Special Reconnaissance Regiment holds inaugural parade

[D-n-A]

http://www.news.mod.uk/news_headline_story2.asp?newsItem_id=3511

Special Reconnaissance Regiment holds inaugural parade
Published Saturday 3rd September 2005

The new UK Special Reconnaissance Regiment, which became operational in April 2005, held its inaugural parade on Friday 2nd September 2005 at an undisclosed location.

At the parade, Secretary of State for Defence, John Reid, and Chief of the General Staff General Sir Mike Jackson took the salute from the Commanding Officer.

Welcoming this milestone in the Regiment's history, Defence Secretary John Reid said:

"The Special Reconnaissance Regiment is one of the new capabilities generated as part of the reshaping of our Armed Forces. They have greatly improved support to world-wide operations at a time when they are needed most in the ongoing fight against international terrorism."

Following an inspection of the Regiment, the Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson told the assembled men and women:

"New threats require an agile and flexible response from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, who will have a central role in operations across the globe. I have complete faith in your ability and you have my full support."

Individuals from all ranks of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment, wearing their respective parent Service uniforms with the new SRR Regiment berets, participated in the parade.

Once the Special Reconnaissance Regiment had formed up, the Commanding Officer gave a salute to the Secretary of State, Chief of the General Staff and the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments), Lt General Sir Rob Fry. An inspection of the Regiment by the Chief of the General Staff was then followed by a general salute by the Regiment. The concluding Regimental march-past was accompanied by the Parachute Regiment Band.

The new Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is part of the enhanced Special Forces requirement identified in the Strategic Defence Review 'New Chapter' published in July 2002, which stated that the Ministry of Defence was: "planning to enhance the capabilities of our Special Forces and their enablers to maximise their utility and flexibility."

The Regiment draws its volunteer personnel from serving members of all three of the Armed Forces and operates under the command of Director Special Forces as part of the UK Special Forces group. It does not have a reservist component. Using a wide range of specialist skills and activities related to covert surveillance, the Special Reconnaissance Regiment provides support to international operations and reinforces the defence contribution to the Government's comprehensive strategy to counter international terrorism.

 

[coors]

Is this regiment to be run along simular lines as the 14th Intelligence Company but with a 'Green' ops mandate? Is their existence going to affect the SAS's role? As they would have been one of the  primary sources of SF level strategic intelligence. Thanks, Coors

 

[Rubes]

That is one kick ass capbadge.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

That is one kick ass capbadge.

Your right about that.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Is this regiment to be run along simular lines as the 14th Intelligence Company but with a 'Green' ops mandate? Is their existence going to affect the SAS's role? As they would have been one of the   primary sources of SF level strategic intelligence. Thanks, Coors

Special Reconnaissance Regiment
formed with HQ at Hereford from volunteers of other units to support international expeditionary operations in the fight against international terrorism, absorbing 14th Intelligence Company (formed for operations against Ulster terrorists), Intelligence Corps, and releasing the SAS and SBS for the "hard end" of missions

http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/specfor/SRR.htm

Special Reconnaissance Regiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Cap BadgeThe Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) unit. It became operational on 6 April 2005.

Based in Hereford, it is a tri-service unit specialising in surveillance operations, particularly against suspected international terrorists. This is the newest special forces regiment in the British Army, created by former The Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon and announced in 2004, in response to a need for greater 'force against terrorism'. It forms part of the UKSF, alongside the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS). It recruits women as well as men and members do not have to pass UKSF selection.

The SRR was to absorb most intelligence operations from the 14th Intelligence Company and the Special Air Service. Personnel from the Intelligence Corps, Special Air Service, 14th Intelligence Company, Special Branch and other civilian and military units and resources were used until regular army selection was started.

Its cap badge consists of the sword seen in the SAS and SBS badges, point up, behind a Corinthian helmet and a scroll inscribed 'RECONNAISSANCE'.

Other details are sketchy, but it is believed that the unit is less than half the size of the SAS, and that it is in effect the latest incarnation of 14 Intelligence Company (a.k.a. the Joint Communications Unit) that has performed a similar role against Irish Republican terrorism in Northern Ireland since the 1970s. The regiment's primary purpose is to free the SAS and SBS from surveillance duties and allow them to engage in the "hard end" of missions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Reconnaissance_Regiment

That is one kick ass capbadge.

The SRR cap badge consists of a Corinthian helmet placed in front of a Special Forces sword with a scroll underneath depicting the word 'reconnaissance'. This reflects the SAS and SBS cap badges in design, ensuring conformity within the UK Special Forces Group. The Corinthian style helmet, favoured by the ancient Greeks, was used from the early 7th to the 4th centuries BC. The helmet is facing forwards and suggests the viewer is being watched, while the wearer behind the mask is anonymous.

http://news.mod.uk/news/press/news_headline_story.asp?newsItem_id=3210




 

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

"primary purpose is to free the SAS and SBS from surveillance duties and allow them to engage in the "hard end" of missions."

I assume SAS and SBS will still maintain some sort of Recce for their own purposes.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

New special force targets terror

GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN AND TIM RIPLEY


Key points
"¢ New special forces regiment created to combat international terrorism
"¢ Special Reconnaissance Regiment operational as of today
"¢ 300-400 people to be recruited from existing services

Key quote
"This regiment will provide improved support to expeditionary operations overseas and form part of the defence contribution to the government's comprehensive strategy to counter international terrorism." - GEOFF HOON, DEFENCE SECRETARY


Story in full BRITAIN will today get its first new special forces regiment since the 1950s, with a brief to carry out covert operations against terrorists around the world.

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment is expected to play a key role in hunting down insurgents in Iraq and in the forthcoming UK-led operation against al-Qaeda remnants - including Osama bin Laden - in Afghanistan.

Members will be expected to infiltrate terrorist organisations and identify targets to be attacked by other units.

The SRR joins the Special Air Service and the Special Boat Service in the UK special forces group at a time when other parts of the armed forces, including the Scottish infantry regiments, are suffering swingeing cutbacks.

Operational from today, the new 300 to 400-strong regiment will draw on existing forces for its members and can recruit from all three services.

Some posts will be open to women.

Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said that the regiment had been formed "to meet a growing worldwide demand for special reconnaissance capability".

He said: "This regiment will provide improved support to expeditionary operations overseas and form part of the defence contribution to the government's comprehensive strategy to counter international terrorism."

Mr Hoon said the SRR would begin collecting covert intelligence on threats to British interests around the world.

The new regiment is in addition to the so-called Ranger battalion, which is being formed out of the Parachute regiment, and is part of a major enhancement of the UK's special forces group launched in 2002 by the British government.

It is the first time Britain has formed a regimental-sized special forces unit since the late 1950s, when the SAS was expanded and two regiments were established as part of the reserve Territorial Army.

Military sources said it would draw heavily on the British army's experience of conducting covert intelligence gathering in Northern Ireland.

"We want to place electronic 'bugs' close to terrorist leaders such as Osama bin Laden and have agents within the ranks of global terrorist groups," said one army officer. "We got very good at doing this in Northern Ireland in the 1980s and 1990s, and now we want to transfer this capability to the global war on terrorism."

He added: "With terrorist groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, the only way to get a handle on what they are doing is by having high quality intelligence gathering capabilities that get really close to them.

"The new SRR gives us that capability and it is going be one of the most active units in the British armed forces over the next couple of years."

Once SRR surveillance teams have identified human targets, other units will then eliminate them. It is understood that the new regiment will be based alongside the SAS at Stirling Lines barracks, near Hereford.

Although the early phases of training will be based on the SAS selection process, the main training will be very different.

Arabic and other Middle East language skills are a top requirement for the recruits, allowing them to blend into Islamic societies on undercover operations.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=361322005

 

[baboon6]

These guys are going to be an expanded version of what was known in Northern Ireland as 14 Intelligence Company, who specialised in surveillance of terrorists. They will now presumably be doing this all over the world.More a Brit version of what was once called in the US Army the "Intelligence Support Activity" which I believe has now changed its name. There are several threads about this unit on www.arrse.co.uk

 

[ArmyRick]

I think from what I am reading is that these guys will be a HUMINT or MOST type of unit more than a bush bashing recce type of unit. Anybody from the UK can confirm this?

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I would hazard a guess and say whatever the Brits wanted anyone to know about the new outfit, they let be known in their press releases. Anything else would be speculation or a breach of protocol.

 

[TCBF]

"Its cap badge consists of the sword seen in the SAS and SBS badges, point up, behind a Corinthian helmet and a scroll inscribed 'RECONNAISSANCE'."

Oh!  heh-heh, A Corinthian helmet...  heh-heh... I thought it was a black SKI MASK... heh-heh...  oooops..

Tom

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Tom,

Closing the Mess with Jim again?

 

[TCBF]

Naw, Jimbo gots hisself promoted and posted to CFLRS St Jean. I am home for the weekend, raiding the fridge.

Tom

 

[Fishbone Jones]

What the hell is a guy like Jim going to do at St Jean, (besides turn out exceptionally good soldiers). Was he looking for that, or was it foisted upon him? We can go to PM's with this.

 

[paracowboy]

I am uncomfortable with discussing what is SUPPOSED to be a fairly covert, sneaky-pete, secret-squirrel outfit on an open medium such as this.
And I don't care that the press is all over it. They are carrion-feeding jackals, and liars to a man. We are supposed to be soldiers. With the common-sense approach to OPSEC and PERSEC that it entails.