Infantry of the British Army

The British Army's Infantry, part of the Structure of the British Army, comprises 51 battalions of Infantry, from 19 Regiments. Of these, 37 battalions are part of the 'Regular' army and the remaining 14 a part of the 'Territorial' (reserve) force. The British Infantry forms a highly flexible organisation, taking on a variety of roles including armoured, mechanised, air assault and light.

Recruitment
Traditionally, regiments that form the combat arms of the British Army (cavalry and infantry) recruit from specific areas of the country. Infantry regiments had been assigned specific areas from which they would recruit from by the mid eighteenth century. These were formalised under the Cardwell Reforms that began in the 1860s. Under this scheme, single battalion infantry regiments were amalgamated into two battalion regiments, then assigned to a depot and associated recruiting area (which would usually correspond to all or part of a county). The recruiting area (usually) would then become part of the regiment's title. It was this that gave rise to the concept of the "county regiment", with the local infantry regiment becoming part of the fabric of its local area.

Over time, regiments have been amalgamated further, which has led to recruiting areas of individual regiments increasing in size. Often, these amalgamations will be between regiments whose recruiting areas border each other. However, there have been occasions where regiments of a similar type, but from widely different areas, have been amalgamated. Two modern examples have been the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (amalgamated from the county regiments of Northumberland, Warwickshire, City of London and Lancashire, all of which were regiments of fusiliers) and The Light Infantry (amalgamated from the county regiments of Cornwall, Somerset, Shropshire, South Yorkshire and Durham, all of which were regiments of light infantry).

After September 2007, when the current reforms have been completed, the infantry will consist of 18 separate regiments. The five regiments of foot guards recruit from their respective home nations (with the exception of the Coldstream Guards, which recruits from the counties through which the regiment marched between Coldstream and London). Scotland, Ireland and Wales each have a single regiment of line infantry from which they recruit (though the battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland recruit from the areas they recruited from when they were separate regiments), while England has seven line infantry and rifles regiments. The Parachute Regiment recruits nationally, while the Royal Gurkha Rifles recruits most of its serving personnel from Nepal, and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment recruits in Gibraltar.

Before the Second World War, infantry recruits were required to be at least 5 ft tall. They initially enlisted for seven years with the colours and a further five years with the reserve. They trained at their own regimental depot.

Training
Unlike the other trades in the army, which have separate units for basic training and specialised training, new recruits into the infantry undergo a single course at the Infantry Training Centre Catterick. This course, called the "Combat Infantryman's Course" (CIC), lasts 26 weeks as standard and teaches recruits both the basics of soldiering (Phase 1 training) and the specifics of soldiering in the infantry (Phase 2 training). Upon completion of the CIC, the newly qualified infantry soldier will then be posted to his battalion.

For some infantry units, the CIC is longer, due to specific additional requirements for individual regiments:
 * The Foot Guards CIC has an additional two-week enhanced drill course.
 * The Parachute Regiment CIC has an additional two-week Pre-Parachute Selection (PPS) course.
 * The Brigade of Gurkhas CIC combines the Common Military Syllabus taught at ATR with the CIC, together with courses on British culture and the English Language. The Gurkha CIC lasts 37 weeks.

New officers conduct their Phase 1 training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Phase 2 training for officers, which is encompassed by the Platoon Commander's Battle Course, is run at the Infantry Battle School at ITC Brecon in Wales. It is here that leadership and tactics are taught to new platoon commanders. New NCOs and Warrant Officers are also sent on courses at Brecon when they come up for promotion. This encompasses Phase 3 training. Phase 3 training is also undertaken at the Support Weapons School at ITC Warminster, where new officers, NCOs and soldiers are trained in the use of support weapons (mortars, anti-tank weapons) and in communications.

Territorial Infantrymen undertake preliminary training at Regional Training Centres prior to attending a two-week CIC(TA) at Catterick.

Divisions of infantry
The majority of the infantry in the British Army is divided for administrative purposes into five divisions. These are not the same as the ready and regenerative divisions (see below), but are based on either the geographical recruiting areas of regiments, or the type of regiments:
 * The Guards Division has the five regiments of Foot Guards.
 * The Scottish Division has the remaining infantry regiment from Scotland.
 * The King's Division has the regiments from the north of England.
 * The Prince of Wales' Division has the regiments from the west of England and Wales.
 * The Queen's Division has the regiments from the east of England and the remaining regiment of Fusiliers.

A further division, the Light Division, grouped together the regiments of light infantry and rifles, until they were amalgamated into a single regiment in 2007.

Regular army
There are further infantry units in the army that are not grouped in the various divisions:
 * 1st Bn, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskillings), 83rd, 87th & The Ulster Defence Regiment)
 * 2nd & 3rd Bn, The Parachute Regiment
 * 1st & 2nd Bn, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
 * 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Bn, The Rifles

Territorial Army

 * 52nd Lowland, 6th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 51st Highland, 7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 3rd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment
 * The London Regiment
 * 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
 * 5th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
 * 3rd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
 * 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th & 33rd/76th Foot)
 * 4th Battalion, The Mercian Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th & Ulster Defence Regiment)
 * 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
 * 6th Battalion, The Rifles
 * 7th Battalion, The Rifles



Operations
Within the British Army, there are four main types of infantry:
 * Armoured Infantry - armoured infantry are equipped with the Warrior armoured personnel carrier, a tracked vehicle that can deploy over all terrain.
 * Mechanised Infantry - mechanised infantry are equipped with the Saxon armoured personnel carrier, a wheeled vehicle that can be deployed over rough terrain, but is primarily a road vehicle. Saxon is in the process of being replaced by the Bulldog tracked vehicle. Since the mid-2000s, they have been using vehicles like Mastiff PPV.
 * Light Infantry - light infantry are not equipped with armoured vehicles, such units may specialise in jungle and/or arctic warfare
 * Air Assault Infantry - air assault infantry are trained to be deployed using helicopters, parachute or aircraft.

Traditions
The infantry is traditionally divided into three types:
 * Foot Guards - foot guards are those infantry regiments that were formed specifically to provide close guard to the King. Soldiers in the guards were usually the best trained and equipped members of the infantry. However, they would fight in the same way as ordinary regiments.
 * Line Infantry - line infantry refers to those regiments that historically fought in linear formations, unlike light troops, who fought in loose order. Despite this, line infantry are named so because they made up the line of battle, and not because they deployed in lines. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw expansion of the roles of the infantry. To this end, the companies stationed on each flank of an infantry battalion were specialist units, with a company of light infantry trained as skirmishers to operate independently on the battlefield, and a company of grenadiers, who were usually the biggest and strongest men in the battalion, operating as the lead assault troops.
 * Rifles - in the late eighteenth century, the development of the Baker rifle led to the commissioning by the British Army of regiments specially trained to use the new weapon. These regiments would operate as skirmishers and sharpshooters on the edges of the field of battle. These regiments wore green rather than red tunics to enable them to blend in more with the environment, thus giving them the nickname "green jackets".

The tactical distinctions between infantry regiments disappeared in the late nineteenth century, but remain in tradition. In the order of precedence, the five regiments of foot guards are ranked above the ten regiments of traditional line infantry, who are ranked above the two remaining regiments of rifles.

Deployments
Postings, due to be completed in 2009:
 * 52 Infantry Brigade has transferred from 2nd Division to 3 (UK) Division.
 * 4 Mechanised Brigade has transferred to Catterick Garrison.
 * HQ 19 Light Brigade, plus two of its infantry battalions, will transfer to Northern Ireland.
 * The Land Warfare Centre demonstration battalion role will rotate between 3 YORKS at Warminster, and 1 RRF and 2 R WELSH at Tidworth.
 * Foot Guards battalions on public duties in London/Windsor (1 COLDM GDS, 1 WG) will rotate with light role battalions in Aldershot (1 GREN GDS, 1 IG) every 2–3 years.
 * 5 SCOTS, 1 R IRISH and 2 RGR will rotate between 16 Air Assault Brigade and 52 Infantry Brigade.
 * Battalions in London District (2 RRF), British Forces Cyprus (2 LANCS, 2 PWRR) and 52 Infantry Brigade (2 YORKS, 1 R WELSH, 3 RIFLES) will rotate between each other every 2–3 years.
 * 11 Light Brigade will be formed specifically to command the Operation Herrick deployment between October 2009 and April 2010. This will assume responsibility for all force elements assigned to it, including four infantry battalions (1 GREN GDS, 1 R WELSH, 2 YORKS, 3 RIFLES). 11 Brigade will disband in April 2010, with its constituent units returning to their parent formations.

UK battalions

 * England
 * Aldershot: 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 CLDM GDS, 1 WG) (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
 * Bulford: 2 x Mechanised Infantry Battalion (4 RIFLES, 1 R ANGLIAN) (1st Mechanised Brigade, 12th Mechanised Brigade)
 * Canterbury: Air Assault Battalion (5 SCOTS) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
 * Catterick: Armoured Infantry Battalion (1 SG), Mechanised Infantry Battalion (1 LANCS), Light Infantry Battalion (1 MERCIAN) (4th Mechanised Brigade)
 * Chester: Light Infantry Battalion (1 R WELSH) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
 * Colchester: 2 x Air Assault Battalions (2 PARA, 3 PARA) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
 * London: 2 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 GREN GDS, 2 PWRR) (London District)
 * Shorncliffe: Light Infantry Battalion (1 RGR) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
 * Tern Hill: Air Assault Battalion (1 R IRISH) (16th Air Assault Brigade)
 * Tidworth: Armoured Infantry Battalion (2 R WELSH), Demonstration Infantry Battalion (1 RRF) (12th Mechanised Brigade, Land Warfare Training Centre)
 * Warminster: Armoured Infantry Battalion (3 YORKS) (1st Mechanised Brigade)
 * Weeton: Light Infantry Battalion (2 LANCS) (52nd Infantry Brigade)
 * Windsor: Light Infantry Battalion (1 IG) (London District)
 * Scotland
 * Edinburgh: 3 x Light Infantry Battalions (1 SCOTS, 2 SCOTS, 3 RIFLES) (19th Light Brigade, 52nd Infantry Brigade)
 * Inverness: Light Infantry Battalion (3 SCOTS) (19th Light Brigade)
 * Wales
 * Chepstow: Light Infantry Battalion (1 RIFLES) (3rd Commando Brigade)
 * Northern Ireland
 * Ballykinler: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RIFLES) (19th Light Brigade)
 * Holywood: Light Infantry Battalion (2 MERCIAN) (19th Light Brigade)

Overseas battalions
There are four locations that have a permanent British infantry presence: Germany, Cyprus and Brunei are home to battalions from the regular army, while Gibraltar has its own permanent home defence battalion. Other postings are usually roulement postings from either the UK, Germany or Cyprus.
 * Brunei
 * Seria: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RGR) (British Garrison Brunei)
 * Cyprus
 * Dhekelia: Light Infantry Battalion (2 R ANGLIAN) (British Forces Cyprus)
 * Episkopi: Light Infantry Battalion (2 YORKS) (British Forces Cyprus)
 * Germany
 * Celle: Light Infantry Battalion (2 RRF) (7th Armoured Brigade)
 * Fallingbostel: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalion (4 SCOTS, 3 MERCIAN) (7th Armoured Brigade)
 * Münster: Light Infantry Battalion (1 YORKS) (20th Armoured Brigade)
 * Paderborn: 2 x Armoured Infantry Battalions (1 PWRR, 5 RIFLES) (20th Armoured Brigade)
 * Gibraltar
 * Gibraltar: Light Infantry Battalion (1 RG) (British Forces Gibraltar)

Divisions and brigades
The British Army is administered through HQ Land Command, which has responsibility for the majority of army units. Most of these are organised into a total of five divisions, each of which has a number of brigades under its command.

Battalions are attached permanently (semi-permanently for light role battalions) to formations:
 * 1st Mechanised Brigade
 * 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Duke of Wellington's)
 * 4th Battalion, The Rifles
 * 3rd Commando Brigade
 * (40 Commando, Royal Marines)
 * (42 Commando, Royal Marines)
 * (45 Commando, Royal Marines)
 * 1st Battalion, The Rifles
 * 4th Mechanised Brigade
 * 1st Battalion, Scots Guards
 * 1st Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
 * 1st Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Cheshires)
 * 7th Armoured Brigade
 * The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusilers
 * 3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords)
 * 12th Mechanised Brigade
 * 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment of Wales)
 * 16 Air Assault Brigade
 * The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
 * 19th Light Brigade
 * The Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 2nd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Rifles
 * 20th Armoured Brigade
 * 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
 * 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Prince of Wales's Own)
 * 5th Battalion, The Rifles
 * 52 Infantry Brigade
 * The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Green Howards)
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
 * 3rd Battalion, The Rifles
 * Land Warfare Centre
 * 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
 * British Forces Cyprus
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment
 * 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border)
 * London District
 * 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
 * 1st Battalion, Irish Guards
 * 2nd Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires)
 * Brunei
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
 * Notes

Delivering Security in a Changing World (2003)
HM Treasury asked for major cuts in the strength of the infantry in 2003, with at least ten battalions to be disbanded. This proved so unacceptable that, in November 2003, there was consideration to instead reducing each battalion to two rifle companies (with the third to come from the TA). By March 2004, ECAB had shown that the maximum number of battalions it was possible to cut was four. This was finally officially announced as part of the army re-organisation. The arms plot system would be abolished; instead, individual battalions would be given fixed roles. To ensure that officers and men could continue to gain the variety of skills that the arms plot provided, the restructuring would also see a series of amalgamations of the remaining single battalion infantry regiments into large regiments. In addition, the regular army will lose four battalions. The roles are divided up as follows:
 * Armoured Infantry - 8 battalions (including Land Warfare Training Battalion)
 * Mechanised Infantry - 3 battalions
 * Light Role Infantry (including public duties and Gurkhas) - 20 battalions
 * Air Assault Infantry - 4 battalions
 * Commando Infantry - 1 battalion
 * Territorial Army Infantry - 14 battalions

The reorganisation was a hybrid of the systems used to organise the regular infantry in Australia and Canada. Australia's regular infantry encompasses eight battalions in a single large regiment, the Royal Australian Regiment - this system is the one undertaken by the Scottish Division and the Light Division. Canada's regular infantry has three regiments each of three battalions, which is how the King's Division and the Prince of Wales' Division will be restructured (albeit with one regiment of three battalions and one of two battalions each).

In addition to the army's infantry battalions, there are three further battalion-sized commando infantry units, which are part of the Royal Marines, as well as eight field squadrons (each larger than an infantry company) of the RAF Regiment, who have responsibility for the ground defence of air assets and are under the control of the Royal Air Force.

The majority of infantry battalions are attached to one of the deployable brigades. However, there are a number of formations that exist to administer those infantry battalions that are not assigned to deployable brigades, but are instead available for independent deployment on roulement tours.

Guards Division
Each battalion in the five single battalion regiments of the Guards Division has a fixed role:
 * Armoured Infantry (1 SG) - 1
 * Light Role/Public Duties (1 GREN GDS, 1 COLDM GDS, 1 IG, 1 WG) - 4

Two battalions will be assigned as general light role battalions, with the other two assigned to public duties. These battalions will periodically rotate roles and postings.

Scottish Division
The six battalions of the Scottish Division have amalgamated into a single five battalion regiment to be called the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
 * Armoured Infantry (4 SCOTS) - 1
 * Light Role (1 SCOTS, 2 SCOTS, 3 SCOTS) - 3
 * Air Assault/Light Role (5 SCOTS) - 1

King's Division
The six battalions of the King's Division have amalgamated into two regiments;
 * Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's Lancashire and Border) - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the King's Own Royal Border Regiment, King's Regiment and Queen's Lancashire Regiment.
 * Mechanised Infantry (1 LANCS) - 1
 * Light Role (2 LANCS) - 1
 * Yorkshire Regiment - this is a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Green Howards, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire and Duke of Wellington's Regiment.
 * Armoured Infantry (3 YORKS) - 1
 * Light Role (1 YORKS, 2 YORKS)- 2

Prince of Wales's Division
The original seven battalions of the Prince of Wales's Division have been reduced to five with the transfer of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment to the Light Division. The five remaining battalions will amalgamate into two regiments;
 * Royal Welsh - this is a two battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the Royal Welch Fusiliers and the Royal Regiment of Wales.
 * Armoured Infantry (2 R WELSH) - 1
 * Light Role (1 R WELSH) - 1
 * Mercian Regiment - this is a three battalion regiment formed from the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment and Staffordshire Regiment.
 * Armoured Infantry (3 MERCIAN) - 1
 * Light Role (1 MERCIAN, 2 MERCIAN) - 2

Queen's Division
The three existing large regiments of the Queen's Division remain unaffected by the restructuring.
 * Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (PWRR)
 * Armoured Infantry (1 PWRR) - 1
 * Light Role (2 PWRR) - 1
 * Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
 * Armoured Infantry (1 RRF) - 1
 * Light Role (2 RRF) - 1
 * Royal Anglian Regiment
 * Mechanised Infantry (1 R ANGLIAN) - 1
 * Light Role (2 R ANGLIAN) - 1

Light Division
The four current battalions of the Light Division in two regiments were augmented by two battalions from the Prince of Wales's Division in 2005. These two were amalgamated into a single battalion and then amalgamated with Light Infantry and the Royal Green Jackets to form a new five battalion regiment, called The Rifles. Upon its formation, the Light Division was abolished.
 * Armoured Infantry (5 RIFLES) - 1
 * Light Role (2 RIFLES, 3 RIFLES) - 2
 * Mechanised Infantry (4 RIFLES) - 1
 * Commando (1 RIFLES) - 1

Royal Irish Regiment
The single regular battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment is unamalgamated to "retain an infantry footprint in Northern Ireland".
 * Air Assault/Light Role (1 R IRISH) - 1

Royal Gurkha Rifles
The Royal Gurkha Rifles is unaffected by the restructuring. However, the UK based battalion has been integrated more fully with the rest of the infantry and trained in the air assault role.
 * Air Assault/Light Role (2 RGR) - 1
 * Light Role (1 RGR) - 1

Parachute Regiment
One battalion of the Parachute Regiment is the core of the "special forces support battalion", no longer part of the Infantry order of battle. The other two operate in the Airborne role.
 * Airborne/Light Role (2 PARA, 3 PARA) - 2

Territorial Army
With the exception of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, every line infantry regiment has at least one TA battalion (the Royal Regiment of Scotland and The Rifles have two). The Guards Division has The London Regiment as an affiliated TA battalion.

Strategic Defence and Security Review (2010)/Army 2020
Following the 2010 General Election, the new government instituted a new defence review. The ultimate conclusion of this process was to reduce the size of the British Army from approximately 102,000 to approximately 82,000 by 2020. The detail of the process was subsequently announced as Army 2020 in July 2012. As part of this, the infantry was reduced in size from 36 regular battalions to 31. Of the five to be withdrawn, two were armoured infantry units, two general light infantry and one a specialist air assault infantry battalion. The withdrawal of two armoured infantry battalions is to bring this into line with the planned future operational structure, intended to see three "armoured infantry brigades", each with a pair of infantry battalions, forming the core of the Army's "reaction forces". These two battalions, along with the two light infantry battalions, will be disbanded and their personnel distributed among the remaining battalions of each regiment. The air assault battalion will be reduced to company strength, with the intention that it is assigned as a permanent public duties unit in Scotland.

The affected regiments were:
 * Royal Regiment of Scotland
 * The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland - Reduced to an incremental company and assigned to public duties in Scotland.
 * Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - Disbanded and personnel redistributed to 1st Battalion.
 * Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/76th Foot) (Green Howards) - Disbanded and personnel redistributed to 1st and 3rd Battalions. 3 YORKS will eventually be renamed as 1 YORKS.1 YORKS will eventually be renumbered as the 2nd Bn.
 * Mercian Regiment
 * 3rd Battalion, The Mercian Regiment (Staffords) - Disbanded and personnel redistributed to 1st and 2nd Battalions.
 * Royal Welsh
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (Royal Regiment of Wales) - Disbanded and personnel redistributed to 1st Battalion.

In addition, the Royal Irish Regiment (27th (Inniskilling), 83rd, 87th and Ulster Defence Regiment) will be transferred to the administration of the Prince of Wales' Division.

As a consequence, the make up of the regular infantry units once the changes have been made will be (until September 2016):


 * Armoured Infantry
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (1st Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment (1st Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Welsh (12th Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (12th Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (20th Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 5th Battalion, The Rifles (20th Armoured Infantry Brigade)


 * Heavy Protected Mobility Infantry (Mastiff)
 * 4th Battalion, The Rifles (1st Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * One Guards battalion, 1st Battalion Scots Guards(12th Armoured Infantry Brigade)
 * 4th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (20th Armoured Infantry Brigade)


 * Air Assault Infantry
 * 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (16th Air Assault Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment (16th Air Assault Brigade)


 * Light Protected Mobility Infantry (Foxhound)
 * 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (4th Infantry Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom))
 * 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards (11th Infantry Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (51st Infantry Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, The Rifles (51st Infantry Brigade)


 * Light Role Infantry
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards (11th Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles (11th Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (38th Irish Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Rifles (38th Irish Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, Mercian Regiment (42nd Infantry Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (42nd Infantry Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (51st Infantry Brigade)
 * 1st Battalion, The Rifles (160th Infantry Brigade)


 * Public Duties
 * Two Guards battalions
 * 3 x Guards Incremental Companies
 * 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland


 * Brunei Light Role Infantry
 * 2nd Battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles (British Forces Brunei)(rotates with 1 RGR)


 * Cyprus
 * 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment
 * 2nd Battalion, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment

In addition, the 1st Battalion, the Parachute Regiment remains as the core of the Special Forces Support Group.

The Guards Division regiments/Foot Guards will rotate amongst the roles of the Mastiff Battalion in 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade and the Light Protected Mobility Battalion in 11th Infantry Brigade.

The two battalions in British Forces Cyprus will rotate as follows; 1 LANCS, 2 LANCS, 2 YORKS and 2 PWRR, 1 R ANGLIAN, 2 R ANGLIAN.

The Territorial Army will be renamed as the Army Reserve. The following infantry battalions will remain under Army 2020:


 * Air Assault Infantry
 * 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (16th Air Assault Brigade)


 * Light Role Infantry
 * 6th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (51st Infantry Brigade)
 * 7th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland (51st Infantry Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, Princess of Wales Royal Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade)
 * 4th Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (42th Infantry Brigade)
 * 5th Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (51st Infantry Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade)
 * 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment (4th Infantry Brigade)
 * 4th Battalion The Mercian Regiment (42th Infantry Brigade)
 * 3rd Battalion, The Royal Welsh (11th Infantry Brigade)
 * 2nd Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment (7th Infantry Brigade)
 * 7th Battalion, The Rifles (38th Irish Brigade)
 * The London Regiment, (11th Infantry Brigade)

Disbanded regiments
Over time, a handful of infantry regiments have disappeared from the roll through disbandment rather than amalgamation. In the 20th Century, seven regiments disappeared like this:
 * In 1922, following cuts to the size of the armed forces after the First World War and the establishment of the Irish Free State, the five infantry regiments solely from the south of Ireland were disbanded:
 * The Connaught Rangers
 * The Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)
 * The Royal Dublin Fusiliers
 * The Royal Irish Regiment
 * The Royal Munster Fusiliers
 * In 1968, after a re-organisation of the army, two regiments opted to be placed in suspended animation rather than amalgamate, and were eventually disbanded in 1987:
 * The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
 * The York and Lancaster Regiment

Regiments that never were
Since the Cardwell reforms began, infantry regiments in the British Army have amalgamated on many occasions. However, there have been occasions where amalgamations have been announced, but have then been abandoned:
 * The Royal Regiment of Gloucestershire and Hampshire - planned as the amalgamation of the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Royal Hampshire Regiment. This was announced in July 1968 to be implemented in September 1970, but was cancelled in the autumn of that year.
 * The Royal Scots Borderers - planned as the amalgamation of the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers as part of Options for Change. This was cancelled on 3 February 1993. The name was resurrected with the formation of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, when the two regiments amalgamated as a single battalion.
 * The Cheshire and Staffordshire Regiment - planned as the amalgamation of the 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment and the Staffordshire Regiment as part of Options for Change. This was cancelled on 3 February 1993.
 * The Executive Committee of the Army Board proposed under Delivering Security in a Changing World that there would be a series of two battalion regiments formed. These may have included:
 * A two battalion Lowland regiment formed from the Royal Scots and the King's Own Scottish Borderers.
 * A two battalion Highland regiment formed from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, Black Watch, Highlanders, and Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
 * A two battalion Wessex regiment formed from the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment and Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment.
 * Sikh Regiment - in 2007, Sikh leaders in the United Kingdom informed the Army that they would be able to find enough volunteers to form an initial infantry battalion of 700 from within their community. However, the Ministry of Defence, having requested advice from the Commission for Racial Equality, decided to reject the proposal on the grounds that it would be "divisive and amounted to segregation". The Prince of Wales had made a similar suggestion in 2001.

Fictional regiments

 * The Royal Wessex Rangers
 * The King's Own Fusiliers
 * The Northdale Rifles

In recent years, there have been many depictions of the British Army of various periods in fiction. Two notable ones depicting the modern British Army have been Spearhead from the period of the late 1970s, and Soldier Soldier from the early to mid-1990s. Both are seen as reasonably accurate depictions of life in the army at those times, and both are centred on a fictional infantry regiment. The most recent depiction of the British Army came in the film The Mark of Cain, which featured an infantry regiment deployed to Iraq, and the difficulties it faced.

The Loamshire Regiment is used by the British Army as the placeholder name in the provision of examples for its procedures, for example in the method of addressing letters to members of the forces produced by the British Forces Post Office.
 * The Loamshire Regiment