The next roulement, or transition, of UK forces in Afghanistan is due to take place in October 2013.
As the Prime Minister announced in December 2012, the UK’s conventional force levels in Afghanistan will draw down to around 5,200 by the end of 2013, from the current level of around 7,900.
As part of this drawdown, there will be around 6,000 personnel in Afghanistan from Autumn 2013. However, this figure may fluctuate and occasionally exceed this total due to ‘relief-in-place’ (where all or part of a unit is replaced in an area by an incoming unit) and additional surges into theatre.
Around half of these units will form Task Force Helmand under the command of 7th Armoured Brigade. The remainder will deploy within Helmand province and also to other locations in Afghanistan, particularly Kandahar and Kabul, as part of the UK’s overall contribution.
In addition to the list of formed units, individual augmentees from each of the Services will continue to deploy as part of this integrated force package. In total MOD expects around 1,119 individual augmentees to deploy on operations.
These will be comprised of 246 Royal Navy personnel, 370 Army personnel and 503 Royal Air Force personnel. The Royal Air Force currently provides the command element of Headquarters Joint Force Support (Afghanistan), with the wider headquarters manned by individual augmentees from all 3 Services. 101 Logistic Brigade will deploy in November to take on this role.
Volunteer and ex-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 400 call-out notices.
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 6 months although a small proportion of any force which is stood down due to force level reductions is likely to be reservist.
As announced by the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on 14 May 2013, some elements of 7th Armoured Brigade will deploy on Op Herrick 19 for up to 8 months. This will remove the requirement to train and deploy an extra brigade, at greatly reduced scale, to cover the final months of 2014.
It will also align tours to key milestones in the transition process, such as the Afghan presidential elections in Spring 2014. A small number of reservists may therefore voluntarily serve for 8 months.
20th Armoured Brigade is currently training to relieve 7th Armoured Brigade in 2014.
The forces deploying include:
7th Armoured Brigade Headquarters and Signal Squadron (207)
Headquarters 101 Logistic Brigade
857 Naval Air Squadron
3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
9th/12th Royal Lancers
Elements of the Queen’s Own Yeomanry
Elements of 5th Regiment Royal Artillery
Elements of 14th 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
32 Engineer Regiment
63 Works Group Royal Engineers
Elements of 36 Engineer Regiment (Search)
Elements of 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic)
Elements of 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
Elements of 10th Signal Regiment
Elements of 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare)
Elements of 15th Signal Regiment (Information Support)
Elements of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support)
Elements of 30th Signal Regiment
Elements of 39th (Skinners) Signal Regiment
1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment
3rd Battalion The Mercian Regiment
Elements of 3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment
Elements of 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh
Elements of 4 Regiment Army Air Corps
Elements of 9 Regiment Army Air Corps
2 Logistic Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
27 Theatre Logistic Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 7 Theatre Logistic Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 29 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 151 (London) Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 158 (Royal Anglian) Transport Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 162 Movement Control Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 159 Supply Regiment Royal Logistic Corps
Elements of 148 Expeditionary Force Institute Squadron Royal Logistic Corps
2 Medical Regiment
202 (Midlands) Field Hospital
203 (Welsh) Field Hospital
2 Close Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Elements of 7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Elements of 101 Force Support Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Elements of 103 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
111 Provost Company Royal Military Police
Elements of 114 Provost Company Royal Military Police
Elements of the Special Investigation Branch Royal Military Police
Elements of the Military Provost Staff Corps
Elements of 1st Military Working Dog Regiment
Elements of 1 Military Intelligence Battalion
Elements of 2 Military Intelligence (Exploitation) Battalion
2 (Army Cooperation) Squadron Royal Air Force
617 Squadron Royal Air Force
51 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment
58 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment
Number 5 Royal Air Force Force Protection Wing Headquarters
Number 2 (Tactical) Police Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 24 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 30 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 32 (The Royal) Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 216 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 39 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 13 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 27 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 51 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 99 Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 33 (Engineering) Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 90 Signals Unit Royal Air Force
Elements of Number 1 Air Control Centre Royal Air Force
Elements of Tactical Supply Wing Royal Air Force
Elements of Number 1 Air Mobility Wing Royal Air Force
Elements of Tactical Medical Wing Royal Air Force
Elements of Number 1 Royal Air Force Police Wing
Elements of Number 2 Royal Air Force Police Wing
Elements of Number 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of 93 (Expeditionary Armament) Squadron Royal Air Force
Elements of Engineering Logistics Wing, Royal Air Force Odiham