Joint Rapid Reaction Forces

The ending of the Cold War has placed new demands on the UK Armed Forces.  Rather than primarily intended to confront the Warsaw Pact in Europe and the North Atlantic, they must now be able to move quickly to wherever they are needed around the world, but still be hard hitting and flexible.

The need for a new force with these capabilities was originally recognised with the formation of the Joint Rapid Deployment Force in 1996. The 1998 Strategic Defence Review acknowledged the strengths of the Joint Rapid Deployment Force and sought to build on them to produce more capable, better supported joint forces with the strategic transport to make them truly deployable to crisis around the world.

Establishment of JRRF

Setting up the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces has proved to be a major undertaking, it is taking longer than anticipated to put all of the capabilities in place but the MoD continues to regard it as a priority implementation.

Since SDR the Ministry of Defence has begun to create a pool of Joint Rapid Reaction Forces, bringing together all readily available forces from all three Services.  From this pool can hopefully be drawn the right mix of forces to mount short-notice, medium-scale operations of all kinds - from disaster relief to high intensity war-fighting – under NATO, European, UN coalition or national auspices. Joint Rapid Reaction Forces will be ready to deploy in phases – or echelons – supported by a range of enabling capabilities.

Initial Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF) capability was declared on 1 April 1999 and elements of the JRRF pool were deployed effectively soon after as part of the UK’s contribution to the NATO operation in Kosovo during June 1999.  The lessons drawn from the Kosovo conflict validated the JRRF concept and re-affirmed the need for the capabilities identified during the Strategic Defence Review.  Although early implementation milestones were met, the establishment of JRRF operational capability by the target date of October 2001 had by early 2000 slipped to late 2002 due to operational commitments (Kosovo, Bosnia, Sierra Leone, etc.) and overstretch. Since then a number of reasons, including delay in the full implementation of the Army’s Formation Readiness Cycle, have led to a further revision to late 2002/03.  By this time delivery of JRRF Phase 2 capability – the ability to mount and sustain a single, non-enduring, medium scale warfighting operation, in addition to continuing commitments in the Balkans – should be achieved.  Additional capability will be introduced incrementally as it becomes available. 

In support of the JRRF, during 2000 the Ministry of Defence announced the decision to lease four C-17 aircraft for a period of seven years. Contracts have been signed and the aircraft will come into service during 2001. A PFI contract for the provision of six roll-on roll-off container ships has also been announced, with an in-service date of 2005, though the full service is expected to be available from 2003.  Chartering arrangements for up to four ships as an interim service are now expected to come into force in March 2001 and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s current roll-on roll-off shipping will be kept in service until then.

Enabling Capabilities

Whatever the size of force package deployed, several key 'enabling capabilities' will be required. These include:

• command and control (including a deployable joint task force headquarters), joint communications and information systems, intelligence support, and administrative support;
• joint logistics support, including deployed medical support; and,
• strategic transport - usually provided by MOD-controlled transport assets for first echelon forces, and by a combination of MOD and commercially contracted strategic transport assets for follow-on forces.

The First Echelon

First echelon forces are available at very high readiness. The most readily available elements of the first echelon will be "Spearhead Forces".  The pool will include:

• Special Forces;
• an attack submarine, surface warships and a support ship;
• a spearhead task force based on a light infantry battalion or commando group, drawn from 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines, 3(UK) Mechanised Division's "ready brigade" or 16 Air Assault Brigade; and
• a mix of offensive and defensive combat aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters, short-range air defence units and supporting tactical air transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft.

The balance of first echelon forces could be drawn from:

• additional Special Forces;
• shipping to generate a maritime task group centred on an aircraft carrier or helicopter assault ship, and including amphibious shipping if necessary to support the lead Commando task force;
• lead task forces, to provide a broad choice of capabilities, including:
• a lead Commando task force equipped with Lynx anti-tank helicopters (Westland Apache Attack helicopter when in service), support helicopters and all-terrain vehicles;
• a lead airborne task force, based on a parachute battalion;
• a lead aviation/armoured reconnaissance task force, with Lynx anti-tank helicopters (Westland Apache attack helicopter when in service), armoured reconnaissance and infantry sub-units;
• a lead armoured task force with Challenger tanks and Warrior armoured infantry vehicles; and,
• combat support and logistic support groups with artillery, air defence, engineer and other assets;
• a range of high capability air assets, including additional offensive and defensive combat aircraft, helicopters and support aircraft.

By the beginning of 2001, most elements of this pool of forces are available.

The Second Echelon

The second echelon of forces will be available at high readiness to provide greater hitting power should the first echelon require strengthening, or to conduct subsequent operations. These forces would probably use a combination of MOD and commercially contracted transport assets to get to the crisis. The pool would comprise:

• additional maritime forces to form a second or larger, more capable maritime task group, including an amphibious capability if necessary to support 3 Commando Brigade;
• a choice of ground force brigades drawn from:
• 3 Commando Brigade, including specialist capabilities for amphibious, mountain and cold weather operations;
• a mechanised "ready brigade" from 3 (UK) Mechanised Division;
• an armoured "ready brigade" from 1 (UK) Armoured Division; and
• tactical air-landed capability;
• substantial additional air assets to enable operations across the full spectrum of airpower roles to provide a robust air contribution to the Joint Task Force.

The pool of forces available for the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces will vary from time-to-time but its final approximate size and shape will include.

• around 20 major warships (aircraft carriers, attack submarines, amphibious ships, destroyers or frigates);
• about 22 other vessels (mine warfare and support ships);
• four ground force brigades;
• about 110 combat aircraft;
• over 160 other aircraft.

Many of the elements of this pool of forces will not become available until 2002-3 because of the operational commitments already mentioned above.