The operational costs of the British Army’s 77th Brigade have nearly doubled over the past decade, according to figures released in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
77th Brigade, established to address the changing nature of modern conflicts, has become increasingly involved in a wide range of activities aimed at influencing the information environment and supporting military objectives.
According to the FOI response, the brigade’s operational costs have risen from £7.563 million in the 2015-2016 financial year to £14.523 million in 2023-2024. This increase includes military pay and reflects the growing complexity and scope of the brigade’s operations.
Here is a breakdown of the brigade’s operational costs:
- 2015-2016: £7.563 million
- 2016-2017: £8.265 million
- 2017-2018: £8.796 million
- 2018-2019: £8.670 million
- 2019-2020: £12.533 million
- 2020-2021: £12.265 million
- 2021-2022: £13.377 million
- 2022-2023: £14.062 million
- 2023-2024: £14.523 million (as of 11 April 2024)
The brigade has been active both domestically and internationally. It participated in a two-week disaster relief exercise in Bosnia and Herzegovina and deployed to the Philippines in 2015 to assist the government in developing contingency plans for natural disasters.
The brigade also formed a formal partnership with the 361st Civil Affairs Brigade of the US Army Europe, enhancing its capabilities to operate in complex environments.
77 Brigade’s role in countering disinformation has also been significant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the brigade worked with the Home Office Rapid Response Unit to combat misinformation and disinformation related to the virus. This involved monitoring social media and other public platforms to assess disinformation trends and narratives.
General Nick Carter, during a UK government briefing in April 2020, confirmed that the brigade was actively engaged in quashing rumours and countering disinformation during the pandemic.
The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit within the brigade was specifically tasked with monitoring internet content related to COVID-19 vaccines. A government spokesman later clarified that these efforts were focused on public safety and did not target individuals or infringe on free debate.
The increasing operational costs of the 77th Brigade reflect its expanding role and the growing importance of countering information warfare in modern times. The brigade’s activities are designed to constrain hostile state actors and adversaries, using intelligence to understand audiences, analyse networks, and deliver strategic effects. The rise in costs underscores the recognition of information dominance as a crucial element in contemporary conflicts, highlighting the brigade’s value as a key asset.
Surely for a Bde that’s cheap running costs, unless it’s not really a Bde at all.
15 million is a bargain, 77 brigade is one of the most important capabilities we have and its probably our most important domestic defence unit including QRA.
It is chicken feed.
It is a Brigade in name only, it does not have the strength of a typical all arms deployable Brigade.
The many Brigades of the British Army vary widely.
It’s not a brigade in a conventional sense of course. I wonder what the strength is. It must be a lot less than 5000! If so perhaps it should have been called a Group and headed by a full Colonel.
I thought I’d read around 600 but I may be mistaken, that being regulars, reservists and civilians.
You have:
Headquarters – 77 Brigade
Brigade Operations Centre
5th Information Operations Task Force
101st Information Operations Task Force
201 Company.
202 Company.
Then you also have as part of the Bde
Defence Cultural Specialist Unit.
And two reserve units-
6 MI Battalion.
The HAC.
Last I saw it was less than 450. Made up from a mixture of uniforms and civilians. The brigade title is to say the least misleading. It seems to be a trend across the whole military. What in my mind is a window dressing operation to make it look like we have a capability that in reality we don’t have. A case in point is VIII Squadron formed to operate the Wedgetails. Based on the airframe numbers that should be a flight in my eyes. There are lots of other examples across the Military. The RM have bestowed the Commando title to units and we now have less manpower than in living memory. I do wonder if it’s a way to justify the amount of senior officers we have. There is around 21 RM Brigadiers, that works out at one for every 335 RMs. The Navy have over 100 officers of Commodore or above. I think there needs to be an honesty about the whole titles, numbers, and capability thing. Reduce senior officers, and get more grunts.
Thanks, even less than I thought.
Yes, 1 Assault Group RM is now a Commando.
FPGRM became 43 Cdo.
Opposite trend to the army, some if the supporting Brigades have been retitled groups.
Classically a Group in the army is an organisation (of several units and also sometimes independent sub-units), but very definitely between unit and brigade size and headed by a full Colonel.
Which seems to make more sense to me now some Bdes have been downgraded.
101, 102 Logistics, 8 Engineer, and 1, 11 Signal Brigades are larger so remaining Bdes makes greater sense with them.
104 remains a Bde but is smaller and more specialised than 101,102.
As I said to Graham, the decision point between Group and Brigade atm appears to be in the composition of the HQ. A Brigade generally has a beefier HQ element. So a small formation that needs a lot of staff near the top might still be a brigade instead of a Group.
Ok, didn’t know that distinction. Thanks mate.
OT. Just occurred to me, where is Regimental HQ RR? Does it have one?
As of this moment it doesn’t have one. I’m going to be a bit tight lipped about that because I don’t want to jinx anything.
Thought as such. I did look.
Very interesting. I thought the number was well less than 1,000. Yes, it is totally misleading to call it a brigade just because it includes a number of units (Lt Col-commanded). The Army should call it a Group. Easy to be cynical that it is a device to create another 1* post, but that is a trivial point. The truth is more likely to be that politicians can crow about how many brigades the army has increased by ‘on their watch’, whilst obscuring the fact that overall another 10,000 posts have been lost.
(Worth notingvthat the Staff Corps has a number of Lt Cols and Cols that, given they make up 2/3rds of its strength, are not in command appointments. )
I had a offer to join HAC when I left the army. Probably one of the biggest mistakes I made turning that opportunity down.
Extremely prestige unit for reservists.
Especially their patrols Sqn.
Had a 22 DS permanently attached apparently.
Yes, I had the bit between my teeth unfortunately. I had loved most of my time, but when the government decided to slash 27000 over that 3 year redundancy program it made me a bit angry and I could see the writing on the wall, so when I left I just had it in my mind to make it a clean break. Would have been a great way to network into a new civilian life though.
Thanks mate. It really should not be titled a brigade – this gives fodder for those who claim the army just wanted to create another 1* post – hard to disagree.
It should be a Group.
I think the Staff Corps is part of 77 aswell.
Ah yes, forgot them. How does that make sense with 77 mate, given their civil engineering expertise?
Staff corps does more than just civil engineering, they’ve cultivate members with backgrounds from Marketing, to digital architecture, to finance. It’s a really broad church.
Ok.
That has happened with some former Brigades in Future Soldier.
2 Medical Bde, reduced to Group.
1 ISR Bde, split up, one part being ISR Group.
Agree 77 Group seems to make more sense here, but the constant rebranding is tiresome. Previously, for years, they were just 15 Psyops Group. That lot had all sorts of crazy conspiracy theories attached with a name like that, and they were a small operation.
Greater emphasis of the role now with various units grouped under the banner.
HAC listed as 77 I find confusing, as surely being in ISR Gp, DRSB, or with SOBde makes more sense with them?
*ASOB.
Sorry Dern.
I’m not sure if it was this way back in the day but these days the difference generally about capabilities and size of the HQ rather that the actual formations size. I was briefly involved in a conversation about 2 Med Group / 2 Med Brigade and what the theoretical difference would be.
I was considering 2 Med in my mind when discussing with Graham earlier, when I was noting the number of formations the logistics and Signal Brigades have. 2 Med Bde also had a large number of FH and reserve FH, but was downgraded to a Group.
So now, still with a large number of reserve MMRs, seems to nicely dovetail with your point about HQ size, and, AFAIK, 2 Med Bde/Group HQ has never in itself been a deployable formation?
Don’t think so.
And yes, the gist seemed to be that the 1* and much of his HQ got stripped out of 2 Med X and reassigned across the RAMC, while 2 Med III continued with a much reduced HQ element.
Fitted for but not with (rifles, tanks, ammo etc…)
If it could stop all the garbage we get online I’d happily double it again.
Were rumours quashed during covid?
I’m not sure about that , some rumours were based on fact , and later proven to be true under law and documents shown in the US Senate committees and Parliament debate . Not sure what the rumours are they are referring to, maybe just to hold back more extreme views like covid was some kind of conspiracy , but I guess bgde77 was use to hold a govt narrative
I have always found the organisation’s brigade title as odd even with the historical background of the name.
Why this work is the Army’s responsibility for UK operations is beyond me too. Why not MI5, GCHQ or NCA? I suppose at the end of the day it is all government.
The Bde also operates abroad, I think the domestic side was brief and during Covid.
GCHQ does have a similar department.
I don’t see psychological operations, propaganda, and info ops as being ideal for GCHQ and the Security Service myself, and certainly not the NCA.
And the Bde isn’t just army. DCSU and other elements are tri service, MoD civilians, regulars and reservists.
I think such things directed at civilians are best handled by civilians.
Yup. As far as I understand they’re somewhat similar to US Army Civil Affairs when deployed overseas.
I think the plan was to bring the capacity into the army. Who otherwise couldn’t afford it.
If it is a capability you want to have in the field then the army should have a field unit or group to do that.
Another good article, ty George.
I have to say that I’m one of those people who think that other than wastage, or paying 3rd parties OTT, Military Expenditure costs what it costs, so suck it up and get on with it.
Oh?
Haha, so they did denied that the virus could have created and escaped from a lab?
Or that COVID vaccines did not prevented infection?
Perhaps you should go off to some conspiracy site
Their whistle blower confirmed they operated fake FB and Twitter accounts. Not a role for a military unit. Why they may even “operate” on here who knows? The amount of flag shagging that goes on some days is very suspect.
They’re really just the butt of jokes on the likes of 4chan.
Countering disinformation during covid outbreak, even if that disinformation later turned out to be true.
Why is the army working with the home office to counter disinformation ragrding covid? Most of the disinformation was directly from the government to bolster big pharma profits and inflate ppe sales to their buddies.
Most of the disinformation has now been proven to be factual. Is it only disinformation when the government decides?
Military, Police and government all in for a dictatorship.
Maybe the plan is to increase the numerical size of the army by sending everyone on DEI courses. Attendees can be taught to identify themselves as we, them, us and they etc rather then him, me, I etc. At a stroke military numbers increase by the use of plurals as pronouns.