15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group

UK 15 Psyops Unit logo from the Internet Archive version of the MoD website http://www.army.mod.uk/15psyops/ dated 28 July 2006 retrieved from the Internet Archive on 13 November 2009

Screengrab of the UK 15 Psyops Unit webpage from the Internet Archive version of the MoD website http://www.army.mod.uk/15psyops/ dated 28 July 2006 retrieved from the Internet Archive on 13 November 2009.

UK 15 Psyops Unit photo from the Internet Archive version of the MoD website http://www.army.mod.uk/15psyops/ dated 28 July 2006 retrieved from the Internet Archive on 13 November 2009

The 15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group is a Territorial Army support Group for the British Army specialising in psyops or Psychological Operations. It was set up in 1998. It is based in Chicksands, Bedfordshire at the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre.

The Gulf War (Op GRANBY) 1990 - 91

The 15 Psyops account of their activities in the 1990-1 Gulf War claims:

In response to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, a coalition of national forces was assembled to provide a framework for the conduct of PSYOPS.

PSYOPS activities were: Counter-propaganda, Iraq set up several radio stations, 'Voice of Peace', also known as 'Baghdad Betty' broadcast to Arab coalition forces in Saudi Arabia, although had limited impact, as sound and content quality were poor. Leaflets, winning early air supremacy enabled extensive leaflet distribution by air, totalling 29 million leaflets dropped during the conflict and included encouragement to desert and instruction for surrender. PSYOPS and deception, leaflets were also dropped with information to aid strategic deception and led Iraq to falsely believe that there would be a marine assault east of Kuwait. Allied use of radio, A coalition PSYOPS radio station, 'Voice of the Gulf' – supplemented the leaflet campaign and broadcast messages to particular enemy formations. Loudspeakers, US troops deployed loudspeaker teams, who negotiated surrender, withdrawals of enemy formations, assisted in PW control and rounded up stragglers.

It was discovered that up to 40% of all surrenders, defections and desertions could be attributed in some degree to coalition PSYOPS activity. This success, led the UK to recreate a permanent capability, which was eventually established in the form of 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group in 1998.^[1]

External links

15 (UK) Psychological Operations Group

Notes

1. ^History - British PSYOPS, accessed January 2007.