UK Land Forces Armour Orbats 1979

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Before we start breaking out the credit card to for squadrillions of 1/76th Chieftains for Kursk like tank battles outside Slough or Newbury, what and how much armour would be available to our protagonists in the Winter of '79?

The Royal Armoured Corps was divided into regiments that operate main battle tanks (armoured regiments) and those that operate reconnaissance tanks (armoured reconnaissance regiments).

There were ten Armoured Regiments in 1979.  Eight 'teeth' regiments were based in BAOR organised as Type A with a different composition to the Type B (United Kingdom) Regiment.

Of the two UK based Type B Armoured regiments, one 'teeth' regiment served as the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment. In 1979 it was the turn of the Queens Royal Hussars.

As Training Regiment the Queens Royal Hussars had to fulfill a number of roles. As Training Regiment part was based at Catterick, North Yorkshire, whilst the main body of the regiment was based at Bhurtpore Barracks in Tidworth, on the edge of Salisbury Plain, as RAC Centre Regiment and UKLF (reserve).

C Squadron was detached to the School of Infantry at Warminster where it was used in the role of RAC Demonstration Squadron, D Squadron was detached to provide the armoured force of the Berlin Brigade and another squadron served on peacekeeping duties in Cyprus and Rhodesia. The regiment also have to provide an armoured reconnaissance squadron for ACE Mobile Force (Land) comprising 4 troops each of 2 Scorpion and 2 Scimitar CVR(T).



In addition to the Armoured Regiments were eleven Armoured Reconnaissance Regiments of which five were based in BAOR.

There were 3 different types of Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. Type A (BAOR), Type B (UK) and Territorial Army. One Type B (UK) Regiment was based in Northern Ireland and had a different structure to the others.

Type B (UK) Armoured Regiment

The Fighting elements of a Type B (UK) Armoured Regiment comprised 3x Armoured Squadrons and 1 Close Reconnaissance Squadron
 
RHQ:
2x Sultan
2x Ferret Mk1
1x Land Rover FFR*

3x Armoured Squadrons each:

SHQ:
2x Chieftain MBT
1x Ferret Mk1
1x Land Rover FFR

4x Troops each:
3x Chieftain MBT

1x Close Reconnaissance Squadron:

SHQ:
4x Land Rover FFR

4x Recce Troop each:
6x Scimitar CVR(T)

 Total: 42 Chieftain MBT and 24 Scimitar CVR(T)

*FFR = 'Fitted For Radio' - no outwards difference to normal Land Rover, this referred to the internal wiring and fusebox to allow for powering radio equipment.

Type B (UK) Armoured
Reconnaissance Regiment

The Fighting elements of a Type B (UK) Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment comprised 2x Medium and 1x Close Reconnaissance Squadrons
 
RHQ:
3x Sultan
4x Ferret Mk1
1x Land Rover FFR

2x Medium Reconnaissance Squadrons each:

SHQ:
2x Sultan
1x Ferret Mk1
2x Land Rover FFR

4x Reconnaissance Troops each:
2x Scorpion CVR(T)
2x Scimitar CVR(T)

1x Survey Troop
4x Spartan CVR(T) with ZB298 Radar

1x Close Reconnaissance Squadron:

SHQ:
3x Land Rover FFR
1x Ferret Mk1

5x Close Reconnaissance Troops each:
6x Fox CVR(W)

Total: 16 Scorpion CVR(T), 16 Scimitar CVR(T), 30 Fox CVR(W)

Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment

Territorial Army (TA)

RHQ:
3x Sultan
3x Ferret Mk1
1x Land Rover FFR

4x Reconnaissance Squadrons each:

SHQ:
2x Sultan
1x Ferret Mk1
2x Land Rover FFR

5x Reconnaissance Troops each:
4x Fox CVR(W)

1x Support Troop:
5x Spartan CVR(T) or Saracen APC

Total: 80 Fox CVR(W), 20 Spartan CVR(T)/Saracen APC

Summary

So, excluding the normal caveats of non-runners, shortfalls due to defence cuts, tanks in UK workshops from BAOR, tank sheds full of mothballed Centurions, we have as a ballpark the following available to us (also excluding the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment in Northern Ireland):

One Armoured Regiment Type B (UK)
Total: 42 Chieftain MBT and 24 Scimitar CVR(T)

One Armoured Training Regiment - based on Type B (UK)
24? Chieftain MBTs and 16? Scimitar and 8? Scorpion CVR(T)

Three Armoured Reconnaissance Regiments Type B (UK)
Total: 48 Scorpion CVR(T), 48 Scimitar CVR(T), 90 Fox CVR(W)

Two Armoured Reconnaissance Regiments (TA)
Total: 160 Fox CVR(W), 40 Spartan CVR(T)/Saracen APC

Grand Total (estimated):
66 Chieftain MBT, 56 Scorpion CVR(T), 88 Scimitar CVR(T), 250 Fox CVR(W)


In addition to these numbers, the Royal Ordnance factory and Vickers-Armstrong produced tanks for overseas customers such as Iran, Jordan. The Challenger came out of the Shir-1 project for Iran - so it would not be inconceivable to see a few early 'Challengers' in 1979.


Both sides in a civil war would turn to foreign powers for additional armour- France, not in NATO, being the most likely candidate. So we have an option to include more exotic beasts in our games such as Panhard armoured cars etc.

We are also likely to see retired models of tanks and armoured vehicles scavanged from mothballs, museums or scrap dealers to be brought back into action.

Cheers

Mark

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CVR(T) = Combat Vehivle Reconnaissance (Tracked)
CVR(W) = Combat Vehivle Reconnaissance (Wheeled)

These are all paper strengths and should be viewed as an intention rather than what was actually achieved. A cancellation of orders for the Spartan due to defence cuts meant that in some units the Saracen APC had to soldier on in it's place. 
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