Territorial Army to Be More Relevant and Capable

UK Ministry of Defence, Plans to make the Territorial Army (TA) more capable and relevant to future operations were announced today by Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram. 
 
The changes will give the TA a clearer role, more support and, by bringing the structure and roles of the TA closer to those of the regular Army, make it a more integral part of the UK's defence forces. 
 
These changes form part of a broader Army restructuring, under the Future Army Structure (FAS) initiative, which will allow the Army to deploy more rapidly though the creation of new medium-sized fighting units. The new structure requires an Army in which Regular and Reserve elements are more closely linked than ever before. 
 
The changes will give the TA: 
 
–enhanced training opportunities – TA units will work more closely with their Regular counterparts making it easier for TA soldiers to integrate when they are mobilised; 
 
–over 1600 more Engineers, 400 more 'Yeomanry' (Royal Armoured Corps), 400 more Army Air Corps and more Intelligence Corps and other supporting services; 
 
–fewer infantry (910), signallers (120), logisticians (220) and volunteer Army Medical Corps (1600), however it is expected most will change role and very few will need or want to leave; 
 
–increased support for TA recruits, with more full-time staff responsible for administration, welfare, training and employer support; 
 
–the formation of five new regiments; and 
 
–no change in the overall size of the TA, nor to its budget. 
 
Mr Ingram said: 
 
“The Territorial Army has provided nearly a hundred years of excellent support to the nation. It has changed for the better over time and is unrecognisable from Cold War days. We said the TA should be the reserve of choice for peacekeeping and crisis management world-wide, and they have responded magnificently to that. The changes I am announcing today will fit the Territorial Army even better for the security challenges of the 21st Century.” 
 
General Sir Mike Jackson, Chief of General Staff, said: 
 
“The new structures will give TA soldiers the opportunity to learn new skills in new areas, as well as leading to a Territorial Army even better equipped to work with the Regular Army. I welcome these changes wholeheartedly. They show that the TA is a modern force, with a serious role in the nation's security.” 
 
The TA infantry will be reorganised to form 14 TA infantry battalions as an integral part of the Future Infantry Structure. TA battalions will now be named after the regular Regiments of which they will form a part, rather than after the regions in which they are based. 
 
Three TA centres (out of around 350) will revert to Cadet centres, but any displaced personnel will be offered the chance of transferring to other units. No member of the TA will see their service compulsorily terminated. The changes will take place over a number of years.  
 
Background Information and Notes:
 
1. In 1998, the TA experienced radical reforms under the Strategic Defence Review. These reforms were designed to adapt the TA to the demands of peacekeeping and other overseas deployments in the post Cold-War world. 
 
2. Details of radical modernisation plans to develop a more deployable, agile and flexible Army were announced by the Defence Secretary on 16 December 2004. 
 
3. TA units will work more closely with their Regular counterparts. Each TA unit will be affiliated with two Regular units; a primary affiliation with a unit that it is expected to join on operations, and a secondary affiliation with a unit with whom it will work for routine training. Training with Regular counterparts will make it easier for TA soldiers to integrate when they are mobilised. 
 
The new TA Regiments to be formed are: 
 
– an Army Air Corps regiment to support the Apache Attack Helicopter regiments in the regular army; 
– an Engineer Regiment in the North East; 
– a TA Military Intelligence battalion, also in the North East; 
– a new Transport Regiment, in the South West; 
– a new Supply Regiment, based in Stoke on Trent; and 
– the TA Media Operations Group will expand to become an all-ranks unit, better placed to support operations worldwide. 
 
The changes will not all take place immediately, but over a number of years. 
 
4. The establishment size of the TA will remain at around 42,000. The current TA establishment size is 41,914. TA Manning is at around 82 per cent. The changes announced are expected to ensure that the recovery we have seen over the past few months will continue.