The 16 Air Assault Brigade (16 AAB) is a unit of the British Army The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ...

It was formed as part of the defence reforms implemented by the Strategic Defence Review on 1 September 1999 by the merging of 24th Airmobile Brigade and elements of 5th Airborne Brigade. This grouping created a highly mobile brigade of parachute units and airmobile units which employ helicopters. The Strategic Defence Review (or SDR) was a policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ...

Roles

The brigade has a joint Army/RAF HQ based in Colchester and numbers around 6,000 to 8,000 personnel. It is under the command of the tri-service Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) and is assigned to the British-led Allied Rapid Reaction Corps of NATO as Corps Troops. It is able to be allocated to 1st (UK) Armoured and 3rd (UK) Mechanised divisions. The brigade maintains a pool of its forces to be able to be allocated to the tri-service Joint Rapid Reaction Force (JRRF). The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ... Colchester town centre Colchester is an historic town in the north of the English county of Essex, with a population of about 160,000. ... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April... History The 1st Armoured Division was a regular division in the British Army at the outbreak of World War II. It had formerly been designated The Mobile Division. ...

It is primarily designed to be rapidly deployable across the world, able to deal with situations in peacetime such as national emergencies; relief operations for natural disasters across the world and evacuation of British subjects and other countries citizens (as seen in Sierra Leone in 2000 during Operation Palliser). In war the brigade is intended to undertake an array of operations including to quickly take and hold ground until relieved by other forces, sometimes over great distances if needed; to carry out large-scale raids; to assist in defensive operations, including the defence of units flanks, and to support special forces. The brigade demonstrated its ability to carry out these type of operations during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. This article is about the year 2000. ... Operation Palliser was a British Armed forces operation in Sierra Leone in 2000 under the command of Brigadier David Richards. ... For the . ... This article contains information that has not been verified. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Due to the brigade's mobile role it is lightly armed and equipped. The brigade's land euipment includes Scimitars, Land Rovers, Supacats, towed 105mm light guns, Javelin and Starstreak missile launchers. The aviaton element of the brigade consists of numerous Army Air Corps Gazelle and Lynx helicopters and RAF Chinook and Puma support helicopters. The brigade will eventually operate the WAH-64 Apache which has been delayed in entering service. The brigade is also supported by the RAF's transport aircraft fleet. FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle, although sometimes classed as a light tank used by the British Army. ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... A soldier practices with the Javelin on a firing range. ... Starstreak is a British short range surface-to-air missile, also known as Starstreak HVM where HVM stands for High Velocity Missile. ... The Army Air Corps is a vital component of the British Army. ... The Gazelle is a helicopter developed as part of an Anglo-French venture between the Westland and Aérospatiale companies in 1968. ... The AgustaWestland Lynx is a helicopter designed by AgustaWestland (formerly Westland Aircraft) and jointly produced with Aérospatiale, first flying on 21 March 1971 as the Westland WG.13. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the UK Armed Forces. ... The Royal Air Force is the second largest operator of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook of the 16 nations which use the type. ... The Aerospatiale Puma is a medium-sized twin-engined transport/utility helicopter originally manufactured by Aerospatiale of France. ... The WAH-64 is a licence built version of the Boeing AH-64 Apache Longbow attack helicopter for the British Army. ... A cargo aircraft, also alternately known as a transport aircraft, is an aircraft dedicated to handling transport of materials and oversized loads. ...

Traditions

The numeral 16 was chosen to perpetuate the 16th Parachute Brigade which had itself been numbered in honour of the 1st Airborne Division and 6th Airborne Division of World War II. The British 1st Airborne Division was a military unit that fought in World War II. It suffered terrible casualties, especially in Operation Market Garden. ... The British 6th Airborne Division was an airborne unit of the British Army during World War II. It is best known for its participation in the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest and most expensive war in history, estimated...

The brigade's sign is that of a light blue and maroon shield with a light blue striking eagle outlined in maroon emblazoned on it, intended to represent its offensive role. The sign is worn on the left arm. The symbol of 5 Airborne Brigade had been Bellerophon on top of Pegasus (a winged horse of Greek mythology) which became synonymous with the airborne forces thanks to their exploits during World War II. There was some controversy when the Parachute units of 5 Airborne had to give up the symbol and replace it with 16 Air Assault's symbol. Genera Several, see below. ... For other uses, see Bellerophon (disambiguation). ... Pegasus on roof of Poznań Opera House In Greek mythology, Pegasus (Pegasos) was a winged horse that was the foal of Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and the Gorgon Medusa. ...

History

After a ceasefire had been declared in the Republic of Macedonia between Government forces and rebels known as the National Liberation Army, NATO launched a British-led effort (Operation Essential Harvest) to collect weapons voluntarily given up by the rebels. The brigade HQ and some of its elements deployed in August 2001, acting as the spearhead for the NATO operation. It returned home after the NATO mission was successfully completed in September. Official languages Macedonian¤,2 Capital Skopje President Branko Crvenkovski Prime Minister Vlado Bučkovski Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water Ranked 145th  25,713 km²  1. ... National Liberation Army is the name of several groups: Albania One of the organizations that fought to liberate Albania during World War II from Italian and German troops; see National Liberation Army (Albania), History of Albania. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A spearhead is the head of a spear. ...

After the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, NATO established a peacekeeping force in December known as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), based in the capital Kabul. The brigade HQ and some of its units began to deploy in December to join the then British-led ISAF (which was centred around 3rd (UK) Mechanised Division) as its tactical command, ccommanding units from other nations that had sent forces to Afghanistan. The brigade's units main tasks were to help rebuild the war-torn country and carry out patrol into Kabul, in the hope of reasuring the populace there, and nearby Bagram Air Base, both of which were under constant threat from Al Qaida and the Taliban. The brigade handed over tactical command to a German brigade in March 2002. (Redirected from 2001 invasion of Afghanistan) The United States, with support from the United Kingdom, Australia and the Northern Alliance, Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of its War on Terrorism campaign. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April... The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is an international peacekeeping force in Kabul, Afghanistan consisting of about 6,500 personnel. ... Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâbl, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. ... Bagram Air Base is located at the antique city of Bagram near Charikar in Parvan, Afghanistan. ... Al-Qaeda (Arabic: القاعدة, the foundation or the base) is the name given to a worldwide network of militant Islamist organizations under the leadership of Osama bin Laden. ... The Taliban (Pashtun and Persian: طالبان; students), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist and Pashtun nationalist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the build-up to the invasion of Iraq, the brigade, commanded by Brigadier 'Jacko' Page, was deployed to Kuwait in February 2003. The brigade was part of 1 (UK) Armoured Division and after extensive trainining in Kuwait it took part in the beginning of the invasion on 20 March. Initial speculation in the British media suggested that the brigade would support the American 82nd and 101st divisions in an airborne asault on the Saddam International Airport in Baghdad. This plan did not, however, come into fruition. The brigade's eventual objective was to secure the southern oil fields before they were destroyed by Saddam Hussain's forces. The brigade's 7th Parachute Regiment entered Iraq on 20 March to support U.S. Marine Corps forces in their efforts to capture the Rumaila oil fields, nearly all of the oil wells being taken intact. The rest of the brigade, supported by its AAC helicopters, entered Iraq soon afterwards, still tasked with securing Rumaila. The brigade often met sporadic resistance and had to deal with disarming the many explosives attached to the infrastructure. This article contains information that has not been verified. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... History The 1st Armoured Division was a regular division in the British Army at the outbreak of World War II. It had formerly been designated The Mobile Division. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... The 82nd Airborne Division of the United States Army was formed originally as the 82nd Infantry Division on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia. ... Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles. ... Inside Baghdad International Airport Baghdad International Airport is Iraqs largest airport, located in a suburb about 10 miles west of Baghdad. ... A street map of Baghdad Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad *See Bagdad, Tasmania for the Australian town of a similar name. ... Drilling rig in a small oil field Near Sarnia, Ontario, 2001 An oil field is an area with an abundance of oil wells extracting petroleum (oil) from below ground. ... Saddam Hussein Saddām Hussein ʻAbd al-Majid al-Tikrītī (Often spelt Husayn or Hussain; Arabic صدام حسين عبدالمجيد التكريتي; born April 28, 1937 1) was President of Iraq from 1979 to 2003. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The Rumaila Field is an oil field in southern Iraq that also spills over into Kuwait, possession of this field led to disputes between Iraq and Kuwait and was one of reasons for Iraqs invasion of Kuwait in 1990. ... An oil well is a laymans term for any perforation through the Earths surface designed to find and release both petroleum oil and gas hydrocarbons. ...

The brigade was subsequently used to guard the oil fields and protect Allied supply lines with elements moving further north of Basra -- Iraq's second largest city -- to provide a scren protecting it from Iraqi attack. On 31 March the brigade, assisted by artillery and air supporti, attacked an Iraqi armoured coloumn advancing on Basra, destroying 17 T-55 tanks, 5 artillery pieces and 7 armoured personnel carriers. After British forces entered Barsa on 6 April, 3rd Parachute Regiment was employed to clear the 'old quarter' of the city on 7 April due to the narrow streets making it inaccessible to vehicles. Location of Basra Basra (also spelled BaÅŸrah or Basara; historically sometimes written Busra, Busrah, and the early form Bassorah; Arabic: , Al-Basrah) is the second largest city of Iraq with an estimated population of c. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining, as the final day of March. ... The T-54 and T-55 main battle tanks were the Soviet Unions replacements for the World War II era T-34 tank. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ...

After Basra's capture the brigade was based in Maysan Province, centred around the province's capital Al-Amarah. The brigade carried out patrols into towns, helped bring normality back to the south, tried to maintain order and destroyed any conventional weapons caches that were found. The war was officially declared over on 1 May and the brigade began to return home that same month. During one patrol into Az-Zubayr on 24 June the brigade suffered its largest casualties in Iraq when 6 Royal Military Policemen of 156 Provost Company were killed by a large Iraqi mob. A patrol of 1 PARA were ambushed at the same time but were successfully extracted from the area. By the time the brigade left Iraq it had collectively suffered 9 killed. It was reported that two soldiers from the brigade had refused to fight just before the war began, and were sent back to Colchester Garrison. Categories: Stub | Provinces of Iraq ... Amarah (sometimes written al-Amarah), is a city in southeastern Iraq, located next to the Tigris River waterway south of Baghdad, at 32°10′ N 46°03′ E. Predominately Shiite, it had a population of about 340,000 as of 2002. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the military police arm of the British Army. ...

Commanders

• Brigadier Peter Wall (1 September 1999)
• Brigadier 'Barney' White-Spunner (21 December 2000)
• Brigadier 'Jacko' Page (December 2002)

December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Constituuent Units

Present day (as of 2005)

• 16 Air Assault Brigade Headquarters and Signals Squadron (216)
• The Pathfinder Platoon
• a Squadron of the Household Cavalry Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's)
• 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• 7 (Parachute) Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
• 21 (Gibraltar 1779-1783) Battery, 47 Regiment Royal Artillery
• 3 , 4 and 9 Regiments, AAC
• 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault), RE
• 7 Air Assault Battalion, REME
• 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, RLC
• 16 Close Support Medical Regiment, RAMC
• 156 Provost Company, RMP

2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth of Nations to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions. ... Official name Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louises) Colonel-in-Chief HM Queen Elizabeth II Nicknames Motto Sans Peur Ne Obliviscaris Anniversaries Balaklava (25 October) Marches Quick: The Highland Laddie Quick: The Campbells Are Coming Charge: Monymusk Funerals: Lochaber No More Mascot A Shetland Pony called Cruachan Description Infantry... Parachute Regiment cap badge The Parachute Regiment is the infantry element of the airborne troops of the British Army. ... The Royal Horse Artillery (RHA) is a corps in the British Army. ... The Army Air Corps is a vital component of the British Army. ... The Corps of Royal Engineers (RE), commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army. ... Ñ The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers cap badge The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME; usually pronounced phonetically as Reemee) is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance of all electrical and mechanical equipment. ... The Royal Logistic Corps is a British military unit that provides the logistics for other units in the British military. ... The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all British Army personnel and their families in war and in peace. ... The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the military police arm of the British Army. ...

2003 Iraq War

• 16 Air Assault Brigade Headquarters and Signals Squadron (216)
• D Squadron, Blues and Royals
• 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment
• 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• Elements of 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
• 7 (Parachute) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
• 3 Regiment, AAC
• 23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault), RE
• 7 Air Assault Battlion, REME
• 13 Air Assault Support Regiment, RLC
• 16 Close Support Medical Regiment, RAMC
• 156 Provost Company, RMP
• The Pathfinder Platoon

The Blues and Royals are a British Army armoured regiment and are part of the Household Cavalry. ... In the British Army, there have been two regiments to be titled the Royal Irish Regiment Royal Irish Regiment The Royal Irish Regiment was formed in 1684 by the Earl of Granard from independent companies in Ireland. ...

References

• Regiments.org - 16 Air Assault Brigade
• BBC - 16 Air Assault Brigade
• Official Army 'site of 16 Air Assault Brigade