Wots this new "Ranger Regiment"?

[Alan O]

An interesting article that fails to mention that despite their rearguard action to retain battalions the RRS just cannot recruit and/or retain to fully man them. The RRS battalions are among the most understrength so should not be surprised that they are being cut.

[leigh kitchen]

Yes, hence "The Royal Regiment of Fiji" nickname.
Some hold the determination for political reasons to retain more Scottish infantry battalions than was sustainable for the demise of the well recruited but English 2 RRF.

[Mike H]

It would have been interesting to see Mr Crawfords comments had he been from elsewhere in the UK.

[QLbadge]

How the Ranger Regiment fits into the grand scheme of things is an interesting question. I think the Army is distinguishing them from SF by defining them as ‘Special Operations’ units … hence Army Special Operations Brigade. That is the Specialised Infantry Brigade with new title and an all arms organisation (eventually). I think the units are likely to emulate the US Special Forces (Green Beret ‘Alpha Teams’) role - of teams embedding, leading and supporting indigenous forces.

The biggest question for me is - will the govt / MoD have greater appetite to use the ASOB in hazardous operations? Risk aversion seems to be the dominant trait at the moment.

3RGR seems to have gone in the orbat,probably absorbed into the wider Ranger Regiment.

Some observations then:

The elite infantry/ ‘special’ part of the forces is staring to appear rather crowded … SAS, SBS, SRR, SFSG, RM, Para, Rangers.

where does this leave units such as the Paras, an elite infantry force in terms of recruiting? I can’t see the Rangers all getting parachute trained.

Also it leaves more Regiments as single regular Battalion regiments (RRF, Mercians, PWRR, Lancs) … the ‘big regiment’ concept was supposed to prevent this in the last big organisational changes.

[Belfin]

At the risk of repeating myself with the emergence of every new British Army unit or cap badge over the last few years , 'Where will this regiment be in the Order of Precedence?'

[QLbadge]

Interesting given the establishing Battalion lineages, Willy they take antecedent Battalion position or as a new regiment?
1Rangers - 1 SCOTS, RS & KOSB (1st and 25 of foot) / RRS on the right
2Rangers - 2PWRR, Royal Hampshires (37th & 67th) / second to the right (next to SCOTS)
3Rangers - 2 LANCS, KINGS(8th, 63rd & 96th)
4Rangers - 4 RIFLES, 2 RGJ, KRRC (60th)

[Belfin]

So as things stand we've narrowed it down to either the right, the left or somewhere in between!

[Alan O]

To be honest I doubt anyone in HQ army cares about precedence. The whole measure is designed to create the headcount required to man CGS's latest brain-child and rather helpfully allows for the behind-the-scenes reduction in infantry battalions including the politically awkward Scottish one. As it is drawn from all-arms and is essentially a new creation they should be listed all together as a new regiment if at all. It would be lunacy to allow one battalion (based in NI) to retain the RScots precedence when they are trying to get rid of the historical legacy with a new cap badge and beret etc. the last thing you need is to retain this link as it will only encourage other (tartan) die-hard stuff to be help onto by those who don't realise that 1 SCOTS is no more.

[Borderer]

This not a Special Forces Unit per-say, what they the MOD have done is: Disband after only 16 years of service, 1 SCOTS (Royal Scots Borderers) The Royal Regiment of Scotland and all their joint history and insignia.

There was once what was known as the 'Golden Thread' a link between The Royal Scots and The King's Own Scottish Borderers, who were amalgamated to form 1SCOTS (Royal Scots Borderers) a joint 373 years of service to the Crown with both having never in their joint history been amalgamated before, but now it is all gone, the cap badge may as well have been a Parrot rather than some modern Third Reich looking badge.

They were then reformed on 30 November 2021 as 1st Battalion The Ranger Regiment (ironically it was not lost on us Scots it was on St Andrews Day of all days), they are one of four in this Special Operations Brigade and expected to operate, with allies to counter extremists and hostile states.

PS: Please note it is 'The Ranger Battalion' and not Rangers this is a football team and they are not soldiers.

Hiram