THE ROYAL LOGISTIC CORPS (RLC)

The RLC is the youngest Corps in the Army and was formed in April 1993 as a result of the recommendations of the MoD's Logistic Support Review.

The RLC results from the amalgamation of the Royal Corps of Transport (RCT), the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), the Army Catering Corps (ACC), the Royal Pioneer Corps (RPC) and elements of the Royal Engineers (RE). During early 2009 the RLC had a regular Army establishment of some 15,553 personnel and a strength of 14,990.

ROLE

The RLC has very broad responsibilities throughout the Army that includes the movement of personnel throughout the world, the Army's air dispatch service, maritime and rail transport, operational re-supply, and explosive ordnance disposal which includes the hazardous bomb disposal duties in Iraq, Afghanistan and the mainland UK, the operation of numerous very large vehicle and stores depots both in the UK and overseas, the training and provision of cooks to virtually all units in the Army, the provision of pioneer labour and the Army's postal and courier service.

FORCE STRUCTURE

There are 17 Regular RLC Regiments (plus two training regiments) and 16 TA Regiments including the Catering Support Regiment RLC (V).

The principal field elements of the RLC are the Close Support and the General Support Regiments whose primary role is to supply the fighting units with ammunition, fuel and rations (Combat Supplies).

A division has an integral Logistic Support Regiment which is responsible for manning and operating the supply chain to Brigades and Divisional units. Support Regiments have large sections holding stores both on wheels and on the ground. A Division will typically require about 1,000 tons of Combat Supplies a day but demand can easily exceed that amount in high intensity operations.
 

Note:
(1) A regiment could have two or three brigade support squadrons depending upon the size of the division/formation being supported.

Depending on the composition of the formation being supported, some of these regiments may have an Artillery Support Squadron and/or a Postal and Courier Squadron. In addition for some operations a Tank Transporter Squadron may be required. The Artillery Support Squadron delivers artillery ammunition using DROPS vehicles.

Tank Transporter Squadrons provide tank transporters that move armoured vehicles more rapidly and economically than moving them on their own tracks.

RLC Regiments have large sections holding stores, both on wheels and on the ground. A division on operations will typically require about 1,000 tons of Combat Supplies a day, but demand can easily exceed that amount in high intensity operations.

Battlegroups in contact with the enemy can carry a limited amount of C Sups, particularly ammunition. As ammunition is expended, it is replenished from RLC vehicles located immediately to the rear of battlegroups in an Immediate Replenishment Group (IRG) area.

As the IRG vehicles are emptied they return to the RLC Squadron location and fully loaded replacements are automatically sent forward so that a constant supply is always available to the battlegroup.

Ammunition and spares are generally carried on NATO standard pallets, which are loaded to meet the anticipated requirements of particular units and if required, bulk consignments are broken down at the IRG location.

Fuel is usually carried in bulk fuel tankers (TTFs) which top-up battlegroup vehicles direct. However there is still a requirement for a large number of the traditional jerricans. Much of other fuel is delivered to the forward areas through the NATO Central European Pipeline System (CEPS).

Artillery ammunition constitutes by far the largest single element in the logistic pipeline and the bulk of it is delivered directly to the Royal Artillery guns, rocket and missile launchers, by RLC Demountable Rack Off-Loading and Pick up System (DROPS) vehicles from the General Support Regiment, which are capable of meeting the requirement of even the highest intensity consumption.

Apart from the RLC units that provide direct support to the operational formations, the RLC is either directly responsible for, or co-located with other agencies at the following:

• Ordnance Depots

• Ammunition Depots

• Army School of Ammunition

• Army Petroleum Centre

• Defence School of Mechanical Transport

• Army School of Catering (Aldershot)

• Royal Logistic Corps Training Centre (Deepcut)

Postal

The Central Army Post Office (APO) is located in London and there are individual British Forces Post Offices (BFPO) wherever British Forces are stationed, plus Postal and Courier Squadrons with 29 Regiment (UK) and 24 Regiment (Germany) During the period 17 November-15 December 2004 approximately 112,000 kg of packets of mail (approximately 110 tons) were successfully processed by the British Forces Post Office Depot at Mill Hill so that they would reach service personnel deployed worldwide in time for Christmas

REGIMENTS

1st Logistic Support Regiment

1 LOG REGT

2nd Logistic Support Regiment

2 LOG REGT

3rd Logistic Support Regiment

3 LOG REGT

4th Logistic Support Regiment

4 LOG REGT

5th Territorial Army Training Regiment

5 (TRG) REGT

6th Supply Regiment

6 (SUP) REGT

7th Transport Regiment

7 (TPT) REGT

8th Transport Regiment

8 (TPT) REGT

9th Supply Regiment

9 (SUP) REGT

10th Transport Regiment (QOGLC)*

10 (TPT) REGT

11th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment

11 (EOD) REGT

12th Logistic Support Regiment

12 (LOG) REGT

13th Air Assault Regiment

13 REGT

17th Port & Maritime Regiment

17 (PORT) REGT

23rd Pioneer Regiment

23 (PNR) REGT

24th Postal, Courier & Movements Regiment

24 (PC & MOV) REGT

27th Transport Regiment

27 (TPT) REGT

29th Postal, Courier & Movements Regiment

29 (PC & MOV) REGT

*The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (QOGLR)