Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Discuss current, historical or potential future deployments, as well the defence of the UK's overseas interests.
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ArmChairCivvy
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Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

It will be anybody's guess whether the timetable for pulling back from Germany will be accelerated in the 8 July budget/ SDSR drawing to a close sometime later this year. However, I had the other locations in mind (than Falklands and Germany) for a thread: facts, plans, rationale... anything

Let me start with the descriptors I have picked up over the last couple of years:

The other bn of RGR, stationed in Brunei, is sometimes called Acclimatised Theatre Reserve
- paid for by the Sultan, do we have a call on it, to be deployed elsewhere? Or is the idea that the other bn (from Shorncliffe) would backfill ASAP on such an occasion?
- quite grandiose to call the bn a theatre reserve as we only have a navy resupply depot in Singapore, by way of other presence in the Theatre

Cyprus: Sure, for a base of such prominence, a bn is well justified
- the other (not naming them, as rotation takes place, every two years I believe) was termed OTH Theatre Reserve
- that was quite fitting when there still was a Theatre, but A-stan has by now drawn down to a training contingent
- Bahrain is building up,for the navy, but that is all within "the wire" of a US base

There are TA-like locally raised/ trained forces in multiple locations, but other than what has been mentioned above, only the fast interceptor boats in Gib come to mind (the RN base power station now houses and runs Europe's largest internet server park... not a bad use for it).

I am not including training areas as "basing", so BATUS, the Brunei jungle training school and Kenya I am leaving for this mention.
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

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WhitestElephant
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Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by WhitestElephant »

Forgetting Germany now we are leaving...

Permanent Joint Operating Bases (Permanent Joint Headquarters):
-Gibraltar
-Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Cyprus)
-Falkland Islands
-Diego Garcia
-Bahrain (which I assume falls under this category)

Permanent facilities/garrisons:
-RAF Ascension
-Singapore - refueling station, relevant for the Five Power Defence Arrangements
-Brunei
-Kenya
-Canada (BATUS)
Though we are not now that strength which in old days moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are. - Lord Tennyson (Ulysses)

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

Other than permanently based forces, we tend to turn up in the same places as the French a lot: the Middle East, operations Chammal and Shader to combat Daesh and Estonia as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (a French contingent to arrive soon again). In Mali 3 RAF Chinooks and 100 UK personnel have been deployed in a non-combat role in support of French counter-extremist operations, and a combat (recce) force of 250 is unloading as of now.

France’s defence resources are limited and the country is currently, nearly, facing a military overstretch. France will thus need to continue cooperating as much as possible with her allies and in this context as the 10th anniversary of the Lancaster House treaties just passed and a number of 10-year goals set were reviewed. These included building a joint nuclear facility (which reportedly has gone well, but is understandably shrowded in secrecy). Also the MCM development effort has born fruit.
- so the CJEF then? As one of those goals

On 2 Nov the two DefSecs were 'delighted to announce' that the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) committed to has now reached full operating capability .
- a force of 10k (tri-service) is no mean feat
- how - and if ever - it will be deployed is another story. Brexit or no Brexit, it is there, as one of the sharper tools in the tool box
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

BlueD954
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Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by BlueD954 »

WhitestElephant wrote:Forgetting Germany now we are leaving...

Permanent Joint Operating Bases (Permanent Joint Headquarters):
-Gibraltar
-Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Cyprus)
-Falkland Islands
-Diego Garcia
-Bahrain (which I assume falls under this category)

Permanent facilities/garrisons:
-RAF Ascension
-Singapore - refueling station, relevant for the Five Power Defence Arrangements
-Brunei
-Kenya
-Canada (BATUS)
There's this, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/british-mil ... h-republic though probably not permeant.

J. Tattersall

Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by J. Tattersall »

ArmChairCivvy wrote: France’s defence resources are limited and the country is currently, nearly, facing a military overstretch.
I concur, the combined effect of an enduring combat deployment in Mali plus keeping several thousand troops in a domestic counter terrorism role in France seems to have been taking its toll for a few years now. France is arguably going through as great a, or potentially more of, a painful process than the UK did during Afghanistan which it may well take many years, possibly over a decade, to recover from.

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ArmChairCivvy
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Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by ArmChairCivvy »

J. Tattersall wrote:may well take many years, possibly over a decade, to recover from
There is that angle, too, but the recent years have shown the strength of the modularity that has been built into the army structure (all-arms units can be built around a company/ bn-sized nucleus)
- so rotations can be spread much wider within the army, just heavy tank units being 'single use' and staying at home/ not roaming along the streets
Ever-lasting truths: Multi-year budgets/ planning by necessity have to address the painful questions; more often than not the Either-Or prevails over Both-And.
If everyone is thinking the same, then someone is not thinking (attributed to Patton)

SW1
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Re: Forces stationed abroad (other than the Falklands thread)

Post by SW1 »



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