TheBritish Armed Forces are the unifiedmilitary forces responsible for the defence of theUnited Kingdom, itsOverseas Territories and theCrown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support internationalpeacekeeping efforts and providehumanitarian aid.[6] The force is also known asHis Majesty's Armed Forces[7][8] due to the British monarch's status ascommander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
Since the formation of the unitedKingdom of Great Britain in 1707 (later succeeded by theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and finally by theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),[9] the British Armed Forces have seen action in most major wars involving the world'sgreat powers, including theSeven Years' War, theNapoleonic Wars, theCrimean War, theFirst World War and theSecond World War. Britain's victories in most of these wars allowed it to influence world events and establish itself as one of the world's leading military andeconomic powers.[10] The British Armed Forces consist of: theRoyal Navy, ablue-water navy with a fleet of 62 commissioned and active ships, together with theRoyal Marines, a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force; theBritish Army, the UK'sland warfare branch; and theRoyal Air Force, a technologically sophisticatedair force with a diverse operational fleet consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The British Armed Forces include standing forces,Regular Reserve,Volunteer Reserves andSponsored Reserves.
King Charles III,sovereign of the United Kingdom, is thecommander-in-chief and is styled asHead of the Armed Forces,[11][12] with officers and personnel swearingallegiance to him. Long-standing constitutional convention, however, has vestedde facto executive authority, by the exercise ofroyal prerogative, in thePrime Minister and thesecretary of state for defence. The Prime Minister (acting with theCabinet) makes the key decisions on the use of the armed forces.[13][14] TheUK Parliament approves the continued existence of the British Army by passing anArmed Forces Act at least once every five years, as required by theBill of Rights 1689. Only a "standing army" requires reapproval by Parliament; the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Marines and any other forces are not included in the requirement. The armed forces are managed by theDefence Council.
The United Kingdom is one of fiverecognised nuclear powers, a permanent member on theUnited Nations Security Council, a founding and leading member ofNATO and party to theAUKUS security pact and theFive Power Defence Arrangements. Overseas garrisons and training facilities are maintained atAscension Island,Bahrain,Belize,Bermuda,British Indian Ocean Territory,Brunei,Canada,Cyprus, theFalkland Islands,Germany,Gibraltar,Kenya,Montserrat,Nepal,Qatar,Singapore and theUnited States.[15] The British Armed Forces provided military training to approximately 140 countries in 2024–25.[16]
With theActs of Union 1707, the armed forces of England and Scotland were merged into the armed forces of theKingdom of Great Britain.[9]
There were originally several naval and several military regular and reserveforces, although most of these were consolidated into the Royal Navy or the British Army during the 19th and 20th Centuries (theRoyal Naval Air Service and theRoyal Flying Corps of the British Army, by contrast, were separated from their parent forces in 1918 and amalgamated to form a new force, theRoyal Air Force, which would have complete responsibility for naval, military and strategic aviation until theSecond World War).
Naval forces included theRoyal Navy, theWaterguard, later renamed theHM Coastguard, andSea Fencibles andRiver Fencibles formed as and when required for the duration of emergencies. TheMerchant Navy and offshore fishing boat crews were also important manpower reserves to the armed naval forces. Any seaman was liable toimpressment, with many so conscripted especially during the two decades of conflict from the French Revolution until the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and from 1835 registered on theRegister of Seamen to identify them as a potential resource, and many of their seamen would serve part time in theRoyal Navy Reserve, created under the Naval Reserve Act 1859, andRoyal Naval Volunteer Reserve, created in 1903.
The British military (those parts of the British Armed Forces tasked with land warfare, as opposed to the naval forces)[17] historically was divided into a number ofmilitary forces, of which the British Army (also referred to historically as the 'Regular Army' and the 'Regular Force') was only one.[18][19] The oldest of these organisations was theMilitia Force (also referred to as theConstitutional Force),[20][21][22][23] which (in theKingdom of England) was originally the main military defensive force (there otherwise were originally only royal bodyguards, including theYeomen Warders and theYeomen of the Guard, with armies raised only temporarily for expeditions overseas), made up of civilians embodied for annual training or emergencies, and had used various schemes of compulsory service during different periods of its long existence.
The Militia was originally an all infantry force, organised at the city or county level, and members were not required to serve outside of their recruitment area, although the area within which militia units in Britain could be posted was increased to anywhere in the Britain during the 18th century, andMilitia coastal artillery, field artillery, and engineers units were introduced from the 1850s.[24] TheYeomanry was a mounted force that could be mobilised in times of war or emergency.[25]Volunteer Force units were also frequently raised during wartime, which did not rely on compulsory service and hence attracted recruits keen to avoid the Militia. These were seen as a useful way to add to military strength economically during wartime, but otherwise as a drain on the Militia and so were not normally maintained in peacetime, although in Bermuda prominent propertied men were still appointedCaptains of Forts, taking charge of maintaining and commanding fortifiedcoastal artillery batteries and manned by volunteers (reinforced in wartime by embodied militiamen), defending the colony's coast from the 17th century to the 19th century (when all of the batteries were taken over by the regular Royal Artillery).[26][27] The militia system was extended to a number of English (subsequentlyBritish) colonies, beginning withVirginia andBermuda. In some colonies,Troops of Horse or other mounted units similar to the Yeomanry were also created.[28] The militia and volunteer units of a colony were generally considered to be separate forces from theHome Militia Force and Volunteer Force in the United Kingdom, and from the militia forces and volunteer forces of other colonies. Where a colony had more than one militia or volunteer unit, they would be grouped as a militia or volunteer force for that colony, such as the Jamaica Volunteer Defence Force, which comprised the St. Andrew Rifle Corps, or Kingston Infantry Volunteers, the Jamaica Corps of Scouts, and the Jamaica Reserve Regiment,[29] but not theJamaica Militia Artillery.[30] In smaller colonies with a single militia or volunteer unit, that single unit would still be considered to be listed within a force, or in some case might be named a force rather than a regiment or corps, such as is the case for theFalkland Islands Defence Force and theRoyal Montserrat Defence Force. The militia, yeomanry and volunteer forces collectively were known as thereserve forces,auxiliary forces, orlocal forces. Officers of these forces could not sit on courts martial of regular forces personnel. TheMutiny Act did not apply to members of the Reserve Forces.
The other regular military force that existed alongside the British Army was theBoard of Ordnance, which included theOrdnance Military Corps (made up of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and the Royal Sappers and Miners), as well as the originally-civilianCommissariat Stores and transport departments, as well as barracks departments, ordnance factories and various other functions supporting the various naval and military forces.[31][32] The English Army, subsequently the British Army once Scottish regiments were moved onto its establishment following the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England, was originally a separate force from these, but absorbed the Ordnance Military Corps and various previously civilian departments after the Board of Ordnance was abolished in 1855.[33][34] TheReserve Forces (which referred to the Home Yeomanry, Militia and Volunteer Forces before the 1859 creation of theBritish ArmyRegular Reserve bySecretary of State for WarSidney Herbert, and re-organised under theReserve Force Act 1867)[35] were increasingly integrated with the British Army through a succession of reforms over the last two decades of the 19th century (in 1871, command of the Auxiliary Forces in the British Isles was taken from theLords-Lieutenant of counties and transferred to theWar Office, though colonial governors retained control of their militia and volunteer forces, and by the end of the century, at the latest, any unit wholly or partly funded from Army funds was considered part of the British Army) and the early years of the 20th century,[36] whereby the Reserve Forces units mostly lost their own identities and became numberedTerritorial Force sub-units of regular British Army corps or regiments (the Home Militia had followed this path, with the Militia Infantry units becoming numbered battalions of British Army regiments, and the Militia Artillery integrating within Royal Artillery territorial divisions in 1882 and 1889, and becoming parts of theRoyal Field Artillery orRoyal Garrison Artillery in 1902 (though retaining their traditional corps names), but was not merged into the Territorial Force when it was created in 1908 (by the merger of the Yeomanry and Volunteer Force). The Militia was instead renamed theSpecial Reserve,[37][38][39] and was permanently suspended after the First World War (although a handful of Militia units survived in the United Kingdom, its colonies, and the Crown Dependencies). Unlike the Home, Imperial Fortress and Crown Dependency Militia and Volunteer units and forces that continued to exist after the First World War, although parts of the British military, most were not considered parts of theBritish Army[40][41] unless they received Army funds, as was the case for theBermuda Militia Artillery and theBermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps,[42][24] which was generally only the case for those in the Channel Islands or the Imperial Fortress colonies (Nova Scotia, beforeCanadian Confederation, Bermuda, Gibraltar, and Malta).[43][44][45] Today, the British Army is the only Home British military force (unless theArmy Cadet Force and theCombined Cadet Force are considered), including both the regular army and the forces it absorbed, though British military units organised on Territorial lines remain in British Overseas Territories that are still not considered formally part of the British Army, with only theRoyal Gibraltar Regiment and theRoyal Bermuda Regiment (an amalgam of the old Bermuda Militia Artillery and Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps) appearing on the British Army order of precedence and in the Army List.
Confusingly, and similarly to the dual meaning of the wordCorps in the British Army. As an example, the 1st Battalion of theKing's Royal Rifle Corps was in 1914 part of the 6th Brigade that was part of the2nd Infantry Division, which was itself part of1st Army Corps), the British Army sometimes also used the termexpeditionary force orfield force to describe a body made up of British Army units, most notably theBritish Expeditionary Force, or of a mixture of British Army, Indian Army, or Imperial auxiliary units, such as theMalakand Field Force (this is similarly to the naval use of the termtask force). In this usage,force is used to describe a self-reliant body able to act without external support, at least within the parameters of the task or objective for which it is employed.
During the later half of the 17th century, and in particular, throughout the 18th century, British foreign policy sought to contain the expansion of rival European powers through military, diplomatic and commercial means, especially of its chief competitorsSpain, theNetherlands, andFrance. This saw Britain engage in a number of intense conflicts over colonial possessions and world trade, including a long string of Anglo-Spanish and Anglo-Dutch wars, as well as a series of "world wars" with France, such as; theSeven Years' War (1756–1763), theFrench Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and theNapoleonic Wars (1803–1815). During the Napoleonic wars, the Royal Navy victory atTrafalgar (1805) under the command ofHoratio Nelson (aboardHMSVictory) marked the culmination of British maritime supremacy, and left the Navy in a position of uncontested hegemony at sea.[46] By 1815 and the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had risen to become the world's dominantgreat power and theBritish Empire subsequently presided over a period of relative peace, known asPax Britannica.[10][47]
With Britain's old rivals no-longer a threat, the 19th century saw the emergence of a new rival, theRussian Empire, and a strategic competition in what became known asThe Great Game for supremacy inCentral Asia.[48] Britain feared that Russian expansionism in the region would eventually threaten theEmpire in India.[48] In response, Britain undertook a number of pre-emptive actions against perceived Russian ambitions, including theFirst Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842), theSecond Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880)[49] and theBritish expedition to Tibet (1903–1904). During this period, Britain also sought to maintain thebalance of power in Europe, particularly against Russian expansionism,[50] who at the expense of the waningOttoman Empire had ambitions to "carve up the European part of Turkey".[51] This ultimately led to British involvement in theCrimean War (1854–1856) against the Russian Empire.[51]
The beginning of the 20th century served toreduce tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire, partly due to the emergence of a unifiedGerman Empire. The era brought about anAnglo-German naval arms race, which encouraged significant advancements in maritime technology, includingDreadnoughts,torpedoes,submarines), and, in 1906, Britain determined that its only likely naval enemy was Germany.[52] Theaccumulated tensions in European relations finally broke out into the hostilities of theFirst World War (1914–1918), in what is recognised today, as the most devastating war in British military history, with nearly 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded.[53]Allied victory resulted in the defeat of theCentral Powers, the end of the German Empire, theTreaty of Versailles and the establishment of theLeague of Nations.
Germany was defeated in the First World War, but by 1933fascism had given rise toNazi Germany, which under the leadership ofAdolf Hitler re-militarised in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. Once againtensions accumulated in European relations, and following Germany'sinvasion of Poland in September 1939, theSecond World War began (1939–1945).[54] The conflict was the most widespread in British history, with British Empire andCommonwealth troops engaged in military campaigns in Europe,North Africa, theMiddle East, and theFar East. Approximately 390,000 British Empire and Commonwealth troops died.[55]Allied victory resulted in the defeat of theAxis powers and the establishment of theUnited Nations, replacing the League of nations.
Post–Second World War economic and political decline, as well as changing attitudes in British society and government, were reflected by the armed forces' contracting global role,[56][57] and later epitomised by its political defeat during theSuez Crisis (1956).[58] ReflectingBritain's new role in the world and the escalation of theCold War (1947–1991), the country became a founding member of theNATO military alliance in 1949.Defence Reviews, such as those in1957 and1966, announced significant reductions in conventional forces,[59] the pursuement of a doctrine based onnuclear deterrence,[60][61] and a permanent military withdrawaleast of Suez.[62][63] By the mid-1970s, the armed forces had reconfigured to focus on the responsibilities allocated to them by NATO.[57][64][65] TheBritish Army of the Rhine andRAF Germany consequently represented the largest and most important overseas commitments that the armed forces had during this period,[66] while the Royal Navy developed ananti-submarine warfare specialisation, with a particular focus on counteringSoviet submarines in the Eastern Atlantic andNorth Sea.[64]
While NATO obligations took increased prominence, Britain nonetheless found itself engaged in a number of low-intensity conflicts, including a spate of insurgencies against colonial occupation.[67] However theDhofar Rebellion (1962–1976) andThe Troubles (1969–1998) emerged as the primary operational concerns of the armed forces.[67] Perhaps the most important conflict during the Cold War, at least in the context of British defence policy, was theFalklands War (1982).[68]
Sincethe end of the Cold War, an increasingly international role for the armed forces has been pursued, with re-structuring to deliver a greater focus onexpeditionary warfare andpower projection.[69] This entailed the armed forces often constituting a major component inpeacekeeping and humanitarian missions under the auspices of the United Nations, NATO, and other multinational operations,[70] including: peacekeeping responsibilities in theBalkans andCyprus, the 2000intervention in Sierra Leone and participation in the UN-mandatedno-fly zone over Libya (2011). Post-9/11, the armed forces became heavily committed to thewar on terror (2001–present), with lengthy campaigns inAfghanistan (2001–2021) andIraq (2003–2009), and more recently as part of theMilitary intervention against ISIL (2014–present). Britain's military intervention againstIslamic State was expanded following a parliamentary vote to launch a bombing campaign overSyria; an extension of the bombing campaign requested by the Iraqi government against the same group. In addition to the aerial campaign, the British Army has trained and supplied allies on the ground and theSpecial Air Service, theSpecial Boat Service, and theSpecial Reconnaissance Regiment (British special forces) has carried out various missions on the ground in both Syria and Iraq.
The armed forces have also been called upon to assist with national emergencies through the provisions of themilitary aid to the civil authorities (MACA) mechanism. This has seen the armed forces assist government departments and civil authorities responding to flooding, food shortages, wildfires, terrorist attacks and theCOVID-19 pandemic;[71] the armed forces' support to the latter falls underOperation Rescript, described as the UK's "biggest ever homeland military operation in peacetime" by the Ministry of Defence.[72]
Figures released by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March 2016 show that 7,185 British Armed Forces personnel have lost their lives inmedal earning theatres since the end of the Second World War.[73]
In 2025, under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the UK published a newStrategic Defence Review (SDR) calling for a shift to "warfighting readiness". Major investments were announced, including the expansion of theSSN-AUKUS attack submarine program to up to 12 boats, acquisition of long-range weapons and advanced air-defence systems, and a possible entry into NATO's nuclear-sharing scheme via the F-35A platform.[74]
King Charles III,sovereign of the United Kingdom, is theHead of the Armed Forces,[11][12] with officers and personnel swearingallegiance to him. Long-standing constitutional convention, however, hasde facto vested military authority and associatedroyal prerogative powers in theprime minister and thesecretary of state for defence, with the former (acting with the support of theCabinet) making the key decisions on the use of the armed forces. As the prime minister is not the formal head of the armed forces, the chief of the defence staff could refuse a direction by them to use theUK's nuclear arsenal.[75]
TheMinistry of Defence[b] is the government department charged with formulating and executing defence policy. It currently employs 56,860 civilian staff members as of 1 October 2015.[76] The department is administered by the secretary of state for defence who is assisted by theMinister of State for the Armed Forces,Minister for Defence Procurement, and Minister for Veterans' Affairs. Responsibility for the management of the forces is delegated to a number of committees: theDefence Council,Chiefs of Staff Committee, Defence Management Board and three single-service boards. The Defence Council, composed of senior representatives of the services and the Ministry of Defence, provides the "formal legal basis for the conduct of defence". The three constituent single-service committees (Admiralty Board,Army Board andAir Force Board) are chaired by the secretary of state for defence.
Thechief of the defence staff (CDS) is the senior-most officer of the armed forces and is an appointment that can be held by anadmiral,air chief marshal orgeneral. Before the practice was discontinued in the 1990s, those who were appointed to the position of CDS had been elevated to themost senior rank in their respective service.[77] The CDS, along with the permanent under secretary, are the principal military advisers to the secretary of state. All three services have their own respective professional chiefs; theFirst Sea Lord for theRoyal Navy, thechief of the general staff for theArmy and thechief of the air staff for theRoyal Air Force.
As of 1 July 2025 the British Armed Forces are a professional force with a total strength of 180,779 personnel, consisting of 136,117 UK Regulars and 4,127Gurkhas, 31,967Volunteer Reserves and 8,568 "Other Personnel".[c][78] As a percentage breakdown of UK Service Personnel, 77.1% are UK Regulars and Gurkhas, 18.8% are Volunteer Reserves and 4.1% are composed of Other Personnel.[78] In addition, all ex-Regular personnel retain a "statutory liability for service" and are liable to be recalled (under Section 52 of the Reserve Forces Act (RFA) 1996) for duty during wartime, which is known as theRegular Reserve. MoD publications since April 2013 no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract. These contracts are similar in nature to those of the Volunteer Reserve.[79]
The distribution of personnel between the services and categories of service on 1 January 2025 was as follows:[78]
| Service | Regular | Volunteer Reserve | Other personnel | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | 31,906 | 3,217 | 2,478 | 37,601 |
| Army and Gurkhas | 77,974 | 25,742, | 4,697 | 108,413 |
| Air Force | 30,364 | 3,008 | 1,393 | 34,765 |
| Total | 140,244 | 31,967 | 8,568 | 180,779 |
On 1 April 2024, most personnel in the UK Regular Forces were stationed in the United Kingdom (around 96%).[80]
Of the 5,700 personnel stationed overseas, around two thirds were in Europe (66%), while 14% were stationed in North America, 6% in North Africa and the Middle East, 6% in Asia and 5% in Sub-Saharan Africa.[80] 1,230 personnel were distributed across several regions in Germany, primarilyNorth Rhine-Westphalia as part ofBritish Army Germany. However, up to 750 of these were Locally Engaged Civilians.[81]
According to theStockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United Kingdom is in sixth place in the world's military spending list in 2024.[82] For comparison: Great Britain spends more in absolute terms than Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, France or Japan, but less than India, Germany, Russia, China or the United States.[82] In September 2011, according to Professor Malcolm Chalmers of theRoyal United Services Institute, current "planned levels of defence spending should be enough for the United Kingdom to maintain its position as one of the world's top military powers, as well as being one of NATO-Europe's top military powers. Its edge – not least its qualitative edge – in relation to rising Asian powers seems set to erode, but will remain significant well into the 2020s, and possibly beyond."[83] TheStrategic Defence and Security Review 2015 committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence and announced a £178 billion investment over ten years in new equipment and capabilities.[84][85] On 8 March 2023 Prime MinisterRishi Sunak announced a further £5bn in defence spending with a long-term goal of an increased spending to 2.5% of GDP.[86]
The United Kingdom is one of five recognised nuclear weapon states under theNon-Proliferation Treaty and maintains an independentnuclear deterrent, currently consisting of fourVanguard-classballistic missile submarines,UGM-133 Trident IIsubmarine-launched ballistic missiles, and 160 operationalthermonuclear warheads. This is known asTrident in both public and political discourse (with nomenclature taken after the UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missile). Trident is operated by theRoyal Navy Submarine Service, charged with delivering a 'Continuous At-Sea Deterrent' (CASD) capability, whereby one of theVanguard-class strategic submarines is always on patrol.[87] According to the British Government, since the introduction ofPolaris (Trident's predecessor) in the 1960s, from April 1969 "the Royal Navy's ballistic missile boats have not missed a single day on patrol",[87] giving what theDefence Council described in 1980 as a deterrent "effectively invulnerable to pre-emptive attack".[88] As of 2015, it has been British Government policy for theVanguard-class strategic submarines to carry no more than 40 nuclear warheads, delivered by eight UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles.[89] In contrast with the other recognised nuclear weapon states, the United Kingdom operates only a submarine-based delivery system, having decommissioned its tacticalWE.177 free-fall bombs in 1998.
TheHouse of Commons voted on 18 July 2016 in favour of replacing theVanguard-class submarines with a new generation ofDreadnought-class submarines.[90] The programme will also contribute to extending the life of the UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles and modernise the infrastructure associated with the CASD.[91]
Formerweapons of mass destruction possessed by the United Kingdom include both biological andchemical weapons. These were renounced in 1956 and subsequently destroyed.
The British Armed Forces historically relied on fourImperial fortress colonies (Bermuda,[92] Gibraltar, Halifax and its environs in Nova Scotia, and Malta),[93] where dockyards were established, naval squadrons based, soldiers garrisoned,[94][95][96] and naval and military stores stockpiled.[97][98][99] These acted as lynchpins in maintaining British naval supremacy on the Atlantic and its connected seas.[100][101][102][103][104] As, until the end of the First World War, it was presumed the only navies that might prove a threat were all of countries on, or off, the Atlantic, no Imperial fortress was established in the Pacific or Indian Oceans, to which power would be extended from Bermuda and Malta following the completion of the Panama and Suez canals. Local-service military reserve units were raised in some of the Imperial fortresses (notably Bermuda and Malta), which could be embodied for full time service in war time to reinforce the regular garrisons, and these were funded by the War Office as part of the British Army. After the First World War, the growing belligerence and naval power of the Japanese Empire led to the construction of the Singapore Naval Base. The regular British Armed Forces otherwise were distributed around the world, were required to guard against invasion or rebellion, reinforced in some colonies by locally raised reserve forces. In colonies where there was no strategic requirement, regular forces were rarely stationed, with local governments encouraged to maintain and fund military reserve units as contributions to their own defence (although these units were ultimately under the control of the national, i.e. British, Government via the colonial Governors as defence is not a competency that has been delegated to local governments). Under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance, and with the steady reduction of both the British Empire and the British Armed Forces over the decades that followed the Second World War, the significance of the three remaining Imperial fortresses (military control of Halifax having passed to the new Dominion government following the 1867Confederation of Canada, and naval control transferred in 1905 to what was to become theRoyal Canadian Navy) rapidly faded. The Bermuda-basedNorth America and West Indies Station was abolished in 1956, and the last regular army units removed from the Bermuda Command in 1957 (leaving only two part-time reserve units), with the naval dockyard in Bermuda reduced to a base,[105] without repair or refit capabilities, in 1951 and finally closed in 1995, following the Cold War (United States and Canadian bases in Bermuda closed in the same period), leaving only theRoyal Bermuda Regiment and theBermuda Sea Cadet Corps there today.[106] Malta became independent in 1964, and the last British armed forces personnel were removed from the former colony in 1979. Gibraltar continues to be used by the regular British Armed Forces, though the naval and military establishment in the colony (now termed aBritish Overseas Territory) has been reduced to several Royal Naval patrol craft, the locally raisedRoyal Gibraltar Regiment, and aRoyal Air Force Station without aircraft based on it.
The British Armed Forces today maintain a number of overseas garrisons and military facilities which enable the country to conduct operations worldwide. The majority of Britain's permanent military installations are located onBritish Overseas Territories (BOTs) orformer colonies which retain close diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom, and located in areas of strategic importance.[15] The most significant of these are the "Permanent Joint Operating Bases" (PJOBs), located on the four overseas territories of Cyprus (British Forces Cyprus), Gibraltar (British Forces Gibraltar), the Falkland Islands (British Forces South Atlantic Islands) and Diego Garcia (British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories).[107] While not a PJOB, Ascension Island (another BOT) is home to the airbaseRAF Ascension Island, notable for use as a staging post during the 1982Falklands War, the territory is also the site of a joint UK-USsignals intelligence facility.[15]
Qatar is home toRAF Al Udeid, a Royal Air Force outpost atAl Udeid Air Base which serves as the operational headquarters forNo. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and its operations across the Middle East.[108] A large Royal NavyNaval Support Facility (NSF) is located in Bahrain, established in 2016 it marks the British return East of Suez.[109] In support of theFive Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), the United Kingdom retains a naval repair and logistics support facility atSembawang wharf, Singapore.[15][110] Other overseas military installations include;British Forces Brunei,[111]British Army Germany,[112] theBritish Army Training Unit Kenya,[113]British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada,[114]British Army Training and Support Unit Belize, andBritish Gurkhas Nepal.[115]
Some British Overseas Territories also maintain locally raised units and regiments;The Royal Bermuda Regiment, theFalkland Islands Defence Force, theRoyal Gibraltar Regiment, theRoyal Montserrat Defence Force, theCayman Islands Regiment, and theTurks and Caicos Regiment. Though their primary mission is "home defence", individuals have volunteered for operational duties. The Royal Bermuda Regiment is an amalgam of theBermuda Militia Artillery (which had been part of theRoyal Regiment of Artillery) and theBermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps,[116] raised in the 1890s as Imperial forces funded by the War Office as part of the British Army,[117] and both antecedent units sent contingents to the Western Front during the First World War. They also sent contingents that served in North-Western Europe, and Italy and North Africa during the Second World War. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment mobilised section-sized units for attachment to British regiments deployed during theIraq War.[118][119] TheIsle of Man, aCrown dependency hosts a multi-capability recruiting and training unit of theBritish Army Reserve.[120]
Since 1969 Britain has had a military satellite communications system,Skynet, initially in large part to supportEast of Suez bases and deployments. Since 2015 Skynet has offered near global coverage.[121]
The British Armed Forces place significant importance in the ability to conductexpeditionary warfare.[69] While the armed forces are expeditionary in nature, it maintains a core of "high readiness" forces trained and equipped to deploy at very short notice, these include; theJoint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) (Royal Navy),UK Commando Force (Royal Marines), and16 Air Assault Brigade (British Army). Frequently, these forces will act as part of a larger tri-service effort, under the direction ofPermanent Joint Headquarters, or along with like-minded allies under theJoint Expeditionary Force. Similarly, under the auspices ofNATO, such expeditionary forces are designed to meet Britain's obligations to theAllied Rapid Reaction Corps and other NATO operations.
In 2010, the governments of the United Kingdom andFrance signed theLancaster House Treaties which committed both governments to the creation of a Franco-BritishCombined Joint Expeditionary Force.[122] It is envisaged as a deployable joint force, for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations. As a joint force it involves all three armed Services: a land component composed of formations at national brigade level, maritime and air components with their associated Headquarters, together with logistics and support functions.[123]
_underway_during_trials_with_HMS_Sutherland_(F81)_and_HMS_Iron_Duke_(F234)_on_28_June_2017_(45162784).jpg)
The Royal Navy is a technologically sophisticated naval force,[124] and as of September 2025 consists of64 commissioned ships with an additional 10 support vessels of various types operated by theRoyal Fleet Auxiliary. Command of deployable assets is exercised by theFleet Commander of theNaval Service.[125] Personnel matters are the responsibility of theSecond Sea Lord/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, an appointment usually held by a vice-admiral.[126]
The Surface Fleet consists ofaircraft carriers,destroyers,frigates,patrol vessels,mine-countermeasure vessels, and other miscellaneous vessels. The Surface Fleet has been structured around a single fleet since the abolition of theEastern andWestern fleets in 1971.[127] The recently builtType 45 destroyers are stealthy and technologically advanced air-defence destroyers. The Royal Navy has commissioned twoQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, embarking an air-group including the advanced fifth-generation multi-role fighter, theF-35B Lightning.[128]
A submarine service has existed within the Royal Navy for more than 100 years. TheSubmarine Service's fourVanguard-class nuclear-powered submarines carryTrident II ballistic missiles, forming theUnited Kingdom's nuclear deterrent. SevenAstute-class nuclear-powered fleet (attack) submarines have been ordered, with six completed and one under construction. TheAstute class are the most advanced and largest fleet submarines ever built for the Royal Navy and will maintain Britain's nuclear-powered submarine fleet capabilities for decades to come.
The Royal Marines are the Royal Navy's amphibious troops. Consisting of a single manoeuvre brigade (UK Commando Force) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise inamphibious,arctic, andmountain warfare.[129] Contained within UK Commando Force are three attached army units; 383 Commando Petroleum Troop RLC,29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, a field artillery regiment based in Plymouth, and24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers.[130] TheCommando Logistic Regiment consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy.[131]
The British Army is the land force of the British Armed Forces, and is made up of the Regular Army and the part-timeArmy Reserve. The Army is commanded by theChief of the General Staff, afour-star general withinArmy Headquarters, based atAndover.[132]
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Deployable combat formations are;[133][134]
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TheInfantry of the British Army has a strength of 48 battalions (32 regular and 16 reserve), structured under 17 unique regiments.[136] These battalions are trained and equipped for specific roles within their respective Brigade Combat Teams (BCT);Light Infantry, such as the famous 1st BattalionGrenadier Guards, within the4th Light Brigade Combat Team, fight on foot without armoured vehicles;Light Mechanised Infantry, such as the 1st BattalionRoyal Yorkshire Regiment, within the7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, operate theFoxhound protected mobility vehicle; Armoured Infantry (to become Heavy Mechanised Infantry underFuture Soldier), such as the 1st BattalionRoyal Regiment of Fusiliers, within the20th Armoured Infantry Brigade Combat Team, operate theWarrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), but will be equipped with the newBoxer mechanised infantry vehicle from 2024.[137][134][138]
The four battalions of theParachute Regiment, forming16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and part ofSpecial Forces Support Group, are the British Army's elite airborne infanteers, held at high readiness and specialising in rapid deployment by parachute and helicopter, widely regarded as the "fittest, most aggressive, resilient and disciplined regiment in the British Army."[139][140][141][142]
TheRoyal Armoured Corps provides the armoured capability of the British Army. TheRoyal Tank Regiment,Queen's Royal Hussars andRoyal Wessex Yeomanry (of theArmy Reserve) operateChallenger 2 main battle tanks, which are being upgraded toChallenger 3, and are part of3rd (UK) Division's Armoured Brigade Combat Teams. Armoured Cavalry regiments, such as theRoyal Dragoon Guards, currently operate theWarrior IFV on an interim basis, untilAjax reachesfull operating capability. There are six Light Cavalry regiments (three Regular + three Reserve) equipped with theJackal 2 andCoyote TSV, tasked with providing reconnaissance and fire support. TheHousehold Cavalry, made up of theLife Guards and theBlues and Royals, operate in a dual role of Armoured Cavalry and Mounted Ceremonial onHorse Guards in London, and for state occasions.[143][144][145][134][146]
The Royal Air Force has a large operational fleet that fulfils various roles, consisting of bothfixed-wing and rotary aircraft.[147] Frontline aircraft are controlled byAir Command, which is organised into fivegroups defined by function:1 Group (Air Combat),2 Group (Air Support),11 Group (Air and Space operations),[148]22 Group (training aircraft and ground facilities) and38 Group (Royal Air Force's Engineering, Logistics, Communications and Medical Operations units).[148] In addition83 Expeditionary Air Group directs formations in the Middle East and the38 Group combines the expeditionarycombat support andcombat service support units of the RAF. Deployable formations consist of Expeditionary AirWings andsquadrons—the basic unit of the Air Force.[149][150] Independentflights are deployed to facilities in Brunei, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, and the United States.[151]
The Royal Air Force operates multi-role and single-role fighters, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and various types of training aircraft.[152]
Ground units are also maintained by the Royal Air Force, most prominently theRAF Police and theRoyal Air Force Regiment (RAF Regt). The Royal Air Force Regiment essentially functions as the ground defence force of the RAF, optimised for the specialist role of fighting on and around forward airfields, which are densely packed with operationally vital aircraft, equipment, infrastructure and personnel.[153] The Regiment contains nine regular squadrons, supported by five squadrons of theRoyal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment. In addition, it providesForward Air Controllers to defence as well as a contribution to theSpecial Forces Support Group.[154][155]
The Ministry of Defence maintains a number of civilian agencies in support of the British Armed Forces. Although they are civilian, they play a vital role in supporting Armed Forces operations, and in certain circumstances are under military discipline:
All three services of the British Armed Forces recruit primarily from within the United Kingdom, although citizens from theCommonwealth of Nations and theRepublic of Ireland are equally eligible to join.[156] The minimum recruitment age is 16 years (although personnel may not serve on armed operations below 18 years, and if under 18 must also have parental consent to join); the maximum recruitment age depends whether the application is for a regular or reserve role; there are further variations in age limit for different corps/regiments. The normal term of engagement is 22 years; however, the minimum service required before resignation is 4 years, plus, in the case of the Army, any service person below the age of 18. A note to add is that in the United Kingdom, people may join the "Cadet Forces" such as the army cadets, Royal Air Force Air Cadets or the sea and Royal Marine Cadets. Young people may join these organisations which are either funded or affiliated with the MOD from the age of 13-18, there is no obligation to then join the armed forces however it teaches key skills in both civilian and military life and is a key recruitment drive for the armed forces.[157] At present, the yearly intake into the armed forces is 11,880 (per the 12 months to 31 March 2014).[158]
Excluding theBrigade of Gurkhas and theRoyal Irish Regiment, as of 1 April 2014 there are approximately 11,200 Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) persons serving as Regulars across the three service branches; of those, 6,610 were recruited from outside the United Kingdom. In total, Black and Minority Ethnic persons represent 7.1% of all service personnel, an increase from 6.6% in 2010.[158]
Since the year 2000,sexual orientation has not been a factor considered in recruitment, and homosexuals can serve openly in the armed forces. All branches of the forces have actively recruited atGay Pride events.[159][160] The forces keep no formal figures concerning the number of gay and lesbian serving soldiers, saying that the sexual orientation of personnel is considered irrelevant and not monitored.[161]
Women have been part of the armed forces, on and off, for centuries, more fully integrated since the early 1990s, including flying fast jets and commanding warships or artillery batteries. As of 1 April 2014, there were approximately 15,840 women serving in the armed forces, representing 9.9% of all service personnel.[158] The first female military pilot wasFlight LieutenantJulie Ann Gibson while Flight LieutenantJo Salter was the first fast-jet pilot, the latter flying a Tornado GR1 on missions patrolling the thenNorthern Iraqi No-Fly Zone.[162] Flight Lieutenant Juliette Fleming andSquadron Leader Nikki Thomas recently[when?] were the first Tornado GR4 crew.[163] While enforcing the Libyan No-Fly Zone, Flight Lieutenant Helen Seymour was identified as the first female Eurofighter Typhoon pilot.[164]
In August 2011, it was announced that a female lieutenant commander,Sarah West, was to command thefrigateHMS Portland.[165] In July 2016, it was announced that women would be allowed to serve in close combat, starting with the Royal Armoured Corps.[166] In July 2017, the Secretary of Defence announced that women would be allowed to enlist in theRAF Regiment from September 2017, a year ahead of schedule.[167] In 2018, women were allowed to apply for all roles in the British military, including thespecial forces.[168] As of 10 June 2024[update], themost senior serving woman isfour-star GeneralDame Sharon Nesmith.
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