“something special in reserve” j t crump ceo, sibylline ltd oc c(rgh) sqn the royal wessex...
TRANSCRIPT
“Something Special in Reserve”
J T Crump
CEO, Sibylline Ltd
OC C(RGH) Sqn the Royal Wessex Yeomanry
DISCLAIMER…
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Agenda
Background
Why Reserves?
Why Heavy Armour?
Application
Relevance for Northern Europe/NATO
Intl Armd Reserves Symposium
Conclusion
Royal Wessex Yeomanry
• Reaction Force
• Adaptable Force
• Force Troops
Role in the Future of the British Army
Background
Change in the Army’s:
Approach
Manning strategy
Role
Royal Armoured Corps
Lt Cav (3:3)
Armd Cav (3:0)
Armd (3:1)
More to come…?
Why Reserves?
Generational change
New ways of working
Overall Return on Investment
Cost efficiencies for rarely used capabilities
Avoidance of “capability holiday”!
Why Heavy Armour?
Number of adversaries – 108k tanks worldwide
Air/Avn attacks do not render tank obsolete (Libya)
Tanks – still the best anti-tank vehicle…
Firepower, survivability, mobility, durability
Balanced mix of firepower, protection and mobility has arguably been reached in existing designs
IFVs are getting heavier and more complex (WR upgrade, Namer)…
…and so are recce vehicles
Application
Reservists offer a lot – but need:
Distributed training
More flexible courses
More self-reliance and tracking of what TOs have been carried out
Regular, low-level but consistent exposure to equipment
The time is now, though!
So What for NATO/Northern Europe?
Heavy forces still have a role, but are expensive. This has helped drive rationale away from these fleets, but this offers a potential weakness.
Therefore:
Share resources to build a common force, as with Strategic Airlift and AWACS
Make use of economies in training
Retain capability
Think innovatively
Intl Armoured Reserves Symposium
Looking backwards and forwards…
1st International Armoured Reserves Symposium: ONLY large-scale Reservist conference of its kind
On the 100th anniversary of the British conception of the tank (19th Oct 1914).
In the home of the Royal Armoured Corps and the current Armour Centre
Led by the Royal Wessex Yeomanry, the UK’s Armoured Reinforcement Regiment
Part of training year – so a biennial event
Objectives
Reg, Res and civilian attendees will:
Understand the role of Armoured reservists
Examine Armoured force (re)generation
Expand the Armoured Reserve community
Set the conditions for future International Armoured Reserves collaboration
Explore best-practice teaching methodologies and training for Armoured Reserves
IARS 2014 Programme
Fri 17 Oct Celebration of Armoured history (Tank Museum) Drinks reception (Tank Museum/Offr’s Mess)
Sat 18 Oct Developments in Modern Armour & doctrine UK Armoured Reserves (challenges and opportunities) Other nations’ Armoured Reserves (sharing best practice) Formal Royal/military Dinner Night
Sun 19 Oct Syndicate Discussions Demos Training visits Tank Museum
