Adaptive Force Brigade
51st Infantry Brigade is an Adaptive Force Brigade, based in Stirling and is the most senior headquarters in Scotland. It is the formation responsible for the operational command of a combination of Regular and Reserve units in the country and acts as a regional administration HQ for other Regular and Reserve Units who are based in Scotland, but are under the command of Brigades elsewhere.
Responsibilities
On 31 March 2014, it was renamed 51st Infantry Brigade and Headquarters Scotland, and transformed from a Regional to an Adaptive Force Brigade as part of the Army 2020 reorganisation.
Today, the Brigade is a part of 1st (United Kingdom) Division and supports all units in Scotland either directly or indirectly. Its responsibilities include preparing units for operations, providing regional support for resilience and community engagement, and Defence Engagement in the Arabian Gulf.
It maintains close links with the Gulf region, with regular exchange programmes and units regularly taking part in multinational exercises with partnered countries, which take place both here in the UK and in the Gulf.
Headquarters Scotland
As Headquarters Scotland the Brigade looks after all Army units in Scotland and is responsible for providing logistic and administrative support, engagement with employers, communities, and society, and to maintain the Firm Base support for all Regular, Reserve and Army Cadet Force units in Scotland as well as four University Officer Training Corps.
It also maintains strong links with local government, emergency services and the community to provide resilience in times of need.
In 2014 the Brigade HQ commanded all troops deployed on Op COMET, the UK military contribution to support the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It leads on military Defence Engagement with the Arabian peninsula.
Operations
Recent operational deployments by 51 Brigade units, both Regular and Reserve, include:
- Operation TORAL – Force Protection support to the NATO Training and Monitoring Mission in Kabul, Afghanistan
- Operation Shader – the UK mission in the Middle East against Daesh
- Operation Tosca – support to the UN mission in Cyprus
- Operation Trenton – support to the UN mission in South Sudan.
- Operation CABRIT – Supporting the Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) multinational Battlegroup in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to strengthen Euro-Atlantic Security.
Brigade and Affiliated Units
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The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
Royal Air Force Leuchars, St Andrews, KY16 0JX
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The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry
Redford Infantry Barracks, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0PP
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3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Fort George, Near Ardersier, Inverness, IV2 7TD
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Balaklava Company, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
Redford Cavalry Barracks, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, EH13 0PP
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7th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland
129 Dunkeld Road, Perth, PH1 5BT
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Headquarters
106 Meadowforth Road, Stirling, FK7 7RR
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2nd Battalion The Rifles
Thiepval Barracks, Mgheralve Road, Lisburn, BT28 3NP
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8 Battalion The Rifles
St Andrews Road, Bishop Auckland, DL14 6RX
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Edinburgh Garrison
Edinburgh Castle, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG
