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The British Army is the Land Armed Forces branch of the British Armed Forces . It came into being with unification of the Governments and armed forces of England and Scotland into the United Kingdom Of Great Britain in 1707 . The new British Army incorporated regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and was controlled by the War Office from London . As of April, 2007, the British Army includes roughly 110,580 regular personnel and 38,460 Territorial Army members. The full time element of the British Army has also been referred to as the ''Regular Army'' since the creation of the reservist ''Territorial Army''. The British Army is deployed in many of the world's war zones as part of a fighting force and in United Nations peacekeeping forces. In contrast to the Royal Navy , Royal Marines and Royal Air Force , the British Army does not include "Royal" in its title, because of its roots as a collection of disparate units, many of which do bear the "Royal" prefix, such as the Royal Artillery and the Royal Engineers . HISTORY See Also: History of the British Army The British Army came into being with the merger of the Scottish Army and the Welsh/English Army, following the unification of the two countries' parliaments and the creation of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain in 1707. Although England had made many earlier claims to Sovereignty in Scotland , there had been no unified British state prior to that time (other than a brief period during which the Roman province of Britain had achieved political independence-although even that had failed to establish complete control over the north of the island). The new British Army incorporated existing English and Scottish regiments, and was controlled from London. From roughly 1763 until at least 1945, the United Kingdom was one of the leading military and economic powers of the world. The British Empire expanded in this time to include Colonies , Protectorate s, and Dominion s throughout the Americas , Africa , Asia and Australasia . Although the Royal Navy is widely regarded as having been vital for the rise of Empire, and British dominance of the world, the British Army played important roles in colonisation. First, the British Army including Garrison ing the colonies, capturing strategically important territories and participating in actions to pacify colonial borders, support allied governments, suppress Britain's rivals, and protect against foreign powers and hostile natives. Second, the troops also helped capture strategically important territories for the British, allowing the British Empire to expand throughout the globe. The Army also involved itself in numerous wars meant to pacify the borders, or to prop-up friendly governments, and thereby keep other, competitive, empires away from the British Empire's borders. Among these actions were the Seven Years' War , the American War Of Independence , the Napoleonic Wars , the First and Second Opium War s, the Boxer Rebellion , the New Zealand Wars , the Indian Mutiny , the First and Second Boer War s, the Fenian Raids , the Anglo-Irish War , its serial interventions into Afghanistan (which were meant to maintain a friendly buffer state between British India and the Russian Empire ), and the Crimean War (to keep the Russian Empire at a safe distance by coming to Turkey's aid). As had its predecessor, the English Army, in building the Empire, the British Army fought Spain , France , and the Netherlands for supremacy in North America and the West Indies . It also battled many Native American nations and groups, including the many disgruntled former allies who launched Pontiac's War in response to the wave of British settlers that flooded over the Appalachians following the defeat of France in the Seven Years' War . The British Government's attempt to mollify the Natives by delineating the Appalachians as the westward limit for European settlement was a significant motivator of the American colonies in launching the secessionist American War Of Independence . The British Army fought American colonists and their Native and French allies in that war. The British army was heavily involved in the Napoleonic Wars in which the army served in Spain, across Europe, and in North Africa. The war between the British and French Empires stretched around the world. The British Army finally came to defeat Napoleon at one of Britain's greatest military victories at the battle of Waterloo . in which 11 VCs were awarded to British troops]] Under Oliver Cromwell , the English Army had been active in the conquest, and the settlement, of Ireland since the 1650s. The Cromwellian campaign was characterised by its uncompromising treatment of the Irish towns (most notably Drogheda) that had supported the Royalists during the English Civil War. It (and subsequently, the British Army) have been almost continuously involved in Ireland ever since, primarily in suppressing numerous Irish revolts and campaigns for self-determination. It was faced with the prospect of battling Anglo-Irish and Ulster Scots settlers in Ireland, who alongside their Irish countrymen had raised their own volunteer army and threatened to emulate the American colonists if their conditions (primarily concerning home rule and freedom of trade) were not met. The British Army found itself fighting Irish rebels, both Protestant and Catholic, primarily in Ulster and Leinster ( Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen ) in the 1798 Rebellion . In addition to battling the armies of other European Empires' (and of its former colonies, the United States, in the American War Of 1812 ,) in the battle for global supremacy, the British Army fought the Chinese in the First and Second Opium War s, and the Boxer Rebellion ; Māori tribes in the first of the New Zealand Wars ; India n princely forces and British East India Company mutineers in the Indian Mutiny ; the Boers in the First and Second Boer War s; Irish Fenians in Canada during the Fenian Raids ; and Irish Separatists in the Anglo-Irish War . Following William and Mary's accession to the throne, England involved itself in the War Of The Grand Alliance primarily to prevent a French invasion restoring Mary's father, James II . Following the 1707 union of England and Scotland, and then the 1801 creation of the United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Ireland , British foreign policy, on the continent, was to contain expansion by its competitor powers such as France and Spain . The territorial ambitions of the French led to the War Of The Spanish Succession and the Napoleonic Wars . Russian activity led to the Crimean War . The vastly increasing demands of imperial expansion, and the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the underfunded, post-Napoleonic Wars British Army, and of the Militia , Yeomanry , and Volunteer Force , led to the Cardwell Reforms of the late 19th century, which gave the British Army its modern shape, and redefined its Regimental System . ]] Great Britain's dominance of the world had been challenged by numerous other powers, notably Germany . The UK was allied with France (by the Entente Cordiale ) and Russia, and when the First World War broke out in 1914, the British Army sent the British Expeditionary Force to France and Belgium to prevent Germany from occupying these countries. The War would be the most devastating in British military history, with near 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. In the early part of the war, the professional force of the BEF was decimated and, by turns, a volunteer (and then conscripted) force replaced it. Major battles included the Battle Of The Somme . Advances in technology saw British advent of the Tank and advances in Aircraft design which were to be decisive in future battles. Trench warfare dominated strategy, and the use of chemical and poison gases added to the devastation. In 1939, the Second World War broke out with the German invasion of Poland . British assurances to the Polish led the British Empire to declare war on Germany. Again an Expeditionary Force was sent to France, only to be hastily evacuated as the German forces swept through the Low Countries and across France in 1940. Only the Dunkirk Evacuations saved the entire Expeditionary Force from capture. Later, however, the British would have success defeating the Italians and Germans at the Battle Of El Alamein in North Africa , and in the D-Day Invasions Of Normandy . In the Far East, the British Army battled the Japan ese in Burma . World War II saw the British army develop its Commando units including the Special Air Service . During the war the British army was one of the major fighting forces on the side of the allies. After the end of World War II, the British Empire declined with the independence of India , and other colonies in Africa and Asia. Accordingly the strength of the British military was reduced, in recognition of Britain's reduced role in world affairs. However, a large deployment of British Troops remained in Germany, facing the threat of Soviet invasion. The Cold War saw massive technological advances in warfare, and the Army saw more technologically advanced weapons systems installed. Despite the decline of the British Empire, the Army was still deployed around the world, fighting in the Korean War , the Suez Crisis of 1956, and colonial wars in Oman and Malaysia . In 1982 the British Army, alongside the Royal Marines , helped to recapture the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War against Argentina . In the three decades following 1969, the Army was heavily deployed in Northern Ireland , to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary (later the Police Service Of Northern Ireland ) in their conflict with loyalist and republican paramilitary groups, called Operation Banner . The locally-recruited Ulster Defence Regiment was formed, later becoming the Royal Irish Regiment in 1992. Over 700 soldiers were killed during the Troubles . Following the IRA ceasefires between 1994 and 1996 and since 1997, demilitarisation has taken place as part of the peace process, much reducing the military presence in the area. On June 25th 2007, the Second Battalion Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment vacated the Army complex at Bessbrook Mill in Armagh. This is part of the 'normalisation' programme in Northern Ireland in response to the IRA's declared end to its activities. As with its return to Afghanistan, following the 2001 Al Qaeda terrorist attacks in the USA, the British Army's current return to Iraq in Operation Telic reflects a tradition of interceding in the region which included the Mesopotamian Campaign of the Great War, the Anglo-Iraq War of 1941 (the first ''Gulf War''), and the Gulf War fought to liberate Kuwait (referred to as Operation Granby ). RECENT AND CURRENT CONFLICTS Persian Gulf War See Also: Operation Granby The ending of the Cold War saw a 40% cut in manpower. Despite this, the Army has been deployed in an increasingly global role. In 1991, the United Kingdom was the second largest contributor (after the USA) to the coalition force that fought Iraq in the Persian Gulf War . The nation supplied just under 50,000 personnel and was the nation put in control of Kuwait after it was liberated. Balkans conflicts See Also: Yugoslav wars The British Army was deployed to Yugoslavia in 1992. Initially this force formed part of the United Nations Protection Force . In 1995 command was transferred to IFOR and then to SFOR . Currently troops are under the command of EUFOR . Over 10,000 troops were sent. In 1999 British forces under the command of SFOR were sent to Kosovo during the conflict there. Command was subsequently transferred to KFOR . Afghanistan See Also: 2001-present war in Afghanistan In 2001 The 3rd Division Signal Regiment were deployed in Kabul , Afghanistan to assist in the liberation of the troubled capital. Royal Marines Commandos also swept the Afghan mountains but this force is part of the Royal Navy . The British Armed forces are currently in charge of NATO forces in the nation. The British Army is today concentrating on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to Helmand province under NATO control. Iraq War See Also: Iraq War In 2003, the United Kingdom was the only other major contributor to the United States-led Invasion Of Iraq . There was great disagreement amongst the populace but the government voted for the conflict, with the result of sending over 30,000 army personnel to the region. The British Army is still the major coalition presence in the city of Basra and the Southern regions of Iraq . The British Army is not currently at war, but this is a conflict against groups acting within Iraq. The British Army's main duty in Iraq is peace-keeping. Northern Ireland See Also: Operation Banner The British Army was initially deployed in Northern Ireland to prevent Sectarian attacks on Catholic communities and keep order in the wake of Catholic rioting and was under Operation Banner between 1969 and 2007 in support of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and its successor, the Police Service Of Northern Ireland (PSNI).1 There has been a steady reduction in the number of troops deployed in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998. In 2005, after the Provisional Irish Republican Army announced an end to armed conflict in Northern Ireland, it was revealed that the British Army would dismantle posts in the province and withdraw many troops and restore troop levels to that of a peace time garrison. Officially Operation Banner ended on 1 August 2007 after 38 years, making it the longest military operation in the history of the British Army. TOMMY ATKINS AND OTHER NICKNAMES A long established nickname for a British soldier has been ' Tommy Atkins ' or 'Tommy' for short. The origins are obscure but most probably derive from a specimen army form circulated by the Adjutant-General Sir Harry Calvert to all units in 1815 where the blanks had been filled in with the particulars of a Private Thomas Atkins, No 6 Company, 23rd Regiment of Foot. Present day English soldiers are often referred to as 'Toms' or just 'Tom' (The Scots equivalent being 'Jock'). Outside the services soldiers are generally known as 'Squaddies' by the British Popular Press . The British Army magazine ''Soldier'' has a regular cartoon strip, 'Tom', featuring the everyday life of a British soldier. Junior officers in the army are generally known as 'Ruperts' by the Other Ranks . This nickname is believed to be derived from the children's comic book character Rupert Bear who epitomises traditional public school values (see "Inside the British Army" by Antony Beevor ISBN 071134658) The term 'Pongo' or 'Perce' is often used by Sailors and Royal Marines to refer to soldiers. It is not considered complimentary. TODAY'S ARMY Statistics , the British Army's Main Battle Tank ]] Current deployments 'High Intensity' Operations 'Low-Intensity' Operations Training Operations EQUIPMENT See Also: Modern equipment of the British Army ]] , the backbone of the British Army]] The basic infantry weapons of the British Army are the SA-80 assault rifle family, with several variants such as the L86A2 Light Support Weapon and the short stock variant, issued to tank crews. The general issue sidearm is the Browning L9A1, though a search is currently underway to find a replacement for the L9A1 . Support fire is provided by the Minimi light machine gun and the L7 GPMG ; indirect fire by 51 and 81 Mm Mortar , as well as the UGL , mounted under the barrel of the SA80 rifle. Sniper rifles used include the L96A1 7.62 mm, the L115A1 and the AW50F , all produced by Accuracy International . In addition, some units use the L82A1 .50 calibre Barrett sniper rifle. The British Army commonly uses the Land Rover Wolf and Land Rover Defender ; with the Challenger 2 as its Main Battle Tank. The Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle is the primary APC, although many variants of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) are used, as well as the Saxon APC and FV430 Series . The Army uses three main artillery systems; the , a self-propelled howitzer, and the L118 , a 105 mm towed gun-howitzer, used primarily by lighter units and in support of the Royal Marines The Rapier FSC Missile System is the Army's primary battlefield air defence system, widely deployed since the Falklands War ; and the Starstreak HVM is a surface-to-air missile, launched either by a single soldier or from a vehicle-mounted launcher. The Starstreak fills a similar role to the American FIM-92 Stinger The Army Air Corps (AAC) provide direct aviation support for the Army, although the RAF also assist in this role. The primary attack helicopter is the Westland WAH-64 Apache ; a license-built, modified version of the AH-64 Apache that will replace the Westland Lynx AH7 in the anti-tank role. The Westland Lynx performs several roles including tactical transport, armed escort, reconnaissance and evacuation. It used to also offer the anti-tank warfare roll; it could carry eight TOW anti-tank missiles. The Tow missile system fit, for the Lynx was withdrawn from service by the MOD in December 2005, after the coming in to service of the WAH-64 Apache. The Bell 212 is used as a specialist utility and transport helicopter, with a crew of two and a transport capacity of twelve troops. The Westland Gazelle helicopter is a light helicopter, primarily used for battlefield scouting and control of artillery and aircraft. The Agusta A109 is used for Special Operations Aviation, along with the Gazelle. The Britten-Norman Islander is a light aircraft used for airborne reconnaissance and command, primarily in Northern Ireland.
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