It is also equipped with armoured reconnaissance vehicles that use advanced technology to locate the enemy. It provides mobile firepower and is in the process of being equipped with the Challenger 2 main battle tanks. Household Cavalry and Royal Armoured corps The Royal Armoured corps (RAC) and Household Cavalry consists of cavalry regiments and the royal tank regiment. 1 (UK) Armoured division 2 (UK) division 3 (UK) division 4 (UK) division 5 (UK) division The corps of the British army

1 (UK) division and 3 (UK) division are fighting divisions whereas 2, 4 and 5 division are responsible for administrative support. The divisions A division would traditionally be made up of three or four brigades depending on the specific role it is to undertake, and is configured in a similar fashion to a brigade but on a larger scale. A regiment varying in size from a battalion to a number of battalions.Īrmy brigades in full: 1 Mechanised brigade 4 Armoured brigade 7th Armoured brigade (Desert Rats) 12 Mechanised brigade 15 (north-east) brigade 16 (air assault) brigade 19 Mechanised brigade 20 Armoured brigade 39 Infantry brigade 42 (north-west) brigade 49 (east) brigade 43 (Wessex) brigade 51 (Scottish) brigade 52 Infantry brigade 102 Logistics brigade 160 brigade The composition of each brigade will differ depending on its responsibility but could often contain 5,000 soldiers. A fighting brigade will traditionally contain infantry, cavalry and artillery regiments together with many supporting cap badges.

The brigades A brigade is a collection of different regiments and supporting units that have been grouped together for a specific purpose. Guards regiments have operational and ceremonial duties at, for instance, royal residences. A company is made up of two or more platoons, which are around 10 to 12 men strong and commanded by a lieutenant. A battalion unit comprises of three or more companies of similar size. Sometimes infantry regiments have more than one unit of this size and are referred to as a battalion. The regiments A regiment normally contains of around 650 soldiers depending on its role.

The corps The army is principally divided into more than a dozen different corps, which are a collection of regiments or small groupings of soldiers that share a common area of specialist expertise, such as infantry, artillery, cavalry or even dentistry. Overall, the British are responsible for four Iraqi provinces in the south, although it is planned for the security of the volatile Maysan province to be handed over to Iraqis in the coming months.

Big battle tanks parachutes