British Military Current Events

[Humphrey Bogart]

Raincoats on, raincoats off...

BATUS: Army's Canada training base to see 'change' but won't close, Wallace says​

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has responded to reports that soldiers will leave the huge training area to move to the Middle East.


The British Army's training base in Canada will see "change" but will not be closing, the Defence Secretary has said.

Ben Wallace dismissed reports that troops would be completely leaving British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Alberta, Canada, the service's largest battleground in the world, to move to the Middle East.

British soldiers have been training at BATUS since 1972.

He said "BATUS is not being closed" but added: "Of course, we'll change what we do there because some of those forces we might use elsewhere but no we're not closing BATUS."
When pressed on whether there was a shift of focus towards the Middle East, Mr Wallace said: "We are being present where it matters, and the Middle East matters.
"We're also going to be forward and present in places like Kenya because Africa matters to our security and matters to our interests as well."
The former Army officer recently said he wants British personnel to "see the world", with training set to be increased around the globe.

Oman is tipped to be one of five of the UK's 'land hubs', which, Mr Wallace said "are about us increasing our training – Oman is one – Kenya another and there'll be others".
Mr Wallace reiterated that on Wednesday, saying: "There's no good sitting back in a British base - if you want influence, if you want to deter, if you want to provide resilience, you need to be out and around in parts of the world that matters.
"The Middle East is one of those parts of the world, Oman and Qatar, for example, would be one of those areas."
The Ministry of Defence earlier said: "Canada is one of the UK's oldest and closest allies.
"Contrary to reports today, we are not closing BATUS.
"It will continue to be a vital training base for the British Army."

BATUS: Army's Canada training base to see 'change' but won't close, Wallace says

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has responded to reports that soldiers will leave the huge training area to move to the Middle East.

www.forces.net

The Brits will want to avoid closing BATUS completely because they won't want to repay the Government of Canada for environmental damages. My guess is they will drastically scale down their presence but keep minimum manning there to avoid paying anything. BATUS will exist, it will just be 3 Corporals and a Dog there instead of an actual Battlegroup

 

[Blackadder1916]

The Brits will want to avoid closing BATUS completely because they won't want to repay the Government of Canada for environmental damages. My guess is they will drastically scale down their presence but keep minimum manning there to avoid paying anything. BATUS will exist, it will just be 3 Corporals and a Dog there instead of an actual Battlegroup

Bingo

From the agreement https://assets.publishing.service.g.../uploads/attachment_data/file/273299/6933.pdf

ARTICLE 16
Following the termination or suspension of this Agreement, in whole or in part, the United Kingdom Government shall pay the proportionate and appropriate costs, related to British Armed Forces’ training and agreed with the Canadian Government, arising from the environmental cleanup and site restoration to a level consistent with Canadian laws, regulations and nationally accepted standards. Where such laws, regulations and standards allow varying levels of cleanup according to the expected uses of the land, the detail of the cleanup shall be negotiated.

ARTICLE 17
1. Unless otherwise agreed by the Parties, at the time the British Armed Forces finally cease to use a training area, the United Kingdom Government shall pay the proportionate and appropriate costs, agreed with the Canadian Government, in discharge of its obligation for Unexploded Explosive Ordnance (UXO) clearance. The amount to be paid shall be calculated as follows:
(a) The Canadian Government will determine the level of clearance required consistent with the expected use of the training area if and when it ceases to be used as a training area;
(b) At the time of departure an assessment of the cost of the notional clearance shall be undertaken. The United Kingdom Government’s share of this cost shall be calculated by reference to the ratio of all live ordnance ever fired by the British Armed Forces at that training area relative to the total fired at that training area;
(c) If the calculation in (b) above is not feasible, the United Kingdom Government shall pay a fair share of the aforementioned cost, the share to be agreed by the Parties, based upon the principle in the aforementioned formula.

2. After the above-mentioned clearance has actually taken place, and in addition to paying the aforementioned clearance costs, the United Kingdom Government shall pay any reasonable cost associated with the removal or destruction of UXO at the training area agreed by the Parties to have originated from the British Armed Forces.

3. The United Kingdom Government acknowledges that the claims resolution mechanism in Article VIII of NATO SOFA shall continue to apply to UXO related claims, notwithstanding the aforementioned notional payment by the United Kingdom Government, and notwithstanding termination of this Agreement.

ARTICLE 18
Following the termination or suspension of this Agreement, in whole or in part, the United Kingdom Government shall share the proportionate costs to be agreed with the Canadian Government arising from the termination or suspension of contractual agreements entered into by the Canadian Government for the provision of support services on behalf of the United Kingdom Government including termination costs associated with Department of National Defence of Canada civilian employees rendered redundant and cancellation costs associated with the termination of leases, agreements and contracts.

 

[dimsum]

The Brits will want to avoid closing BATUS completely because they won't want to repay the Government of Canada for environmental damages. My guess is they will drastically scale down their presence but keep minimum manning there to avoid paying anything. BATUS will exist, it will just be 3 Corporals and a Dog there instead of an actual Battlegroup

That is pretty much what the Aussies do with its "bare bases" in the north.

Imagine being OC BATUS to oversee...yourself. Days include going on Reddit, driving to Calgary, and whatever else is there to do in Medicine Hat.

 

[Kirkhill]

"When pressed on whether there was a shift of focus towards the Middle East, Mr Wallace said: "We are being present where it matters, and the Middle East matters."

Chopped liver I guess.

On the other hand, this isn't wrong.

"There's no good sitting back in a British Canadian base - if you want influence, if you want to deter, if you want to provide resilience, you need to be out and around in parts of the world that matters."

 

[FJAG]

All that said, Suffield would work for training Strike brigades, or its elements, in dispersed operations.

I personally don't care about cleaning the base (although I do wonder about what if anything is being done - GATES and Canada would sweep Shilo runs periodically and besides most of the ammo used was inert training ammo rather than live HEAT etc so it was mostly sweeping metal filled with Plaster of Paris)

What interests me more is whether the schedule will open up regular summer weather training opportunities for the Canadian Army.

 

[FJAG]

Army unveils new elite force: Troops capable of going into battle on four separate fronts will fight alongside our allies in global flashpoints​

• The 1,200-strong Ranger Regiment is capable of battle on four separate fronts
• One of the four battalions will focus on emerging conflicts in Eastern Europe
• The 300 soldiers in each battalion were picked for their emotional intelligence
• Soldiers will learn foreign languages and go into battle with indigenous troops

By MARK NICOL DEFENCE EDITOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

PUBLISHED: 17:14 EST, 24 November 2021 | UPDATED: 17:20 EST, 24 November 2021


The Army has unveiled its new elite fighting force capable of going into battle on four separate fronts.
One of the four battalions in the 1,200-strong Ranger Regiment will focus on emerging conflicts in Eastern Europe.
Two will be sent to Africa and the fourth will deploy to the Middle East. ...

Army unveils new force which will go into battle four separate fronts

The 300 soldiers in each battalion have been selected from across the Army for their military skills but also their emotional intelligence as they will have to forge strong relationships.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[daftandbarmy]

I've been reading some speculation that this is part of a Nick Carter (ex-SAS) effort to save the Infantry more cuts by downsizing battalions to 300 pax each.

 

[FJAG]

I've been reading some speculation that this is part of a Nick Carter (ex-SAS) effort to save the Infantry more cuts by downsizing battalions to 300 pax each.

The Brits have been good at this foreign mentoring for hundreds of years. The US SOF was also designed the way they were for exactly those kinds of missions and its too bad that they were in large part coopted into door kickers leaving the training of the bilk of the ANA to the conventional army.

Four months ago you could have easily said UW and FID is a solid core capability that any western army should have available. The failure of the ANA has torn a large hole is that theory but if one uses it as a lesson learned then maybe there is still a role for it.

I've always said that a FID capability could work well for the Canadian Army as they could train the Res F in the summers and then do actual foreign internal defence training in foreign countries. Win- win.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The Brits have been good at this foreign mentoring for hundreds of years. The US SOF was also designed the way they were for exactly those kinds of missions and its too bad that they were in large part coopted into door kickers leaving the training of the bilk of the ANA to the conventional army.

Four months ago you could have easily said UW and FID is a solid core capability that any western army should have available. The failure of the ANA has torn a large hole is that theory but if one uses it as a lesson learned then maybe there is still a role for it.

I've always said that a FID capability could work well for the Canadian Army as they could train the Res F in the summers and then do actual foreign internal defence training in foreign countries. Win- win.

In Oman my platoon taught the Omanis we were working with how to do platoon attacks.

We weren't specially trained to work with troops from the developing world, and we were doing it as part of a joint exercise (where they taught us some stuff too).

The important thing is to have experienced NCOs and soldiers, and a willing 'student'. It's not rocket surgery IMHO.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Because 'emotional selection' is a war winner

Emotional skills key for new Army brigade

The Telegraph

 

[Weinie]

The Brits have been good at this foreign mentoring for hundreds of years. The US SOF was also designed the way they were for exactly those kinds of missions and its too bad that they were in large part coopted into door kickers leaving the training of the bilk of the ANA to the conventional army.

Four months ago you could have easily said UW and FID is a solid core capability that any western army should have available. The failure of the ANA has torn a large hole is that theory but if one uses it as a lesson learned then maybe there is still a role for it.

I've always said that a FID capability could work well for the Canadian Army as they could train the Res F in the summers and then do actual foreign internal defence training in foreign countries. Win- win.

Freudian, perhaps

 

[Kirkhill]

British tanks will return to Germany to keep growing Russian threat at bay

Heavy armour moved back to reinforce Europe’s eastern flank. Plus, Lt Gen (retd.) Ivan Jones on why Army must rebuild itself for the future

www.telegraph.co.uk

Tanks to be prepositioned in Sennelager with troops falling in for training and operations.

British tanks are to return to Germany amid tensions with Russia, the Defence Secretary has announced, in a major restructuring of the Army.

The move will boost the amount of British military equipment available in central Europe, in an attempt to enable the rapid reinforcement of Nato’s eastern flank.

Mr Wallace added that an extra £8 billion would be used to buy new tanks and helicopters over the next decade, on top of the £40 billion already announced for new kit.

He acknowledged that the Government’s Integrated Review of foreign, defence, security and development policy, which was delivered earlier this year, cut Army troop numbers from 82,500 to 73,000. But he insisted the move was necessary.

The Defence Secretary said: “That does mean we will have fewer soldiers, but it also means we will have an honest Armed Forces that does what it says on the side of the tin rather than boast about having lots of people and equipment that is 20 years out of date.”

Under the new plans, extra tanks will be based at Sennelager, Germany, in the Nato Forward Holding Facility, meaning an entire armoured brigade will be based on the continent for the first time since the drawdown after the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.

No additional troops will be posted back to Germany. Instead, units will rotate through Sennelager using the tanks on exercise or preparing them for deployment to Estonia.

Troops to be posted closer to their home recruiting grounds. A cynic might point to more troops in Scotland and Wales as a hedge.

Other reforms unveiled in Parliament on Thursday include rebasing units in the UK closer to their traditional areas of recruiting.

The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, the only Welsh Cavalry regiment, is to be based in Caerwent, Monmouthshire, and two Scottish infantry regiments will move to Leuchars and Edinburgh.

Under the reform plans, Scotland will be home to more units and a greater proportion of the Army’s workforce than it is at present.

The number of soldiers in Wales is also set to increase with the move of the “Welsh cavalry”, The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, from Norfolk to Caerwent and a new reserve company of The Royal Welsh established in north Wales.

Reserves to handle Domestic Crises

Under the Army reforms, Reserve units will be in charge of responding to crises across the UK such as flooding, or emergencies such as Covid.

Currently, the weight of effort when responding to domestic issues that require military support falls on regular forces. In future, Reserves will be called up much earlier and expected to be deployed for longer.

And the most contentious reform of them all

The four administrative groups will be called the Union Division, the Guards and Parachute Division, the Queens Division and the Light Division.

The Union Division will comprise three battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, the Royal Irish Regiment and two battalions of The Yorkshire Regiment.

The Maroon Machine and the Woodentops in one Division.

Although the Union make up is a bit contentious as well.

 

[FJAG]

The Daily Mail's take:

British troops return to Germany amid fears of Russia threat

With the growing presence of Russian troops on Europe's eastern borders, Britain and its Nato allies are stepping up their presence in the region.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Sky News':

British Army restructure sees hundreds of tanks and troops return to Germany after withdrawal less than a year ago

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced the reforms in the House of Commons today, which included shrinking the army to a size not seen since Napoleonic times. He also announced a new Ranger Regiment as part of a shift to specialist capabilities.

news.sky.com

And his speech is here:

Defence Secretary announces Future Soldier for the British Army

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announces Future Soldier, the British Army's most radical transformation in 20 years.

www.gov.uk

"The Guards and Parachute Division"

"So by 2025, the Army’s headquarters will be reduced by 40% Regular personnel and reserve integration will be made more productive across the whole force"

 

[Kirkhill]

By Lt Gen (retd.) Ivan Jones, former Commander of the Field Army

For all the Army claims it is going through a constant cycle of change, in many ways it differs little from its predecessor fighting in northern France in 1944.

Transport a soldier from the beaches of Normandy into the Army of today and they probably wouldn’t feel that uncomfortable.

Mass, of armour or people, is a dated concept and doesn’t require the skill, training or intellect of the quality of people in the British Army. Forward-basing tanks in Germany to be closer to allies whilst messaging potential adversaries is a smart move.

From Minister of Defence Ben Wallace (Thanks for posting the speech FJAG)

For too long, historic infantry structures have inhibited our army’s transformation. We cannot afford to be slave to sentiment

 

[Ostrozac]

I've been reading some speculation that this is part of a Nick Carter (ex-SAS) effort to save the Infantry more cuts by downsizing battalions to 300 pax each.

General Nick Carter seems to have had a conventional infantry background in the Royal Green Jackets. He doesn’t wear SAS wings and appears to have never served in a UKSOF unit or staff.

 

[daftandbarmy]

General Nick Carter seems to have had a conventional infantry background in the Royal Green Jackets. He doesn’t wear SAS wings and appears to have never served in a UKSOF unit or staff.

Of course... no idea who I was thinking of:

Nick Carter (British Army officer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[FJAG]

Some Wavell Room thoughts on the BCT.

Brigade Combat Teams

'Brigade Combat Teams' BCT. An Americanism or a new way for the British Army to operate across the globe? Take a read and form a view.

wavellroom.com

One question - since we originally invented the brigade group concept over a half of a century ago and since both the Americans and the British have adopted the concept but refused to accept the name and since the abbreviation for battle group and brigade group are BG, isn't it time we standardized on the term Brigade Combat Team and just get over ourselves?

 

[Blackadder1916]

Of course... no idea who I was thinking of:

Nick Carter (British Army officer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Maybe you were thinking of the current Chief of the General Staff (i.e. head of the Army) General Mark Carleton-Smith. He's Irish Guards and SAS, so two reasons to suspect of protecting rice bowls. Eton and the double barrel name are additional reasons to prejudge the man.

 

[medicineman]

Although the Union make up is a bit contentious as well.

Made worse by the fact none of them speak English in any recognizable form...

 

[daftandbarmy]

Maybe you were thinking of the current Chief of the General Staff (i.e. head of the Army) General Mark Carleton-Smith. He's Irish Guards and SAS, so two reasons to suspect of protecting rice bowls. Eton and the double barrel name are additional reasons to prejudge the man.