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The is the British Monarch , Queen Elizabeth II and they are managed by the Defence Council of the Ministry Of Defence . Consistent with longstanding constitutional convention, however, the Prime Minister holds ''de facto'' authority over the armed forces. The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its and other coalition operations. Recent operations have included wars in Afghanistan and Iraq (2001 and 2003 respectively), intervention in Sierra Leone (2000), and ongoing peacekeeping responsibilities in the Balkans and Cyprus . Overseas garrisons and facilities are maintained at Ascension Island , Belize , Brunei , Canada , Diego Garcia , the Falkland Islands , Germany , Gibraltar , Kenya , and the Sovereign Base Areas ( Cyprus ). Permanent Joint Operating Bases , northwood.mod.uk House of Commons Hansard , publications.parliament.uk HISTORY Origin British Military History is long, complex and greatly influential in World history, especially since the 17th Century , but it seems to have had rather simple origins. Many today attribute the foundation of the first native armed forces in Britain to Alfred The Great . Important conflicts in which the British took part later on in history include the Seven Years' War and the Napoleonic Wars of the 18th Century /early 19th Century , the Crimean War of the mid 19th Century, and the First and Second World Wars of the 20th Century . The British Empire , which reached its apogee in the 1920s , was the largest empire in history; almost a third of the World's population were subjects of the British Crown and it controlled a quarter of the World's total land area (and arguably its seas). The current structure of defence management in the United Kingdom was set in place in 1964 when the modern day Ministry Of Defence (MoD) was created (an earlier form had existed since 1940 ). The MoD assumed the roles of the Admiralty , the War Office and the Air Ministry . Cold War bomber was a Strategic Bomber used by the Royal Air Force to carry both conventional and Nuclear Bombs .]] Post-World War II economic and political decline, as well as changing attitudes in British society and government, was reflected by the Armed Forces contracting global role. Chandler & Beckett (2003), p343Colman (2005), ''A 'Special Relationship'?: Harold Wilson, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Anglo-American Relations' at the at the Summit’, 1964-68'', p77[http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/F21E81DC_E902_D3CE_488720FE8488434D.pdf Focus on Europe], raf.mod.uk Britain's protracted decline was dramatically epitomised by its political defeat during the , Bahrain , Malaysia , Mauritius , Oman , Sharjah , and Singapore . Agreements with Malta (expired 1979) and South Africa (terminated 1975) also ended. With a permanent presence east of Suez effectively reduced to and RAF Germany consequently represented the largest and most important overseas commitments that the British Armed Forces had during this period.Chandler & Beckett (2003), p421 The Royal Navy's fleet developed an Anti-submarine Warfare specialisation, with a particular focus on countering Soviet submarines in the Eastern Atlantic and North Sea . In the process of this transition and due to economic constraints, four conventional aircraft carriers and two "commando" carriers decommissioned between 1967 and 1984. Kennedy (2004), ''British Naval Strategy East of Suez, 1900-2000: Influence and Actions'', p246Harding (2005), ''The Royal Navy 1930-2000: innovation and defence'', p220 With the cancellation of the CVA-01 project, three ''Invincible''-class STOVL Aircraft Carriers , originally designed as "Through-Deck Cruisers", became their ultimate replacements. While this focus on NATO obligations increased in prominence during the 1970s, low-intensity conflicts in Northern Ireland and Oman emerged as the primary operational concerns of the British Armed Forces.Chandler & Beckett (2003), pp350-351 These conflicts had followed a spate of insurgencies against British colonial occupation in Aden, Cyprus, Kenya, and Malaysia. An Undeclared War with Indonesia had also occurred in Borneo during the 1960s, and recurring civil unrest in the declining number of British colonies often required military assistance. Recent history project will see two new Aircraft Carriers built for the Royal Navy . Both will be Supercarrier size and use F-35 fighters and are expected to enter service between 2012-2014.]] Three major reviews of the British Armed Forces have been conducted since The End Of The Cold War . The Conservative Government produced the Options For Change review in the 1990s, seeking to benefit from a perceived post-Cold War " Peace Dividend ".Hollowell (2003), ''Britain Since 1945, p16 All three services experienced considerable reductions in manpower, equipment, and infrastructure.Chandler & Beckett (2003), p358 Though the Soviet Union had disintegrated, a presence in Germany was retained, albeit in the reduced form of British Forces Germany . Experiences during the First Gulf War prompted renewed efforts to enhance joint operational cohesion and efficiency among the services by establishing a Permanent Joint Headquarters in 1996.Strachan (2006), ''Big Wars And Small Wars: The British Army And the Lessons of War in the Twentieth Centur'', p158Frantzen (2005), ''Nato And Peace Support Operations, 1991-1999: Policies And Doctrines'', p104 An increasingly international role for the British Armed Forces has been pursued since the Cold War's end.Frantzen (2005), ''NATO and Peace Support Operations, 1991-1999: policies and doctrines'', p95 This has entailed the Armed Forces often constituting a major component in Peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the United Nations or NATO , and other multinational operations. Consistent undermanning and the reduced size of the Armed Forces has, however, highlighted the problem of "overstretch" in recent years.Dorman (2005), Overstretch: Modern Army's weakness , news.bbc.co.uk This has reportedly contributed to personnel retention difficulties and challenged the military's ability to sustain its overseas commitments.Chandler & Beckett (2003), p434BBC (2007), Military 'faces retention crisis' , news.bbc.co.uk The Strategic Defence Review – described as "foreign-policy-led" – was published in 1998.Chandler & Beckett (2003), P418Kennedy, ''British Naval Strategy East of Suez, 1900-2000: Influence and Actions'', p261 Expeditionary warfare and tri-service integration were central to the review, which sought to improve efficiency and reduce expenditure by consolidating resources. Hansard (1998), House of Commons , publications.parliament.uk Chandler & Beckett (2003), p418 Most of the Armed Forces' helicopters were collected under a Single Command and a Joint Force Harrier was established in 2000, containing the Navy and RAF's fleet of Harrier Jump Jet s. A Joint Rapid Reaction Force was formed in 1999, with significant tri-service resources at its disposal. Permanent Joint Headquarters , armedforces.co.u is a new generation Unmanned Aerial Vehicles developed by BAE Systems and is planned to be introduced by 2010.]] The first major post- Main Battle Tanks and a regiment of AS-90 self-propelled artillery would be converted to lighter roles. Future Army Structure , armedforces.co.uk CURRENT STRENGTH The United Kingdom fields one of the most powerful, technologically advanced, and comprehensive armed forces in the world. The UK has the second highest military expenditure in the world Defence Spending www.mod.org despite only having the 22nd highest number of troops. It is also the second largest spender on military science, engineering and technologyTim Radford Military dominates UK science, says report The Guardian 20-1-2005 Despite Britain's wide ranging capabilities, recent defence policy has a stated assumption that any large operation would be undertaken as part of a coalition. Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq ( ''Granby'' , ''Desert Fox'' and ''Telic'' ) may all be taken as precedent – indeed the last large scale military action in which the British armed forces fought alone was the Falklands War of 1982. The consisting of four Trident Missile Submarines , while the Royal Marines provide commando units for amphibious assault and for specialist reinforcement forces in and beyond the NATO area. According to the same source, the British Army had a strength of 100,010, while the Royal Air Force had a strength of 45,210. This puts the total number of regular Armed Forces personnel at 180,690 (not including civilians), nine percent of whom were women. This number is supported by reserve forces, including over 35,000 from the Territorial Army . The total number of serving personnel, including reserve forces, is therefore in the region of 225,000 (taking into account Navy, Marines and Air Force reserves). STRUCTURE Command organisation Sir Michael Walker (centre) presenting new colours to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , 2005.]] As and contains three deputy appointments: Minister 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: the , Army Board , and Air Force Board ) are chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence. The , the Chief Of The General Staff and the Chief Of The Air Staff . Naval Service , one of two Invincible Class Aircraft Carrier s currently in service. A third carrier is in reserve.]] The 2007 , a Fleet Of 88 Vessels (including an aircraft carrier in reserve) is maintained by the Royal Navy, assisted by 23 vessels of the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary . Fleet Today , royal-navy.mod.uk RFA Fleet Today , royal-navy.mod.uk Number of vessels in the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and squadrons in the Fleet Air Arm at 1 April each year , dasa.mod.uk Royal Navy Referred to as the "/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, an appointment usually held by a vice-admiral.https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/static/content/209.html SLBM being launched]] The United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent is carried aboard the navy's ''Vanguard''-class of four nuclear ballistic-missile submarines. The surface fleet consists of Carriers , Destroyer s, Frigate s, Amphibious Assault Ship s, Patrol Ships , Mine-countermeasures , and miscellaneous vessels. A Submarine Service has existed within the Royal Navy for over 100-years. The service possessed a combined fleet of diesel-electric and nuclear-powered submarines in the early 1990s. Following the Options for Change defence review, diesel-electric submarines were withdrawn and the " Hunter-killer " fleet is now exclusively nuclear-powered. Royal Marines The infantry component of the Naval Service is the Corps of Royal Marines, which had a reported strength of approximately 7,400 in 2006. Consisting of a single manoeuvre brigade ( consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy. Commando Logistic Regiment , royalnavy.mod.uk British Army See Also: Structure of the British Army , the British Army's Main Battle Tank ]] The regular , and the subsequent announcement of the Future Army Structure (FAS). Future Army Structure , armedforces.co.uk The army consists of three TLBs (Top Level Budget): United Kingdom . HQ Land Command , armedforces.co.uk/ The core element of the Army is the 50 battalions of , Armoured Infantry , Mechanised Infantry , and Light Role Infantry . Regiments and battalions exist within every corps of the Army, functioning as administrative or tactical formations. Armoured regiments are equivalent to an infantry battalion. There are 11 armoured regiments within the regular army, of which five are designated as " Armoured " and five as " Formation Reconnaissance ". The 1st Royal Tank Regiment uniquely forms a component of the Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiation And Nuclear Regiment . With the exception of the Household Cavalry , armoured regiments and their Territorial counterparts are grouped under the Royal Armoured Corps . Arms and support units are also formed into similar collectives organised around specific purposes, such as the Corps Of Royal Engineers , Army Air Corps and Royal Army Medical Corps . Arms and Services , army.mod.uk Royal Air Force is the main fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force .]] Consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, the are deployed to facilities in Afghanistan, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, and the United States. Aircraft Order of Battle , scramble.nl will soon replace the BAE Harrier II aboard the United Kingdom 's Aircraft Carriers .]] The Royal Air Forces operates multi-role and single-role fighters, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports, helicopters, Regiment. By March 2008, the three remaining "Air Defence" squadrons will have disbanded and their responsibilities transferred to the British Army's Royal Artillery . RAF Regiment , armedforces.co.uk Civilian Agencies of the MOD The British Armed Forces are supported by civilian agencies owned by the MOD. Although they are civilian, they play a vital role in supporting Armed Forces operations, and they are under certain circumstances under military discipline. Naval Auxiliaries The MOD owns two civilian naval agencies which are not part of the military Naval Service . Police PERSONNEL Size Recruitment exercising with the United States Marine Corps , 1996.]] The Armed Forces mainly recruits within the United Kingdom, and normally has an annual recruitment target of around 24,000. Hansard House of Commons , publications.parliament.uk The minimum recruitment age is 16½ years (although personnel may not serve on operations below 18 years); the maximum recruitment age is 37-years. The normal term of engagement is 22 years.BBC News (2007), Recruitment Age for Army Raised , news.bbc.co.u Low unemployment in Britain has resulted in the Army having difficulty in meeting its target, and in the early years of the 21st century there has been a marked increase in the number of recruits from other (predominantly Commonwealth ) countries.Evans (2005), How British Army is fast becoming foreign legion , timesonline.co.ukWilson (2006), One in 10 soldiers is recruited overseas , telegraph.co.uk Citizens of and the Royal Irish Regiment , 7,155 personnel were recorded as being of foreign nationality in 2005. The largest tri-service national groups recorded in 2005 were Fijian (2,040), Jamaican (1,030), South African (710), Zimbabwean (590), Ghanaian (590), and Irish (335). Smaller contingents were drawn from countries such as Australia (110) and Canada (105), and islands nations with relatively small populations. A Grenadian, Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry , was awarded the Victoria Cross in 2005 for actions in Iraq. , 1998.]] Specific initiatives to develop female and ethnic minority representation in the Armed Forces has yielded percentage increases of 3.4 and 4.5 since 1997. Hansard House of Commons , publications.parliament.uk Strength of UK Regular Forces by sex and Service at 1 April each year , dasa.mod.uk Strength of UK Regular Forces by ethnic origin and rank at 1 April each year , dasa.mod.uk In 1997, there were 14,830 (5.7%) women and 2.184 (1.0%) personnel who identified as an ethnic minority. This had increased to 17,870 (9.1%) and 10,180 (5.5%) in 2006. A higher percentage of personnel have attained higher-rank since 2000. Notably included among these officers are Rear-Admiral , and the submarine service. Women in the Armed Forces , .mod.uk Since 2000, sexual orientation has not been a factor considered in recruitment and homosexuals can serve openly in the armed forces, unlike in the United States armed forces for example, the army actively recruits at Gay Pride parades. CURRENT OPERATIONS See Also: Deployments of the British military There were over 30,000 members of the British Armed Forces deployed abroad in January 2007, serving in various capacities. House of Commons Hansard , publications.parliament.uk Where are British troops and why? , news.bbc.co.uk Peackeeping, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief tasks have increased in recent years, many under the auspices of the United Nations and NATO. Ministry of Defence Policy Paper Paper No.2 - Multinational Defence Co-operation , mod.uk The Armed Forces most recently contributed to the international humanitarian and reconstruction efforts that occurred in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami and 2005 Earthquake in Pakistan . Operation Garron , operations.mod.uk Pakistan Earthquake Relief Operations: Chronology of Events , operations.mod.uk Within the United Kingdom, there were approximately 140,000 personnel stationed in England, 13,200 in Scotland, 7,000 in Northern Ireland, and 6,200 in Wales. Numbers of UK armed forces committed to Northern Ireland , dasa.mod.uk The , known as Operation Banner , officially ended on 1 August 2007 and result in the reduction of the miliary presence to the size of a peacetime garrison.BBC News (2006), Troop withdrawal plan published , news.bbc.co.uk Personnel are based in a number of Overseas Territories , though internal security for the majority is provided solely by small police forces. Garrisons and facilities exist in Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, and the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. These deployments accounted for over 5,000 personnel in 2006. Locally-raised units are maintained in Bermuda ( The Bermuda Regiment ), the Falkland Islands ( Falkland Islands Defence Force ), and Gibraltar ( Royal Gibraltar Regiment ). Though their primary mission is "home defence", individuals have volunteered for operational duties. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment has recently mobilised section-sized units for attachment to regiments deployed to Iraq. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment , 1rg.gi More soldiers from Royal Gibraltar Regiment in overseas duties in regiment's history , panorama.gi RECENT DEFENCE REVIEWS
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