Field Army Troops Explained

Unit Name:	Field Army Troops Land Forces Troops
Dates:	1 April 2008 – 2012 2022 – Present
Country:	United Kingdom
Command Structure:	Field Army
Garrison:	Marlborough Lines, Andover
Garrison Label:	Field Army HQ

Field Army Troops is a command of the British Army under direct control of Headquarters, Field Army, and consisting of the Surveillance Group, the Understand Group, the Cyber Electro Magnetic Activities Effects Group and the 2nd Medical Group.^[1]

2019 Deputy Commander, Field Army, reorganisation

In 2019, under the Field Army Reorganisation Plan (FARP), the role of Deputy Commander, Field Army was expanded with the moving of several commands and formations (by 2021) coming under direct control of CFA. Those units included the following:^[2]

• Land Operations Command, at Trenchard Lines, Upavon^{[3] [4]}
• Land Warfare Centre, HQ at Waterloo Lines, Warminster Garrison^[5]
• 16th Air Assault Brigade, HQ at Merville Barracks, Colchester Garrison^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}
• Collective Training Group (also Training Branch, Field Army),^[10] at Warminster Garrison^[11]
• Field Training Unit

Structure

On 25 November 2021, the Future Soldier programme was announced, which is due to be completed by 2030 and will reorganise the British Army from bottom to top. The role of "Field Army Troops" has been described as follows: "Field Army Troops – will centrally command high-demand, low-volume capabilities. It will consist of 16th Air Assault BCT and the ISR, Medical, and CEMA Effects Groups."

Under the new programme, the term 'Field Army Troops' was re-established, and the following now come under Field Army's direct command:^[12]

• Field Army Troops, at Marlborough Lines, Andover^[13]
  • Cyber and Electro Magnetic Activities Effects Group, at Marlborough Lines, Andover^{[14] [15]}
    • 13th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, at Azimghur Barracks, Colerne – Cyber operations
    • 14th Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth – Electronic Warfare
    • 21st Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals, at Imjin Barracks, Innsworth – Electronic Warfare
  • Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group,^[16] at Trenchard Lines, Upavon^[17]
    • 2nd Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps (Hybrid), at Trenchard Lines, Upavon^[18]
    • 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion, Intelligence Corps (Army Reserve), in Hackney
    • Specialist Group Military Intelligence, Intelligence Corps (Army Reserve),^[19] at Aldershot Garrison
    • Land Image Intelligence Company
    • 32nd Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Larkhill Garrison (Mini UAS)
    • 47th Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Larkhill Garrison (Tactical UAS)
    • Land Intelligence Fusion Centre, at Marlborough Lines, Andover
  • 2nd Medical Group, at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall^[20] – reduction of 2nd Medical Brigade
    • 21st Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps, at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall
    • 22nd Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps, at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall
    • 202nd (Midlands) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Birmingham
    • 203rd (Welsh) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Cardiff
    • 206th (North West) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Liverpool
    • 210th (North Irish) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Belfast
    • 214th (North East) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Newcastle upon Tyne
    • 215th (Scottish) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Glasgow
    • 243rd (Wessex) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Keynsham
    • 254th (East of England) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Cambridge
    • 256th (London and South East) Multi-Role Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), in Walworth
    • 306th Hospital Support Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall
    • 335th Medical Evacuation Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall
    • Medical Operations Support Unit, Royal Army Medical Corps (Army Reserve), at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall

16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team formerly came under Field Army Troops until 2023, when it was re-subordinated to the command of 1st (UK) Division.

Footnotes

Citations

1. Web site: Field Army Troops The British Army .
2. Web site: Ministry of Defence. September 2020. How Defence Works (Version 6.0). 1 February 2021. Parliamentary publishings. 30.
3. Web site: 12 May 2021. FOI(A) regarding Land Operations Command. 12 May 2021. What do they know?.
4. Web site: Future Soldier. 2021-03-26. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
5. Web site: Head of Programmes for the Land Warfare Centre - Gov.uk. 3. 26 February 2021. 15 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210415142037/https://files.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/admin/fairs/apptrack/download.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA3MDAwMCZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZkb2NfdHlwZT12YWMmZG9jX2lkPTg2MTYwMyZ2ZXJpZnk9YTE0OTViMTY4NTZkMjc1YjFkN2JhMGU4MTJiNGYwNWI=. dead.
6. British Army Review Winter 2021, p. 56.
7. Web site: Allwood. Greg. Know Your Army – Weapons And Organisation. 2021-10-09. Forces Network. en.
8. Web site: 6 July 2019. Parachute Regiment Marks 50 Years In Aldershot. 2021-08-31. Forces Network. en.
9. Web site: Google Earth. 2021-11-11. earth.google.com.
10. Web site: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament. 2021-11-14. questions-statements.parliament.uk. en.
11. Web site: March 2018. Training Readiness in The British Army: Designing, managing, and evaluating objective based training. 13 November 2021. 4C Strategies.
12. Web site: 25 November 2021. Future Soldier Guide. 25 November 2021. United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications.
13. Web site: Field Army. 2021-11-25. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
14. Web site: 25 November 2021. Future Soldier Guide. 25 November 2021. United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications.
15. Web site: CEMA Effects Group. 2021-11-25. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
16. Web site: ISR Group. 2021-11-25. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
17. Web site: Briohny Williams. 21 October 2020. Exercise Wessex Seahawk: Army Trials Unmanned Aircraft In Cornwall. 2020-10-29. Forces Network. en.
18. Web site: 22 November 2018. Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps.. dead. 20 February 2021. United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements. 26 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210226013531/https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2018-11-22/194616.
19. Book: Reserve Forces Review 2030: Unlocking the reserves' potential to strengthen a resilient and global Britain. Ministry of Defence. 2021. London, United Kingdom.
20. Web site: 2 Medical Group. 2021-11-25. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.