4 Military Intelligence Battalion (United Kingdom)

The 4th Military Intelligence Battalion (4 MI Bn) is a military intelligence unit of the British Army's Intelligence Corps, which provides close intelligence support to the headquarters for the only warfighting division in the army.

4th Military Intelligence Battalion
4 MI Bn
Activepost 2000–Present
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
SizeBattalion
Part of1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade
Battalion HQWard Barracks, Bulford Camp
EngagementsOperation Telic
Operation Herrick
Insignia
Battalion badge

History

The 1999 Staff Officer's Handbook mentions 1st and 2nd Military Intelligence Battalions based in Germany and United Kingdom respectively. The 3rd (V) MI Battalion also appears here, however a 4th MI Bn is not mentioned. Therefore, it can be reasonably assumed the battalion was formed between 2000 and 2008 (when 5 Bn was formed).[1] By 2007, the battalion appears as part of 1st Military Intelligence Brigade.[2]

Under the Army 2020 programme announced in 2013, the battalion left the disbanding 1 MI Bde to join the new 1st Intelligence and Surveillance Brigade along with the other 4 battalions of the Intelligence Corps (1–3 and 5). In addition, the battalion moved to its current location at Ward Barracks, Bulford Camp.[3][4][5]

As part of the programme, the corps' reserve component was expanded. Therefore, in 2015 7 Military Intelligence Battalion was formed with its headquarters in Bristol, based on 54 Military Intelligence Coy, 5 MI Bn.[6] This new battalion was placed under 1 IS Bde and paired with 4 MI Bn shortly thereafter.[4]

Role

The 4th Military Intelligence Battalion (4 MI Bn) is the largest concentration of Intelligence Corps (Int Corps) personnel in the Army, focused on supporting the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division. 4 MI Bn is a regular army unit, which sits under the 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade.[7][8] It is tasked with supporting 3 UK Div including its new armoured infantry and strike brigades. The current battalion is split between Bulford Camp and Aldershot Garrison.[9]

Though supporting 3 (UK) Division is the battalion's primary role, it also provides MI support to London District, Southern England, and British Army Germany.[10]

The battalion also oversees small intelligence sections at Bovington Camp, and until 2017, C Company was based Antwerp Barracks, Paderborn Garrison.[11][12]

Structure

Following the Army 2020 Refine, the battalion was reorganised into three multi-functional companies, a headquarters, a logistic support section, and a new 'Operations Support MI Company'.[9][13][10]

  • Battalion Headquarters
  • Headquarters Company
  • 41 Military Intelligence Company — supporting 1 Armoured Infantry Brigade (below organisation is standard throughout the companies)[10]
    • Company Headquarters
    • Close Support (CS) Intelligence Section
    • General Support (GS) Intelligence Section
    • Battle Group Intelligence Support Section (BGISS)
    • Counter Intelligence and Security (CI&Sy) Section
  • 42 Military Intelligence Company — supporting 12 Armoured Infantry Brigade
  • 43 Military Intelligence Company — supporting 20 Armoured Infantry Brigade
  • Operations Support Military Intelligence Company[10]
  • Logistic Support Section, at Aldershot Garrison — supporting 101st Logistic Brigade

Footnotes
  1. Staff Officer's Handbook, pp. 142–143.
  2. "1 MI Bde Organisation". 29 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  3. "Army, Question for Ministry of Defence — current Order of Battle by manpower and basing locations for the corps". United Kingdom Parliament — Written questions, answers, and statements. 22 November 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
  4. Ministry, of Defence (July 2013). "Transforming the British Army an Update" (PDF). United Kingdom Parliamentary Publishings. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2014. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  5. "Regular Army basing matrix by Formation and Unit" (PDF). Army Families Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  6. "Summary of Army 2020 Reserve Structure and Basing Changes" (PDF). British Army Documents. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  7. British Army, Force Troops Command Handbook.
  8. "1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  9. "Intelligence Corps Battalions". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  10. "4 Military Intelligence". www.army.mod.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  11. "Future of British Army Bases in Germany Revealed" (PDF). British Forces in Germany. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  12. "British Army units from 1945 on - 200 Squadron". british-army-units1945on.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  13. "Information regarding Companies and sub-units of the Royal Military Police and Intelligence Corps under Army 2020" (PDF). Publishing Service, United Kingdom Government. 12 June 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2021.

References
  • Tanner, James (2014). The British Army since 2000. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1782005933. OCLC 944154544.
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