A battlegroup (British/Commonwealth term) or task force (U.S. term) in modern

military theory Military theory is the analysis of normative behavior and trends in military affairs and military history, beyond simply describing events in war. Theories and conceptions of warfare have varied in different places throughout human history. Th ...

is the basic building block of an

army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions a ...

armoured Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...

, which is usually commanded by a lieutenant colonel. The battalion or regiment also provides the command and staff element of a battlegroup, which is complemented with an appropriate mix of armor, infantry, and support personnel and weaponry relevant to the task it is expected to perform. The organization of a battlegroup is flexible and can be restructured quickly to cope with any situation changes. Typically, an offensive battlegroup may be structured around an armored regiment, with two squadrons of

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s supported by an infantry company; conversely, a more defensive battlegroup may be structured around an infantry battalion, with two companies and an armored squadron. In support would be a reconnaissance troop, a low-level air defense detachment, an anti-tank section, engineering detachment, and artillery support. Battlegroups are often subdivided into company groups (called "teams" in the U.S. Army) consisting of a single infantry company supported by a tank troop and various other support units.

United Kingdom and Commonwealth

In the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

, an armored or mechanised division could expect to have as many as twelve separate battlegroups at its disposal, with three or four in each brigade. A Commonwealth battle group is usually named after its major constituent; for example, the Canadian Army's "1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment Battle Group" (shortened to "1 RCR Battle Group") on an operational tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2007–08, and the British Army's "3 Para Battle Group" that was operational in Afghanistan in 2011.

India

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, with the adoption of the

Cold Start Doctrine Cold Start is a military doctrine that was developed by the Indian Armed Forces for use in a possible war with Pakistan. It involves the various branches of India's military conducting offensive operations as part of unified battlegroups. The d ...

, has come up with independent brigade groups a little larger in composition than a task force. It is composition mix of all elements for specific war purpose against

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. Offensive elements comprise independent armed brigade groups (usually composed of armor units) and independent offensive brigade groups (usually composed of infantry); the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

has substantially reduced the time it took to deploy its forces on its borders.

South Africa

In the South African Army development of semi-independent battlegroups developed mainly out of Task Force Juliet's experiences with a focus on high mobility speed and distance in the vastness of the South West African/Southern Angolan theater. These mechanized battlegroups resorted under 60 Brigade such as

61 Mechanised Battalion Group 61 Mechanised Battalion Group was a unit of the South African Infantry Corps; although it was classed as mechanized infantry, it was a combined arms force consisting of infantry, armour and artillery. History Combat Group Juliet General Consta ...

Other

Most nations form battlegroups as required for operational or training purposes. When not deployed, the elements that would make up a battlegroup remain with their parent units. However, some nations maintain permanently formed battlegroups – a notable example is

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

, three of whose four major combat units are all-arms battlegroups.

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