Ranger Regiment (United Kingdom) Explained

Unit Name:Ranger Regiment
Dates:1 December 2021 – present
Country: United Kingdom
Type:Special operations-capable[1]
Size:Four battalions of ≈ 250 personnel;[2] [3]
≈ 1,000 personnel in total[4] [5] [6]
Command Structure:Army Special Operations Brigade
Motto:By All Means
Current Commander:Brigadier Gus Fair [7]

The Ranger Regiment is a special operations-capable unit of the British Army which was formed on 1 December 2021 under the Future Soldier reform and is part of the Army Special Operations Brigade previously called the Specialised Infantry Group.[1] [8] It is intended to be used primarily in an unconventional warfare and foreign internal defence capacity in a similar manner to the US Green Berets.[9]

History

On 22 March 2021, the Defence in a Competitive Age paper was released underlining the future of the British Armed Forces. As part of a wider reorganisation of the British Army, the following was announced:[10] Initially, the regiment is planned to be "based on four Infantry Battalions but selecting personnel from across the Army". The regiment's task will be as follows: "[It will be] designed to support and conduct special operations discreetly in high-risk environments". According to a reporter of Forces News, the regiment will "conduct missions traditionally carried out by United Kingdom Special Forces (Special Air Service and Special Boat Service)".[11] During an interview with the (then) Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, the rangers will be "special forces" and will "go beyond training, advising, and assisting" to "support local operations". He also stated the Ranger's functions will be similar to the United States Army's "Green Berets", a nickname for the US Army Special Forces.[12]

The regiment was initially due to form in August 2021, however this was subsequently postponed to 1 December 2021.[13] In early 2022 soldiers from the regiment deployed as part of a UK government support package to Ukraine.[14] In February 2022 soldiers from the regiment deployed to Ghana to conduct training with the Ghanaian Special Operations Brigade, in preparation for a major exercise as well as to help them eliminate threats originating from their border regions.[15]

Elements of the Ranger Regiment deployed to Ukraine in 2022 to provide anti-tank training.[16] In October 2022 elements of the 3rd Battalion conducted exercises with the 193rd Jägarbataljonen, part of the Norrland Dragoon Regiment, specialised arctic light infantry.[17]

In March 2024, the Armed Forces Minister, James Heappey, said that the Ranger Regiment had deployed 691 times since 2021 and that, as of, it consisted of 1,040 regular Army personnel.[18] [19] [20]

Regimental organisation

The regiment was formed on 1 December 2021 through the renaming of four of the existing Specialised Infantry battalions.[21] All four battalions were formed on 1 December 2021 and fall under the Army Special Operations Brigade,[22] operationally they are aligned to regions around the globe.[23]

A gun-metal grey beret and stable belt are worn by the Regiment.[24] The four battalions of the Ranger Regiment each consist of ≈ 250 personnel.[2] [3]

1st Battalion

The 1st Battalion, Ranger Regiment (1 RANGER) was previously the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland. The battalion is based at Palace Barracks in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[22] It is regionally aligned to West Africa.

2nd Battalion

The 2nd Battalion, Ranger Regiment (2 RANGER) was previously the 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires). The battalion is based at Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, Surrey.[25] It is regionally aligned to East Africa.

3rd Battalion

The 3rd Battalion, Ranger Regiment (3 RANGER) was previously the 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border). The battalion is currently based at Elizabeth Barracks, Pirbright, but will move to Aldershot Garrison in 2027.[22] It is regionally aligned to Europe.

4th Battalion

The 4th Battalion, Ranger Regiment (4 RANGER) was previously the 4th Battalion, The Rifles. The battalion is based at Normandy Barracks, Aldershot Garrison. It is regionally aligned to the Middle East.

Reinforcement companies

The regiment also includes a pair of Gurkha reinforcement companies. These were raised as part of the plan to reform the 3rd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, which would be the fifth battalion assigned to the Specialised Infantry Group. A (Coriano) Company was formed on 31 January 2020 as the first sub-unit of the new battalion.[26] [27] The formation of the new battalion's second company was planned for 18 November 2021. However, prior to this taking place, the formation of the new battalion was cancelled, with the two companies instead to be used as independent units attached to other battalions of the new Ranger Regiment. Upon the formation of the Rangers, the second formed company, F (Falklands) Company, was attached to 2 RANGER,[28] while the original company, renamed as G (Coriano) Company, was attached to 4 RANGER.[29]

Team organisation

The Ranger Regiment is organised into "teams" of 11 personnel[30] [31] similar to United States Army Special Forces ODAs,[32] which consist of 12 soldiers, each of whom has a particular specialist role.[33] Ranger teams consist of:[34]

Training and selection

The Ranger battalions are planned to be "all-arms" battalions and thus be open to anyone serving in the Army, providing that they have served for 18 months from completing basic training.[35] All applicants to the ranger regiment have to undertake a two-week Ranger assessment cadre (RAC), followed by a ten week All Arms Ranger course (AARC) before joining their battalion.[36]

Ranger assessment cadre (RAC)

Brigadier Gus Fair, then commander of the Ranger Regiment, said the RAC involves "protracted periods of time under duress" and seeks to select applicants with emotional intelligence, resilience, calmness, and self-awareness.[37]

Cap badge controversy

After it was revealed to the public, the cap badge of the Ranger Regiment was the subject of a controversy after some commentators claimed it bore a resemblance to the badge of the Selous Scouts, a special forces unit of the Rhodesian Army which operated during the Rhodesian Bush War. A Daily Telegraph article claimed that several British Army officers who were privy to the discussions over the creation of the Ranger Regiment's beret were concerned that the new cap badge was potentially based on the badge of the Selous Scouts and unsuccessfully attempted to change the design. An anonymous source in the Ministry of Defence told the Daily Telegraph that "An officer said he had seen an email saying that it was actually based on the Selous Scouts... There's obvious differences but it's fucking close and clearly based on it." However, the British Army rejected such claims, with an army spokesman stating that "The Ranger Regiment cap badge has been designed around the peregrine falcon. Any comparison or association to the osprey depicted in the Selous Scouts’ cap badge is completely inaccurate. The Ranger Regiment is very proud of its new cap-badge which takes inspiration and spirit from the peregrine falcon; fast, agile and fiercely loyal to its partner, it operates around the world in all environments including deserts, mountains and cities."[38] [39] [40]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Defence in a Competitive Age . Ministry of Defence . 12 January 2022 . 46, 68, 69. 9781528624626 . March 2021.
  2. Web site: Brown . Larisa . Army creates Ranger regiment to free up Special Forces . . 20 January 2024 . https://archive.today/20210320082956/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-army-creates-ranger-regiment-k0kfckkw3 . 2021-03-20 . en . 20 March 2021 . live . subscription.
  3. Web site: Ranger Regiment: What we know about the British Army's elite force . . 20 January 2024 . https://archive.today/20240120220505/https://www.forces.net/news/new-army-ranger-regiment-what-we-know-so-far . 2024-01-20 . en . 18 November 2022 . live.
  4. News: Cotterill . Tom . Hampshire infantry unit joins UK's new special forces 'ranger regiment' . 27 September 2022 . www.portsmouth.co.uk . 24 March 2021 . en . Troops from 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (2PWRR) will merge with three other units to form the 1,000-strong regiment..
  5. News: Warrell . Helen . UK looks to new 'Ranger' regiment to tackle emerging conflicts . 27 September 2022 . Financial Times . 19 March 2021 . UK defence chiefs are launching a special operations “Ranger regiment”...the new 1,000-strong regiment.
  6. News: Haynes . Deborah . Defence secretary saves 500 troops from army cull, as new elite Ranger regiment is unveiled . 27 September 2022 . Sky News . 25 November 2021 . en . the creation of a 1,000-strong Ranger Regiment.
  7. Web site: Larisa . Brown . British Army’s elite Ranger force to fight extremists . . 5 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20211125015523/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-armys-elite-ranger-force-to-fight-extremists-5wcn2m3f9 . 2021-11-25 . en . 25 November 2021 . live . subscription.
  8. Web site: British Army . Future Soldier Guide . 12 January 2022 . 71–72 . 25 November 2021.
  9. Web site: New British Army brigade: reshaping UK special operations for the better?. 2021-09-04. IISS. en.
  10. Web site: Future Soldier. 2021-11-16. www.army.mod.uk. en-GB.
  11. Web site: Newton. Simon. Soldiers To Take On Special Forces Roles In New Army Unit. 2021-11-16. Forces Network. en.
  12. Web site: New Ranger Regiment To Be 'Open To Anybody In Armed Forces', CDS Says. 2021-11-16. Forces Network. en.
  13. Web site: New Army Ranger Regiment: What We Know So Far . 25 November 2021 . 2021-11-16. Forces Network. en-gb.
  14. Web site: British Army Sent Elite Rangers Troops to Ukraine. January 27, 2022.
  15. Web site: Soldiers from the 1st Battalion the Ranger Regiment (1 Ranger) have deployed to West Africa to conduct joint training with their Ghanaian Armed Forces counterparts.. Ministry of Defence. 1 May 2022.
  16. Web site: Action-packed first year for Ranger Regiment. The British Army.
  17. Web site: Norrland Rangers and UK Rangers side by side. 13 October 2022. Swedish Armed Forces. 9 April 2023.
  18. Web site: Candlin . Alex . Revealed: Ranger Regiment deployed on hundreds of missions since creation . . 19 March 2024 . https://archive.today/20240319193633/https://www.forces.net/services/army/revealed-ranger-regiment-deployed-hundreds-missions-creation . 2024-03-19 . en . 18 March 2024 . live.
  19. Web site: Ranger Regiment: Deployment - Question for Ministry of Defence . . 19 March 2024 . https://archive.today/20240319194150/https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-07/17510 . 2024-03-19 . en . 15 March 2024 . live.
  20. Web site: Ranger Regiment - Question for Ministry of Defence . . 19 March 2024 . https://archive.today/20240319194155/https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-07/17509 . 2024-03-19 . en . 15 March 2024 . live.
  21. Web site: Ranger Regiment: What we know about Army's new elite force . . 1 December 2021 . Forces.net . 7 December 2021 .
  22. Web site: 25 November 2021. Future Soldier Guide. 13 December 2021. United Kingdom Parliamentary Publications.
  23. [Soldier Magazine|SOLDIER]
  24. Web site: Introducing the Army's latest cap badge: Ranger Regiment. The British Army. 14 February 2023.
  25. Web site: Special lecture report. 26 March 2022 . Sikh Museum. 12 December 2022.
  26. Web site: The Third Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles reformation parade . . 3 February 2020 . Gurkha Brigade Association . 9 January 2023 .
  27. Web site: Exercise ASKARI SPEAR 2020 . . 30 April 2020 . Gurkha Brigade Association . 9 January 2023 .
  28. Web site: . 30 November 2021. F (Falklands) Company, Second Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, Formation Parade 18th November 2021. 7 December 2021. Gurkha Brigade Association. Brigade of Gurkhas.
  29. Rushworth . Will . 2022-02-09 . 4 RANGER'S GURKHAS DEPLOYED ACROSS AFRICA . PDF . 4 RIFLES . Bugle . en . 19 Spring 2022 . Crest Publications . Kettering . 30 . … G (Coriano) Coy, the newest addition to 4 RANGER, ….
  30. Web site: Action-packed first year for Ranger Regiment . . 20 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925163743/https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events/news/2022/11/ranger-regiment-one-year-on/ . 25 Sep 2023 . en . 1 December 2022 . live.
  31. Web site: British Army's elite Ranger Regiment reviews its action-packed first year . . 20 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230206191337/https://www.forces.net/services/army/british-armys-elite-ranger-regiment-review-their-action-packed-first-year . 6 Feb 2023 . en . 2 December 2022 . live.
  32. Web site: Irwin . Fort . Grylls . George . Elite UK troops prepare for Russian invasion of Europe — in the Mojave desert . . 18 May 2024 . https://archive.today/20221224220601/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/elite-uk-troops-prepare-for-russian-invasion-of-europe-in-the-mojave-desert-sn763qdvc . 2022-12-24 . en . 14 May 2024 . Modelled on the US Green Berets, the Rangers, tasked with special operations, function somewhere between the SAS and the ordinary infantry. . live.
  33. Web site: . Special Forces - Shooters and thinkers . . 18 May 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231001094257/https://www.army.mil/article/29315/special-forces---shooters-and-thinkers/ . 1 Oct 2023 . en . 26 October 2009 . The 12-man ODA (Operational Detachment Alpha) or "A-team," is largely made up of NCOs. Each man has a specific function, ranging from operations and intelligence, to weapons, engineering, medical and communications. . live.
  34. Web site: Ranger Regiment The British Army . . 20 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231002194429/https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/ranger-regiment/ . 2 Oct 2023 . en . live.
  35. [Soldier Magazine|SOLDIER]
  36. News: Exclusive: Ranger Regiment selection process before taking on Special Forces roles. Forces News. 26 November 2021. 26 November 2021.
  37. Web site: Nicholls . Dominic . 'Emotional intelligence' key for Army's new Rangers units . . 5 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20211125172456/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/11/25/emotional-intelligence-key-armys-new-rangers-units/ . 2021-11-25 . en . 25 November 2021 . live.
  38. News: Danielle. Sheridan. Fury as new Army regiment's cap badge 'identical' to apartheid terror squad. The Daily Telegraph. 24 November 2021. 28 November 2021.
  39. News: Millie. Cooke. British Army fury as new badge compared to Nazi and Apartheid death squad symbols. 25 November 2021. Daily Express. 28 November 2021.
  40. Web site: Introducing the Army's latest cap badge: Ranger Regiment. 25 November 2021. Ministry of Defence. 29 November 2021.

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