Afghanistan: Roulement The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Baroness Taylor of Bolton) My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Defence (Des Browne) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. The next roulement of UK forces in Afghanistan will take place in April 2008. The force package that we currently plan to deploy will see the lead formation, 52 Infantry Brigade, replaced by 16 Air Assault Brigade, which will provide the majority of the units serving in Afghanistan. The forces deploying include: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |16 Air Assault Brigade Headquarters and 216 Signal Squadron | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 845 Naval Air Squadron | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 846 Naval Air Squadron | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 847 Naval Air Squadron | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |23 Engineer Regiment (Air Assault) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (27th [Inniskilling], 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |The Pathfinder Platoon | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |6 Supply Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |13 Air Assault Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |16 Close Support Medical Regiment | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |7 Air Assault Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |156 Independent Provost Company, Royal Military Police | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of the Household Cavalry Regiment | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 3rd Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of The Queen's Royal Lancers | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 5th Regiment, Royal Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 32nd Regiment, Royal Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 39th Regiment, Royal Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 47th Regiment, Royal Artillery | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 33 Engineer Regiment (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 63 Works Group Royal Engineers | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 42 Engineer Regiment (Geographic) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 10th Signal Regiment, The Royal Corps of Signals | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 14th Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), The Royal Corps of Signals | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 16th Signal Regiment, The Royal Corps of Signals | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 21st Signal Regiment (Air Support), The Royal Corps of Signals | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 3 Regiment, Army Air Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 4 Regiment, Army Air Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 5 Regiment, Army Air Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 9 Regiment, Army Air Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Headquarters 104 Logistic Brigade | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 2 Logistic Support Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 7 Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 24 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 27 Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 29 Postal Courier and Movement Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 2 Close Support Battalion, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 104 Military Working Dog Support Unit | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 1 Military Intelligence Brigade | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of Joint Civil Military Co-operation Group | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 4th Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (14th/15th, 19th and 33rd/75th Foot) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 2nd Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment (27th [Inniskilling], 83rd, 87th and The Ulster Defence Regiment)| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 4th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 148 Expeditionary Forces Squadron, The Royal Logistic Corps (Volunteer) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Hospital Squadron formed from 203 Field Hospital (V) and 204 Field Hospital (V) | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |904 Expeditionary Air Wing Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1 Force Protection Wing Headquarters Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |3 Regiment Field Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 1 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 4 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 18 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 27 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 30 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 39 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 47 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 70 Squadron Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 1 Air Movements Wing Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 85 (Expeditionary Logistic) Wing Headquarters, Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Tactical Supply Wing | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Joint Helicopter Support Unit | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 1 Air Control Centre Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 90 Signals Unit Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 2 Motor Transport Squadron, Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of 5001 Squadron, Royal Air Force | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of Mobile Catering Support Unit | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of Tactical Medical Wing | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of Tactical Armament Squadron | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Elements of Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bulk of these units represent direct replacements for previously announced deployments to Afghanistan and overall force levels will be broadly unchanged. The House will also wish to be aware that 16 Air Assault Brigade's deployment will last until October 2008. On current plans, the brigade will then be replaced by 3 Commando Brigade, Royal Marines. I shall make a further Statement on the units we expect to deploy in October in due course.