British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), the successor of the former British Forces Belize, is the name given to the current British Army Garrison in Belize. The garrison is used primarily for jungle warfare training, with access to over 13,000 square kilometres (5,000 sq mi) of jungle terrain, provided by the government of Belize.[2]
| British Army Training Unit and Support Unit Belize | |
|---|---|
| Price Barracks, Ladyville, Belize | |
 Royal Marines in the jungle of Belize in January 2017. | |
  British Army Training Unit and Support Unit Belize Location within Belize | |
| Coordinates | 17°32′37″N 88°18′22″W / 17.54361°N 88.30611°W |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |  British Army |
| Website | www |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1994[1] |
| In use | 1994–present |
BATSUB is located near Belize International Airport, at Price Barracks, Ladyville.
History
editBritish Forces Belize
editBelize – formerly 'British Honduras' – gained its independence from Britain in September 1981. However, Britain retained a deterrent force – British Forces Belize – to protect Belize from the threat of invasion from Guatemala to the south, which did and still does, claim Belize to be its own.[3]
The British Army Training Support Unit Belize (BATSUB), formed in 1994, is a successor to British Forces Belize, which was structured as such in 1989:[4]
British Army Forces in Belize
- 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards, on six month roulement.
- 1 x Armoured Reconnaissance Troop, six month roulement.
- 1 x Field Battery, Royal Artillery, six month roulement.
- 1 x Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, six month roulement.
- Detachment 2 Postal & Courier Regiment Royal Engineers, FPO Belize, BFPO 12
- 24th Squadron, Royal Corps of Transport.
- 78th Ordnance Company, Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
- No. 25 Flight, Army Air Corps.
Royal Navy Forces – Belize:
- West Indies Guard Ship, as needed.
Royal Air Force – Belize:
- No. 1417 Flight RAF
- No. 1563 Flight RAF
- 1 Air Defence Flight, RAF Regiment, six month roulement.
Recent
editIn 2010, the UK government announced it would mothball the facility as part of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. However, in 2015, reports indicated that BATSUB was seeing "increased usage".[2][5] In November 2015, the UK government announced it was re-establishing the facility as part of its 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review.[6] According to some Belizean media reports, the British decision to re-establish BATSUB could have been linked to rising tensions between Belize and Guatemala.[7]
Under the Integrated Review paper announced by the UK Government in March 2021, Belize is to become a 'land hub', and could have personnel deployed more regularly and for longer durations. The unit is currently commanded by a lieutenant colonel.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "British Army - Recruiting Selection and Training". armedforces.co.uk.
The British Army Training Support unit Belize (BATSUB) was formed 1 October 1994.
- ^ a b "New Lease of Life for British Army Base in Belize". 7 April 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- ^ Tossini, J. Vitor (30 March 2018). "British forces in Belize – A military partnership in Central America". Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ Ivelaw Lloyd, Griffith (1993). The Quest for Security in the Caribbean. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9781317454960. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "No Joke Jimmy, The Brits Are Back". 7 News Belize. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ "National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015" (PDF). HM Government. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
- ^ "Maybe more to Britain's Belize return than meets the eye". Cowbrough Communications. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
- ^ Are More British Troops Going To Belize? 🇧🇿, retrieved 22 September 2021
Further reading
edit- Isby and Kamps, Armies of NATO's Central Front, Jane's Publishing Company, 1985
External links
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