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Special Reconnaissance Regiment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Special Reconnaissance Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Cap badge of the Special Reconnaissance Regiment |
|
| Active | 6 April 2005- |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Tri-Service |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Close Target Reconnaissance |
| Size | One regiment |
| Part of | UK Special Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Hereford |
The Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR) is a Special Forces Regiment of the British Armed Forces, which conducts special reconnaissance, predominantly, but not exclusively, in a Counter-Terrorism posture. It was established on 6 April 2005 at RMA Sandhurst and is a component of United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) alongside the Special Air Service (SAS) and Special Boat Service (SBS), supported by the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG).
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Thought to be based near Hereford (where the SAS is already based),[1] the SRR is a Tri-Service unit administered by the British army. The Regiment was established following a Strategic Defence white paper identifying a requirement for assets to engage in covert special reconnaissance and surveillance in support of military activities worldwide.
It is the newest Special Forces Regiment in the armed forces, announced by the then Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon in 2004.[1] The Regiment was formed around a core of already existing assets, thought to be an allusion to Joint Communications Unit (Northern Ireland) (JCU(NI), known in popular culture as 14 Intelligence Company, which formed a similar role against Irish Republican and Loyalist terrorism in Northern Ireland since the 1970s.[2]
Few details are publicly available, but it is believed that the unit is less than half the size of the SAS and that the Regiment's primary purpose is to release the other UKSF units from surveillance duties, allowing them to focus on conduct of offensive action.
Personnel retain the uniforms of their parent organisations with the addition of the sand coloured beret and the SRR cap badge. The cap badge shares the Sword of Damocles or Excalibur in common with the other SF emblems, in the case of the SRR placed behind a Corinthian helmet surmounting a scroll inscribed RECONNAISSANCE.[2]
Nothing has been released to the public domain regarding recruitment and selection, however predicated around the JCU(NI) model the Regiment recruits both genders from throughout the British armed forces.
UK Government policy is not to comment on Special Forces activities, and personnel are bound by the same confidentiality agreement as other UKSF operators,[citation needed] therefore no verifiable information exists regarding the activities of the Regiment, however some media reports suggest involvement in high profile events.
On 22 July 2005 Jean Charles de Menezes was shot by armed police officers on the London underground rail system, at Stockwell tube station.
Two media reports carry assertions by unattributed UK government sources that personnel of the Regiment were involved in the intelligence collection effort leading to the shooting,[3] and on the tube train whilst the offensive action occurred.[4]
Defence sources refused to comment on this speculation.
On 19 September 2005 two British personnel were detained by Iraqi police in Basra and later released with the involvement of British forces.
Media reporting included unattributed comments which alleged a firefight with British personnel dressed in Arabic fashion,[5] and that the two were members of the SRR.
- ^ a b "Special forces regiment created", BBC News, 2005-04-05. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ a b Thomas Harding. "New Special Forces unit will spy on the terrorists", Telegraph.co.uk, Telegraph Media Group, 2005-04-06. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ Richard Norton-Taylor. "New special forces unit tailed Brazilian", The Guardian, 2005-07-04. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.
- ^ "?", Sunday Herald, 2005-04-06. Retrieved on October 17, 2006.
- ^ Colin Freeman. "British tanks in 'smash and grab raid'", The Scotsman, 2005-09-20. Retrieved on January 9, 2007.