| Military Reaction Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | Mid-1971 – early 1973 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Role | Counterinsurgency Special reconnaissance Clandestine human intelligence |
| Size | 40 |
| Part of | 39th Infantry Brigade |
| Headquarters | Palace Barracks, Northern Ireland |
| Engagements | Operation Banner (The Troubles) |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Cpt. James McGregor (June 1972 onward) |
| Commander | Cpt. Arthur Watchus (until June 1972) |
The Military Reaction Force, Military Reconnaissance Force or Mobile Reconnaissance Force (MRF)[1] was a covert intelligence-gathering and counterinsurgency unit of the British Army active in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The unit was formed during the summer of 1971[1] and operated until late 1972 or early 1973. MRF teams operated in plain clothes and civilian vehicles, equipped with pistols and submachine guns. They were tasked with tracking and arresting or killing members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). It is alleged that the MRF killed a number of Catholic civilians in drive-by shootings.[2]
The MRF also handled informers within the paramilitary groups and ran several front companies to gather intelligence.[3] In October 1972, the IRA uncovered and attacked two of the MRF's front companies—a mobile laundry service and a massage parlour—which contributed to the unit's dissolution. The MRF was succeeded by the Special Reconnaissance Unit (SRU; or 14 Intelligence Company) and, later, by the Force Research Unit (FRU).
- ^ a b Taylor, Peter (2001). Brits: The War Against the IRA. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 128–130.
- ^ "Undercover soldiers 'killed unarmed civilians in Belfast'". BBC News. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ Ed Moloney (November 2003). A Secret History of the IRA. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 119–122/123. ISBN 978-0-393-32502-7. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
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