| Army Headquarters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 2011–present |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Headquarters |
| Location | Marlborough Lines, Andover, Hampshire |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | General Sir Roland Walker |
Army Headquarters is a British Army organisation based at Marlborough Lines, Hampshire. The equivalent in the Royal Navy is Navy Command Headquarters at Portsmouth, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force is Headquarters Air Command at High Wycombe.
Until 31 October 2011, British Army forces were commanded by a four star named Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces. Under a major army command reorganisation effective 1 November 2011, the Chief of the General Staff took direct command of the Army through a new structure known as Army Headquarters. [1] [2] Army Headquarters, which started to take responsibility for more than 2,000 military and civilian personnel, was established at Marlborough Lines near Andover. [3]
The two main buildings constructed at Marlborough Lines were named as Blenheim (named after the Battle of Blenheim in 1704) and Ramillies (named after the Battle of Ramillies in 1706). [4]
Functions established at Marlborough Lines include elements of Home Command as well as Headquarters Field Army. [5]
The British Army is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff. Under the Army 2020 Refine command structure, four lieutenant-general posts report to the Chief of the General Staff: Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Commander Field Army, Commander Home Command and Commander Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. [6] Commander Joint Helicopter Command, now Commander Joint Aviation Command, was added to the list around September 2020. [7]
On formation of Army Headquarters in 2011, those reporting to the Chief of the General Staff were: the Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the Commander Land Forces, the Adjutant-General to the Forces and the Commander Force Development and Capability. At that time the Commander Land Forces was responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations, the Adjutant-General for developing the Army's personnel policies, recruiting and supporting its people, and the Commander Force Development and Capability for developing its capability, sustainability and doctrine. [8]
The Battle of Ramillies, fought on 23 May 1706, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon armies of King Louis XIV of France in 1705. Although the Allies had captured Barcelona that year, they had been forced to abandon their campaign on the Moselle, had stalled in the Spanish Netherlands and suffered defeat in northern Italy. Yet despite his opponents' setbacks Louis XIV wanted peace, but on reasonable terms. Because of this, as well as to maintain their momentum, the French and their allies took the offensive in 1706.
The Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) is the military headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Allied Command Operations (ACO) that commands all NATO operations worldwide. SHAPE is situated in the village of Casteau, near Mons, Belgium.
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in northwest Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. US General Dwight D. Eisenhower was the commander in SHAEF throughout its existence. The position itself shares a common lineage with Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Atlantic, but they are different titles.
The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) is a rapid reaction force maintained by NATO. It is capable of deploying a High Readiness Force (Land) Headquarters at short notice for operations and crisis response.
The Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London. The Permanent Joint Headquarters is commanded by the Chief of Joint Operations (CJO), the position of which is currently held by Lieutenant General Nicholas Perry.
A military staff or general staff is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military unit in their command and control role through planning, analysis, and information gathering, as well as by relaying, coordinating, and supervising the execution of their plans and orders, especially in case of multiple simultaneous and rapidly changing complex operations. They are organised into functional groups such as administration, logistics, operations, intelligence, training, etc. They provide multi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer, subordinate military units and other stakeholders. A centralised general staff results in tighter top-down control but requires larger staff at headquarters (HQ) and reduces accuracy of orientation of field operations, whereas a decentralised general staff results in enhanced situational focus, personal initiative, speed of localised action, OODA loop, and improved accuracy of orientation.
The Commander of the Canadian Army is the institutional head of the Canadian Army. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Army Staff and is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario.
The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services.
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; the army was renamed as the 'Sri Lanka Army' when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2024, the Army had approximately 150,000 personnel.
Home Command, previously Personnel and Support Command, is a personnel support and UK operations command of the British Army. The post of Commander PSC previously replaced that of Adjutant-General to the Forces, and then had British Isles responsibilities, including Support Command and civil contingencies tasks, added to it.
Aldershot Garrison, also known as Aldershot Military Town, is a major garrison in South East England, between Aldershot and Farnborough in Hampshire. The garrison was established when the War Department bought a large area of land near the village of Aldershot, with the objective of establishing a permanent training camp for the Army. Over time, this camp grew into a military town and continues to be used by the Army to the present day. It is home to the headquarters of the Army's Regional Command and Home Command, and it is also the headquarters for the Army Special Operations Brigade. The garrison plays host to around 70 military units and organisations.
Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Land Command was a military command and formation and part of the structure of the British Army from 1995 to 2008. Its headquarters was at Erskine Barracks, at Fugglestone St Peter, some four kilometres northwest of Salisbury in Wiltshire.
The structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is complex and multi-faceted. The decision-making body is the North Atlantic Council (NAC), and the member state representatives also sit on the Defence Policy and Planning Committee (DPPC) and the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG). Below that the Secretary General of NATO directs the civilian International Staff, that is divided into administrative divisions, offices and other organizations. Also responsible to the NAC, DPPC, and NPG are a host of committees that supervise the various NATO logistics and standardisation agencies.
Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Richard Gregory, is a retired British Army officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. In September 2016, he became Controller SSAFA, The Armed Forces charity. He was appointed Master Gunner, St James's Park from 1 May 2017.
Marlborough Lines is a British Army installation on the former site of RAF Andover in Hampshire, England.
Erskine Barracks was a military installation at Fugglestone St Peter, in Wilton parish some 2+3⁄4 miles (4 km) northwest of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England.
The page contains the current structure of the British Army. The British Army is currently being reorganised to the Future Soldier structure.
This is the structure of the British Armed Forces.
The Field Army is a command of the British Army responsible for generating and preparing forces for current and contingency operations. Commander Field Army reports to the Chief of the General Staff.
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