Ulster Army Council

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The Ulster Army Council (or UAC) was set up in 1973 as an umbrella group by the Ulster Defence Association and the Ulster Volunteer Force to co-ordinate joint paramilitary operations during the Loyalist strike. Andy Tyrie was the head of the group - and was also the then commander of the Ulster Defence Association.

The following groups along with the UDA and UVF were members of the Ulster Army Council, the Orange Volunteers, Down Orange Welfare, Ulster Special Constabulary Association, Ulster Volunteer Service Corps and Red Hand Commandos.

The main aim of the group was to set-up a Loyalist army of around 20,000 men to take control of Northern Ireland if necessary, to prevent any attempt of the re-Unification of Ireland, in which the group planned to seize control of Northern Ireland and declare a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). The group was replaced by the Ulster Loyalist Central Co-ordinating Committee (ULCCC) after the 1974 Ulster Workers' Council Strike.