How effective are proxy forces, and is Britain's Ranger Regiment creating a modern equivalent?
Short answerElite specialist units can be capable, but they do not replace balanced, mobilizable formations or a clear decision about the strategy those forces must serve.
NotesNew elite labels cannot substitute for the scale and balance of a usable force. The proposed alternative is an armoured division that can mobilize regular and reserve brigades, alongside a deployable mechanised formation supporting the Royal Marines. The comparison with pre-war Britain distinguishes money spent building Chain Home and new RAF infrastructure from naval spending that could use an inherited base network. The First World War example asks whether a small, highly trained British force was better suited to rapid maritime intervention at Antwerp than to joining million-man armies on the Western Front. The wider point echoes the Seven Years' War: strategy needs forces designed for the missions a country genuinely intends to undertake.