The Ministry of Defence has declined to identify which British Army units have been allocated to the multinational force being prepared for Ukraine, citing operational security risks around any future deployment.
Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty asked the department to identify the Army units allocated to the force, referring to the Government’s 24 July announcement that the UK had taken command of the multinational force for Ukraine.
Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said: “Whilst planning continues at pace, we will not be drawn into the details of any future UK Armed Forces deployment, including its levels, composition, assets, and participating nations, due to the risk to operational security.”
The multinational force is being planned as part of preparations for security arrangements in Ukraine should hostilities cease. The Government has continued discussions with Kyiv, France and other partners over what support could be provided in those circumstances.
Sandher-Jones said: “The Secretary of State for Defence has regular engagements with Ukraine, France and other partners on Ukraine-related security in the event of a cessation of hostilities.”
She added: “This government is committed to ensuring our Armed Forces remain ready to respond to all challenges, including deployment to Ukraine.”
The Government announced in July that the UK had taken command of the multinational force planning effort for Ukraine. Since then, ministers have continued to avoid publishing detailed force structures while military planning remains under way. Obese-Jecty’s question sought to establish whether specific British Army units had already been allocated to the force. The MOD did not confirm individual units and also declined to provide information on force levels, participating nations or assets.
Given the current size and disposition of the Army, what could we actually ‘sustainability’ deploy on a mutiyear tasking, without damaging our ability to deploy a brigade at short notice elsewhere in the world?
1,800 ish??
3,000 using AR rotations to pad it out??
John, we can assume that the Very High Readiness (VHR) brigade is 16 AA Bde and that troops assigned to the reassurance force for Ukraine – MNF-U will be drawn from other formations. In some ways it is a pity that the army did not restructure into identical or near-identical multi-role brigades many years ago when it was mooted. Roulemonting from such an ORBAT would have been easier.
If it is decided that heavy armour (including tanks) is required then we only have two true armoured brigades and so could not roule at brigade strength. If however it was decided that a lighter mechanised force was required then it could be deemed that the mech and the lt mech brigades in 1 Div are candidates – only two brigades so could not roule at brigade strength.
Thus if the deployed force is to be regular only, deployed strength has to be at sub-brigade level either a strong BG or a weird two BG construct.
I would say that a single strong BG of 900 – 1200 regulars is feasible for Ukraine deployment, bearing in mind other commitments around the world including the BG force in Estonia. 3,000 with AR augmentation (or RM augmentation) might be possible but it sounds like a stretch.
Of course Putin will veto ‘western’ or troops from NATO countries during the peace negotiations so none of this may come to pass.
If that did not happen then the politicians would insist on a 5000 – 6000 strong force to avoid losing face and the Army would comply!
Sensible Graham, we do have this strange disconnect where General Bluster assures the Defence Minister that we can deploy X number of Brigades simultaneously, or even wheel out their mythical Division.
The reality is, an enduring deployment would have to be modest.
Above everything else, we require 16 AAB to form the core of an enlarged Brigade for another Falklands type of operation outbof area. More than likely filling in the NATO gaps at short readiness these days I guess, in the Baltic or perhaps in the High North.
It’s truly mystifying really, we really have effectively reduced the Army to its light mobility, rapid reaction elements, but at the same time we get get rid of the assets they would depend on, C130s ( gone without replacement), get rid of Puma
(eventually replaced somwhen) and hollow out the Chinnok force too!
You have to wonder who the fu#k is in charge of this mess!
Labour in charge of our defence strategy and entire armed forces terrifies me …. They’re so completely inept at everything they do – but a defence SNAFU can’t be fixed by a U-turn and a toney TikTok PR release …
Quite right & wise.
No surprise. Whatever they allocate is probably committed elsewhere and wearing 2 or 3 caps already.
This doesn’t need to be in the public domain but is a pointless exercise anyhow as no NATO forces will ever be part of a peace keeping force in Ukraine.