Major General James Bowder, commander of the British Army's 6 Division, detailed how the UK's new Ranger Regiment, announced in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy on 16 March, is to operate as part of his division at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Land Warfare Conference on 2 June.
The Ranger Regiment, drawn from 6 Division's Specialised Infantry Group established in 2017, is to work alongside and in close co-ordination with the division's 77 Brigade, shaping and influencing the information domain, Maj Gen Bowder said. The brigade was stood up in 2015 to provide an information warfare element for the British Army.
The Ranger Regiment will be optimised for unconventional warfare to constrain competitors, and will be capable of conducting psychological, cyber, and information operations below the threshold of war. Maj Gen Bowder added that the Ranger Regiment would operate “by, with, and through” partner and surrogate forces, deploying in the “richest possible digital setting”.
The Rangers are also expected to use the UK's global network of bases as ‘lily pads' for forward-deployed operations, where Maj Gen Bowder said they would not only train, but also dwell, offering the British government response options more quickly, as well as local experience of likely deployment areas.
He said this is an indication how the UK would seek to compete for influence with potential adversaries such as China, Russia, and Iran in key regions such as Africa and the Middle East. The Rangers will be combined with a security force assistance brigade made up of four infantry battalions optimised to hone the partner force capabilities.
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