More on the British Land Forces

The British Ministry of Defence revealed yesterday details of reducing the number of ground troops, from the current 102 to 82 thousand. troops. 23 units will terminate.

Challenger 2, one of 345 held by the United Kingdom primary tanks. This picture was taken last week during the exercise of Territorial Army reservists training ground Lulworth Ranges in Dorset.


Recall that London has decided to reduce the size of the army operating about 20 thousand. troops by 2020. However, authorities did not disclose details relating to the liquidation of the individual subunits. The announcement was made ​​only yesterday.

The dissolved or combined with each unit will be 5 to 51 infantry battalions of the existing (of which 37 belong to the operational formations, and the rest - reserve). In addition, the military map of the Kingdom will disappear 3 of 14 subunits of engineering and 3 of 15 logistic units, and 2 units of armored troops (one battalion of tanks) and the individual patterns of other types of forces, including air. All the reductions will apply only to operational units.

At the same time see some more details about the reserve units. Their number will double: the armies of land and 30 thousand. men, 3.1 thousand. in the Navy and Marine Corps, and finally to 1.8 thousand. in air armies. The additional £ 1.8 billion for the army reserves will be spent on modern equipment, organization units, but also to increase the pace of training. Already this year will be 26 exercises at the company, for the soldiers who have to go on foreign missions. In subsequent years the number of maneuvers will be increased.


Overall, the British army will consist of a rapid reaction force and the basic forces, with 7 Infantry Brigade Headquarters. These units, however, differ from each other significantly in terms of numbers, the share of reserve formation and purpose.