This is a list of British Army installations in the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and overseas. This list does not include Army Reserve centres or drill halls.
Background
editUnder the Army Basing Programme, announced in 2013, more than 100 army units relocated, disbanded, reconfigured or re-roled as part of the government's commitment to bring all units back from Germany by 2020.[1] The programme focused on personnel being increasingly concentrated around Salisbury Plain, Cottesmore, Aldershot, Colchester, Stafford and Catterick, the largest British Army garrison in the world.[2]
In February 2020, the British Army relinquished control of Catterick Barracks, Bielefeld, the last remaining headquarters for British Forces Germany, following 75 years in the country, marking the end of the Army Basing Programme and Operation Owl, and the return of 20,000 British troops.[3]
The British Army retains a presence at a small number of installations primarily in the North Rhine-Westphalia area of Germany as part of what is now known as British Army Germany.[4]
Overseas military bases enable the British Army to conduct expeditionary warfare, "maintain a persistent forward presence", "deter potential adversaries", and train in all environments.[5]
The British Army provides the most significant long-term overseas presence to:
- British Forces Cyprus in Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri & Dhekelia,[6]
- British Forces South Atlantic Islands in the Falkland Islands,[7]
- British Forces Gibraltar, including the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.[8]
- British Forces Brunei in Seria, Brunei.[9]
The British Army has a network of permanent operating bases overseas, primarily in:[5]
- British Army Training Unit Kenya,[10]
- British Army Training Unit Suffield, in Canada,[11]
- British Army Training and Support Unit Belize[12]
- Omani-British Joint Training Area, in Oman, used as a Land Regional Hub (LRH).[13]
- British Army Germany and the Sennelager Training Area.[14]
As part of the government's Better Defence Estate strategy, announced in Nov 2016, the Army plans to, over a period of 25 years, close down and dispose of numerous bases in the UK. This more efficient approach "co-locates people and capabilities in sustainable locations around centres of mass," and also releases land for up to 55,000 new homes.[15]
United Kingdom
editMajor Defence Training Areas
edit| Name | Constituent Country | County | Year opened | Notes and units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlemartin | Wales | Pembrokeshire | 1938 | Tank and armoured vehicle live firing range.[286] |
| Catterick | England | North Yorkshire | 1921 | Consists of numerous live firing ranges, an urban warfare village 'Whinny Hill', and 9,000 acres of dry training areas (non-live firing).[287] |
| Dartmoor | England | Devon | 1800 | |
| Garelochhead | Scotland | Argyll and Bute | 1940 | |
| Otterburn | England | Northumberland | 1911 | The only place in the UK where the MLRS can be fired.[288] |
| Salisbury Plain | England | Wiltshire | 1898 | The largest training area in the UK, primarily used by the 3rd Division. Contains an urban warfare village 'Copehill Down'.[289] |
| Sennybridge | Wales | Powys | 1939 | Located in the Brecon Beacons and hosts live firing and dry training activities. Hills Phase of UK Special Forces selection takes place here.[290] |
| Stanford | England | Norfolk | 1942 | Contains a mock Afghanistan village and complex trench facilities, now used primarily for training the Ukrainian Armed Forces.[291] |
| Warcop | England | Cumbria | 1942 |
British Overseas Territories
editFalkland Islands
edit| Name | Part of | Country | Region | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant Complex[292] | British Forces South Atlantic Islands | Falklands Islands | East Falkland | 1985 | Headquarters for British Force South Atlantic Islands with approximately 1,300 military personnel deployed, made up of a roulement infantry company, an air defence battery from 16th Regiment RA, an engineer squadron, a signals unit, a logistics group and supporting services.[293] |
| Falklands Defence Force HQ[294] | British Forces South Atlantic Islands | Falkland Islands | Stanley | Headquarters for the Falkland Islands Defence Force (FIDF), the locally maintained volunteer defence unit in the Falkland Islands.[295] |
Gibraltar
editBritish Forces Gibraltar (BFG) maintains the garrison at Gibraltar.
| Name | Part of | Country | Region | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devil's Tower Camp | British Forces Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 1942 | Regimental Headquarters, Royal Gibraltar Regiment[296] | |
| Four Corners Estate[297] | British Forces Gibraltar | Gibraltar | |||
| Tunnels of Gibraltar | British Forces Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 1782 | 34 Miles of tunnels offer a unique training ground for British Forces Gibraltar. Whilst expansion of the network ceased in 1968 and some areas have been turned over to the Civil Administration of Gibraltar, most of the network remains in MOD ownership.[298] |
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia
editThe two British enclaves in the Republic of Cyprus act as platforms for the projection of British military assets in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.[299] The enclaves serve as centres for regional communications monitoring from the eastern Mediterranean through the Middle East to Iran.[300][301] Facilities within the retained areas also support British military activities on retained sites in the Republic of Cyprus and provide unique training opportunities.[302]
| Name | Part of | Country | Region | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Episkopi Cantonment | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Western Sovereign Base Area | Sovereign Base Areas established in 1960 | Headquarters, British Forces Cyprus[303] The 'Resident Infantry Battalion', currently 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, until 2024.[304] |
| Paramali North and South Quarters | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Western Sovereign Base Area | Sovereign Base Areas established in 1960 |
| Name | Part of | Country | Region | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Barracks | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Eastern Sovereign Base Area | Sovereign Base Areas established in 1960 | The 'Regional Standby Battalion', currently 1st Battalion, The Rifles, until summer 2025.[305][306] |
| Ayios Nikolaos Station | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Eastern Sovereign Base Area | Sovereign Base Areas established in 1960 | The Joint Service Signal Unit (JSSU), a static communications organisation maintaining secure links from Cyprus to the rest of the world.[307] The station is a significant centre for GCHQ's collection of signals data and intelligence from the Eastern Mediterranean region and Middle East.[308][309] |
| Dhekelia Cantonment | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Eastern Sovereign Base Area | Sovereign Base Areas established in 1960 | Headquarters of the Eastern Sovereign Base Area An engineer squadron, and various logistic units, as well as UK-based civilians and dependents.[310] |
| Nightingale Barracks | British Forces Cyprus | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Eastern Sovereign Base Area |
Overseas
editBelize
edit| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price Barracks | British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) | Belize | Belize District | A small permanent team maintains 25 Service Family Accommodation quarters, enough accommodation for 600 troops on exercise and various associated buildings, as well as three satellite camps in the Baldy Beacons area of Belize.[311] | |
| Baldy Beacon and Guacamollo Bridge Training Areas | British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) | Belize | Belize District | ||
| Mountain Pine Ridge Training Area | British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB) | Belize | Belize District |
Brunei
editAround 2000 personnel of the British Army, primarily from the 1st Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, are stationed at the various sites of Brunei Garrison in the sultanate of Brunei Darussalam (the United Kingdom's largest remaining east of Suez deployment),[312] under the control of British Forces Brunei (BFB). Medicina Lines, Tuker Lines, and Scout Base are close to the Bruneian town of Seria within Mukim Seria, Belait District, whilst the more isolated placement of Sittang Camp in Tutong District reflects its role as a Jungle Training Centre.[313]
| Name | Part of | Country | District | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medicina Lines | British Forces Brunei | Brunei Darussalam | Belait District | 1959 | Located near the Bruneian town Seria within Mukim Seria, it includes headquarters British Army Jungle Warfare Division (JWD),[314] which run the courses:
|
| Sittang Camp | British Forces Brunei | Brunei Darussalam | Tutong District | 1959 | Jungle training facility; staff and troops live in the jungle during training[314] |
| Tuker Lines | British Forces Brunei | Brunei Darussalam | Belait District | 1959 | Home to the Headquarters, British Forces Brunei and 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles[315] (the 1st and 2nd Battalions alternate between Brunei and Kent every three years[316]), as well as:
|
Canada
editFollowing the withdrawal of the RAF from CFB Goose Bay, the sole British deployment in Canada is the Army Training Unit at Suffield.
| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFB Suffield | British Army Training Unit Suffield | Canada | Alberta | In use by the British Army Since 1971. | BATUS is the British Army's largest armoured training facility, and it can accommodate live-firing and tactical effect simulation (TES) exercises up to battle group level.[320][321]
|
Cyprus
editIn addition to the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, the 1960 Treaty of Establishment between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Cyprus granted the UK the right to permanently make use of 40 further sites on the island for military purposes.[324][325]
| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berengaria Village Married Quarters | British Forces Cyprus | Cyprus | Limassol | The Harakis Borehole and the Berengaria village pipeline are also retained to supply water.[324] | |
| Troodos Leave Camp | British Forces Cyprus | Cyprus | Troodos | Accommodation is used by BFC, visiting troops and youth services in support of adventurous training. Site also contains married quarters, NAAFI and Works Unit.[324] Contiguous with RAF Troodos.[326] | |
| British East Mediterranean Relay Station | British Forces Cyprus | Cyprus | Zygi | Used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to broadcast BBC World Service programming to Israel and the Arabic Speaking World.[327] | |
| Kissousa Headwaters, Reservoir and Pumping Station | British Forces Cyprus | Cyprus | Limassol | A secure water supply for the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area.[328][329] |
Britain also makes a permanent contribution to the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.
| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Beret Camp | United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus | Cyprus | Nicosia | 1964 | Groups of British soldiers are deployed as part of the nine-member United Nations Force which patrols the UNPA to prevent a resurgence of violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities. They are operationally distinct from British Forces Cyprus.[330] |
Estonia
edit| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tapa Army Base | NATO Enhanced Forward Presence | Estonia | Tapa | 2017 | Operation CABRIT is the name of the British Army's operational deployment to Estonia as part of the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP).[331] It is a brigade-sized deployment involving more than 1,500 British troops, with a large majority being armoured tank, cavalry, artillery and infantry personnel.[332][333] |
Germany
editIn 2010 approximately 25,000 British soldiers were permanently based in western Germany, a legacy of World War II and the Cold War. Facilities in Germany are no longer strategically useful, therefore British Forces began withdrawing from Germany in 2010; in 2015 21,500 troops remained in the country.[334] The deployment had been phased out by 2020, although concentrations of installations and troops in the Mönchengladbach / Paderborn area will remain.[335]
| Name | City | Country | County | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normandy Barracks | Paderborn | Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia | Headquarters, British Army Germany:[336]
23 Amphibious Engineer Squadron, Royal Engineers (also located in Minden). Exercising Troops accommodation. |
| Athlone Barracks | Paderborn | Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia | Land Training Fleet (Sennelager) - which provides and maintains a pool of military vehicles for units in training at Sennelager; thus units in training do not need to bring their own vehicles for the time of the exercise.[337] |
| Ayrshire Barracks | Mönchengladbach | Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia | Stored Equipment Fleet (Germany) - storage depot of vehicles and other equipment for exercises and operations around Europe.[338] |
| Wulfen Defence Munitions Storage Facility | Dorsten | Germany | North Rhine-Westphalia | Munitions storage facility.[337] |
Nepal
editThe British Army presence in Nepal is related to the Brigade of Gurkhas. British Gurkhas Nepal manages the recruitment of soldiers, the care of families and ensures the rights of veterans.[339]
| Name | Garrison | Country | County | Opened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ Jawalakhel, Patan | British Gurkhas Nepal | Nepal | Kathmandu | The Headquarters British Gurkhas Nepal and the Kathmandu station, which is the focal point for organisation of transit to and from Nepal, the welfare of serving soldiers and payment of pensions.[340] Supported by the Nepal Signal Troop, Queen's Gurkha Signals.[318] | |
| Pokhara Camp | British Gurkhas Nepal | Nepal | The British Gurkha Camp in Pokhara is the main recruitment centre, where the annual selection course is run. Pokhara is also the location of the main pension records and houses the headquarters of the Gurkha Welfare Trust.[341] | ||
| Dharan Station | British Gurkhas Nepal | Nepal | A small station intended to assist British Gurkhas Nepal operations in eastern Nepal. It is used primarily as a movement base and regional recruiting centre.[342] |
Oman
edit| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Joint Logistics Support Base | Al Duqm Port & Drydock | Oman | Duqm | 2018 | A joint logistical support facility within the Al Duqm Port & Drydock. In September 2020, an investment was made to expand the facility's training infrastructure for the British Army.[343] |
| Omani-British Joint Training Area | Oman | Duqm | A joint training area announced in 2019 as part of a Joint Defence Agreement (JDA).[344] |
Iraq
edit| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erbil | Iraq | Kurdistan | |||
| Besmaya Range Complex | Iraq | Diyala Governate | |||
| Camp Taji | Iraq | Baghdad | |||
| Al Asad Airbase | Iraq | Al Anbar Governate |
Kenya
editThe British Army presence in Kenya is based around the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK).[345]
| Name | Part of | Country | County | Opened | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archer's Post Training Area | British Army Training Unit Kenya | Kenya | Samburu County | A large 250,000 hectares[346] military training area, which facilitates Live Fire Tactical Training, including artillery, mortars and armoured vehicles. | |
| Dol Dol Training Area | British Army Training Unit Kenya | Kenya | Laikipia County | ||
| Nyati Barracks | British Army Training Unit Kenya | Kenya | Laikipia County | 2020 | Training headquarters, welfare facilities, 158 Single Living Accommodation and 1,400 transit accommodation bed spaces, a combined mess, a finance building, offices, stores and Joint Forces Enabling Exercise buildings.[347] |
| Kahawa Barracks | British Army Training Unit Kenya | Kenya | Nairobi | BATUK rear area base and depot.[348] | |
| Kifaru Barracks | British Army Training Unit Kenya | Kenya | Nairobi | BATUK rear area base and depot.[348] | |
| International Mine Action Training Centre | The British Peace Support Team East Africa | Kenya | Nairobi County | 2005 | The IMATC is a joint British and Kenyan venture aimed at alleviating the suffering caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war, by providing high quality Mine Action Training[349] |
| Peace Training Support Centre | The British Peace Support Team East Africa | Kenya | Nairobi County | 2005 | [350] |
Kosovo
edit| Name | City | Country | Opened | Notes & Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Bondsteel | Prishtina | Kosovo | Occupied by British Army since 1999[351] | As part of NATO-led peacekeeping Kosovo Force (KFOR)[352] |
Sierra Leone
edit| Name | Garrison | Country | County | Opened | Notes & Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMATT HQ, Leicester Peak | IMATT (International Military Advisory and Training Team) | Sierra Leone | Freetown | 1999 | Facility for training the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces IMATT has a team of international staff based in Sierra Leone where they provide the government with security and military advice and training, playing an important role in supporting the country's climb from the chaos of civil war.[353] |
See also
editReferences
editNotes
edit- ^ ex-RAF Topcliffe
- ^ ex-RAF Ouston
- ^ ex-RAF Colerne
- ^ ex-RAF Thorney Island
- ^ ex-RAF Stafford
- ^ ex-RAF Hullavington
- ^ ex-RAF Debden
- ^ ex-RAF Brawdy
- ^ ex-RAF Ternhill
- ^ ex-RAF Abingdon
- ^ ex-RAF South Cerney
- ^ ex-RAF Bramcote
- ^ ex-RAF Innsworth
- ^ ex-RAF Cottesmore
- ^ ex-RAF Kinloss
- ^ ex-RAF Leuchars
- ^ ex-RAF Catterick
- ^ ex-RAF Leconfield
- ^ ex-RAF Lyneham
- ^ ex-RAF Spitalgate
- ^ ex-RAF Swanton Morley
- ^ ex-RAF Woodbridge
- ^ ex-RAF Flowerdown
- ^ ex-RAF North Luffenham
- ^ ex-RAF Credenhill
- ^ ex-RAF Upavon
External links
edit- "Parliamentary Questions and Answers – name and location of each Regular and Territorial Army Infantry Battalion". Think Defence. 2 February 2011. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.