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{{Use dmy dates|date = March 2019}}
{{Short description|1990 post-Cold War restructuring of the British Army}}
{{Short description|1990 post-Cold War restructuring of the British Army}}
{{Use British English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date = March 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2019}}
'''Options for Change''' was a restructuring of the [[British Armed Forces]] in summer 1990 after the end of the [[Cold War]].<ref name="hansard2">{{cite hansard|title=Defence (Options for Change)|house=House of Commons|date=25 July 1990|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-07-25/Debate-1.html|column_start=468|column_end=486}}</ref>


Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending [[Western Europe]] against the [[Soviet Armed Forces]], with the [[Royal Marines]] in [[Scandinavia]], the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in [[West Germany]] and over the [[North Sea]], the [[Royal Navy]] in the [[Norwegian Sea]] and [[North Atlantic]], and the [[BAOR#1945–1994|British Army in Germany]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Freedman|first=Lawrence|title=The Politics of British Defence, 1979–97|date=18 August 1999|publisher=Macmillan Press|isbn=0-333746-67-8}}</ref>
'''Options for Change''' was a restructuring of the [[British Armed Forces]] in 1990 after the end of the [[Cold War]].<ref name="hansard">{{cite hansard |title=Defence (Options for Change) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-07-25/Debate-1.html |house=House of Commons |date=25 July 1990 |column_start=468 |column_end=486}}</ref>


With the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|collapse of the Soviet Union]] and the [[Warsaw Pact]] occurring between 1989 and 1991, the threat of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe fell away. While the restructuring was criticised by several British politicians, it was an exercise mirrored by governments in almost every major Western military power, reflecting the so-called [[peace dividend]].<ref name="ClementsSchiff19992">{{cite book|last1=Clements|first1=Benedict J.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dz5nWM7M2TIC&pg=PA3|title=Military Spending, the Peace Dividend, and Fiscal Adjustment|last2=Schiff|first2=Jerald Alan|last3=Debaere|first3=Peter|last4=Davoodi|first4=Hamid Reza|date=1 July 1999|publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]|isbn=978-1-4518-9700-5}}</ref>
Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending [[Western Europe]] against the [[Soviet Armed Forces]], with the [[Royal Marines]] in [[Scandinavia]], the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in [[West Germany]] and over the [[North Sea]], the [[Royal Navy]] in the [[Norwegian Sea]] and [[North Atlantic]], and the [[BAOR#1945–1994|British Army in Germany]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Freedman |first=Lawrence |date=18 August 1999 |title=The Politics of British Defence, 1979&ndash;97 |publisher=Macmillan Press |isbn=0-333746-67-8}}</ref>


Total manpower was cut by approximately 18 per cent to around 255,000 (120,000 army; 60,000 navy; 75,000 air force).<ref name="hansard2" />
With the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|collapse of the Soviet Union]] and the [[Warsaw Pact]] in 1989, a Soviet invasion of Western Europe no longer seemed likely. While the restructuring was criticised by several British politicians, it was an exercise mirrored by governments in almost every major Western military power: the so-called [[peace dividend]].<ref name="ClementsSchiff1999">{{cite book|first1= Benedict J.|last1= Clements|first2=Jerald Alan |last2=Schiff|first3=Peter| last3=Debaere|first4= Hamid Reza |last4=Davoodi|title=Military Spending, the Peace Dividend, and Fiscal Adjustment|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dz5nWM7M2TIC&pg=PA3|date=1 July 1999|publisher=[[International Monetary Fund]]|isbn=978-1-4518-9700-5}}</ref>


Other casualties of the restructuring were the UK's nuclear civil defence organisations, the [[UKWMO|United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation]], and its field force, the [[Royal Observer Corps]] (a part-time volunteer branch of the RAF), both disbanded between September 1991 and December 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12056017.End_of_the_long_lookout/|title=End of the Long Lookout|date=29 December 1995|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|access-date=9 November 2015|location=Glasgow}}</ref>
Total manpower was cut by approximately 18 per cent to around 255,000 (120,000 army; 60,000 navy; 75,000 air force).<ref name=hansard />

Other casualties of the restructuring were the UK's nuclear civil defence organisations, the [[UKWMO|United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation]], and its field force, the [[Royal Observer Corps]] (a part-time volunteer branch of the RAF), both disbanded between September 1991 and December 1995.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12056017.End_of_the_long_lookout/ |title=End of the Long Lookout |date=29 December 1995 |newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]] |location=Glasgow |accessdate=9 November 2015}}</ref>


==British Army==
==British Army==
*Halving the troop strength in [[Germany]] by replacing the [[British Army of the Rhine]] with [[British Forces Germany]] in 1994.
* Halving the troop strength in [[Germany]] by replacing the [[British Army of the Rhine]] with [[British Forces Germany]] in 1994.
* Several [[British Army]] regiments amalgamated:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ba1995.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217194725/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ba1995.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-12-17|title=British Army Roll of Regiments 1995|date=2007-12-17|access-date=2020-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ta1995.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217071116/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/lists/ta1995.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-12-17|title=Regiments & Corps of the British Territorial Army 1995|date=2007-12-17|access-date=2020-03-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://british-army-units1945on.co.uk/|title=British Army units from 1945 on - Welcome|website=british-army-units1945on.co.uk|access-date=2020-03-20}}</ref><ref>Much information also from the regimental histories available at the army website</ref> (Those new units which were formed are in bold, not all units are shown, only those which changed, for full list see: List of British Regular Army regiments (1994))
*Several [[British Army]] regiments amalgamated:
* [[Brigade of Gurkhas]]:
** Regimental Headquarters, The Gurkha Engineers disbanded
** '''[[The Royal Gurkha Rifles]]''' formed by amalgamation of: [[2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles)]], [[6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles]], [[7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles]], and [[10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles]], 3 Battalion establishment
** [[The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment|'''The Queen's Own Gurkha Transport Regiment''']] formed by grouping of former independent Gurkha transport squadrons

=== Royal Corps of Signals ===
* [[1st Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment, Royal Corps of Signals|1st Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment]] disbanded and concurrently reformed from 4th Signal Regiment as Lower Saxony Signal Regiment, then re-titled as '''1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment'''
* 4th Armoured Division Headquarters and Signal Regiment disbanded to help reform 1st Signal Regiment
* 8th Signal Regiment absorbed into 11th (Royal School of Signals) Signal Regiment, [[Royal Corps of Signals]]
* [[13 Signal Regiment (United Kingdom)#Cold War Years|13th (Radio) Signal Regiment]] reduced to [[Cadre (military)|cadre]] and later disbanded
* '''[[15th Signal Regiment and Headquarters Northern Ireland]]''' formed to administer those signal squadrons in [[Northern Ireland]]
* 22nd Signal Regiment disbanded
* 28th (British) Signal Regiment (Northern Army Group) reduced to 280 (United Kingdom) Signal Squadron
* [[Berlin Headquarters and Signal Regiment]] reduced to 229 Signal Squadron

===Royal Armoured Corps===
Overall the [[Royal Armoured Corps]] was a merger of 18 regiments, this was achieved by the formation of 10 new regiments through amalgamations and new formations.

'''Bands'''
* '''Band of the Dragoon Guards''' formed by amalgamation of: 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards Band, 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards Band, [[Royal Scots Dragoon Guards]] Band, and [[1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards]] Band
* '''The Royal Tank Regiment Cambrai Band''' formed by amalgamation of: Cambrai Band of the Royal Tank Regiment, Alamein Band of the Royal Tank Regiment, Rhine Band of the Royal Tank Regiment
* '''Band of the Hussars and Light Dragoons''' formed by amalgamation of: [[13th/18th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars]] Band, [[15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars]] Band, [[The Queen's Own Hussars]] Band, [[The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars]] Band, [[The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)]] Band, [[14th/20th King's Hussars]] Band
* '''Band of the Royal Lancers''' formed by amalgamation of: [[9th/12th Royal Lancers|9th/12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers]] Band and [[Queen's Royal Lancers|The Queen's Royal Lancers]] Band

'''Regulars'''
* '''[[Household Cavalry Regiment]]''' formed by union<ref>The term 'union' was used rather than amagalamation, as the regiment continued to maintain their own uniforms, traditions, and regimental titles in the mounted regiment</ref> [[Life Guards (United Kingdom)|The Life Guards]] and [[The Blues and Royals|The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st (Royal) Dragoons)]]
* '''[[The Royal Dragoon Guards]]''' formed by amalgamation of [[4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards]] and [[5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards]] as cavalry county regiment of: [[Belfast]], [[Fermanagh]], [[Cumbria]], [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]], [[Cheshire]], and [[Yorkshire]], formed '''Pipes and Drums of the Royal Dragoon Guards''' in September 1993, RHQ in [[York]]
* [[The Queen's Royal Hussars|'''The Queen's Royal Hussars (The Queen's Own and Royal Irish)''']] formed by amalgamation of [[The Queen's Own Hussars]] and [[The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars]] as cavalry county regiment of: [[Northern Ireland]] (minus [[Belfast]] and [[Fermanagh]]), [[Warwickshire]], [[Worcestershire]], [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]], [[Surrey]], and [[Sussex]], formed '''Pipes and Drums of the Queen's Royal Hussars''', RHQ in [[London]]
* '''[[The King's Royal Hussars]]''' formed by amalgamation of [[The Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)]] and [[14th/20th King's Hussars]] as county cavalry regiment of: [[Buckinghamshire]], [[Berkshire]], [[Gloucestershire]], [[Hampshire]], [[Oxfordshire]], [[Wiltshire]], [[Isle of Wight]], [[Channel Islands]], [[Lancashire]], [[Cumbria]], and [[Greater Manchester]], two regimental depots; North Depot in [[Preston, Lancashire|Preston]] and South Depot in [[Winchester]]
* [[The Light Dragoons|'''Light Dragoons''']] formed by amalgamation of [[13th/18th (Queen Mary's Own) Royal Hussars]] and [[15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars]] as cavalry county regiment of: [[Tyne and Wear]], [[County Durham]], [[Northumberland]], and [[North Yorkshire]], depot in [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
* '''[[The Queen's Royal Lancers]]''' formed by amalgamation of [[16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers]] and [[17th/21st Lancers]] as cavalry county regiment of: [[Staffordshire]], [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]], [[Nottinghamshire]], [[Lincolnshire]], and [[South Humberside]], depot in [[Grantham]]
* [[Royal Tank Regiment]]
** '''Pipes and Drums of the Royal Tank Regiment''' formed from transfer from 4th RTR
** '''[[1st Royal Tank Regiment]]''' and [[4th Royal Tank Regiment]] amalgamated without change of title, recruiting from: [[Scotland]] and [[Merseyside]]
** '''[[2nd Royal Tank Regiment]]''' and [[3rd Royal Tank Regiment]] amalgamated without change of title, recruiting from: [[South-east London|South East London]], [[Somerset]], [[Devonshire]], [[Dorset]], and [[Cornwall]]

'''Territorial Army'''
* '''[[The Royal Mercian and Lancastrian Yeomanry]]''' formed by amalgamation of [[The Queen's Own Mercian Yeomanry]] and [[Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry|The Duke of Lancaster's Own Yeomanry]] as county yeomanry regiment of: [[Shropshire]], [[Warwickshire]], [[Worcestershire]], [[Staffordshire]], [[Lancashire]], and [[Greater Manchester]]
* '''[[The Scottish Yeomanry]]''' new formed regiment: resuscitation of old yeomanry units, country yeomanry of [[Scotland]]


===Infantry===
===Infantry===
* [[Guards Division]] based at [[Wellington Barracks]]
*'''The [[Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)]]''' - one battalion
** [[Grenadier Guards]]' 2nd Battalion placed in suspended animation and reduced to Nijmegan Company, and became independent, and Inkerman Company transferred from 2nd Btn to 1st as No.3 Company
**[[Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)|The Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)]]
** [[Coldstream Guards]]' 2nd Battalion placed in suspended animation and reduced to No.7 Company, and became independent
**[[The Gordon Highlanders]]
** [[Scots Guards]]' 2nd Battalion placed in suspended animation and reduced to F Company, and became independent, Corps of drums also disbanded
*'''The [[Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment|Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)]]''' two battalions
* [[Scottish Division]] based at [[Glencorse Barracks]] covering the areas: [[Scotland]].
**[[The Queen's Regiment]]
** All regimental bands amalgamated to form '''The Lowland Band''' and '''The Highland Band'''
**[[Royal Hampshire Regiment|The Royal Hampshire Regiment]]
** [[Royal Highland Fusiliers|The Royal Highland Fusiliers (Princess Margaret's Own Glasgow and Ayrshire Regiment)]]: 1st Btn, [[52nd Lowland Volunteers]] re-designated as 3rd (V) Battalion
*'''The [[Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment]]''' - one battalion
** [[Black Watch|The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)]]: 1st Btn, [[51st Highland Volunteers]] re-designated as 3rd (V) Btn
**[[The Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment]]
** '''[[Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)|The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons)]]''': formed by amalgamation of the [[Queen's Own Highlanders|Queen's Own Highlanders (Seaforth and Camerons)]] and the [[Gordon Highlanders]] former as county regiment of: [[Caithness|Caithness-shire]], [[Elginshire]], [[County of Nairn|Nairnshire]], [[Ross-shire]], [[Sutherland]], [[Orkney]], [[Inverness-shire]], [[Aberdeenshire]], [[Banffshire]], and [[Shetland]]. 1st Btn Regular, 2nd Btn, [[51st Highland Volunteers]] re-designated as 3rd (V) Btn, RHQ in [[Inverness]] with outstation in [[Aberdeen]]
**[[The Gloucestershire Regiment]]
** [[Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders|The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)]]: 3rd Btn, [[51st Highland Volunteers]] re-designated as 7th/8th (V) Btn
*'''The [[Royal Gurkha Rifles]]''' - 3 battalions (later reduced to two)
* The Queen's Division based at [[Warminster]] covering the areas of: [[London]], [[Kent]], [[Surrey]], [[Sussex]], [[Hampshire]], [[Middlesex]], [[Isle of Wight]], and the [[Channel Islands]], [[Northumberland]], [[Norfolk]], [[Suffolk]], [[Essex]], [[Northamptonshire]], [[Lincolnshire]], [[Rutland]], and [[Cambridgeshire]].
**[[2nd Gurkha Rifles|2nd King Edward VII's Own Gurkha Rifles]]
** The Duke of Kent's Band and Saint George's Band of [[The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]] amagalamated to form '''The Normandy Band of the Queen's Division'''
**[[6th Gurkha Rifles|6th Queen Elizabeth's Own Gurkha Rifles]]
** Bands of the 1st and 2nd Btns, [[Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment]] and 1st and 2nd Btns [[The Royal Anglian Regiment]] amalgamated to form '''The Minden Band of the Queen's Division'''
**[[7th Gurkha Rifles|7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles]]
** '''[[The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment]]''': formed by amalgamation of [[The Queen's Regiment]] and [[The Royal Hampshire Regiment]] as regular county regiment of: [[London]], [[Kent]], [[Surrey]], [[Sussex]], [[Hampshire]], [[Middlesex]], [[Isle of Wight]], and the [[Channel Islands]], RHQ & Depot in [[Canterbury]] part of [[Queen's Division]]
**[[10th Gurkha Rifles|10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles]]
** [[The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]]' 3rd Btn disbanded
*'''[[Royal Irish Regiment (1992)|The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)]]''' - two general service battalions (later reduced to one)
**[[Royal Irish Rangers|The Royal Irish Rangers (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd and 87th)]]
** [[The Royal Anglian Regiment]]'s 3rd Btn amalgamated with 1st and 2nd Btns
* [[King's Division|The King's Division]] based at [[Imphal Barracks]] covering the areas of: [[Cumbria]], [[Westmorland]], [[Greater Manchester]], [[Lancashire]], [[Merseyside]], [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], [[North Yorkshire]], and [[West Riding of Yorkshire]].
**[[Ulster Defence Regiment|The Ulster Defence Regiment]]
** Bands of the [[King's Own Royal Border Regiment]], [[King's Regiment]], and [[Queen's Lancashire Regiment]] amalgamated to form '''The Normandy Band'''
*In addition, seven regiments each lost a battalion:
** Bands of [[The Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment]], [[Green Howards|The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)]], and [[Duke of Wellington's Regiment|The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)]] amalgamated to form '''The Waterloo Band'''
**[[Grenadier Guards]]
** [[Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire|The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire]]: 2nd Btn, [[Yorkshire Volunteers]] re-titled as 3rd (Yorkshire Volunteers) Btn,
**[[Coldstream Guards]]
** [[Green Howards|The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment)]]: 1st Btn, [[Yorkshire Volunteers]] re-titled as 4th/5th Btn
**[[Scots Guards]]
* [[Prince of Wales's Division|The Prince of Wales's Division]] based at [[Whittington Barracks]] covering the areas of: [[Devonshire]], [[Dorsetshire]], [[Cheshire]], [[Wales]], [[Gloucestershire]], [[Worcestershire]], [[Staffordshire]], [[Berkshire]], and [[Wiltshire]].
**[[The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]]
** All regimental bands of the division amalgamated to form '''The Clive Band''' and '''The Lucknow Band'''
**[[The Royal Anglian Regiment]]
** [[Royal Regiment of Wales]]: 3rd (V) and 4th (V) Btns amalgamated to form 2nd (V) Btn
**[[The Light Infantry]]
** [[The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry|'''The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment''']]: formed by amalgamation of the [[Gloucestershire Regiment]] and the [[Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment|Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire)]] as county regiment of: [[Gloucestershire]], [[Berkshire]], and [[Wiltshire]] with regimental depot in [[Gloucester]] with 1st Btn and 2nd (V) Btn
**[[The Royal Green Jackets]]
** [[Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment|The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (29th/45th Foot)]]'s 4th (V) Btn disbanded
* [[The Light Division]] based at [[Battlesbury Barracks]] covering the areas of: [[Somerset]], [[Cornwall]], [[South Yorkshire]], [[Shropshire]], [[County Durham]].
** [[The Light Infantry]]'s 3rd Btn disbanded
** [[Royal Green Jackets|The Royal Green Jackets']] 3rd Btn disbanded
* [[Royal Irish Regiment (1992)|'''Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)''']] formed by amalgamation of [[Ulster Defence Regiment]] and [[Royal Irish Rangers]], while territorials retained [[Royal Irish Rangers]] title
* [[The Parachute Regiment (British Army)|The Parachute Regiment]]: [[15th (Scottish) Battalion, Parachute Regiment|15th (Scottish) Btn]] reduced to 15 (Scottish) Company in the 4th (V) Btn


=== Royal Artillery ===
The amalgamation of the [[Royal Scots]] and [[King's Own Scottish Borderers]] into the [[Royal Scots Borderers]] (one battalion) and the [[Cheshire Regiment]] and [[Staffordshire Regiment]] into the Cheshire and Staffordshire Regiment (one battalion) was suspended in 1994.
* [[2nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery]] placed in suspended animation, batteries transferred to: [[1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery|1st RHA]], [[3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery|3rd RHA]], and [[32nd Regiment Royal Artillery|32nd RA]]
* The Depot Regiment [[Royal Artillery]] placed in suspended animation
* 27th Field Regiment Royal Artillery placed in suspended animation, battery transferred to [[29th Regiment Royal Artillery|29th RA]]


=== Corps of Royal Engineers ===
===Household Cavalry===
'''Regulars'''
*'''The [[Household Cavalry Regiment]]''' (each retained regimental identity)
* '''Commander Royal Engineers (Airfields)''' formed to control non-deployable royal engineer airfield elements at RAF bases in the UK
**[[Life Guards (British Army)|The Life Guards]]
* [[29 (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search) Group|29th (Volunteer) Engineer Brigade]] along with its signal troop disbanded
**[[Blues and Royals|The Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons)]]
* 30th (Volunteer) Engineer Brigade along with its signal troop disbanded
* [[26 Engineer Regiment (United Kingdom)|26th Engineer Regiment]] disbanded
* '''1st Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment''' formed by amalgamation of the Depot Regiment, Royal Engineers and 12th Royal School of Military Engineer Regiments, Royal Engineers
* '''3rd Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment''' formed by amalgamation of 1st Training and 3rd Training Regiments, Royal Engineers


'''Territorial Army'''
===Royal Armoured Corps===
* [[74 Engineer Regiment (United Kingdom)|74th (Antrim Artillery) Engineer Regiment]] reduced to 74 Independent Field Squadron
*'''The [[King's Royal Hussars]]'''
* '''76th Engineer Regiment''' formed to control existing airfield damage repair squadrons in: [[Scotland]] and [[North of England]]
**The [[Royal Hussars (Prince of Wales's Own)]]
* '''77th Engineer Regiment''' formed to control existing airfield damage repair squadrons in: [[Eastern England|Eastern]] and [[Southern England]]
**[[14th/20th King's Hussars]]
* '''78th (Fortress) Engineer Regiment''' formed to provide a new support regiment for the [[3rd (United Kingdom) Mechanised Division]]
*'''The [[Light Dragoons]]'''
* 111th Engineer Regiment disbanded
**[[13th/18th Royal Hussars (Queen Mary's Own)]]
**[[15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars]]
*'''[[Queen's Royal Hussars|The Queen's Royal Hussars (Queen's Own and Royal Irish)]]'''
**[[The Queen's Own Hussars]]
**[[The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars]]
*'''The [[Queen's Royal Lancers]]'''
**[[16th/5th Queen's Royal Lancers]]
**[[17th/21st Lancers]]
*'''[[Royal Dragoon Guards|The Royal Dragoon Guards]]'''
**[[4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards]]
**[[5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards]]
*'''[[1st Royal Tank Regiment]]'''
**[[1st Royal Tank Regiment]]
**[[4th Royal Tank Regiment]]
*'''[[2nd Royal Tank Regiment]]'''
**[[2nd Royal Tank Regiment]]
**[[3rd Royal Tank Regiment]]


===Services===
=== Other Corps ===
* '''[[Royal Logistic Corps]]'''
* '''[[Royal Logistic Corps]]'''
** [[Royal Corps of Transport]]
** [[Royal Corps of Transport]]
Line 88: Line 123:
** [[Royal Military Police|Corps of Royal Military Police]]
** [[Royal Military Police|Corps of Royal Military Police]]
** [[Military Provost Staff Corps]]
** [[Military Provost Staff Corps]]
* '''[[Army Medical Services]]'''
** [[Royal Army Medical Corps]]
** [[Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps]]
** [[Royal Army Dental Corps]]
** [[Royal Army Veterinary Corps|Royal Army Vetinerary Corps]]


==Royal Air Force==
==Royal Air Force==
===Strike Command===
*Closing [[RAF Wildenrath]] in April 1992 and [[RAF Gutersloh]] in March 1993, halving the number of RAF bases in Germany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/rafhistorytimeline199099.cfm |title=RAF Timeline 1990&ndash;99 |publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] |accessdate=9 November 2015}}</ref>
* Withdrawal of the [[Blackburn Buccaneer]] strike aircraft and the disbandment of the [[RAF Lossiemouth]]-based No's [[No. 12 Squadron RAF|12]] and [[No. 208 Squadron RAF|208]] Squadrons and No. 237 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU).
*Withdrawing the [[F-4 Phantom II]] squadrons.
* Closure of [[RAF Wattisham]] and transfer to the British Army, together with the withdrawal of the [[F-4 Phantom II|McDonnell Douglas Phantom]] from service and the disbandment of No's [[No. 56 Squadron RAF|56]] and [[No. 74 Squadron RAF|74]] Squadron's and the [[RAF Leuchars|Leuchars]]-based No. 228 OCU.
*Cancelling the [[Brimstone (missile)|Brimstone]] air-to-surface missile project (later restarted).
* Closure of [[RAF Honington]] as a flying station with it to become the depot for the [[RAF Regiment]] replacing [[RAF Catterick]] which was transferred to the British Army. The [[Panavia Tornado|Panavia Tornado's]] of [[No. 13 Squadron RAF|No. 13 Squadron]] and the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit relocating to [[RAF Marham]] and Lossiemouth respectively.
*A small reduction in [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod|Nimrod]] maritime patrol aircraft.
* The relocation of the Tornado's of No's [[No. 27 Squadron RAF|27]] (later renumbered to No. 12 Squadron) and [[No. 617 Squadron RAF|617]] Squadron's from Marham to Lossiemouth and the modification of 28 aircraft to use the [[Sea Eagle (missile)|Sea Eagle anti-ship missile]].
* Closure of [[RAF Brawdy]] and transfer to the British Army as [[Cawdor Barracks]], and the disbandment of 1 Tactical Weapons Unit.
* Withdrawal of the remaining [[Handley Page Victor]] tankers, and the disbandment of [[No. 55 Squadron RAF|No. 55 Squadron]].
* A reduction of three [[Hawker Siddeley Nimrod|Nimrod]] maritime patrol aircraft, together with the disbandment of [[No. 42 Squadron RAF|No. 42 Squadron]] which merged with No. 236 OCU and relocated from [[RAF St Mawgan]] to [[RAF Kinloss]].
* Withdrawal of the [[Bloodhound SAM]] and the disbandment of [[No. 85 Squadron RAF|No. 85 Squadron]].

===RAF Germany===
* Closure of [[RAF Wildenrath]] in April 1992 and [[RAF Gutersloh]] in March 1993, halving the number of RAF bases in Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/rafhistorytimeline199099.cfm|title=RAF Timeline 1990–99|publisher=[[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]|access-date=9 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924124845/http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/rafhistorytimeline199099.cfm|archive-date=24 September 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* Disbandment of Wildenrath's two Phantom air defence squadrons (No's [[No. 19 Squadron RAF|19]] and [[No. 92 Squadron RAF|92]] Squadrons).
* Disbandment of the three [[RAF Laarbruch]] Tornado strike/attack squadrons (No's [[No. 15 Squadron RAF|XV]], [[No. 16 Squadron RAF|16]], and [[No. 20 Squadron RAF|20]] Squadrons), and the transfer of [[No. 2 Squadron RAF|No. II Squadron]] to Marham.
* Transfer of the [[British Aerospace Harrier II|Harriers]] of No's [[No. 3 Squadron RAF|3]] and [[No. 4 Squadron RAF|4]] Squadrons and the [[Boeing Chinook (UK variants)|Chinooks]] of [[No. 18 Squadron RAF|No. 18 Squadron]] from Gutersloh to Laarbruch, and the transfer of [[No. 230 Squadron RAF|No. 230 Squadron]] from Gutersloh to [[RAF Aldergrove]].

RAF Germany itself was disbanded on 1 April 1993, being downgraded to group-level and becoming [[No. 2 Group RAF|No. 2 Group]] of Strike Command.

===Procurement===
* Cancelling the [[Brimstone (missile)|Brimstone]] air-to-surface missile project (later restarted).


==Royal Navy==
==Royal Navy==
*Cutting the number of [[frigate]]s and [[destroyer]]s from around 50 to 40.
* Cutting the number of [[frigate]]s and [[destroyer]]s from around 50 to 40. This was largely achieved through the decommissioning and disposal of aging types such as the remaining [[Leander-class frigate]]s, as well as the sale of the remaining [[Type 21 frigate]]s to Pakistan and the early [[Type 22 frigates]] to Brazil.


==On television==
==On television==
Line 102: Line 158:


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Front Line First]] (1994)
*[[List of British Army regiments (1994)]] - British Army regiments after the restructuring
*[[Front Line First]] (1994)
* [[Strategic Defence Review]] (1998)
* [[Delivering Security in a Changing World]] (2004)
*[[Strategic Defence Review]] (1998)
* [[Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010]]
*[[Delivering Security in a Changing World]] (2004)
*[[Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010]]


==References==
== Notes ==
<references group="Notes" />
{{reflist}}


==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{UK Defence Review}}
{{UK Defence Review}}
{{British Military}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Options For Change}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Options For Change}}

Latest revision as of 01:10, 23 October 2023

Options for Change was a restructuring of the British Armed Forces in summer 1990 after the end of the Cold War.[1]

Until this point, UK military strategy had been almost entirely focused on defending Western Europe against the Soviet Armed Forces, with the Royal Marines in Scandinavia, the Royal Air Force (RAF) in West Germany and over the North Sea, the Royal Navy in the Norwegian Sea and North Atlantic, and the British Army in Germany.[2]

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact occurring between 1989 and 1991, the threat of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe fell away. While the restructuring was criticised by several British politicians, it was an exercise mirrored by governments in almost every major Western military power, reflecting the so-called peace dividend.[3]

Total manpower was cut by approximately 18 per cent to around 255,000 (120,000 army; 60,000 navy; 75,000 air force).[1]

Other casualties of the restructuring were the UK's nuclear civil defence organisations, the United Kingdom Warning and Monitoring Organisation, and its field force, the Royal Observer Corps (a part-time volunteer branch of the RAF), both disbanded between September 1991 and December 1995.[4]

British Army[edit]

Royal Corps of Signals[edit]

Royal Armoured Corps[edit]

Overall the Royal Armoured Corps was a merger of 18 regiments, this was achieved by the formation of 10 new regiments through amalgamations and new formations.

Bands

Regulars

Territorial Army

Infantry[edit]

Royal Artillery[edit]

Corps of Royal Engineers[edit]

Regulars

  • Commander Royal Engineers (Airfields) formed to control non-deployable royal engineer airfield elements at RAF bases in the UK
  • 29th (Volunteer) Engineer Brigade along with its signal troop disbanded
  • 30th (Volunteer) Engineer Brigade along with its signal troop disbanded
  • 26th Engineer Regiment disbanded
  • 1st Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment formed by amalgamation of the Depot Regiment, Royal Engineers and 12th Royal School of Military Engineer Regiments, Royal Engineers
  • 3rd Royal School of Military Engineering Regiment formed by amalgamation of 1st Training and 3rd Training Regiments, Royal Engineers

Territorial Army

Other Corps[edit]

Royal Air Force[edit]

Strike Command[edit]

RAF Germany[edit]

RAF Germany itself was disbanded on 1 April 1993, being downgraded to group-level and becoming No. 2 Group of Strike Command.

Procurement[edit]

  • Cancelling the Brimstone air-to-surface missile project (later restarted).

Royal Navy[edit]

On television[edit]

A dramatisation of the effects that Options for Change had on the ordinary men and women serving in the armed forces came in the ITV series Soldier Soldier. The fictional infantry regiment portrayed in the series, the King's Fusiliers, was one of those selected for amalgamation. It showed the whole process of negotiation over traditions, embellishments, etc. between the two regiments involved, and the uncertainty that many of those serving felt for their jobs in the light of two separate battalions merging into one, with the resulting loss of manpower.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Defence (Options for Change)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. 25 July 1990. col. 468–486.
  2. ^ Freedman, Lawrence (18 August 1999). The Politics of British Defence, 1979–97. Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-333746-67-8.
  3. ^ Clements, Benedict J.; Schiff, Jerald Alan; Debaere, Peter; Davoodi, Hamid Reza (1 July 1999). Military Spending, the Peace Dividend, and Fiscal Adjustment. International Monetary Fund. ISBN 978-1-4518-9700-5.
  4. ^ "End of the Long Lookout". The Herald. Glasgow. 29 December 1995. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  5. ^ "British Army Roll of Regiments 1995". 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Regiments & Corps of the British Territorial Army 1995". 17 December 2007. Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  7. ^ "British Army units from 1945 on - Welcome". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. ^ Much information also from the regimental histories available at the army website
  9. ^ The term 'union' was used rather than amagalamation, as the regiment continued to maintain their own uniforms, traditions, and regimental titles in the mounted regiment
  10. ^ "RAF Timeline 1990–99". Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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