|
COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT
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. |
|

RLC MISCELLANEOUS
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 |
|
Commando Logistic Regiment |
CDO LOG REGT |
|
*The Queen's Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment (QOGLR)
|