
a
b
"Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 3 December 2020 .
^
a
b
British Army Newsletter | Summer 2020 | Issue 5 | In Front .
^
a
b
"Duke of Lancaster's Regiment" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 3 December 2020 .
^ Garrison, Aldershot (Winter 2020).
"The Garrison: Aldershot Garrison, Home of the British Army, Issue #7: Winter 2020" . Aldershot Garrison . Retrieved 18 March 2021 .
^
a
b
"4 RIFLES" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 3 December 2020 .
^
"New specialist Gurkha battalion established" . Ministry of Defence. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2021 .
^
"Unit Details" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 26 November 2021 .
^
"New Army Ranger Regiment: What We Know So Far" . Forces Network . 25 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021 .
^
"6th (United Kingdom) Division" . www.army.mod.uk . Retrieved 3 December 2020 .
^ Weir, Fiona (2 October 2014).
"Warm Welcome for 1 SCOTS in Holywood" . Forces Network . Retrieved 29 October 2020 .
^
"Army 2020 Refine changes since 2017" (PDF) . Dropbox . Retrieved 10 October 2019 .
^
a
b
c Fallon, Michael (15 December 2016).
"Strategic Defence and Security Review – Army: Written statement – HCWS367" . Hansard. Retrieved 16 December 2016 .
^ Latter, Mick (30 November 2021).
"F (Falklands) Company, Formation Parade 18th November 2021" . Welcome to the Gurkha Brigade Association . Retrieved 10 December 2021 .
^ Garrison, Aldershot (Winter 2020).
"The Garrison: Aldershot Garrison, Home of the British Army, Issue #7: Winter 2020" . Aldershot Garrison . Retrieved 18 March 2021 .
^ Rushworth, Will (9 February 2022).
"4 RANGER'S GURKHAS DEPLOYED ACROSS AFRICA" (PDF) . 4 RIFLES. Bugle . No. 19 Spring 2022. Kettering: Crest Publications. p. 30. … G (Coriano) Coy, the newest addition to 4 RANGER, …
^ Peach, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart (2012).
"Defence and Intelligence" (PDF) . Geospatial World Forum . Joint Forces Command. p. 3. Retrieved 2 November 2017 .
^ The Integrated Review, Lt Gen Andrew Gregory CBE, Master Gunner St James's Park, 25 November 2021
External links