Military of the United Kingdom
The tri-service badge: British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
Military manpower
Availability (males age 15-49)	14,943,016 (2004 est.)
Fit for military service (males age 15-49)	12,393,785 (2004 est.)
Military expenditures
Sterling figure (FY04/05)	£30.0 billion
Dollar figure (FY04/05)	$54.0 billion
Percent of GDP (2004)	2.33%
Military strength
British Army
Main Battle Tanks	386 Challenger 2
Infantry fighting vehicles	575 Warrior
Armoured Personnel Carriers	4,000+
Artillery	400
Aircraft	290
Personnel (British Army)	112,700
Personnel (Territorial Army)	40,000+
Royal Navy
Submarines	11
Ballistic Submarines	4
Aircraft Carriers	3
Helicopter Carrier	1
Destroyers	11
Frigates	19
Patrol boats	20
Amphibious Assault ships	2
Aircraft	210
Personnel	40,900
Royal Fleet Auxiliary
Tanker	9
Resuply ships	5
Aviation training ship	1
Repair	5
Amphibious Assault ships	2
Royal Air Force
Aircraft	942 (including helicopters)
Personnel	53,400

The armed forces of the United Kingdom are known as the British Armed Forces or Her Majesty's Armed Forces, officially the Armed Forces of the Crown. Their Commander-in-Chief is the Queen and they are managed by the Ministry of Defence.

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.

The British Army had a reported strength of 112,700 in 2004, including 7,600 women, and the Royal Air Force a strength of 53,400. The 40,900-member Royal Navy is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists 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. This puts total active duty military troops in the 210,000 range.

Along with France and Russia, Britain fields one of the most powerful and comprehensive military forces in Europe. 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, No-Fly-Zones, Desert Fox and Telic) may all be taken as precedent - indeed the last true war in which the British military fought alone was the Falklands War of 1982.

Branches

• British Army
• Royal Navy, including Royal Marines
• Royal Air Force

Recent Defence Reviews

• Options for Change (1993)
• Strategic Defence Review (1999)
• Delivering Security in a Changing World [1] (http://www.mod.uk/issues/security/cm6269/index.html) (2004)

See also

• British military history
• Admiralty
• Military of the Falkland Islands
• National Service
• NATO
• The United Kingdom and weapons of mass destruction
• List of United Kingdom topics

sl:Oborožene sile Združenega kraljestva fr:Armée britannique