Formation reconnaissance regiment
Encyclopedia
The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army
Cavalry regiments of the British Army
There are currently nine regular cavalry regiments of the British Army, with two tank regiments provided by the Royal Tank Regiment, traditionally classed alongside the cavalry, for a total of eleven regiments. Of these, five serve as armoured regiments, and five as formation reconnaissance...

. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment.

Formation reconnaissance regiments, as the name would indicate, are intended to provide Armoured Reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance
Armoured reconnaissance is terrestrial reconnaissance by soldiers in reconnaissance vehicles. The mission of armoured reconnaissance is to gather intelligence about the enemy.-Australia:...

 for a higher-level formation, usually a division or a heavy brigade. In a large-scale defensive operation, they would delay attacking forces, whilst screening heavier units as they moved to engage the enemy. The regiments are, currently, almost entirely equipped with vehicles of the CVR(T) family
Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance  —or CVR—is a family of armoured fighting vehicles s in service with the British Army and others throughout the world...

.

Current use

Currently, five regular army regiments are equipped for the formation reconnaissance role:
  • Household Cavalry Regiment
    Household Cavalry Regiment
    The Household Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were...

  • 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
    1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
    1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army...

  • 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
  • The Light Dragoons
    The Light Dragoons
    The Light Dragoons is a cavalry regiment in the British Army.It was formed in 1992 from the amalgamation of two regiments, the 13th/18th Royal Hussars and the 15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars becoming the first dragoon regiment in the British Army for over twenty years.-Present day:The Light...

  • The Queen's Royal Lancers
    The Queen's Royal Lancers
    The Queen's Royal Lancers is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1993 by the amalgamation of two other regiments:*16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers*17th/21st Lancers...



The Queen's Own Yeomanry
Queen's Own Yeomanry
The Queen's Own Yeomanry is an armoured regiment of the British Territorial Army. The Queen's Own Yeomanry is the only Yeomanry regiment that serves in the formation reconnaissance role, equipped with the CVR family of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, including Scimitar and Spartan.On...

 is the sole Territorial unit equipped for this role.

Organisation

A regiment is organised into three reconnaissance squadrons, each with three reconnaissance troops of four Scimitars
FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...

 and a guided weapons troop of four Strikers
FV102 Striker
The FV102 Striker was the anti-tank guided missile carrier in the CVR family and served in the British Army.-Overview:FV102 Striker was the Swingfire wire guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR family. The FV102 Striker was externally very similar to the FV103 Spartan but carried five...

. The squadrons also have a support troop with four Spartan APCs
FV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...

, a Mechanical Engineer section with a Spartan and a Samson recovery vehicle
FV106 Samson
FV106 Samson is a British Army armoured recovery vehicle, one of the CVR family. The main role of this vehicle is to recover the CVR family of vehicles, but can recover other light tracked vehicles such as the FV430 series.-Design and features:...

 and a Squadron Headquarters troop with two Land Rover 110 medium utility trucks
Land Rover (Series/Defender)
The Land Rover Defender is a British four wheel drive off-road utility vehicle developed from the original Land Rover Series launched in 1948.-Name and badge distinctions:...

, two Sultan command vehicles
FV105 Sultan
FV105 Sultan is a British Army command and control vehicle based on the CVR platform. It has a higher roof than the APC variants, providing a more comfortable "office space" inside. This contains a large vertical map board and desk along one side, with a bench seat for three people facing it...

 and a Samaritan ambulance
FV104 Samaritan
The FV104 Samaritan is the British Army armoured ambulance variant of the CVR family. It has a capacity for up to 6 casualties.The Samaritan is one of the variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of armoured fighting vehicles developed by Alvis plc for the British military....

. The main combat strength is thus 12 Strikers and 36 Scimitars.

Reconnaissance Squadron

  • Squadron Headquarters Troop
    • Two Land Rover
      Land Rover
      Land Rover is a British car manufacturer with its headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, United Kingdom which specialises in four-wheel-drive vehicles. It is owned by the Indian company Tata Motors, forming part of their Jaguar Land Rover group...

      s, Two FV105 Sultan
      FV105 Sultan
      FV105 Sultan is a British Army command and control vehicle based on the CVR platform. It has a higher roof than the APC variants, providing a more comfortable "office space" inside. This contains a large vertical map board and desk along one side, with a bench seat for three people facing it...

      s and FV104 Samaritan
      FV104 Samaritan
      The FV104 Samaritan is the British Army armoured ambulance variant of the CVR family. It has a capacity for up to 6 casualties.The Samaritan is one of the variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of armoured fighting vehicles developed by Alvis plc for the British military....

  • Three Reconnaissance Troops
    • Four FV107 Scimitar
      FV107 Scimitar
      FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...

      s
  • Guided Weapons Troop
    • Four FV102 Striker
      FV102 Striker
      The FV102 Striker was the anti-tank guided missile carrier in the CVR family and served in the British Army.-Overview:FV102 Striker was the Swingfire wire guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR family. The FV102 Striker was externally very similar to the FV103 Spartan but carried five...

      s
  • Support Troop
    • Four FV103 Spartan
      FV103 Spartan
      FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...

      s
  • Mechanical Engineer Section
    • FV103 Spartan
      FV103 Spartan
      FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...

       and FV106 Samson
      FV106 Samson
      FV106 Samson is a British Army armoured recovery vehicle, one of the CVR family. The main role of this vehicle is to recover the CVR family of vehicles, but can recover other light tracked vehicles such as the FV430 series.-Design and features:...



In addition to these three squadrons, a regiment also contains a Regimental Headquarters squadron, with six Sultans, a Spartan, a Samaritan and two medium utility trucks, and a Light Aid Detachment
Light Aid Detachment
A Light Aid Detachment is an attached independent minor unit of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers or Detachment of Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers operating as a sub-unit of the supported unit...

 of the REME
Reme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...

 with a Sultan, a Samson, a Spartan and a Foden recovery vehicle.

In wartime, a regiment would be increased to four reconnaissance squadrons by the activation of reserve personnel and Territorial Army Yeomanry units. One of the formation reconnaissance regiments, the Household Cavalry Regiment
Household Cavalry Regiment
The Household Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the British Army, and is one of two regiments that are formed from the Household Cavalry. It was formed in 1992, under the Options for Change reforms, by the amalgamation of The Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. Both regiments were...

, has a permanent fourth squadron; this is on detachment with 16 Air Assault Brigade.

History

During the early 1980s, there were four "Type A" armoured reconnaissance regiments as part of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...

 (BAOR), known as Divisional Reconnaissance Regiments and each with three Sabre Squadrons; two Medium Reconnaissance Squadrons comprising four troops of 4 x Scorpions
FV101 Scorpion
The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance , CVR, family of seven armoured vehicles...

 together with a Surveillance Troop of 5 x Spartan equipped with ZB298 radar, plus a Close Reconnaissance squadron of five troops of 8 x Scimitars
FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role...

 (one for each battlegroup in the division). There were a further four "Type B" regiments based in the United Kingdom, earmarked for the reinforcement of BAOR; these had two medium reconnaissance squadrons, of Scimitars and Scorpions, and a close reconnaissance squadron equipped with Fox armoured cars
Fox Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle
The FV721 Fox Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance was a 4x4 armoured car deployed by the British Army as a replacement for the Ferret scout car and the Saladin Armoured Car...

. Finally, four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army were intended for home defence; these had four reconnaissance squadrons of Foxes, with a small number of Ferret armoured car
Ferret armoured car
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...

s.

By 1986, two regular regiments were permanently stationed in Germany, and titled as Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (Tracked) (BAOR); these had four medium reconnaissance squadrons with Scimitars, each also having an integral guided-weapons troop of Strikers
FV102 Striker
The FV102 Striker was the anti-tank guided missile carrier in the CVR family and served in the British Army.-Overview:FV102 Striker was the Swingfire wire guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR family. The FV102 Striker was externally very similar to the FV103 Spartan but carried five...

. Each of these would operate with one of BAORs armoured divisions. The third armoured division had its reconnaissance regiment based in England, equipped as a Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (Tracked) (UK); this formation had three medium reconnaissance squadrons of Scimitars and Scorpions, and a fourth guided-weapons squadron of Strikers. A fourth regiment was also equipped to this standard, and based in the UK to support NATO mobile forces. There was a third organisation for regular forces, the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (UK), which had two tracked reconnaissance squadrons of Scorpions and one wheeled reconnaissance squadron of Foxes. In the Territorial Army, there were two organisations, two Yeomanry Reconnaissance Regiment (BAOR) and three Yeomanry Reconnaissance Regiment (UK). The former were equipped with three or four reconnaissance squadrons of Foxes, and intended for reinforcing units based in West Germany; the latter had three or four reconnaissance squadrons of unarmoured civilian Land Rovers, and was intended solely for home defence.

The 1993 Options for Change
Options for Change
Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in 1990, aimed at cutting defence spending following the end of the Cold War....

 review cut the number of regular armoured reconnaissance regiments to two, with a third being created in 1995 by converting the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...

 training regiment. At this point, the regiments were quoted as a combat strength of 48 Scimitars and 12 Strikers; this is comparable to the current regimental structure, but for a four-squadron regiment.

A fourth was created in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review
Strategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...

 by converting a conventional armoured regiment to the reconnaissance role. The 1998 conversion, however, saw the regiments reduced to three squadrons rather than four, with a single Yeomanry regiment for peacetime reinforcement, with the effect that the total number of operational squadrons remained the same.

The force was increased to five regiments by the 2003 Defence White Paper
Delivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the...

, again by re-roling an armoured regiment; it is about this time that the designation Formation Reconnaissance Regiment appeared.
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