Operation Telic order of battle

The Invasion (Operation TELIC I)

From January 2003 to 11 July 2003:

Maritime forces

Support vessels of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Air forces

27 helicopters were also sent to the area, a mixture of Pumas, Chinooks and Merlins, although the breakdown of types within that number is yet to be determined. Beyond the Hercules aircraft that were based in theatre, virtually the whole of the rest of the Hercules fleet, the C-17 fleet, and those Tristars and VC10s that had remained based in the UK were involved in transport operations to and from the Persian Gulf.

Ground forces

Joint assets

Notes

It should be noted that when a battalion is referred to as a battlegroup, it is not purely made up of units from the parent unit, but is an integrated team, combining armoured units with tanks, and mechanised infantry with infantry fighting vehicles.

Also, whilst 16 Air Assault Brigade is apparently the only fighting brigade listed with its own organic helicopter support in this order of battle, 3 Commando Brigade had the helicopters on board Ocean and Ark Royal to call upon, and 7 Armoured Brigade wasn't really air mobile as a formation. There were also the RAF Pumas and Chinooks mentioned above for transport purposes.

Special Forces elements of the British Army (Special Air Service) and Royal Marines (Special Boat Service) were also deployed but as the British government policy is not to comment on special forces activity, the exact details or elements deployed are officially unconfirmed.

The contribution of reservists to the deployment (some 9,500 of the 46,000 personnel involved in the warfighting phase and its immediate aftermath, the vast majority from the Territorial Army, and in significant number in the subsequent roulements) is understated by the order of battle, as the only units to deploy in their entirety were 202 Field Hospital (with augmentees from the other TAVR Field Hospitals), 131 Independent Commando Squadron of the Royal Engineers as well as A (Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry) Squadron and W (Westminster Dragoons) Squadron of the Royal Yeomanry. The remainder were augmentees, called up individually from their units (which therefore do not feature in the order of battle) and employed to bring many of the units listed above up to their war-fighting strength.

Finally, 3 Commando Brigade had a United States Marine Corps unit, 15th MEU under its command in the initial stages of the war. This went back to American command around 25 March.

Roulements

1st Armoured Division remained in theatre, controlling UK ground forces until June 2003, when 3rd Mechanised Division's HQ arrived in theatre to take command of British forces. From December 2003 a series of composite HQs were established.

1st Roulement (Operation TELIC II)

From 11 July 2003 to 4 November 2003:

2nd Roulement (Operation TELIC III)

From: 4 November 2003 to 25 April 2004:

3rd Roulement (Operation TELIC IV)

From 25 April 2004 to 1 November 2004:

4th Roulement (Operation TELIC V)

From 1 November 2004 to 30 April 2005:

5th Roulement (Operation TELIC VI)

From 30 April 2005 to 31 October 2005:

6th Roulement (Operation TELIC VII)

From 1 November 2005 to 9 May 2006:

7th Roulement (Operation TELIC VIII)

From 10 May 2006 to 14 November 2006:

8th Roulement (Operation TELIC IX)

From 14 November 2006 to June 2007:

9th Roulement (Operation TELIC X)

From June 2007 to December 2007:

Land component

Sea component

Air component

10th Roulement (Operation TELIC XI)

From December 2007 to June 2008:

2nd Battalion Royal Welsh I

11th Roulement (Operation TELIC XII)

From June 2008 to December 2008:

12th Roulement (Operation TELIC XIII)

From December 2008 to 30 April 2009:

Aerial Assets