Special Reconnaissance Regiment

Special Reconnaissance Regiment
Association badge
Lineup	April 6, 2005
Country	United Kingdom
Armed forces	United Kingdom Armed Forces
Armed forces	British Army
Branch of service	Special forces
Type	Reconnaissance and observation unit
Insinuation	United Kingdom Special Forces
Location	Hereford

The Special Reconnaissance Regiment ( SRR ) is the youngest special unit in the British Army . Together with the SAS and the SBS , it forms a reconnaissance component in the remote surveillance operation of the United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) , also in covert civilian use .

assignment

In a written statement, the then British Defense Minister Geoff Hoon informed the British Parliament on April 5, 2005 with the words: "The establishment of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment shows our will to adapt our armed forces to the requirements of the fight against international terrorism. The new regiment will help to meet the growing need for special educational skills. "

Hoon said the main task of the unit was the worldwide intelligence support of British operations against international terrorists. According to a report by the Scottish daily The Scotsman , it is supposed to ensure that information is obtained from human sources ( human intelligence ) during such operations . In contrast to technical intelligence ( Signal Intelligence ), any type of covert operation in foreign territories is used.

More detailed information is not available. But it is assumed that the SRR is supposed to relieve the SAS and the SBS of obtaining information so that the two units are more free for direct combat operations.

It is believed that the SRR will continue the work of the 14th Intelligence Company , a special unit that has been deployed in Northern Ireland since the 1970s to work undercover against suspected and identified Northern Irish terrorists . The SRR is supposed to be half the size of the SAS and would therefore have the same strength as the 14th Intelligence Company . Members of the SRR do not have to go through the tough selection process of the SAS and SBS .

organization

The headquarters of the SRR is in Hereford in the west of the country, where the SAS is also stationed. It reports to the Director Special Forces (DSF), the commander of the special forces.

There is no separate department intended for replenishment and consisting of reservists . Newcomers are often recruited from the SAS , SBS and British intelligence services, but also sometimes from police units.

Recruitment and training

Members of the existing military and police special units such as SAS , 14 Int or Special Branch were used for the setup . In addition, soldiers from all three British armed forces can apply for service in the SRR . In contrast to the other special forces, according to the Ministry of Defense, some of the existing positions are also open to women, depending on the operational requirements.

history

Lineup

The SRR is a special operations component of the army. The regiment was formed under the then Defense Minister Geoff Hoon and began its service on April 6, 2005.

Calls

According to a report in the British newspaper The Guardian on August 4, 2005, the SRR was involved in the surveillance of Jean Charles de Menezes . This led to the innocent Menezes - as it subsequently turned out - was shot dead in Stockwell underground station in London in July 2005 . The newspaper quoted an unnamed government source as saying that the SRR was not involved in the shooting and was only charged with gathering information.

Two British soldiers captured by Iraqi police officers in Basra, Iraq in September 2005 are believed to have been members of the SRR , according to the Scottish newspaper The Scotsman . According to their own information, the Iraqi police wanted to check two men in Arab clothing at a roadblock. They then shot at the police officers and killed two of them. The police arrested both riflemen and took them to Basra Central Prison. Reports of the incident sparked riots in Basra, which among other things resulted in British soldiers being attacked by Iraqis. The situation escalated into a political crisis when the following night a British unit with tank and helicopter support took the prison in a flash and freed the two soldiers.

According to Hugh Orde, Head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland , the SRR has also been used in Northern Ireland since March 2009. The task is to gather information about republican groups that reject the peace settlement found in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Richard Norton-Taylor: New special forces unit tailed Brazilian. The Guardian , August 4, 2005 (accessed January 10, 2012).
2. ↑ British tanks in 'smash and grab raid'. The Scotsman , September 20, 2005 (accessed January 10, 2012).
3. ^ Forces are a threat - McGuinness. at BBC News , March 6th 2009 (Accessed on January 10, 2012).