Operation Broadshare is the code name for the British military operation to address the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

overseas, primarily in the

British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or alternatively referred to as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are the fourteen dependent territory, territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom that, ...

(BOTs) and British overseas military bases. The operation runs in parallel to a similar military operation in the United Kingdom, named

Operation Rescript Operation Rescript was the code name for the British military operation to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom and its Crown Dependencies between 2020 and 2022. It was described as the UK's "biggest ever homeland military op ...

. The operation was launched in March 2020 when COVID-19 cases were first being identified in all of the inhabited Overseas Territories, with the exception of the

Pitcairn Islands The Pitcairn Islands ( ; Pitkern: '), officially Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, are a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the sole British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the ...

. It began with

repatriation Repatriation is the return of a thing or person to its or their country of origin, respectively. The term may refer to non-human entities, such as converting a foreign currency into the currency of one's own country, as well as the return of mi ...

flights for British citizens stranded overseas due to

COVID-19 travel restrictions During the COVID-19 pandemic, COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and territories imposed quarantines, entry bans, or other travel restrictions for citizens of or recent travelers to the most affected areas. Some countries and territories impo ...

and later involved the delivery of medical supplies,

personal protective equipment Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, elect ...

, military medics and Security Assistance Teams (SATs). Under this operation, the military helped to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to affected territories beginning in January 2021, with the first three batches being delivered to

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

and the

Falkland Islands The Falkland Islands (; ), commonly referred to as The Falklands, is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and from Cape Dub ...

Background

The UK has fourteen overseas territories which are located around the world and account for a combined population of 260,000. These territories differ greatly in terms of their population size and economic and social development with the permanently-inhabited ones internally self-governing; the UK retains control over external affairs, including defence and

foreign policy Foreign policy, also known as external policy, is the set of strategies and actions a State (polity), state employs in its interactions with other states, unions, and international entities. It encompasses a wide range of objectives, includ ...

, and ensures good governance is maintained.

Coronavirus disease 2019 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include f ...

(COVID-19) the cause of an ongoing global pandemic had reached every inhabited British overseas territory, with the exception of the

, by March 2020. Subsequently, the British government, through its

Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is the ministry of foreign affairs and a ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. The office was created on 2 September 2020 through the merger of the Foreign an ...

, began working with the governments of each territory to ensure they were receiving the support they needed to address the pandemic. Additionally, the UK has around 145 military installations overseas, in more than 42 countries, as well as around 11,000 military personnel stationed at them. The first three cases of the virus at an overseas UK military facility were found in the Sovereign Base Areas of

Akrotiri and Dhekelia Akrotiri and Dhekelia (), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA), is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory made of two non-contiguous areas on the island of Geography of Cyprus, Cyprus. The area ...

in the

Island of Cyprus Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and the 80th-largest island in the world by area. It is located south of ...

in March 2020.

COVID Support Force

On 16 March 2020, 10,000 British military personnel were placed on standby to assist with the British Government's response to the

. On 19 March, the British Government stood up a further 10,000 military personnel and officially announced the formation of the COVID Support Force. The names of two military operations were also announced;

, which focused on the pandemic in the United Kingdom, and Operation Broadshare, which focused on the pandemic overseas, including in the

and overseas military bases. On 20 March 2020, ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' reported General Sir

Nick Carter Nickolas Gene Carter (born January 28, 1980) is an American singer, the lead vocalist of the vocal group Backstreet Boys, and an alleged rapist. As of 2015, he has released three solo albums, '' Now or Never'', '' I'm Taking Off'' and '' All A ...

had ordered the armed forces to prepare for a "six month operation". The COVID Support Force is the responsibility of Headquarters Standing Joint Command (United Kingdom), headed by Commander Home Command, Lieutenant General

Tyrone Urch Lieutenant General Sir Tyrone Richard Urch, (born 12 June 1965) is a former senior British Army officer who served as General Officer Commanding, Force Troops Command and later Commander, Home Command. Early life and education Urch was born ...

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

. With 10 regional commands (mostly the brigades supervised by Regional Command, plus

London District London District (LONDIST) is the name given by the British Army to the area of operations encompassing the Greater London area. It was established in 1870 as ''Home District''. History In January 1876 a ‘Mobilization Scheme for the forces i ...

), it consists of both Regular and Reserve units. Overseas exercises, including those in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, were cancelled to free up personnel for the COVID Support Force.

Activities

North Atlantic

The British Overseas Territories in the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...

are

Anguilla Anguilla is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Sa ...

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

, the

British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands (BVI), officially the Virgin Islands, are a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean, to the east of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and north-west ...

, the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory, and the largest by population. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located so ...

Montserrat Montserrat ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, wit ...

and

Turks and Caicos The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and no ...

. Additionally, the UK maintains military facilities in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

and

In April 2020, deployed to the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

in preparation for the hurricane season and was placed on standby to assist with tackling the pandemic, if required. The ship carried aid from the

Department for International Development The Department for International Development (DFID) was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom, from 1997 to 2020. It was responsible for administering foreign aid ...

, including ration packs and water. A medical team was also available to join the ship, if needed. ''Argus'' joined patrol ship HMS ''Medway'', which was already deployed to the region, to form a Royal Navy task group. British forces coordinated with their French and Dutch counterparts which were also in the region to support their own Caribbean territories during the pandemic. Elsewhere, military personnel were deployed to the

and

to assist local authorities with their coronavirus response; the latter also received six ventilators and other medical supplies which were delivered by the Royal Air Force. In May 2020, a 30-strong team from 45 Commando Royal Marines arrived in Turks and Caicos to assist with providing a security presence around the islands amid the pandemic. After spending 14 days in quarantine, the Marines joined the

Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) is the national police force of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and northern West Indies. It is one of the oldest ...

on daily boat patrols, bolstering a combined Royal Marines, Royal Navy and British Army Security Assistance Team. Two separate RAF

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets. Atlases have traditio ...

transport flights also delivered coronavirus testing equipment, ventilators and other medical supplies. In September 2020, the Governor of the

, Augustus Jaspert, requested support from HMS ''Medway'' in securing the territory's borders amid the outbreak. Until the end of October, the vessel worked alongside the

Royal Virgin Islands Police Force The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force is the territorial police force of the British Virgin Islands. The United States Virgin Islands Police Department is responsible for policing the U.S. Virgin Islands. History The RVIP was formed in 1967. ...

and local Joint Task Force, augmenting their patrols and supporting temporary radar arrangements. The crew was not permitted to come ashore due to the risk of

transmission Transmission or transmit may refer to: Science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Transmission (mechanical device), technology that allows controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual tra ...

South Atlantic

In the

South Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...

, the British Overseas Territories are

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory located in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tri ...

, the

and

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the ...

. On 28 March 2020, a team of six airborne medics from 16 Medical Regiment deployed to the

to reinforce the islands' only hospital. This was followed by the deployment of military planners to support local authorities in coordinating their COVID-19 response on 4 April 2020. A small medical team and two Intensive Treatment Units also augmented the islands' medical facilities, whilst personnel delivered oxygen supplies, medicine and personal protective equipment (PPE). On 27 April 2020, the Royal Air Force flew in equipment via an Atlas transport aircraft to facilitate the construction of an oxygen generation plant at the

King Edward VII Memorial Hospital The King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Stanley, Falkland Islands is the base for the Falkland Islands Government Health Service. Health services are funded by fish licence revenue and by income tax. They are entirely free at the point of de ...

Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...

. During the same month, of PPE was delivered to

Saint Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...

and Ascension Island. In May 2020, a team of conservationists were rescued from

Ascension Island Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island, 7°56′ south of the Equator in the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean. It is about from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America. It is governed as part of the British Overs ...

via an RAF Atlas aircraft after becoming stranded due to coronavirus restrictions. In February 2021, the RAF delivered 3,000

Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine The Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine, sold under the brand names Covishield and Vaxzevria among others, is a viral vector vaccine COVID-19 vaccine, for the prevention of COVID-19. It was developed in the United Kingdom by University of ...

s to the Falkland Islands. Around 2,000 were also delivered to Ascension Island in an attempt to make it the world's first island fully inoculated in one hit. The time it took to deliver the vaccines was critical as the vaccines had to be administered within 72 hours of being removed from storage. The vaccines were loaded into an A400M Atlas transport aircraft at

RAF Brize Norton Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton is the largest List of Royal Air Force stations, station of the Royal Air Force. Situated in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, it is close to the village of Brize Norton and the tow ...

, however the aircraft experienced a fault and almost jeopardised the operation with a 24-hour delay. The vaccines were subsequently transferred to a replacement aircraft and, after a 12-hour flight, successfully arrived on the island within the required timeframe.

Gibraltar

, around 175 military personnel assisted with the planning logistics and delivery of food and medicine. On 10 April 2020, the Royal Air Force flew in military kit and medical supplies via an Atlas transport aircraft for the Gibraltar Health Authority dealing with coronavirus. Medical personnel also supported the

Gibraltar Health Authority Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territory and city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the Atlantic Ocean (Strait of Gibraltar). It has an area of ...

Ambulance Service and the Gibraltar Elderly Residential Services by delivering a team of military medics to work alongside staff. In January 2021, Gibraltar received its first consignment of COVID-19 vaccines from the United Kingdom when nearly 6,000

AstraZeneca AstraZeneca plc () (AZ) is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, UK. It has a portfolio of products for major diseases in areas includi ...

vaccines were delivered by the Royal Air Force. On arrival, the

Royal Gibraltar Regiment The Royal Gibraltar Regiment is part of British Forces Gibraltar for the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, which historically, along with Bermuda, Halifax, Nova Scotia (prior to the 1867 Confederation of Canada), and Malta, had been d ...

transported them to

St Bernard's Hospital St Bernard's Hospital is the only public hospital and teaching hospital in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. History Juan Mateos In 1567, during Gibraltar's Spanish period, a retired Spanish innkeeper by the name of Juan Mateos ...

, with other

British Forces Gibraltar British Forces Gibraltar constitute those elements of the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopov ...

military personnel providing logistical support. Another batch was delivered by the RAF a week later.

Elsewhere

The Royal Air Force assisted with the repatriation of British citizens from areas affected by coronavirus, including

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. In May 2020, personnel from

British Gurkhas Nepal British Gurkhas Nepal (BGN) is an administrative organisation responsible for personnel serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas as part of the British Army. History Following generations of territorial disputes between the successors of Prithvi Naraya ...

rescued 109 British tourists and 28 foreign nationals stranded in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

due to coronavirus. In July 2020, the Royal Air Force delivered 16 pallets worth of aid to

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

, including materials for a field hospital. A small number of British citizens were also repatriated from

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

in a separate flight. The RAF delivered a batch of Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the

Sovereign Base Areas Akrotiri and Dhekelia (), officially the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (SBA), is a British Overseas Territory made of two non-contiguous areas on the island of Cyprus. The areas, which include British military bases and instal ...

in Cyprus via an

Airbus Voyager The Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is a European aerial refueling and military transport aircraft based on the civilian Airbus A330. A total of 15 countries have placed firm orders for approximately 82 aircraft, of which 64 had ...

on 24 February 2021. On 7 September 2021, 20 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles began operating a swab testing facility in

Brunei Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. Apart from its coastline on the South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, with ...

in support of the country's fight against COVID-19. They also administered injections and provided planning support to the country's health ministry. In

, where the UK maintains a military presence, British military personnel provided support to local authorities tackling the pandemic. In October 2021, the RAF flew vaccines to the Falkland Islands, which were destined for the

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of list of global issues, global issues, and to provide an active prese ...

Rothera Research Station The Rothera Research Station is a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) base on the Antarctic Peninsula, located at Rothera Point, Adelaide Island. Rothera also serves as the capital of the British Antarctic Territory, a British Overseas Territor ...

. In May 2021, the UK sent military medics and advisors to Nepal to help the country tackle a surge of COVID-19 cases. Following this, personnel at RAF Brize Norton helped load an aircraft with medical equipment, including 260 ventilators and 2,000 pieces of personal protective equipment, bound for Nepal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadshare, Operation Broadshare Emergency management in the United Kingdom 2020 in the United Kingdom COVID-19 pandemic in dependent territories of the United Kingdom National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Broadshare Military operations involving the United Kingdom