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Armed Groups

80 entities tracked across Lowdown briefings. Page 1 of 2.

1S
123rd Separate Territorial Defence BrigadeUAUkrainian brigade that confirmed the Kinburn Spit ground-robot landing.
2M
24th Marine Expeditionary UnitUSUS Marine Corps rapid-response expeditionary force; ran the June 2026 Guantanamo readiness drills.
3M
31st Marine Expeditionary UnitUSForward-deployed US Marine unit; its Tripoli ARG remains part of the Gulf build-up.
3A
36th Armoured DivisionILIDF armoured division in southern Lebanon; deputy commander wounded in Hezbollah IED on 18 June, first IDF death since MOU.
3S
37th Separate Airborne Assault BrigadeBYBelarusian airborne brigade being completed near Gomel, roughly 40km from Ukraine.
7R
75th RangersUSUS Army elite light infantry regiment; first to integrate live FPV drones into Best Ranger Competition.
8A
82nd Airborne DivisionUSUS Army airborne division: America's Guard of Honor, now forward-deploying to the Middle East.
9D
98th DivisionILIDF division deployed to southern Lebanon during the 2026 conflict.
AA
Army Air and Missile Defense CommandUSUS Army command responsible for air and missile defence operations.
AD
Australian Defence ForceAUAustralia's combined armed forces, comprising army, navy, and air force.
BD
Bahrain Defence ForceBHBahrain's national armed forces, host of the 1 July regional security dialogue.
BF
Baltic FleetRURussia's naval force in the Baltic Sea, headquartered at Kronstadt and Kaliningrad.
B
BasijIRIRGC paramilitary militia; Iran's primary instrument of domestic coercion and wartime enforcement.
BE
Belgian Engineer DiversBEBelgian military divers who will operate the new ROVs.
BE
Belgian Explosive Ordnance Disposal ServiceBEBelgium's bomb-disposal service, a recipient of the ROV order.
BN
Belgian Naval Mine Warfare GroupBEBelgian navy's mine-warfare unit, a recipient of the ROV order.
BS
Belgian Special Forces GroupBEBelgium's special forces unit, a recipient of the twelve-ROV order.
BA
British ArmyGBUK's land warfare service; procuring autonomous drones and ground vehicles via fast-track routes in 2026.
CD
Charles de GaulleFRFrench Navy nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, flagship of the Marine nationale.
C9
Code 9.2UAUkrainian drone operations unit credited with striking the Chonhar Bridge on 7 June 2026.
E
ELDYSAGRGreek Patriot PAC-3 battery deployed to Saudi Arabia, now in live combat against Iranian missiles.
GB
Givati BrigadeILIsraeli infantry brigade; suffered the death of a female soldier in a Hezbollah drone attack on a south Lebanon border position.
H
HezbollahLBIran-backed Lebanese militia and political party; dismissed the June 2026 Lebanon framework as null.
HD
HMS DragonGBRoyal Navy Type 45 destroyer; Sea Viper air-defence; escorts the autonomous MCM package awaiting Hormuz clearance orders.
H
HouthisYEYemeni armed movement in Sanaa; blockades Israeli and Saudi shipping via radio warnings alone.
IA
Iranian ArmyIRIran's conventional armed forces; issued 9 May 2026 Hormuz warning to sanctions-compliant states.
Iraqi ArmyIQGround, air, and counter-terrorism forces of the Iraqi state, rebuilt after the 2003 US-led invasion and subsequently tested by the ISIS insurgency.
IS
Iraqi Shia militiasIraqi Shia armed groups under IRGC guidance, named in Saudi's August targets warning.
IN
IRGC NavyIRIran's Revolutionary Guard naval arm; claims a Hormuz closure CENTCOM denies is in effect.
IQ
IRGC Quds ForceIRIran's IRGC extraterritorial arm directing proxy militias across the Middle East
ID
IRIS DenaIRIranian frigate torpedoed by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean, March 2026.
IR
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)IRIran's ideological military force; de facto governing authority and Hormuz toll-keeper since 2026.
ID
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)ILIsrael's national military; fighting in Lebanon and Iran simultaneously since February 2026.
JG
Japan Ground Self-Defense ForceJPJapan's Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) is the land branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, responsible for territorial defence; it ordered Red Cat Black Widow drones in 2026.
J
JIATF-401USPentagon counter-drone task force; home of Lattice platform and Gauntlet II red team
J
JSOCUSUS military's elite special operations command; primary counter-terrorism and direct action force.
KH
Kataib HezbollahIQIran-backed Iraqi Shia militia; declared it "will not remain neutral" in the US-Iran war. Part of Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces.
LA
Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF)LBLebanon's national army; now the designated deployment and handover force in the Israel-Lebanon de-escalation.
M
M23CDA Rwandan-backed armed group that has controlled large areas of eastern DR Congo, including South Kivu, since February 2025, with no public-health or outbreak-management apparatus.
MM
Main Missile and Artillery DirectorateRUDirectorate of Russia's ground forces responsible for missile and artillery procurement, designated under INKSNA on 4 August.
M
MC-130JUSAF special operations transport aircraft used for covert infiltration, exfiltration, and aerial refuelling.
MD
Milicias de Tropas TerritorialesCUA Cuban part-time civilian paramilitary force under MINFAR, designated on 13 July as an instrument of repression.
N
NasrLBHezbollah's southern regional command; suffered leadership casualties in Israeli strikes on 7-8 May 2026.
N
Nimitz-classUSUS Navy nuclear-powered supercarrier class; ten ships, 100,000 tonnes, primary US power-projection asset.
N
NOPOIRNOPO (Nirouy-e Enteẓāmi-ye Vijeh, Special Units of Police) is Iran's special forces riot police unit, deployed for high-security and counterinsurgency operations.
PM
Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF)IQIraqi state-sanctioned umbrella of mostly Shia paramilitary factions, many aligned with Iran.
RF
Radwan ForceLBHezbollah's elite special operations unit, trained for cross-border raids into Israel.
RA
RAF AkrotiriCYBritish sovereign air base in Cyprus; first British territory struck in the 2026 Iran conflict.
RA
Royal Air ForceGBRoyal Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of the British Armed Forces responsible for UK air defence and power projection.
R3
Russian 3rd Combined Arms ArmyRURussian army formation near Sloviansk; stalled with no progress since 22 March.
RA
Russian Air ForceRURussia's military aviation branch; fuel supply degraded by Ukrainian refinery drone strikes in 2026.
S
Sever-AkhmatRUA Chechen volunteer regiment fighting with Russian forces in Ukraine, named after Chechen leader Akhmad Kadyrov.
S
SOCOMUSUS Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB; Tekever's prime US procurement target via Fayetteville office.
SB
Special Boat ServiceGBUK special forces unit specialising in maritime operations.
TF
Task Force 59USUS Navy task force based in Bahrain that integrates AI and unmanned systems into fleet operations, operating experimental USVs including the Saronic Corsair.
TF
Task Force RAPSTONEGBBritish Army fast-track procurement mechanism for uncrewed ground vehicles; awarded ARX the GEREON contract.
TF
Task Force X-ArcticXONATO uncrewed-systems trial force launched 6 June 2026; surveys GIUK gap seabed from NRV Alliance.
T
THAADUSUS anti-ballistic missile system defending against medium- and long-range ballistic threats.
UA
Ukrainian Armed ForcesUAUkraine's national military; all branches including army, navy, air force, and drone forces.
US
Unmanned Systems ForcesUAUkraine's dedicated drone-warfare branch; struck the Baltic Fleet at Kronstadt in June 2026.