Alternate British Armed Forces stuff...

[natehale1971]

This is some of what I'm working on... An expansion of the British Armed Forces for a world that the Cold War never ended, and progressed into our world of day (kind of like a more serious version of Archer, that will be the backdrop for the Twilight War game I want to run).

I've been working on alot of things for the British Army.

Right now, this is what i have about the Home Guard that was organized after the Territorial Army was mobilized when the Twilight War had gotten started. I'm guessing at what weapons, vehicles and equipment that the Home Guard would be equipped with... basicly having them wearing old-style pre-DPM battle dress uniforms (going with them wearing them for service dress and combat dress). I saw them using old weapons, apcs and tanks that were still in strategic stockpiles.


British Home Guard

The British Government began organizing a modern Home Guard as Territorial Army units were being activated for their immediate mobilization for deployment overseas, along with the reestablishment of many of the disestablished & disbanded units of the past decades for expanding the Regular Army. The Home Guard

The British Home Guard units were equipped with weapons, vehicles and equipment that were issued from the strategic stockpiles. Home Guard units wore khaki battle dress uniforms that had been retired after the adoption of the modern DPM battle dress.

The British Home Guard would use the same ranks as the British Army, with the highest rank being that of either General or Lieutenant General (or even Major General)... I don't know yet. The Home Guard is suppose to be their to help protect the home front with part-time soldiers under the direction of both the British Army and the Police Force.

I was thinking of the name used for the rank of Private being Warder, but i don't know yet.

L1A1 SLR 7.62mm assault rifle
FV214 Conqueror main battle tank
FV4007 Centurion main battle tank


I'm also coming up with fictional vehicles that are based on some actual concepts as well.. like unmanned aerial vehicles, and a fifth generation fighter... an updated harrier jumpjet for the British aircraft carriers.

The British Defense Industry was increased to provide export sales to commonwealth states... with the collapse of the EU proposals, and growth of various competing military alliances (Med Alliances, Congo Pact, Beijing Pact, Havana Pact, ect) they had alot of people who'd be buying from them.

BAE Systems Corax unmanned aerial vehicle
BAE Systems Phoenix reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle
BAE Systems <> high endurance reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle
BAE Systems Fury high endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle
Zephyr
BAE Systems <> unmanned combat aerial vehicle


Royal Ordnance
Royal Ordnance Factory
Royal Small Arms Factory (Enfield)
Birmingham Small Arms Company

Vickers Defense Systems
Westland Helicopters

British Aerospace Systems / BAE Systems

BAE Systems Land and Armaments
BAE Systems Surface Fleet Solutions
BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions


Hawker Siddeley Group
Hawker Siddeley Aviation (HSA): Aircraft division
Hawker Siddeley Dynamics (HSD): Guided missiles & Space Technology.



Royal Navy ranks:
O-12: Admiral of the Fleet (Adm of the Fleet)
O-11: Fleet Admiral (FAdm)
O-10: Admiral (Adm)
O-9: Vice Admiral (VAdm)
O-8: Rear Admiral (RAdm)
O-7: Commodore (Cdre)
O-6: Captain (Capt)
O-5: Commander (Cdr)
O-4: Lieutenant Commander (Lt Cdr)
O-3: Lieutenant (Lt)
O-2: Sub-Lieutenant (SLt)
O-1: Midshipman (Mid) / Acting Sub-Lieutenant (ASL)
OR-9: Warrant Officer One (WO1)
OR-8: Warrant Officer Two (WO2)
OR-7: Chief Petty Officer (CPO)
OR-6: Petty Officer (PO)
OR-4: Leading Rating or Leading Seaman (LH)
OR-2: Able Rating or Able Seaman (AB)
OR-1: Ordinary Rating Ordinary Seaman (ORD)

Royal Marine ranks:
O-10: General (Gen)
O-9: Lieutenant General (Lt-Gen)
O-8: Major General (Maj-Gen)
O-7: Brigadier (Brig)
O-6: Colonel (Col)
O-5: Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col)
O-4: Major (Maj)
O-3: Captain (Capt)
O-2: Lieutenant (Lt)
O-1: Second Lieutenant (2Lt)
OR-9: Warrant Officer One
OR-8: Warrant Officer Two
OR-7: Color Sergeant (CSgt)
OR-6: Sergeant
OR-4: Corporal
OR-3: Lance Corporal
OR-1: Marine (Mne)


British Army ranks:
O-12: Marshal of the British Army
O-11: Field Marshal (FM)
O-10: General (Gen)
O-9: Lieutenant General (Lt-Gen)
O-8: Major General (Maj-Gen)
O-7: Brigaider (Brig)
O-6: Colonel (Col)
O-5: Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col)
O-4: Major (Maj)
O-3: Captain (Capt)
O-2: Lieutenant (Lt)
O-1: Second Lieutenant (2Lt)
OR-9: Warrant Officer One
OR-8: Warrant Officer Two
OR-7: Staff Sergeant (SSgt) / Color Sergeant (CSgt)
OR-6: Sergeant (Sgt)
OR-4: Corporal (Cpl) / Bombardier
OR-3: Lance Corporal (LCpl) / Lance Bombardier
OR-1: Private (Pte)


Royal Air Force ranks: I debated on the rank of Senior Air Chief Marshal for the O-11 rank... but it didn't really seem to fit. Any suggestion would be apprecated.
O-12: Marshal of the Royal Air Force (MRAF)
O-11:
O-10: Air Chief Marshal (Air Chf Mshl)
O-9: Air Marshal (Air Mshl)
O-8: Air Vice Marshal (AVM)
O-7: Air Commodore (Air Cdre)
O-6: Group Captain (Gp Capt)
O-5: Wing Commander (Wg Cdr)
O-4: Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr)
O-3: Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt)
O-2: Flying Officer (Fg Off)
O-1: Pilot Officer (Plt Off) / Acting Pilot Officer (APO)
OR-9: Warrant Officer (WO) / Master Aircrew (MAcr)
OR-7: Chief Technician (Chf Tech) / Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt)
OR-5: Technician (Tech) / Sergeant (Sgt)
OR-4: Corporal (Cpl)
OR-3: Senior Aircraftman or Senior Aircraftwoman (SAC) / Lance Corporal (LCpl)
OR-2: Leading Aircraftman or Leading Aircraftwoman (LAC)
OR-1: Aircraftman or Aircraftwoman (AC)


Regimental Corporal Major (Regimental Sergeant major)

Staff Corporal (Staff Sergeant)
Corporal of Horse (Sergeant)
Lance Corporal of Horse (Lance Sergeant /Corporal)
Lance Corporal

Airtrooper (Atpr)
Bugler (Bgr)
Craftsman (Cfn)
Drummer (Dmr)
Fusilier (Fus)
Gunner (Gnr)
Guardsman (Gdsm)
Highlander (Hldr)
Kingsman (Kgn)
Marine (Mne) Bandsman ()
Musician (Mus)
Piper (Ppr)
Ranger (Rgr)
Rifleman (Rfn)
Sapper (Spr)
Signaller (Sig)
Trooper (Tpr)
Trumpeter (Tptr)

[95th Rifleman]

Home guard would make sense in time of war.

The TA would be the first called up and slotted into regular battalions, after that concsription would kick in so it's entirely possible for a WW2-style homeguard to be formed from old men and young lads.

I was thinking of women, would they be subject to conscription It's an interesting point in the modern world where so many branches and services are open to women. It would make sense to conscript women aswell and use them in as many non-combat roles as possible, thus freeing men for front-line combat duty.

[natehale1971]

The British Unified Combatant Commands...

I've been hunting to find out if the British Armed Forces has anything like the United States Unified Combantant Commands, and haven't found anything yet.. So I came up with something along these lines...


British Forces Europe
British Forces Americas (North, Central & South America)
British Forces Africa
British Forces Far East (Asia & Pacific Rim)
British Forces Near East (Middle East)
British Forces Gibraltar
British Forces Hong Kong
British Forces Brunei
British Forces Cyprus
British Forces Falkland Islands
British Forces Caribbean (or would it be British Forces Jamica)


British Army
-Regular Army
-Territorial Army
-Home Guard

Royal Navy
-Royal Navy Reserve
-Royal Marines

Royal Air Force

[natehale1971]

Home guard would make sense in time of war.

The TA would be the first called up and slotted into regular battalions, after that concsription would kick in so it's entirely possible for a WW2-style homeguard to be formed from old men and young lads.

I was thinking of women, would they be subject to conscription It's an interesting point in the modern world where so many branches and services are open to women. It would make sense to conscript women aswell and use them in as many non-combat roles as possible, thus freeing men for front-line combat duty.

Yes... Conscription would inculde women. in a way I was thinking that by volunteering for service in the Home Guard, it could allow for women to not get drafted for the Regular or Territorial Army. Especially those who are single mothers.

[95th Rifleman]

In a major war the territorial army would cease to exist.

The terrirtorials would be folded into the regular army. The terrirtorials are a purely peacetime construct. Very different from the US national guards.

[natehale1971]

Even after having been folded into the Regular Army, would they still have the title as having original been Territorial Army units Ie... the (TA) after their name Or is that removed

In the US we have the Regular Army, the Army National Guard and Conscripts that are brought together to create the Army of the United States (AUS).

On our dogtags the service number would be followed up with RA for regular army, ARNG for National Guard and AUS for drafted personnel. is there anything like that for the British dogtags

[Rainbow Six]

The Home Service Force (HSF) would fill the role of the Home Guard. In the event of a major War it would probably be expanded and recruitement criteria probably relaxed to include those who didn't have prior military service.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Service_Force

[95th Rifleman]

Nope, goes back to the Regimental system.

Most TA units are a battalion of a regular Regiment, I'll give you an example.

The Rifles

The Rifles have 5 regular battalions, 1st Btn is a commando unit, 2nd and 3rd are light infantry, 4th is mechanised and 5th is Armoured.

In the british army a mechanised Btn uses older APCs while Armoured infantry use the Warrior IFV.

The Rifles have two TA Btns 6th and 7th.

When the brown stuff hits the rotary air cooling device, the 6th and 7th will be folded into the regular Btns and will just become regular infantry.

TA are essentilay part-time regulars who share the regimental identity of their parent unit. It's a very different system to the US natonal guards.

[Rainbow Six]

To be fair, during the Cold War the TA had slightly different roles. Looking purely at the Infantry there were iirc - (I'm doing this from memory and while my boss isn't looking) forty one TA Infantry battalions. Fourteen were slated for home defence, whilst the remainder were allocated a BAOR reinforcement role - Cold War plans called for virtually the entire 2nd Infantry Division to be formed from Territorials. They would have fought as organised Battalions (their role iirc was to defend the rear areas and supply lines).

However since the end of the Cold War the TA have served primarily to reinforce Regular units, much as 95th Rifleman has outlined with the Rifles. For example most regular units serving in Afghanistan at the moment will have TA soldiers who have volunteered to serve on an individual basis, so a TA Paratrooper who is nominally part of the 4th Battalion (the TA's only remaining Para Bn) would be attached to one of teh Regular Para Battalions for a tour on Afghanistan.

[95th Rifleman]

To be fair, during the Cold War the TA had slightly different roles. Looking purely at the Infantry there were iirc - (I'm doing this from memory and while my boss isn't looking) forty one TA Infantry battalions. Fourteen were slated for home defence, whilst the remainder were allocated a BAOR reinforcement role - Cold War plans called for virtually the entire 2nd Infantry Division to be formed from Territorials. They would have fought as organised Battalions (their role iirc was to defend the rear areas and supply lines).

However since the end of the Cold War the TA have served primarily to reinforce Regular units, much as 95th Rifleman has outlined with the Rifles. For example most regular units serving in Afghanistan at the moment will have TA soldiers who have volunteered to serve on an individual basis, so a TA Paratrooper who is nominally part of the 4th Battalion (the TA's only remaining Para Bn) would be attached to one of teh Regular Para Battalions for a tour on Afghanistan.

Good point, well made. I'm thinking from today's perspective.

In either case when a TA soldier is called up in time of war to either reinforce an existing regiment or form a new one, he'll cease to be TA.

Assuming the British army didn't get raped by defence cuts i suppose we'd have to look at an organisatiom morelike the 80's than the last 10 years.

[Rainbow Six]

Assuming the British army didn't get raped by defence cuts i suppose we'd have to look at an organisatiom morelike the 80's than the last 10 years.

Yep...the way I see it Nate's going for a continued Cold War with a strengthened British Army. Possibly one where there's still a Strategic Defence Review circa 1990 but it increases rather than decreases Army numbers.

[perardua]

The RAF has the Royal Auxiliary Air Force as its closest equivalent to the TA. I also struggle to believe that there would be a surplus of khaki uniforms floating about in a warehouse somewhere in the 90s as compared to the enormous number of DPM items produced over the years. I imagine that the majority of the WW2 style battledress would have been disposed of by that point. It might make more sense for the regular forces and better equipped reserve units to be wearing CS95, at least in the early stages of the war, and the rest of the reserves and the Home Guard to be wearing older version of DPM dress. Alternatively, you could always stick the Home Guard in OG lightweights as the Army moves towards wearing CS95 as their working dress and stops issuing barracks dress.

[Rainbow Six]

I also struggle to believe that there would be a surplus of khaki uniforms floating about in a warehouse somewhere in the 90s as compared to the enormous number of DPM items produced over the years. I imagine that the majority of the WW2 style battledress would have been disposed of by that point. It might make more sense for the regular forces and better equipped reserve units to be wearing CS95, at least in the early stages of the war, and the rest of the reserves and the Home Guard to be wearing older version of DPM dress.

Agreed.

Perhaps HSF troops could be issued DPM jackets with OG trousers

[perardua]

And puttees

[Rainbow Six]

And puttees

Why not!

There's actually a useful article on the Twilight 2000 wiki about British uniforms...

http://twilight2000.wikia.com/wiki/British_Uniform

And on that note I better get back to work!