From the early 18th century until theSecond World War, it was the world's most powerful navy. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing and defending theBritish Empire, and fourImperial fortress colonies and a string of imperial bases and coaling stations secured the Royal Navy's ability to assert naval superiority. FollowingWorld War I, it was significantly reduced in size.[7] During theCold War, the Royal Navy transformed into a primarilyanti-submarine force, hunting forSoviet submarines and mostly active in theGIUK gap. Following thecollapse of the Soviet Union, its focus returned toexpeditionary operations.[8][9][10]
The Royal Navy is part of His Majesty's Naval Service, which also includes theRoyal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The professional head of the Naval Service is theFirst Sea Lord who is anadmiral and member of theDefence Council of the United Kingdom. The Defence Council delegates management of the Naval Service to theAdmiralty Board, chaired by theSecretary of State for Defence. The Royal Navy operates from three bases in Britain where commissioned ships and submarines are based:Portsmouth,Clyde andDevonport, the last being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe, as well as two naval air stations,RNAS Yeovilton andRNAS Culdrose where maritime aircraft are based.
The Royal Navy stated its six major roles in umbrella terms in 2017 as:[11]
Preventing Conflict – On a global and regional level
Providing Security At Sea – To ensure the stability ofinternational trade at sea
International Partnerships – To help cement the relationship with the United Kingdom's allies (such asNATO)
Maintaining a Readiness To Fight – To protect the United Kingdom's interests across the globe
Protecting the Economy – To safeguard vitaltrade routes to guarantee the United Kingdom's and its allies' economic prosperity at sea
Providing Humanitarian Aid – To deliver a fast and effective response to global catastrophes
The Royal Navy protects British interests at home and abroad, executing the foreign and defence policies of His Majesty's Government through the exercise of military effect, diplomatic activities and other activities in support of these objectives. It is also a key element of the British contribution to NATO, with a number of ships or aircraft allocated to NATO tasks at any time.[12] In 2007 core capabilities were described as:[13]
The English Royal Navy was formally founded in 1546 byHenry VIII,[14] though theKingdom of England had possessed less-organised naval forces for centuries prior to this.[15]
The Royal Scots Navy (or Old Scots Navy) had its origins in the Middle Ages until its merger with the English Royal Navy per theActs of Union 1707.[16]
During much of the medieval period, fleets or "king's ships" were often established or gathered for specific campaigns or actions, and these would disperse afterwards. These were generally merchant ships enlisted into service. Unlike some European states, England did not maintain a small permanent core of warships in peacetime. England's naval organisation was haphazard and the mobilisation of fleets when war broke out was slow.[17] Control of the sea only became critical to Anglo-Saxon kings in the 10th century.[18] In the 11th century,Aethelred II had a large fleet built by a national levy.[19] During the period ofDanish rule in the 11th century, authorities maintained a standing fleet by taxation, and this continued for a time underEdward the Confessor, who frequently commanded fleets in person.[20] After theNorman Conquest, English naval power waned and England suffered large naval raids from the Vikings.[21] In 1069, this allowed for the invasion and ravaging of England by Jarl Osborn, brother ofKing Svein Estridsson, and his sons.[22]
The lack of an organised navy came to a head during theFirst Barons' War, in whichPrince Louis of France invaded England in support of northern barons. WithKing John unable to organise a navy, this meant the French landed atSandwich unopposed in April 1216. John's flight toWinchester and his death later that year leftthe Earl of Pembroke as regent, and he was able to marshal ships to fight the French in theBattle of Sandwich in 1217 – one of the first major English battles at sea.[23] The outbreak of theHundred Years War emphasised the need for an English fleet. French plans for an invasion of England failed whenEdward III of England destroyed the French fleet in theBattle of Sluys in 1340.[24] England's naval forces could not prevent frequent raids on the south-coast ports by the French and their allies. Such raids halted only with the occupation of northern France byHenry V.[25] AScottish fleet existed by the reign ofWilliam the Lion.[26] In the early 13th century there was a resurgence of Viking naval power in the region. The Vikings clashed with Scotland over control of the isles[27] thoughAlexander III was ultimately successful in asserting Scottish control.[28] The Scottish fleet was of particular import in repulsing English forces in the early 14th century.[29]
A standing "Navy Royal",[14] with its own secretariat,dockyards and a permanent core of purpose-built warships, emerged during the reign of Henry VIII.[30] UnderElizabeth I, England became involved in awar with Spain, which saw privately owned vessels combining with the Queen's ships in highly profitable raids againstSpanish commerce and colonies.[31] The Royal Navy was then used in 1588 to repulse theSpanish Armada, but theEnglish Armada was lost the next year. In 1603, theUnion of the Crowns created apersonal union between England and Scotland. While the two remained distinct sovereign states for a further century, the two navies increasingly fought as a single force. During the early 17th century, England's relative naval power deteriorated untilCharles I undertook a major programme of shipbuilding. Hismethods of financing the fleet contributed to the outbreak of theEnglish Civil War, and theabolition of the monarchy.[32]
In 1707, theScottish navy was united with the English Royal Navy. On Scottish men-of-war, the cross of St Andrew was replaced with the Union Jack. On English ships, the red, white, or blue ensigns had the St George's Cross of England removed from the canton, and the combined crosses of the Union flag put in its place.[37] Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Royal Navy was the largest maritime force in the world,[38] maintaining superiority in financing, tactics, training, organisation, social cohesion, hygiene, logistical support and warship design.[39] The peace settlement following theWar of the Spanish Succession (1702–1714) granted BritainGibraltar andMenorca, providing the Navy withMediterranean bases. The expansion of the Royal Navy would encourage theBritish colonisation of the Americas, withBritish (North) America becoming a vital source oftimber for the Royal Navy.[40] There was a defeat during the frustratedsiege of Cartagena de Indias in 1741. A new Frenchattempt to invade Britain was thwarted by the defeat of their escort fleet in the extraordinaryBattle of Quiberon Bay in 1759, fought in dangerous conditions.[41] In 1762, the resumption of hostilities withSpain led to theBritish capture of Manila and ofHavana, along with a Spanish fleet sheltering there.[42] British naval supremacy could however be challenged still in this period by coalitions of other nations, as seen in theAmerican War of Independence. TheUnited States wasallied to France, and theNetherlands and Spain were also at war with Britain. In theBattle of the Chesapeake, the British fleet failed to lift the French blockade, resulting in the surrender of an entire British army atYorktown.[43]
TheFrench Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793–1801, 1803–1814 & 1815) saw the Royal Navy reach a peak of efficiency, dominating the navies of all Britain's adversaries, which spent most of the war blockaded in port. UnderLord Nelson, the navy defeated the combined Franco-Spanish fleet atTrafalgar (1805).[44] Ships of the line and even frigates, as well as manpower, were prioritised for the naval war in Europe, however, leaving only smaller vessels on theNorth America Station and other less active stations, and a heavy reliance upon impressed labour. This would result in problems countering large, well-armed United States Navy frigates which outgunned Royal Naval vessels in single-opponent actions, as well as United States privateers, when theAmerican War of 1812 broke out concurrent with the war against Napoleonic France and its allies. The Royal Navy still enjoyed a numerical advantage over the former colonists on the Atlantic, and from its base in Bermuda it blockaded theAtlantic seaboard of the United States throughout the war and carried out (with Royal Marines,Colonial Marines,British Army, andBoard of Ordnance military corps units) various amphibious operations, most notably theChesapeake campaign. On theGreat Lakes, however, the United States Navy established an advantage.[45]
In 1860,Albert, Prince Consort, wrote to the Foreign SecretaryJohn Russell, 1st Earl Russell with his concern about "a perfect disgrace to our country, and particularly to theAdmiralty". The stated shipbuilding policy of the British monarchy was to take advantage of technological change and so be able to deploy a newweapons system that could defend British interests before other national and imperial resources are reasonably mobilized. Nevertheless, British taxpayers scrutinized progress in modernizing the Royal Navy so as to ensure, that taypayers' money is not wasted.[46]
Between 1815 and 1914, the Royal Navy saw little serious action, owing to theabsence of any opponent strong enough to challenge its dominance. It did not suffer the drastic cutbacks the various military forces underwent in the period of economic austerity that followed the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the American War of 1812 (when the British Army and the Board of Ordnance military corps were cut back, weakening garrisons around the Empire, the Militia became a paper tiger, and the Volunteer Force and Fencible units disbanded, though the Yeomanry was maintained as a back-up to the police). Britain relied, throughout the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, on imperial fortress colonies (originallyBermuda, Gibraltar,Halifax (Nova Scotia), andMalta). These areas permitted Britain to control the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Control of military forces in Nova Scotia passed to the new Government of Canada after the 1867Confederation of Canada and control of the naval dockyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia was transferred to the Government of Canada in 1905, five years prior to the establishment of theRoyal Canadian Navy. Prior to the 1920s, it was presumed that the only navies that could challenge the Royal Navy belonged to nations on the Atlantic Ocean or its connected seas, despite the growth of the Imperial Russian and United States Pacific fleets during the latter half of the 19th Century.[47][48]
Britain relied on Malta, in the Mediterranean Sea, to project power to the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean via the Suez Canal after its completion in 1869. It relied on friendship and common interests between Britain and the United States (which controlled transit through thePanama Canal, completed in 1914) during and after the First World War, and on Bermuda, to project power the length of the western Atlantic, including the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. The area controlled from Bermuda (and Halifax until 1905) had been part of the North America Station, until the 1820s, which then absorbed the Jamaica Station to become theNorth America and West Indies Station. After the First World War, this formation assumed responsibility for the eastern Pacific Ocean and the western South Atlantic and was known as theAmerica and West Indies Station until 1956.[49][50] In 1921, due to the ambitions of Imperial Japan and the threat of theImperial Japanese Navy, it was decided to construct theSingapore Naval Base.[51]
During this period, naval warfare underwent a comprehensive transformation, brought about bysteam propulsion, metal ship construction, and explosive munitions. Despite having to completely replace its war fleet, the Navy managed to maintain its overwhelming advantage over all potential rivals. Owing to British leadership in theIndustrial Revolution, the country enjoyed unparalleled shipbuilding capacity and financial resources, which ensured that no rival could take advantage of these revolutionary changes to negate the British advantage in ship numbers.[52]In 1889, Parliament passed theNaval Defence Act, which formally adopted the 'two-power standard', which stipulated that the Royal Navy should maintain a number of battleships at least equal to the combined strength of the next two largest navies.[53] The end of the 19th century saw structural changes and older vessels were scrapped or placed into reserve, making funds and manpower available for newer ships. The launch ofHMS Dreadnought in 1906 rendered all existing battleships obsolete.[54] The transition at this time from coal to fuel-oil for boiler firing would encourage Britain to expand their foothold in formerOttoman territories in theMiddle East, especiallyIraq.[55]
DuringWorld War I, the Royal Navy's strength was mostly deployed at home in theGrand Fleet, confronting the GermanHigh Seas Fleet across the North Sea. Several inconclusive clashes took place between them, chiefly theBattle of Jutland in 1916.[63] The British fighting advantage proved insurmountable, leading the High Seas Fleet to abandon any attempt to challenge British dominance.[64] The Royal Navy underJohn Jellicoe also tried to avoid combat and remained in port atScapa Flow for much of the war.[65] This was contrary to widespread prewar expectations that in the event of a Continental conflict Britain would primarily provide naval support to theEntente Powers while sending at most only a small ground army. Nevertheless, the Royal Navy played an important role in securing theBritish Isles and theEnglish Channel, notably ferrying the entireBritish Expeditionary Force to theWestern Front at the beginning of the war without the loss of a single life.[66]
The lack of an imperial fortress in the region ofAsia, theIndian Ocean, and thePacific Ocean was always to be a weakness throughout the 19th century as the former North American colonies that had become the United States of America had multiplied towards the Pacific Coast of North America, and theRussian Empire andJapanese Empire both had ports on the Pacific and had begun building large, modern fleets which went to war with each other in 1904. Britain's reliance on Malta, via the Suez Canal, as the nearest Imperial fortress was improved, relying on amity and common interests that developed between Britain and the United States during and after World War I, by the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, allowing the cruisers based in Bermuda to more easily and rapidly reach the eastern Pacific Ocean (after the war, the Royal Navy's Bermuda-basedNorth America and West Indies Station was consequently re-designated theAmerica and West Indies station, including aSouth American division. The rising power and increasing belligerence of theJapanese Empire after World War I, however, resulted in the construction of theSingapore Naval Base, which was completed in 1938, less than four years before hostilities withJapan did commence duringWorld War II.[70]
At the start of World War II in 1939, the Royal Navy was still the largest in the world, with over 1,400 vessels.[73][74] The Royal Navy provided critical cover duringOperation Dynamo, the British evacuations fromDunkirk, and as the ultimate deterrent to aGerman invasion of Britain during the following four months. TheLuftwaffe underHermann Göring attempted to gainair supremacy oversouthern England in theBattle of Britain in order to neutralise theHome Fleet, but faced stiff resistance from theRoyal Air Force.[75] The Luftwaffe bombing offensive during theKanalkampf phase of the battle targeted naval convoys and bases in order to lure large concentrations of RAF fighters intoattrition warfare.[76] AtTaranto,Admiral Cunningham commanded a fleet that launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history. The Royal Navy suffered heavylosses in the first two years of the war. Over 3,000 people were lost when the convertedtroopshipLancastria was sunk in June 1940, the greatest maritime disaster in Britain's history.[77] The Navy's most critical struggle was theBattle of the Atlantic defending Britain's vital North American commercial supply lines againstU-boat attack. A traditionalconvoy system was instituted from the start of the war, but German submarine tactics, based on group attacks by "wolf-packs", were much more effective than in the previous war, and the threat remained serious for well over three years.[78]
After World War II, the decline of theBritish Empire and theeconomic hardships in Britain forced the reduction in the size and capability of the Royal Navy. The United States Navy instead took on the role of global naval power. Governments since have faced increasing budgetary pressures, partly due to theincreasing cost of weapons systems.[79]
In 1981, Defence SecretaryJohn Nott had advocated and initiated aseries of cutbacks to the Navy.[80] TheFalklands War however proved a need for the Royal Navy to regain an expeditionary andlittoral capability which, with its resources and structure at the time, would prove difficult. At the beginning of the 1980s, the Royal Navy was a force focused onblue-wateranti-submarine warfare. Its purpose was to search for and destroySoviet submarines in the North Atlantic, and to operate the nuclear deterrent submarine force. The navy received its first nuclear weapons with the introduction of the first of theResolution-class submarines armed with thePolaris missile.[81]
Following the conclusion of the collapse of theSoviet Union and the end of theCold War in 1991, the Royal Navy began to experience a gradual decline in its fleet size in accordance with the changed strategic environment it operated in. While new and more capable ships are continually brought into service, such as theQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers,Astute-class submarines, andType 45destroyers, the total number of ships and submarines operated has continued to steadily reduce. This has caused considerable debate about the size of the Royal Navy. A 2013 report found that the Royal Navy was already too small, and that Britain would have to depend on her allies if her territories were attacked.[82]
The Royal Navy was responsible for training the fledglingIraqi Navy and securing Iraq's oil terminals following the cessation of hostilities in the country. The Iraqi Training and Advisory Mission (Navy) (Umm Qasr), headed by a Royal Navy captain, has been responsible for the former duty whilst Commander Task Force Iraqi Maritime, a Royal Navy commodore, was responsible for the latter.[83][84] The mission ended in May 2011.[85]
The financial costs attached to nuclear deterrence, includingTrident missile upgrades and replacements, have become an increasingly significant issue for the navy.[86]
HMS Raleigh atTorpoint, Cornwall, is the basic training facility for newly enlisted ratings.Britannia Royal Naval College inDartmouth, Devon is the initial officer training establishment for the Royal Navy. Personnel are divided into awarfare branch, which includes Warfare Officers (previously named seamen officers) andNaval Aviators,[87] as well other branches including theRoyal Naval Engineers,Royal Navy Medical Branch, andLogistics Officers (previously namedSupply Officers). Present-day officers and ratings have several differentuniforms; some are designed to be worn aboard ship, others ashore or in ceremonial duties. Women began to join the Royal Navy in 1917 with the formation of theWomen's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), which was disbanded after the end of the First World War in 1919. It was revived in 1939, and the WRNS continued until disbandment in 1993, as a result of the decision to fully integrate women into the structures of the Royal Navy. Women now serve in all sections of the Royal Navy including theRoyal Marines.[88]
In August 2019, theMinistry of Defence published figures showing that the Royal Navy and Royal Marines had 29,090 full-time trained personnel compared with a target of 30,600.[89] In 2023, it was reported that the Royal Navy was experiencing significant recruiting challenges with a net drop of some 1,600 personnel (4 percent of the force) from mid-2022 to mid-2023. This was posing a significant problem in the ability of the navy to meet its commitments.[90]
The Royal Navy has twoQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Each carrier cost £3.2 billion and has an empty load displacement of 65,000 tonnes (64,000 long tons; 72,000 short tons),[93] rising up to an estimated 80,600 tonnes (79,300 long tons; 88,800 short tons) full load displacement.[94] Both are intended to operate the STOVL variant of theF-35 Lightning II. The first,HMS Queen Elizabeth, commenced flight trials in 2018.Queen Elizabeth began sea trials in June 2017, was commissioned later that year, and entered service in 2020,[95] while the second,HMS Prince of Wales, began sea trials on 22 September 2019, was commissioned in December 2019 and was declared operational as of October 2021.[96][97][98][99][100] The aircraft carriers form a central part of theUK Carrier Strike Group alongside escorts and support ships.[101]
Until 2024/25, the Royal Navy's amphibious capability consisted of twolanding platform docks (HMS Albion andHMS Bulwark). While their primary role was to conduct amphibious warfare, they were also deployed forhumanitarian aid missions.[102] Both vessels were in reserve as of 2024[103] and in November 2024, the newly elected Labour government indicated that they would in fact be retired from service completely by March 2025.[104] While second-line amphibious capabilities remained within the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the future of the navy's amphibious capability was now in question.[105]
The Royal Navyclearance diving unit, the Fleet Diving Squadron, was reorganised and renamed the Diving and Threat Exploitation Group in 2022. The group consists of five squadrons: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo.[106][107] The Royal Navy has a separate unit with divers thespecial forces unit theSpecial Boat Service.[108]
The escort fleet comprisesguided missile destroyers andfrigates and is the traditional workhorse of the Navy.[109] As of December 2024[update] there are six Type 45 destroyers and eightType 23 frigates in commission. Among their primary roles is to provide escort for the larger capital ships—protecting them from air, surface and subsurface threats. Other duties include undertaking the Royal Navy'sstanding deployments across the globe, which often consists of: counter-narcotics, anti-piracy missions and providing humanitarian aid.[102]
The Type 45 is primarily designed for anti-aircraft and anti-missile warfare and the Royal Navy describe the destroyer's mission as "to shield the Fleet from air attack".[110] They are equipped with thePAAMS (also known as Sea Viper) integrated anti-aircraft warfare system which incorporates the sophisticatedSAMPSON andS1850M long range radars and theAster 15 and 30 missiles.[111]
There are two classes ofMCMVs in the Royal Navy: oneSandown-classminehunter and sixHunt-classmine countermeasures vessels. All the Sandown-class vessels are to be withdrawn from service by 2025 and are being replaced by autonomous systems that are planned to operate from a range of vessels, including so-called "motherships" planned for procurement for either the navy or the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Hunt-class vessels combine the separate roles of the traditionalminesweeper and the active minehunter in one hull. If required, the vessels can take on the role of offshore patrol vessels.[115]
A fleet of eightRiver-class offshore patrol vessels are in service with the Royal Navy. The three Batch 1 ships of the class serve in U.K. waters in a sovereignty and fisheries protection role while the five Batch 2 ships are forward-deployed on a long-term basis to Gibraltar, the Caribbean, theFalkland Islands and the Indo-Pacific region.[116] The vessel MVGrampian Frontier is leased from Scottish-based North Star Shipping for patrol duties around theBritish Indian Ocean Territory. However, she is not in commission with the Royal Navy.[117]
In December 2019, the modified Batch 1 River-class vessel,HMS Clyde, was decommissioned, with the Batch 2HMS Forth taking over duties as the Falkland Islands patrol ship.[118][119]
HMS Protector is a dedicatedAntarctica patrol ship that fulfils the nation's mandate to provide support to theBritish Antarctic Survey (BAS).[120]HMS Scott is an ocean survey vessel and at 13,500 tonnes is one of the largest ships in the Navy. As of 2018, the newly commissionedHMS Magpie also undertakes survey duties at sea.[121] The Royal Fleet Auxiliary plans to introduce two newMulti-Role Ocean Surveillance Ships, in part to protect undersea cables and gas pipelines and partly to compensate for the withdrawal of all ocean-going survey vessels from Royal Navy service.[122] The first of these vessels,RFA Proteus, entered service in October 2023.[123]
The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) provides support to the Royal Navy at sea in several capacities. For fleet replenishment, it deploys one Fleet Solid Support Ship (in reserve as of late 2024) and four fleet tankers (one of which is maintained in reserve). The RFA also has one aviation training and casualty reception vessel, which also operates as aLittoral Strike Ship.[124][125]
Threeamphibious transport docks are also incorporated within its fleet. These are known as theBay-class landing ships, of which four were introduced in 2006–2007, but one was sold to theRoyal Australian Navy in 2011.[126] In November 2006, the First Sea Lord Admiral SirJonathon Band described the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels as "a major uplift in the Royal Navy's war fighting capability".[127]
In February 2023, a commercial vessel was also acquired to act as a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance (MROS) Ship for the protection of critical seabed infrastructure and other tasks. She entered service as RFAProteus.[128] An additional vessel,RFA Stirling Castle, was acquired in 2023 to act as amothership for autonomous minehunting systems.[129]
The Royal Navy also includes a number of smaller non-commissioned assets such as theSea-class workboats. On 29 July 2022, the Royal Navy christened a new experimental ship,XVPatrick Blackett, which it aims to use as a testbed for autonomous systems. Whilst the ship flies theBlue Ensign, it is crewed by Royal Navy personnel and will participate in Royal Navy and NATO exercises.[130][131]
The Submarine Service is thesubmarine based element of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes referred to as the "Silent Service",[132] as the submarines are generally required to operate undetected. Founded in 1901, the service made history in 1982 when, during the Falklands War,HMS Conqueror became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship,ARA General Belgrano. Today, all of the Royal Navy's submarines arenuclear-powered.[133]
The Royal Navy operates fourVanguard-classballistic missile submarines displacing nearly 16,000 tonnes and equipped with Trident II missiles (armed withnuclear weapons) and heavyweightSpearfish torpedoes, to carry out Operation Relentless, the United Kingdom's Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD). The UK government has committed to replace these submarines with four newDreadnought-class submarines, which will enter service in the "early 2030s" to maintain this capability.[134][135]
TheAstute-class, at 7,400 tonnes,[138] carry bothTomahawk land-attack missiles andSpearfish torpedoes. In 2022,HMS Anson was the most recentAstute-class boat to be commissioned.[136]
The Royal Navy was the first of the three armed forces to combine the personnel and training command, under the Principal Personnel Officer, with the operational and policy command, combining the Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief, Fleet and Naval Home Command into a single organisation, Fleet Command, in 2005 and becoming Navy Command in 2008. Within the combined command, theSecond Sea Lord continues to act as the Principal Personnel Officer.[154] Previously, Flag Officer Sea Training was part of the list of top senior appointments in Navy Command, however, as part of the Navy Command Transformation Programme, the post has reduced from Rear-Admiral to Commodore, renamed asCommander Fleet Operational Sea Training.[155]
The Naval Command senior appointments are:[156][157]
The Commandant General Royal Marines was previously a major-general's post and charged with leading amphibious warfare operations. SinceLieutenant GeneralRobert Magowan was appointed for the second time the post is an additional responsibility for a senior Royal Marine holding other duties. The current CG RM is GeneralGwyn Jenkins, theVice-Chief of the Defence Staff.[158]
Intelligence support to fleet operations is provided by intelligence sections at the various headquarters and from MODDefence Intelligence, renamed from the Defence Intelligence Staff in early 2010.[159]
The Royal Navy's presence in thePersian Gulf typically includes a Type 45 destroyer and a squadron of minehunters supported by an RFABay-class mothership.
The Royal Navy is currently deployed in different areas of the world, including some standing Royal Navy deployments. These include several home tasks as well as overseas deployments. The Navy is deployed in the Mediterranean as part of standing NATO deployments including mine countermeasures and NATO Maritime Group 2. In both the North and South Atlantic, RN vessels are patrolling. There is always a Falkland Islands patrol vessel on deployment, currently HMSForth.[160]
The Royal Navy operates aResponse Force Task Group (a product of the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review), which is poised to respond globally to short-notice tasking across a range of defence activities, such as non-combatant evacuation operations, disaster relief, humanitarian aid or amphibious operations. In 2011, the first deployment of the task group occurred under the name 'COUGAR 11' which saw them transit through the Mediterranean where they took part in multinational amphibious exercises before moving further east through theSuez Canal for further exercises in the Indian Ocean.[161][162]
In thePersian Gulf, the RN sustains commitments in support of both national and coalition efforts to stabilise the region.Operation Kipion is the navy's primary activity in the Gulf region. The Royal Navy also contributes to the US-ledCombined Maritime Forces in the Gulf in partnership with the United States.[163] The UK Maritime Component Commander, overseer of all of His Majesty's warships in the Persian Gulf and surrounding waters, is also deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces.[164]
The Royal Navy contributes to standing NATO formations and maintains forces as part of theNATO Response Force. The RN also has a long-standing commitment to supporting theFive Powers Defence Arrangements countries and occasionally deploys to the Far East as a result.[165] This deployment typically consists of a frigate and asurvey vessel, operating separately.Operation Atalanta, theEuropean Union's anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean, is permanently commanded by a senior Royal Navy or Royal Marines officer atNorthwood Headquarters and the navy contributes ships to the operation.[166]
From 2015, the Royal Navy also re-formed its UK Carrier Strike Group (UKCSG) after it was disbanded in 2011 due to the retirement ofHMSArk Royal and Harrier GR9s.[167][168] TheQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers form the central part of this formation, supported by various escorts and support ships, with the aim to facilitate carrier-enabled power projection.[169] The UKCSG first assembled at sea in October 2020 as part of a rehearsal for its first operational deployment in 2021.[101]
In 2019, the Royal Navy announced the formation of twoLittoral Response Groups as part of a transformation of its amphibious forces. Theseforward-based special operations-capable task groups were to be rapidly-deployable and able to carry out a range of tasks within the littoral, including raids and precision strikes. The first one, based in Europe, became operational in 2021, whilst the second was to be ready for deployment in the Indo-Pacific from 2023. They centred around the two navy amphibious assault ships, amphibious auxiliary ships from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, elements from the Royal Marines and supporting units.[170] However, in November 2024, with the government's decision to retire theAlbion-class assault ships, the viability of these plans were brought into question.[171]
Historically the Navy had a number of geographical commands, each under a Commander-in-Chief, and often informally referred to as "stations." Over 300 years to 1971 these commands were repeatedly reduced in number, until they were merged into a single entity. The former stations of the Royal Navy included theEast Indies Station (1744–1831);East Indies and China Station (1832–1865); East Indies Station (1865–1913); Egypt and East Indies Station (1913–1918); East Indies Station (1918–1941). Later the Eastern Fleet became the East Indies Fleet. In 1952, after the Second World War ended, the East Indies Fleet became theFar East Fleet.[172] In 1971 the final merger into a single fleet took place with Far East Fleet merged into the larger single formation under the orders of theCommander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET).[173]
The Royal Navy currently operates from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based;Portsmouth,Clyde andDevonport,Plymouth—Devonport is the largest operational naval base in the UK and Western Europe.[174] Each base hosts a flotilla command under acommodore, responsible for the provision of operational capability using the ships and submarines within the flotilla. UK Commando Force is similarly commanded by abrigadier and based in Plymouth.[175]
The Royal Navy has historically maintainedRoyal Navy Dockyards around the world.[176]Dockyards of the Royal Navy are harbours where ships are overhauled and refitted. Only four are operating today; at Devonport,Faslane,Rosyth and at Portsmouth.[177] A Naval Base Review was undertaken in 2006 and early 2007, the outcome being announced by Secretary of State for Defence,Des Browne, confirming that all would remain however some reductions in manpower were anticipated.[178]
The academy where initial training for future Royal Navy officers takes place is Britannia Royal Naval College, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon. Basic training for futureratings takes place at HMSRaleigh atTorpoint,Cornwall, close to HMNB Devonport.[179]
Significant numbers of naval personnel are employed within the Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and on exchange with the Army and Royal Air Force. Small numbers are also on exchange within other government departments and with allied fleets, such as the United States Navy. The navy also posts personnel in small units around the world to support ongoing operations and maintain standing commitments. Nineteen personnel are stationed in Gibraltar to support the smallGibraltar Squadron, the RN's only permanent overseas squadron. Some personnel are also based atEast Cove Military Port andRAF Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands to support APT(S). Small numbers of personnel are based inDiego Garcia (Naval Party 1002), Miami (NP 1011 –AUTEC), Singapore (NP 1022),Dubai (NP 1023) and elsewhere.[180]
On 6 December 2014, theForeign and Commonwealth Office announced it would expand the UK's naval facilities inBahrain to support larger Royal Navy ships deployed to the Persian Gulf. Once completed, it became the UK's first permanent military base locatedEast of Suez since it withdrew from the region in 1971. The base is reportedly large enough to accommodate Type 45 destroyers andQueen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.[181][182][183]
HMNB Devonport (HMSDrake) – This is currently the largest operational naval base in Western Europe.Devonport's flotilla consists of most of theType 23 frigates. In the past, Devonport was also home to some of the RN's submarine service.[184]
HMNB Portsmouth (HMSNelson) – This is home to the Queen Elizabeth Class supercarriers.Portsmouth is also the home to the Type 45 Daring Class Destroyer and a moderate fleet of Type 23 frigates as well asOverseas Patrol Squadron.[185]
HMNB Clyde (HMSNeptune) – This is situated in Central Scotland along theRiver Clyde. Faslane is known as the home of the UK's nuclear deterrent, as it maintains the fleet ofVanguard-class ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines, as well as the fleet ofAstute-class fleet (SSN) submarines. Faslane will become the home to all Royal Navy submarines, and thus the RN Submarine Service. As a result, 43 Commando (Fleet Protection Group) are stationed in Faslane alongside to guard the base as well as The Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport. The newly established Mine and Threat Exploitation Group (MTXG) is also based within Faslane as a successor to the Sandown class mine hunters. Moreover, Faslane is also home to Faslane Patrol Boat Squadron (FPBS) who operates a fleet of Archer class patrol vessels.[186][187]
RNAS Yeovilton (HMSHeron) – Yeovilton is home to Commando Helicopter Force and Wildcat Maritime Force.[188]
RNAS Culdrose (HMSSeahawk) – This is home to Mk2 Merlins, primarily tasked with conducting Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Early Airborne Warning (EAW).Culdrose is also currently the largest helicopter base in Europe.[189]
HMS Gannet – Previously known as RNAS Prestwick. Previously used for Defence of the Clyde and Search and Rescue tasking, it is now used primarily as a FOB for ASW Merlins deployed from RNAS Culdrose to support the SSBN and defence of the Clyde tasking.[190]
Mare Harbour (Falkland Islands) – Serves as the port facility forRAF Mount Pleasant, the main British base in the Falkland Islands. Mare Harbour incorporates several berths which support Royal Navy and marine services vessels operating in the South Atlantic. The facility also supports theBritish Antarctic Survey ship,RRS Sir David Attenborough, when she operates in Antarctic waters during the regional summer.[200]
The navy was referred to as the "Navy Royal" at the time of its founding in 1546, and this title remained in use into the Stuart period. During the interregnum, the commonwealth underOliver Cromwell replaced many historical names and titles, with the fleet then referred to as the "Commonwealth Navy". The navy was renamed once again after the restoration in 1660 to the present title.[201]
Today, the navy of the United Kingdom is commonly referred to as the "Royal Navy" both in the United Kingdom and other countries. Navies of otherCommonwealth countrieswhere the British monarch is also head of state include their national name, e.g. Royal Australian Navy. Some navies of other monarchies, such as theKoninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) andKungliga Flottan (Royal Swedish Navy), are also called "Royal Navy" in their own language. The Danish Navy uses the term "Royal" incorporated in its official name (Royal Danish Navy), but only "Flåden" (Navy) in everyday speech.[202] The French Navy, despite France being a republic since 1870, is often nicknamed"La Royale" (literally: The Royal).[203]
Royal Navy ships in commission are prefixed since 1789 with His Majesty's Ship (or "Her Majesty's Ship", when the monarch is a queen), abbreviated to "HMS"; for example,HMS Beagle. Submarines are styled HM Submarine, also abbreviated "HMS". Names are allocated to ships and submarines by a naming committee within the MOD and given by class, with the names of ships within a class often being thematic (for example, the Type 23s are named afterBritish dukes) or traditional (for example, theInvincible-class aircraft carriers all carry the names of famous historic ships). Names are frequently re-used, offering a new ship the rich heritage, battle honours and traditions of her predecessors. Often, a particular vessel class will be named after the first ship of that type to be built. As well as a name, each ship and submarine of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is given apennant number which in part denotes its role. For example, the destroyerHMS Daring (D32) displays the pennant number 'D32'.[204]
1 Rank inabeyance – routine appointments no longer made to this rank, though honorary awards of this rank are occasionally made to senior members of the Royal family and prominent former First Sea Lords.
The Royal Navy has several formal customs and traditions including the use of ensigns and ships badges. Royal Navy ships have several ensigns used when under way and when in port. Commissioned ships and submarines wear theWhite Ensign at the stern whilst alongside during daylight hours and at the main-mast whilst under way. When alongside, theUnion Jack is flown from thejackstaff at the bow, and can only be flown under way either to signal a court-martial is in progress or to indicate the presence of an admiral of the fleet on-board (including the Lord High Admiral or the monarch).[207]
TheFleet Review is an irregular tradition of assembling the fleet before the monarch. The first review on record was held in 1400, and the most recent review as of 2022[update] was held on 28 June 2005 to mark the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar; 167 ships from many different nations attended with the Royal Navy supplying 67.[208]
There are several less formal traditions including service nicknames and Naval slang, known as"Jackspeak".[209] The nicknames include "The Andrew" (of uncertain origin, possibly after a zealouspress ganger)[210][211] and "The Senior Service".[212][213] British sailors are referred to as "Jack" (or "Jenny"), or more widely as "Matelots". Royal Marines are fondly known as "Bootnecks" or often just as "Royals". A compendium of Naval slang was brought together by CommanderA.T.L. Covey-Crump and his name has in itself become the subject of Naval slang;Covey-Crump.[212] A game traditionally played by the Navy is the four-player board game known as "Uckers". This is similar toLudo and it is regarded as easy to learn, but difficult to play well.[214]
The Royal Navy sponsors or supports three youth organisations:
Volunteer Cadet Corps – consisting of Royal Naval Volunteer Cadet Corps and Royal Marines Volunteer Cadet Corps, the VCC was the first youth organisation officially supported or sponsored by the Admiralty in 1901.[215]
Combined Cadet Force – in schools, specifically the Royal Navy Section and the Royal Marines Section.[216]
The above organisations are the responsibility of the CUY branch of Commander Core Training and Recruiting (COMCORE) who reports toFlag Officer Sea Training (FOST).[218]
C. S. Forester's Hornblower novels have beenadapted for television.[230] The Royal Navy was the subject of the 1970sBBC television drama series,Warship,[231] and of a five-part documentary,Shipmates, that followed the workings of the Royal Navy day to day.[232]
Television documentaries about the Royal Navy include:Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern World, a four-part documentary depicting Britain's rise as a naval superpower, up until the First World War;[233]Sailor, about life on the aircraft carrierHMS Ark Royal;[234] andSubmarine, about thesubmarine captains' training course, 'The Perisher'.[235] There have also beenChannel 5 documentaries such asRoyal Navy Submarine Mission, following a nuclear-powered fleet submarine.[236]
^Since April 2013, Ministry of Defence publications no longer report the entire strength of theRegular Reserve; instead, only Regular Reserves serving under a fixed-term reserve contract are counted. These contracts are similar in nature to theMaritime Reserve.
^In Royal Navy parlance, "commissioned ships" invariably refers to bothsubmarines and surface ships. Non-commissioned ships operated by or in support ofHis Majesty's Naval Service are not included.
^Bennett, James C (2007).The Anglosphere Challenge: Why the English-speaking Nations Will Lead the Way in the Twenty-first Century. United States: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 286.ISBN978-0742533332.
^"What we do". Royal Navy.Archived from the original on 30 December 2017. Retrieved30 December 2017.
^Grant, James ed. The Old Scots Navy from 1689 to 1710. Navy Records Society,1914. p. 353: 'On the 1st of May, 1707, the legislative Union of England and Scotland was consummated; and the Scots and English navies were united, and became known as the British navy... The flag was changed. The white cross of St Andrew on the blue banner of Scotland no longer indicated a Scottish man-of-war. Its place was taken by the Union Jack and the red, white, or blue ensign, from the canton of which the St George's Cross was removed, to be replaced by the combined crosses of the Union Jack.'
^Parkinson, pp. 91–114; Rodger,Command, pp. 528–544.
^Gardiner, Robert (2001).The Naval War of 1812. Caxton Pictorial Histories (Chatham Publishing) in association with The National Maritime Museum.ISBN1-84067-360-5.
^Howard J. Fuller (2014).Empire, Technology and Seapower: Royal Navy Crisis in the Age of Palmerston. Taylor & Francis. p. 173-174.ISBN9781134200450.
^Colomb, F.S.S., F.R.G.S., and Fellow Royal Colonial Institute, Captain J. C. R. (1880).DEFENCE OF GREAT AND GREATER BRITAIN. 55, Charing Cross, London S.W.: Edward Stanford. Pages 60 to 63, CHAPTER III. COLONIAL DEFENCE.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Colomb, F.S.S., F.R.G.S., and Fellow Royal Colonial Institute, Captain J. C. R. (1880).DEFENCE OF GREAT AND GREATER BRITAIN. 55, Charing Cross, London S.W.: Edward Stanford. Pages 125 and 126, CHAPTER IV. IMPERIAL AND COLONIAL WAR RESPONSIBILITIES.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^WillockUSMC, Lieutenant-Colonel Roger (1988).Bulwark Of Empire: Bermuda's Fortified Naval Base 1860–1920. Bermuda: The Bermuda Maritime Museum Press.ISBN978-0921560005.
^Gordon, Donald Craigie (1965).The Dominion Partnership in Imperial Defense, 1870–1914. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins Press. p. 14.
^Maurice-Jones, DSO, RA, Colonel KW (1959).History of The Coast Artillery in the British Army. UK: Royal Artillery Institution. p. 203.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Rice, A. L. (1999). "The Challenger Expedition".Understanding the Oceans: Marine Science in the Wake of HMSChallenger. London: UCL Press. pp. 27–48.ISBN978-1-85728-705-9.
^Geoffrey Bennett, "The Battle of Jutland"History Today (June 1960) 10#6 pp 395–405.
^"A celebration of the King's Naval links in the West Country".Greatest Hits Radio. 3 May 2023. Retrieved6 November 2023.Upon H.M the Queen's death, the title of Lord High Admiral, previously held by The Duke of Edinburgh (a gift for his 90th Birthday) and subsequently Her Majesty, has reverted back to the crown.
^"Who is the new Flag Officer Sea Training"(PDF).whatdotheyknow.com. Whatdotheyknow. 27 April 2020. Retrieved14 September 2020.In response to your request, I can advise you that the title Flag Officer Sea Training will cease to exist on 1 May 2020 and is replaced by the 1* post of Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training
^"Gibraltar Squadron".Royal Navy. Retrieved22 October 2020.With its rocky terrain and Mediterranean climate, the island is used primarily for training purposes and as a stopover for ships and aircraft on their way to or from Africa or the Middle East.
Chet, Guy (2014).The Ocean is a Wilderness: Atlantic Piracy and the Limits of State Authority, 1688–1856. University of Massachusetts Press.ISBN978-1625340856.
Clodfelter, Micheal (2017).Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492–2015. McFarland & Co Inc.ISBN978-0786474707.
Grimes, Shawn T. (2012).Strategy and War Planning in the British Navy, 1887–1918. Boydell.ISBN978-1846158179.
Harding, Richard (2005).The Royal Navy 1930–2000: Innovation and Defence. Frank Cass.ISBN978-0203337684.
Howard, David Armine (2003).British Sea Power: How Britain Became Sovereign of the Seas. Carroll & Graf.ISBN978-0786712496.
Hyde-Price, Adrian (2007).European Security in the Twenty-First Century: The Challenge of Multipolarity. London: Routledge.ISBN978-1134164400.
Brown, D. K.; Moore, George (2012).Rebuilding the Royal Navy: Warship Design Since 1945. Seaforth.ISBN978-1848321502.
Clark, Stephen M., Dieu Hack-Polay, and P. Matthijs Bal. "Social Mobility and Promotion of Officers to Senior Ranks in the Royal Navy: Meritocracy or Class Ceiling?"Armed Forces & Society (2020): 0095327X20905118onlineArchived 17 August 2021 at theWayback Machine.
Crimmin, Patricia K. "The Supply of Timber for the Royal Navy, c. 1803–c. 1830."The Naval Miscellany (Routledge, 2020) pp. 191–234.
Glaser, Darrell, and Ahmed Rahman. "Between the Dockyard and the Deep Blue Sea: Retention and Personnel Economics in the Royal Navy." (2021).online
Harding, Richard. "The royal navy, history and the study of leadership." inNaval Leadership in the Atlantic World: The Age of Reform and Revolution, 1700–1850 (2017): 9+online.
Houlberg, Kristian, Jane Wickenden, and Dennis Freshwater. "Five centuries of medical contributions from the Royal Navy."Clinical Medicine 19.1 (2019): 22+.online
Kennedy, Paul.The rise and fall of British naval mastery (Penguin UK, 2017).
LeJacq, Seth Stein. "Escaping court martial for sodomy: Prosecution and its alternatives in the Royal Navy, 1690–1840."International Journal of Maritime History 33.1 (2021): 16–36.
Lincoln, Margarette.Representing the Royal Navy: British Sea Power, 1750–1815 (Routledge, 2017).
Neufeld, Matthew. "The biopolitics of manning the Royal Navy in late Stuart England."Journal of British Studies 56.3 (2017): 506–531.
Roberts, Hannah.The WRNS in wartime: the Women's Royal Naval Service 1917–1945 (IB Tauris, 2018)
Seligmann, Matthew S. "A Service Ready for Total War? The State of the Royal Navy in July 1914."English Historical Review 133.560 (2018): 98–122.online
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