ORGANISATION - FUTURE ARMY STRUCTURE (FAS)

The RAC is composed of 12 regular regiments (including the two regiments of the Household Cavalry, discussed below) and four reserve Yeomanry Regiments in the TA. Apart from the Royal Tank Regiment, which was formed in the First World War with the specific task of fighting in armoured vehicles, the regular element of the RAC is provided by those regiments which formed the mounted units of the pre mechanised era.

The Yeomanry Regiments are tasked with providing individual War Establishment Reinforcements to the regular regiments in each of the roles of Armour, Reconnaissance, NBC and Armour Replacement.

Although very much part of the RAC as an 'Arm', the Household Cavalry (HCav) is a discrete corps consisting of two regiments. The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment (HCMR), which is permanently stationed in London, has the task of providing mounted troops for state ceremonial functions.

The Household Cavalry Regiment (HCR) is stationed in Windsor. It is a Force Reconnaissance (FR) Regiment that plays a full role in operational and training activity within the Field Army. Officers and soldiers from the Household Cavalry are posted between the two regiments as needs dictate. (For general purposes, including this website, the term RAC includes the HCav.)

Under the Future Army Structure (FAS) proposals the following changes will affect the RAC.

a. One Challenger 2 Regiment will re-role to become a Formation Reconnaissance Regiment.
b. Three Challenger 2 squadrons will be converted to become three Interim Medium Armour Squadrons.
c. A Command and Support Squadron (to include a Ground Surveillance Troop) will be established for each Formation Reconnaissance regiment.

Following FAS changes we believe that by late 2008 the 11 regular field force units of the RAC will be deployed as follows:

a. In Germany. Three Armoured Regiments and one FR Regiment stationed in:

• Fallingbostel (Armd Regt)

• Munster (Armd Regt)

• Sennelager (Armd Regt)

• Hohne or Fallingbostel (FR Regt)

b. In the UK. Two Armoured Regiments, four FR Regiments and the Joint NBC Regiment stationed in:

• Catterick (Armoured Regiment)

• Tidworth (Armoured Regiment)

• Tidworth (FR Regiment) (New Barracks)

• Windsor (FR Regiment – HCR)

• At a new Location yet to be confirmed (FR Regiment)

• RAF Honington (Jt NBC Regiment)

Note: The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is permanently stationed in London.

During early 2007 the personnel strength of the RAC and Household Cavalry was 5,560 officers and soldiers.

Under Future Army Structure plans the RAC TA is being increased in size from 1,312 to 1,750 (about 33%) and will be able to provide more support to the Regular RAC units. A number of additional Yeomanry Detachments will be formed to allow TA Yeomanry Squadrons to recruit enough volunteers. In general terms TA squadrons will increase in size from about 50-60 personnel to 80-90 personnel.

1 RTR have become the first Army element of a new Joint NBC Regt. This role requires two NBC Defence squadrons, whilst the third remains as an armoured squadron with the Land Warfare Training Centre Battlegroup at Warminster in Wiltshire. The Joint NBC Regiment supports all existing plans for NBC defence throughout any future joint force actions, as well as for the British Army.

In peace this regiment could be used to support action following radiological accidents and chemical spills. The core element of this new regiment is the 11 x NBC Fuchs reconnaissance vehicles that were supplied to the British Army during the 1990 Gulf War. These specialist vehicles are divided into reconnaissance and detection troops across three small squadrons and are equipped with the joint US/UK Interim Biological Detection System (IBDS), the British version of which was developed at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Porton Down in Wiltshire.