HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Deployment (Afghanistan)

Monday 13th September 2010 Written Statements

[The Minister for the Armed Forces (Nick Harvey)]

The Secretary of State for Defence has endorsed the deployment of elements of NATO’s Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (HQ ARRC) to Afghanistan from January 2011 to January 2012.

HQ ARRC is one of NATO’s nine Graduated Readiness Forces (Land) (GRF(L)), standing headquarters which provide augmentation, on a rotational basis, to the ISAF Joint Command in Kabul. HQ ARRC’s personnel will take on the augmentation role from elements of the French-led GRF(L) that are currently deployed and will be replaced in turn by staff from the Eurocorps GRF(L) and the Spanish GRF(L).

HQ ARRC is a UK-led multinational headquarters staffed by personnel from 15 allied nations. In the order of 250 headquarters’ staff will deploy at any one time, of which up to 189 will be UK. As a NATO deployment of NATO-assigned personnel, the UK contribution will not be considered as part of the UK’s established and enduring force level, which remains at 9,500.

The deployment of elements of HQ ARRC will ensure the operational effectiveness of the ISAF Joint Command throughout 2011 and demonstrates the UK’s continued commitment both to NATO and to the international mission in Afghanistan.