Agile and versatile: Army's 1st Division takes on key role in new Nato force
The British Army's 1st (UK) Division is now the lead of the land component of Nato's new Allied Reaction Force (ARF).
Under the command of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), the ARF will respond to anything from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to security operations and warfighting.
The ARF is Nato's response to the diverse range of evolving global security challenges.
Nato wanted a multi-national and importantly multi-domain force that would be able to rapidly respond to emerging situations.
The ARF should fill that requirement, with1st Division taking a lead role in the new force.
Lieutenant General Lorenzo D'Addario commands the Nato Rapid Deployable Corps in Italy, which is where the ARF is headquartered.
"It's the ability to be ready for the expected and the unexpected with a set of forces that can give the flexibility to respond at sea, in the air and on land in a way that is more attuned to the possible crises that Nato might find," he explained.
As the Light Forces Divison, 1st Div is designed to be agile and versatile.
It's made up of eight brigades including the Desert Rats and, according to Lt Gen D'Addario, they must be able to deploy at very short notice.
"It's very short and it's graduated," he said. "But across the board for this light force – and this is why it is light – it's got to be able to move fairly rapidly.
"You have got to have your kit in the backpack all ready."
The ARF is a crucial component of the new Nato Force Model – a dramatic change to the alliance's force structure which aims to make it more efficient, effective and interoperable.
Under the plans, the much smaller Nato Response Force will be replaced with a three-tiered structure of Allied forces.
:: Tier 1 – 100,000 troops to be ready within 10 days.
:: Tier 2 – 200,000 troops to be ready within 10 to 30 days.
:: Tier 3 – 500,000 troops to be ready for action in 30 to 180 days.
The new Nato Force Model is designed to better protect the security of all Nato allies, against all threats from all directions – in what Nato calls a 360° approach.
General Sir James Everard, a former deputy SACEUR, says the ARF acts in addition to that.
"Because they wanted something that can move very quickly, that works directly to SACEUR... the Allied Reaction Force was born," he said.
"So it sits separate and above the three tiers... but draws on those tiers as SACEUR reinforces it as necessary."
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