British Armed Forces

The armed forces of the United Kingdom, commonly known as the British Armed Forces, Her Majesty's Armed Forces or the Armed Forces of the Crown, encompasses the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force

The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations, including recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq and ongoing peacekeeping responsibilities in the Balkans and Cyprus.

The British Armed Forces have a reported combined personnel strength of 429,500 in 2006 (195,900 regular force, 191,300 regular reserve, and 42,300 volunteer reserve). It constitutes one of the largest militaries in Europe by troop count, though only the 28th largest in the world. The British Armed Forces however have the second highest expenditure of any military in the world, only behind the USA.

The Commander-in-Chief (See Footnote below) is the British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II and they are managed by the Defence Council of the Ministry Of Defence (MoD). Consistent with longstanding constitutional convention, however, the Prime Minister holds de facto authority over the armed forces.¹

Main Services:

• British Army
• Royal Air Force
• Naval Service
  • Royal Navy
  • Royal Marines

Reserves:

• Territorial Army
• Royal Naval Reserves
• Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Civilian:

• Royal Fleet Auxiliary
• Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
• MoD Police and Guarding Agency

See Also

• British Armed Forces officer ranks
• British Armed Forces enlisted ranks

Footnotes

1. The monarchy, under the Constitution has no control over the a Armed Forces of the Nation (although all officers still hold their commissions by Royal authority). This prevents a Monarch from ever again raising an Army against his own subjects (as Charles I had done in the Civil War).

The position of Commander in Chief was abolished in 1903 following a Parliamentary Royal Commission of Inquiry (the Elgin report). This report reorganised the War Office and also recognised that very few officers who held Staff appointments had ever received any specialist training in Staff duties. A further Committee chaired by Viscount Esher reporting in March 1904 recommended sweeping reforms. These were introduced later that year by the Secretary of State for War, Richard.B. Haldane, and as a result control over the army was vested in an Army Council (instead of a C-in-C). A real General Staff was established with all Staff Appointments being held by Officers who had passed through Staff College. In 1963 the War Office, Admiralty and Air Ministry were combined to become the Ministry of Defence with overall control vested in a Defence Council chaired by a Cabinet Minister (Minister of Defence) which is answerable directly to Parliament.

The last Commander in Chief was Field Marshal Frederich 'Bob' Roberts who held the position for three years prior to 1904. succeeding Wolseley (1899). Earlier the Duke of Cambridge held the post for forty years from 1856. After the reorganisation the duties of the Commander in Chief passed to the newly established post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff