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A new British Army Special Operations Brigade is expected to become an elite formation with considerable utility across the spectrum of conflict envisaged by the UK’s new defence policy. Ben Barry considers the capabilities it will introduce and the potential risks to its success.
In the United Kingdom, the recent events in Afghanistan are likely to sharpen the focus on current moves by the British Army to field a new Special Operations Brigade, incorporating a Ranger Regiment. The intention is that the brigade will be a central component in the UK’s new strategy for its armed forces to be more widely and actively deployable, including with the ability to train, advise and accompany the forces of partner countries, potentially in high-threat environments. So, what capabilities will it introduce and what are the risks to its success?
UK ‘Tier 1’ special forces
The Special Operations Brigade is linked to the thinking behind the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (IR) and the accompanying Defence Command Paper published in March 2021. These envisaged the UK armed forces being more actively and persistently engaged internationally in a range of scenarios.
The UK fields what it regards as ‘Tier 1’ special forces (SF) including the army’s Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Reconnaissance Regiments and the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service (SBS), made up chiefly of Royal Marines. Indeed, these forces are considered to be highly valued by the UK’s allies and partners, not least the United States, and to be respected by adversaries. Since 1987, they have operated in a joint special forces formation.
They are backed up by the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), based on a parachute battalion, that provides tactical support to special forces operations. Although it predated the official formation of the SFSG, an example of the type of support it is designed to provide was the SAS and SBS operation in 2000 to rescue British troops held hostage by a militia in Sierra Leone. The special forces attacked the village where the hostages were held, whilst a parachute company attacked militia fighters in an adjacent village.
The new UK concept for special operations
However, demand for UK special forces greatly exceeds their limited supply. This factor, together with the more active UK defence posture articulated both in the IR and the Defence Command Paper, are what lie behind the UK developing a new concept for special operations and special operations forces – to provide added support and also relieve some of the pressure on the Tier 1 special forces. The concept is akin to that of the Special Forces Groups of the US Army Special Forces. These ‘green berets’ are organised, trained and equipped to work with indigenous forces behind enemy lines. They acted in this role successfully in Afghanistan in 2001, assisting the militias of the Northern Alliance against Taliban forces. In the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq a Special Forces Group performed a similar role in Kurdistan.
While the British did not have a similar dedicated capability before 11 September 2001, from 2006, until the British withdrawal from combat operations in 2014, they fielded Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams in Afghanistan. Based on infantry battalions, these would advise and accompany Afghan forces down to company level. They were often involved in heavy fighting, sometimes resulting in casualties.
An evolving capability
Since 2015, this role of accompanying and advising foreign forces, including on operations, has been performed by the British Army’s Specialised Infantry Group. This has been based on four specialised infantry battalions. These each number some 270 troops, and all personnel have been through specialised selection and training.
The new Special Operations Brigade will evolve from the Specialised Infantry Group, and it will incorporate the four existing specialised infantry battalions, which will themselves evolve. The army says that the battalions will become part of a new Ranger Regiment. Selection for service in the regiment will be open to volunteers from across the army, similar to the current selection procedure for the SAS.
The fact that the new formation incorporates a Ranger Regiment implies that the army envisages a wider range of operational tasks than those listed publicly. For example, it may increase UK capability to work alongside, and in support of, Tier 1 special force units. It may also be used to counter hybrid and proxy threats, working in conjunction with the army’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and 77th Brigade, its information operations formation.
Risk factors
The new brigade is likely to have considerable utility across the spectrum of conflict envisaged by the UK’s new defence policy. It will become an elite formation, with applicants undergoing demanding selection and training. But the army already generates a considerable number of volunteers to serve with special forces, the air assault brigade and as part of the Royal Marines’ commando brigade. Creation of a fourth elite formation may have the unintended consequence of diluting the quality of manpower, especially at leadership level, available to the rest of the army.
In addition, special forces are often dependent on airlift. However, the recent Defence Command Paper announced that the 14 C130J Hercules transport aircraft that currently support UK special forces would be retired, and it is unclear the extent to which the fleet of larger A400M Atlas aircraft will be able to take over the role. A reduction of UK helicopter lift has also been signalled.
The events that have unfolded in Afghanistan will surely lead to much reflection and debate on the US-led strategy of capacity-building there. Indeed, a factor that may have eroded Afghan military morale was the rapid withdrawal of the US Army special forces teams that had been assisting, advising and accompanying Afghan Army commando units since 2014. The fallout from Afghanistan will surely feed into the planning process as the UK puts its new Special Operations Brigade in place.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2021/08/uk-special-operations-brigade
In the United Kingdom, the recent events in Afghanistan are likely to sharpen the focus on current moves by the British Army to field a new Special Operations Brigade, incorporating a Ranger Regiment. The intention is that the brigade will be a central component in the UK’s new strategy for its armed forces to be more widely and actively deployable, including with the ability to train, advise and accompany the forces of partner countries, potentially in high-threat environments. So, what capabilities will it introduce and what are the risks to its success?
UK ‘Tier 1’ special forces
The Special Operations Brigade is linked to the thinking behind the UK’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy (IR) and the accompanying Defence Command Paper published in March 2021. These envisaged the UK armed forces being more actively and persistently engaged internationally in a range of scenarios.
The UK fields what it regards as ‘Tier 1’ special forces (SF) including the army’s Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Reconnaissance Regiments and the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service (SBS), made up chiefly of Royal Marines. Indeed, these forces are considered to be highly valued by the UK’s allies and partners, not least the United States, and to be respected by adversaries. Since 1987, they have operated in a joint special forces formation.
They are backed up by the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG), based on a parachute battalion, that provides tactical support to special forces operations. Although it predated the official formation of the SFSG, an example of the type of support it is designed to provide was the SAS and SBS operation in 2000 to rescue British troops held hostage by a militia in Sierra Leone. The special forces attacked the village where the hostages were held, whilst a parachute company attacked militia fighters in an adjacent village.
The new UK concept for special operations
However, demand for UK special forces greatly exceeds their limited supply. This factor, together with the more active UK defence posture articulated both in the IR and the Defence Command Paper, are what lie behind the UK developing a new concept for special operations and special operations forces – to provide added support and also relieve some of the pressure on the Tier 1 special forces. The concept is akin to that of the Special Forces Groups of the US Army Special Forces. These ‘green berets’ are organised, trained and equipped to work with indigenous forces behind enemy lines. They acted in this role successfully in Afghanistan in 2001, assisting the militias of the Northern Alliance against Taliban forces. In the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq a Special Forces Group performed a similar role in Kurdistan.
While the British did not have a similar dedicated capability before 11 September 2001, from 2006, until the British withdrawal from combat operations in 2014, they fielded Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams in Afghanistan. Based on infantry battalions, these would advise and accompany Afghan forces down to company level. They were often involved in heavy fighting, sometimes resulting in casualties.
An evolving capability
Since 2015, this role of accompanying and advising foreign forces, including on operations, has been performed by the British Army’s Specialised Infantry Group. This has been based on four specialised infantry battalions. These each number some 270 troops, and all personnel have been through specialised selection and training.
The new Special Operations Brigade will evolve from the Specialised Infantry Group, and it will incorporate the four existing specialised infantry battalions, which will themselves evolve. The army says that the battalions will become part of a new Ranger Regiment. Selection for service in the regiment will be open to volunteers from across the army, similar to the current selection procedure for the SAS.
The fact that the new formation incorporates a Ranger Regiment implies that the army envisages a wider range of operational tasks than those listed publicly. For example, it may increase UK capability to work alongside, and in support of, Tier 1 special force units. It may also be used to counter hybrid and proxy threats, working in conjunction with the army’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade and 77th Brigade, its information operations formation.
Risk factors
The new brigade is likely to have considerable utility across the spectrum of conflict envisaged by the UK’s new defence policy. It will become an elite formation, with applicants undergoing demanding selection and training. But the army already generates a considerable number of volunteers to serve with special forces, the air assault brigade and as part of the Royal Marines’ commando brigade. Creation of a fourth elite formation may have the unintended consequence of diluting the quality of manpower, especially at leadership level, available to the rest of the army.
In addition, special forces are often dependent on airlift. However, the recent Defence Command Paper announced that the 14 C130J Hercules transport aircraft that currently support UK special forces would be retired, and it is unclear the extent to which the fleet of larger A400M Atlas aircraft will be able to take over the role. A reduction of UK helicopter lift has also been signalled.
The events that have unfolded in Afghanistan will surely lead to much reflection and debate on the US-led strategy of capacity-building there. Indeed, a factor that may have eroded Afghan military morale was the rapid withdrawal of the US Army special forces teams that had been assisting, advising and accompanying Afghan Army commando units since 2014. The fallout from Afghanistan will surely feed into the planning process as the UK puts its new Special Operations Brigade in place.
https://www.iiss.org/blogs/military-balance/2021/08/uk-special-operations-brigade
