Brigadier Matthew Birch

SRO Land ISTAR and Land Information Activities British Army

Brigadier Matt Birch was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1998. He has “manned the guns” for all his regimental duty: serving initially in 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery as a Command Post Officer and Battery Recce Officer; then 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery as a Fire Support Team Commander, Adjutant and Battery Commander; and 4th Regiment Royal Artillery as Battery Commander. In addition, he served as the Brigade Major Royal Artillery in the Offensive Support Group of 1 (United Kingdom) Armoured Division based in Herford, Germany 2010-12. His final artillery posting was as Commanding Officer, 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. As a Brigadier he was Chief Joint Fires and Influence Branch in HQ Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Operationally Brigadier Birch has deployed to Bosnia as a Battery Recce Officer and Civil Military Affairs Officer (1999), and Afghanistan as a Fire Support Team Commander (2002), Battery Commander (2010) and CJ33 within the 4* NATO RESOLUTE SUPPORT headquarters (2017-18). Non-operationally he deployed repeatedly on a Defence Engagement role with African Union forces in Somalia, and prior to the recent invasion, to the Ukraine within NATO mentoring. On the Staff he has been employed within the Capability and Acquisition field from Maj to Brig. Initially working in Defence Equipment and Support, that has been extended with multiple roles in Army HQ across plans and delivery. This has notably included SRO for the Land Fires 25 Programme and Programme Director (PD) for the Watchkeeper Unmanned Aerial System then as Assistant Head C4ISTAR, PD for the ISTAR and IA&O programmes and latterly as Head of Military Capability Delivery in the Programmes Directorate. Brigadier Birch assumed SRO Land ISTAR and IA in Feb 24. He graduated from the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2014 additionally completing a Masters Degree in International Security from King’s College, London; this also enabled him to develop his East Africa experience by focusing on stabilisation operations in Islamic Africa. He has also graduated from the Major Project Leaders Academy with the Said Business School, Oxford University. He is married to Faye and has two young children, Guy and Iona. Brigadier Birch is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society which underpins his interest in travel and adventure. A keen climber, alpinist, mountain biker and skier his pursuits are enabled by a small family apartment in Chamonix, France. He also encourages mountain activity within the Army as President of the Army Telemark Skiing Association as well as being President of Royal Artillery Parachuting and Honorary Colonel for 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery