Destroyed armour left on 15 April 2022 after fierce street fighting on Victory Road in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. (SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images)
The British Army is increasing its emphasis on urban operations and has established the Urban Centre (URBCEN) as the focus for this effort. Staffed by subject matter experts (SMEs) from consultancy firm Soteria Defence and Security Ltd, the URBCEN is part of the army's Combat Manoeuvre Centre (CMC) and ultimately answers to the director of Land Warfare Centre.
Speaking at a British Army Urban Operations Symposium in February, Brigadier Rob Singleton, commander of the CMC, said, “The next war is coming, and we need to be ready for it.” Noting his previous experience in command of troops in Estonia and time spent considering operations in urban areas, he said, “I think it really matters. We must be able to fight in and from the urban environment, and it's incredibly difficult to fight there. We've largely got what we've got so we must understand how to make the best use of it.”
Speaking at the same event, Nick Entwistle, head of the URBCEN, emphasised that urban warfare (UW) development is a combined arms endeavour, not just an infantry problem. Citing recent examples such as Gaza and Mariupol, he said, “This is probably the most likely environment the army will be fighting in, and every single soldier needs to become good at this combined arms battle.”
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