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The
Multinational Division (South-East) (MND(SE)) in Iraq
was successfully instituted on 13 July and the UK now
leads a 10-nation contingent in the southern Iraqi provinces
of Basrah, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Al Muthanna.
As part of our routine management of the UK’s land
deployment we intend shortly to conduct a roulement
of our forces in theatre. This will begin with an incremental
replacement of HQ 3 (UK) Division with a composite headquarters
for MND(SE), the staff for which will be drawn from
across UK Defence and from allies. 1 Mechanised Brigade
will begin to replace 20 Armoured Brigade as the foundation
for the UK’s military commitment inside Iraq in
April 2004. We intend that the process will be complete
by the end of April 2004. We expect the level of the
Royal Navy and Royal Air Force presence in theatre to
remain broadly stable.
As part of this roulement of forces and in line with
our policy of employing the reserves as an integral
component of the Armed Forces, we shall be mobilising
a further tranche of around 1,100 Reservists to support
operations in Iraq. We expect these personnel to deploy
from mid February 2004 onwards. Although a significant
mobilisation, this is both in absolute terms a smaller
number than have been mobilised for previous tranches,
and will constitute a smaller proportion of the service
personnel deployed to theatre than previously. These
Reservists will be employed in a number of roles: about
a third in theatre at any one time will be deployed
in the infantry role as force protection, a little under
a quarter will provide reinforcement to regular infantry
units deployed, about a sixth will be medical personnel
and the remainder will provide a variety of specialist
capabilities.
We
aim to issue the majority of call-out notices around
9 January 2004 and begin mobilisation in mid February
2004. Reservist personnel will receive at least 21 days’
notice to mobilise. Mobilisation will be followed by
a period of individual training to confirm basic skills,
theatre specific pre-deployment training, role-specific
collective training, integration into receiving units
and then a short period of leave before deployment.
For the majority of those called-out their deployed
tour will last six months; and for most the total period
of mobilisation, including post-tour leave, is expected
to last between eight and nine months, though for a
very small proportion it may be slightly longer.
We intend to spend the period between now and January
identifying for selection as accurately as possible
those Reservists who are believed to be fit and available
for deployment. As in previous practice, to ensure that
we successfully mobilise the required number, we will
need to issue a greater number of call-out notices than
our actual in-theatre requirement.
We will continue to keep the size and mix of forces
in theatre under careful review and we can expect to
make further adjustments to our force structures and
undertake further mobilisations in order to ensure that
we continue to have the appropriate capabilities for
the tasks in hand. While we remain determined to maintain
appropriate forces deployed in Iraq and the wider Gulf
region for as long as is necessary, we are equally determined
that no forces should remain deployed for any longer
than is necessary.
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