Afghanistan Troop Levels Debate

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Department: Ministry of Defence

Afghanistan Troop Levels

Liam Fox Excerpts
Wednesday 14th July 2010

(14 years, 4 months ago)

Written Statements
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Liam Fox Portrait The Secretary of State for Defence (Dr Liam Fox)
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The next roulement of UK forces in Afghanistan is due to take place in October 2010. Headquarters, 6 (UK) Division will remain as Headquarters, Regional Command (South) until November 2010 but the UK’s current lead formation in Helmand, 4th Mechanized Brigade, will be replaced by 16 Air Assault Brigade. The forces deploying include:

Headquarters, 6 (UK) Division, who will hand over command of Regional Command (South) to 10 (US) Mountain Division on 1 November 2010

16 Air Assault Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (216)

Elements of 1 Mechanized Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (215)

Headquarters, 102 Logistic Brigade

Headquarters, 104 Logistic Brigade

Elements of 845 Naval Air Squadron

Elements of 846 Naval Air Squadron

Elements of 847 Naval Air Squadron

Elements of 857 Naval Air Squadron

Elements of the Royal Naval Regulators

Elements of 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

Elements of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery

Elements of The Household Cavalry Regiment

Elements of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment

Elements of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery

Elements of 16th Regiment Royal Artillery

Elements of 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

Elements of 39th Regiment Royal Artillery

Elements of 47th Regiment Royal Artillery

23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault)

Elements of 22 Engineer Regiment

Elements of 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)

Elements of 36 Engineer Regiment

Elements of 39 Engineer Regiment (Air Support)

Elements of 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic)

Elements of 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group

Elements of 2 Signal Regiment

Elements of 3rd Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment

Elements of 10th Signal Regiment

Elements of 14th Signals Regiment (Electronic Warfare)

Elements of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support)

1st Battalion Irish Guards

2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Royal Highland Fusiliers

5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment

3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment

1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment

Elements of 1 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Elements of 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Elements of 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Elements of 9 Regiment, Army Air Corps

Elements of 9 Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 23 Pioneer Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 24 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 27 Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps

16 Air Assault Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps

7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Elements of 104 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Elements of 6 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

156 Provost Company Royal Military Police

Elements 158 Provost Company Royal Military Police

Elements of Special Investigations Branch Germany

Elements of the Military Provost Staff and Military Provost Staff (Volunteers)

Elements of 1 Military Working Dogs Regiment

Elements of 1 Military Intelligence Brigade

Elements of the Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG)

Elements of The Honourable Artillery Company

Elements of 100 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 101 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 103 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 104 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 105 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 106 Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers)

Elements of 101 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) (Volunteers)

Elements of 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (Volunteers)

Elements of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (Volunteers)

Elements of 4th Battalion The Parachute Regiment (Volunteers)

Elements of The London Regiment (Volunteers)

Elements of The Welsh Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps (Volunteers)

Elements of 88 Postal and Courier Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 162 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 166 Supply Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 168 Pioneer Regiment (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 148 Expeditionary Force Institute Squadron (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 395 Air Despatch Troop (Volunteers), The Royal Logistic Corps

Elements of 101 Force Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Elements of 103 Battalion (Volunteers), Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

207 Field Hospital (Volunteers), Royal Army Medical Corps

212 Field Hospital (Volunteers), Royal Army Medical Corps

Elements of the Joint Medical Command

Number 2 Royal Air Force, Force Protection Wing Headquarters

Number 7 Royal Air Force, Force Protection Wing Headquarters

Elements of Number 2 Royal Air Force Police Wing

Elements of Number 3 Royal Air Force Police Wing

15 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment

34 Squadron, Royal Air Force Regiment

Elements of 51 Squadron Royal Air Force

Elements of 101 Squadron Royal Air Force

Elements of 39 Squadron Royal Air Force

12 Squadron, Royal Air Force

14 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 5 (Army Co-operation) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 18 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 24 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 27 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 28 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 30 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 78 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of the Tactical Supply Wing, Royal Air Force

Elements of 1 Air Mobility Wing, Royal Air Force

Elements of 1 Air Control Centre, Royal Air Force

Elements of 90 Signals Unit, Royal Air Force

Elements of 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 5001 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Elements of 3 Mobile Catering Squadron

Elements of Tactical Medical Wing

Elements of 1 (Expeditionary Logistics) Squadron

Elements of 93 (Expeditionary Armaments) Squadron

Elements of Tactical Imagery Wing



Volunteer and regular members of the reserve forces will continue to deploy to Afghanistan as part of this integrated force package, and we expect to issue around 770 call-out notices to fill some 600 posts. On completion of their mobilisation procedures, the reservists will undertake a period of training and, where applicable, integration with their respective receiving units. The majority will serve on operations for around six months. As part of this commitment, we expect up to 16 members of the sponsored reserves to be in theatre at any one time.

The deployment of 16 Air Assault Brigade and accompanying units will not result in any change to the UK’s established and enduring conventional force level of 9,500 personnel.

I shall make a further statement on the units we expect to serve under 16 Air Assault Brigade’s planned replacement formation, 3 Commando Brigade, nearer the time of their deployment.