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A battlegroup (British/Commonwealth term) or task force (U.S. term) in modern military theory is the basic building block of an
army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an infantry
battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
or armoured regiment, which is usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The battalion or regiment also provides the command and staff element of a battlegroup, which is complemented with an appropriate mix of armor, infantry, and support personnel and weaponry relevant to the task it is expected to perform. The organization of a battlegroup is flexible and can be restructured quickly to cope with any situation changes. Typically, an offensive battlegroup may be structured around an armored regiment, with two squadrons of main battle tanks supported by an infantry
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of people, whether natural, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specific, declared go ...
; conversely, a more defensive battlegroup may be structured around an infantry battalion, with two companies and an armored squadron. In support would be a reconnaissance troop, a low-level air defense detachment, an anti-tank section, engineering detachment, and artillery support. Battlegroups are often subdivided into company groups (called "teams" in the U.S. Army) consisting of a single infantry company supported by a tank troop and various other support units.


United Kingdom and Commonwealth

In the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
, an armored or mechanised division could expect to have as many as twelve separate battlegroups at its disposal, with three or four in each brigade. A Commonwealth battle group is usually named after its major constituent; for example, the Canadian Army's "1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group" (shortened to "1 RCR Battle Group") on an operational tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007–08, and the British Army's "3 Para Battle Group" that was operational in Afghanistan in 2011.


India

India, with the adoption of the
Cold Start Doctrine Cold Start is a military doctrine that was developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a possible war with Pakistan. It involves the various branches of India's military conducting offensive operations as part of unified battlegroups. The d ...
, has come up with independent brigade groups a little larger in composition than a task force. It is composition mix of all elements for specific war purpose against Pakistan. Offensive elements comprise independent armed brigade groups (usually composed of armor units) and independent offensive brigade groups (usually composed of infantry); the Indian Army has substantially reduced the time it took to deploy its forces on its borders.


South Africa

In the South African Army development of semi-independent battlegroups developed mainly out of Task Force Juliet's experiences with a focus on high mobility speed and distance in the vastness of the South West African/Southern Angolan theater. These mechanized battlegroups resorted under 60 Brigade such as
61 Mechanised Battalion Group 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was a unit of the South African Infantry Corps; although it was classed as mechanized infantry, it was a combined arms force consisting of infantry, armour and artillery. History Combat Group Juliet General Consta ...
.


Other

Most nations form battlegroups as required for operational or training purposes. When not deployed, the elements that would make up a battlegroup remain with their parent units. However, some nations maintain permanently formed battlegroups – a notable example is Norway, three of whose four major combat units are all-arms battlegroups.


See also

*''
Kampfgruppe In military history, the German term (pl. ; abbrev. KG, or KGr in usage during World War II, literally "fighting group" or "battle group") can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the of Nazi Ger ...
'' - original source of the term, in the
German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwa ...
. *
Battlegroup of the European Union An EU Battlegroup (EU BG) is a military unit adhering to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU). Often based on contributions from a coalition of member states, each of the eighteen Battlegroups consists of a ba ...
*''
Demi-brigade A ''demi-brigade'' ( en, Half-brigade) is a military formation used by the French Army since the French Revolutionary Wars. The ''Demi-brigade'' amalgamated the various infantry organizations of the French Revolutionary infantry into a single ...
''


Notes


References

* * {{cite web, author=MOD staff , date=17 June 2011 , title=Prince Charles praises Paras , url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/PrinceCharlesPraisesParas.htm , publisher=British Ministry of Defence Military units and formations by size