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.
Contents
- Army Headquarters
- Commands
- Corps
- Divisions
- Brigades
- Order of precedence
- Combat Arms
- Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps
- Infantry
- Special Forces
- Army Air Corps
- Combat Support Arms
- Royal Regiment of Artillery
- Corps of Royal Engineers
- Royal Corps of Signals
- Intelligence Corps
- Combat Service Support Arms
- Royal Logistic Corps
- Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Medical services
- Adjutant Generals Corps
- Other services
- Training
- Armour
- Special Air Service
- Honourable Artillery Company
- Royal Artillery
- Royal Engineers
- Royal Signals
- Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
- Army Medical Services
- Army 2020
- References
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 (full-time or casual), 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; an infantry battalion is equivalent to a cavalry regiment. An infantry regiment is an administrative and ceremonial organisation only, and may include several battalions. For operational tasks, a battle group will be formed around a combat unit, supported by units or sub-units from other areas. An example would be a squadron of tanks attached to an armoured infantry battle group, together with a reconnaissance troop, artillery battery and engineering support.
Since the 1957 Defence Review, the structure of the Army has consistently shrunk. A comparison of the List of British Army Regiments (1962), the List of British Army Regiments (1994) and the List of British Army Regiments (2008) will show the steep decline in the number of infantry and armoured regiments. Since 1990, reductions have been almost constant, through succeeding defence reviews: Options for Change (1990), Front Line First (1994), the Strategic Defence Review of 1998, Delivering Security in a Changing World (2003), and the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010. However, the 2015 Review indicated no change from the personnel number targets set in 2010.
Army Headquarters
Through a major army reorganisation effective 1 November 2011, the Chief of the General Staff took direct command of the Army through a new structure, based at Andover and known as "Army Headquarters".
Reporting to the Chief of the General Staff are: the Commander Land Forces, the Adjutant-General and the Commander Force Development and Capability. The Commander Land Forces is responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations, the Adjutant-General is responsible for developing the Army's personnel policies and supporting its people and the Commander Force Development and Training is responsible for recruiting and training the Army, and developing its capability, sustainability and doctrine.
The Commander Land Forces commands 1st (United Kingdom) Division, 3rd (United Kingdom) Division and Theatre Troops. He also commands the garrisons in the mainland UK through HQ Support Command based in Aldershot and British Forces Germany.
The Chief of the General Staff is the Standing Joint Commander (UK) (SJC(UK)), responsible for overall command of Military Aid to Civil Power within mainland United Kingdom.
Commands
A command is a military formation that handles a specific task or region, and can direct forces as large as multiple corps or as little as a few battalions. Previously the Army had regional commands in the UK, including Aldershot Command, Eastern Command, Northern Command, Scottish Command, Southern Command and Western Command. In addition, there were functional commands, such as Anti-Aircraft Command (disbanded in the 1950s), and overseas commands, such as Middle East Command. Gradually, these were consolidated into a land command in the UK, Headquarters UK Land Forces, and a land command in Germany, British Army of the Rhine. Eventually, both were merged into Land Command.
From 1995, UK commands and later districts were replaced by regenerative divisions. 2nd Division, 4th Division, 5th Division and London District acted as regional commands within the UK reporting to Commander Regional Forces. Scotland District was absorbed by 2nd Division in 2000. The divisions were responsible for training subordinate formations and units under their command for operations in the UK, such as Military Aid to the Civil Community, as well as training units for overseas deployments. 2nd, 4th and 5th Divisions were replaced by Support Command on 1 November 2011.
London District includes many units with significant ceremonial roles. The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle is primarily mounted by the two Foot Guards Battalions and one Line Infantry Battalion, together with the Foot Guards Incremental companies: Nijmegen Company, Grenadier Guards, No 7 Company, Coldstream Guards, and F Company, Scots Guards. The guard at Horse Guards is normally drawn from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR). The Honourable Artillery Company carries out public duties in the City of London. The HAC and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery provide gun salutes in London. Under the General Officer Commanding Scotland, public duties in Edinburgh are the responsibility of a new incremental company, Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion, the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders), formed after the reduction of the Argylls from battalion status.
Corps
A corps, in the sense of a field fighting formation, is a formation of two or more divisions, potentially 50,000 personnel or more. While the British Army has no standing corps headquarters, forces are allocated through a number of multinational arrangements to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and European commitments, providing much of the headquarters capability and framework for the multinational Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. The last purely British corps, I (BR) Corps, disbanded in Germany after the end of the Cold War.
The word corps is also used for administrative groupings by common function, such as the Royal Armoured Corps and Army Air Corps. Various Combat Support Arms and Services are referred to in the wider sense as a Corps, such as the Royal Corps of Signals.
Divisions
A division is a formation of three or four brigades, around twenty thousand personnel, commanded by a Major General.
The British Army has two deployable divisions, capable of deploying the headquarters and subordinate formations immediately to operations.
London District is responsible for the maintenance of capability for the defence of the capital and the provision of ceremonial units and garrisons for the Crown Estate in London, such as the Tower of London.
Several infantry regiments are organised into five administrative divisions based on the type of infantry unit or traditional recruiting areas:
Brigades
A brigade contains three or four battalion-sized units, around 5,000 personnel, and is commanded by a one star officer, a Brigadier. The brigade will contain a wide range of military disciplines allowing the conduct of a spectrum of military tasks.
The brigade would be required to deploy up to three separate battlegroups, the primary tactical formation employed in British doctrine. The battlegroup is a mixed formation built around the core of one unit, an armoured regiment or infantry battalion, with sub-units providing artillery, engineers, logistics, aviation, etc., as required.
Combat formations include:
There are also several non-combat focused service support units of brigade size.
Order of precedence
The British Army parades according to the order of precedence, from right to left, with the unit at the extreme right being highest on the order.
The Household Cavalry has the highest precedence, unless the Royal Horse Artillery parades with its guns.
Combat Arms
The Combat Arms are the "teeth" of the British Army, infantry, armoured and aviation units which engage in close action.
Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured Corps
Regiments of line cavalry and the Royal Tank Regiment together form the Royal Armoured Corps which has units equipped with either main battle tanks or with light armour for formation reconnaissance. An additional reconnaissance regiment is provided by the Household Cavalry Regiment, of the Household Cavalry, which administratively is not considered to be part of the RAC, but is included among the RAC order of battle for operational tasking.
Infantry
The Infantry is divided for administrative purposes into five 'divisions', with battalions being trained and equipped to operate in one of five main roles:
Under the arms-plot system, a battalion would spend between two and six years in one role, before re-training for another. Following a review of the operation of the army, it has been demonstrated that this system is inefficient and is being phased out, with battalions specialising in role—this will see armoured infantry, mechanised infantry and air assault battalions remaining in a single posting; however, light infantry battalions will continue to be periodically rotated between postings. Personnel will be "trickle posted" between battalions of the same regiment as required, and to further their careers.
Three further infantry units in the regular army are not grouped within the various infantry divisions:
The role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment is limited to the defence of Gibraltar.
The three senior regiments of foot guards, plus the Royal Regiment of Scotland, each maintain an additional reinforced company that retains custody of the colours of battalions that are in suspended animation:
Brigade of Gurkhas
The Royal Gurkha Rifles is the largest element of the Brigade of Gurkhas, which includes its own support arms. These units are affiliated to the equivalent British units, but have their own unique cap badges.
Special Forces
Note: UKSF is considered a joint organisation and as such falls outside the Army chain of command.
Army Air Corps
The Army Air Corps provides battlefield air support with six regiments and four independent squadrons and flights:
Combat Support Arms
The Combat Support Arms provide direct support to the Combat Arms and include artillery, engineer, signals and aviation.
Royal Regiment of Artillery
The Royal Artillery consists of 13 Regular Regiments and 5 Reserve Regiments along with the ceremonial King's Troop. Although not part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery the Honourable Artillery Company shares some of the same capabilities. Four of the Regular Regiments retain the cap badge, or "cypher", and traditions of the Royal Horse Artillery, although this naming convention has no link to the role that they undertake. The Royal Artillery undertakes six different roles:
Corps of Royal Engineers
The Royal Engineers is a corps of 15 regiments in the regular army providing military engineering (civil engineering, assault engineering and demolition) capabilities to the field army and facilities management expertise within garrisons.
Regiments are associated with Brigade level formations with a number of independent squadrons and support groups associated with specific tasks:
The Royal School of Military Engineering (RSME) comprises two recruit training regiments:
The remainder are field regiments attached to various deployable formations:
Two squadrons of 36 Engineer Regiment are cap badged as Queen's Gurkha Engineers and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Signals is a corps of 10 Regiments and 13 independent squadrons which provides communications and information systems support to formations of Brigade level and above. Below the Brigade level support is provided by Battalion Signallers drawn from the parent unit. Within the deployable brigades, the Signal Regiment also provides support to the HQ function including logistics, life support and force protection capabilities.
Two squadrons are cap badged as the Queen's Gurkha Signals and are manned predominantly by Gurkhas.
Intelligence Corps
The Intelligence Corps provides intelligence support including collection, interpretation and counter-intelligence capabilities with three battalions and a joint service group:
Combat Service Support Arms
The Combat Service Support Arms provide sustainment and support for the Combat and Combat Support Arms. Whilst CSS personnel are not intended to close with and engage opposition forces, the fluidity of the modern battlefield means that these personnel are likely to be engaged in close combat at times, particularly when associated with Battle Groups.
Royal Logistic Corps
The Royal Logistic Corps is the largest single corps in the British Army; responsible for a range of supply, sustainment and movement tasks. Within the corps there are 21 regiments and 6 independent sub-units:
Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps that provides maintenance support to equipment. Most units will have either a Light Aid Detachment (LAD) or Workshop (Wksp) attached. Seven battalions provide support to formations of brigade level and above:
Medical services
The Army Medical Services provide primary and secondary care for the armed forces in fixed locations and whilst deployed on operations. Personnel are attached to a parent unit, one of five field regiments or the defence medical services. The AMS comprises four different Corps providing the range of medical and veterinary care, with the Royal Army Medical Corps also providing the administrative framework for the regiments.
Adjutant General's Corps
The Adjutant General's Corps provides administrative, police and disciplinary and educational support to the army. The AGC is an amalgamation with three of the constituent units retaining their previous cap badge. Personnel from the AGC administrative and educational specialisations serve in attached posts to establishments or units of other arms. The police and disciplinary activities retain their own cap badges and act as discrete bodies. The Corps as a whole is divided into four separate branches:
Other services
Training
Training in the Regular Army differs for soldiers and officers but in general takes place in at least two phases:
Phase one training is basic military training for all new recruits. Here candidates learn the basic standards of military performance including operation in the field, weapon handling, personal administration, drill etc.
Phase two training is specific to the trade that the soldier or officer will follow and is conducted in a branch specialised school. Phase two training enables the individual to join an operational unit prepared to contribute to operational effectiveness. These schools are under the direction of the parent corps or arm of the service, as illustrated above, with the Infantry Training Centre being formed of two training battalions.
Armour
The four armoured regiments of the Army Reserve operate in two roles - provision of crew replacements for armoured and NBC regiments, and formation reconnaissance:
Infantry
Special Air Service
Army Air Corps
Honourable Artillery Company
Royal Artillery
Royal Engineers
Note: Although the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers is part of the Royal Engineers order of battle, it is a separate regiment with its own cap badge, regimental colours and traditions.
Royal Signals
Intelligence Corps
Adjutant General's Corps
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Logistic Corps
Army Medical Services
Army 2020
In 2010, the incoming government conducted a defence review. Those elements affecting the army were released as part of the Future British Army Structure (Next Steps) publication, which was superseded by the "Army 2020" concept announced in 2012. Under Army 2020 the army will be divided into:
All units from Germany will gradually move back to the UK. The basing plan was released on 5 March 2013. This positions 3rd (Mechanised) Division, to be renamed as 3rd (UK) Division, as the head of the Reaction Force. 1st (Armoured) Division, to be renamed as 1st (UK) Division, will be the division in charge of the Adaptable Force, being based in York. This basing plan locates all three Reaction Force Brigades, along with the three Armoured Regiments and the six Armoured Infantry Battalions, in the Salisbury Plain training area.
Refinements to the plans following the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review became known as "Army 2020 Refine" and are more clearly outlined in the Operational Structure of the British Army.