Naval Service
Encyclopedia
The Naval Service is the naval branch of the British Armed Forces
, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board
.
According to the Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy, it consists of:
Formerly the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
,the Royal Fleet Reserve,and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors
were also considered part of the Naval Service.
The term Naval Service should be distinguished from the "UK Naval Services", which consist of the Naval Service and the Merchant Navy.
The April 2005 regular strength of the Naval Service (i.e. Royal Navy and Royal Marines) was 36,320. The Naval Service is dominated by the Royal Navy, which accounts for over 80% of Naval Service personnel. The Naval Service as a whole comes under the command of the Navy Board, which is headed by the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
.
Referred to as the "Senior Service" by virtue of it being the oldest service within the British Armed Forces, the Royal Navy had a strength of 34,900 in April 2006. The Navy has been structured around a single fleet since the abolition of the Eastern and Western fleets in 1971. Command of deployable assets is exercised by the Commander-in-Chief Fleet
, who also has authority over the Royal Marines, and the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Personnel matters are the responsibility of the Second Sea Lord
/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, an appointment usually held by a vice-admiral.
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 Following the Options for Change defence review, diesel-electric submarines were withdrawn and the "hunter-killer" fleet is now exclusively nuclear-powered.
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 (3 Commando
) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise in amphibious
, arctic
, and mountain warfare
. Contained within 3 Commando Brigade are three attached army units; an infantry battalion (from April 2008), an artillery regiment, and an engineer regiment. The Commando Logistic Regiment
consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy.
The following services were formerly also components of the Naval Service:
Naval Reserve Forces:
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
, which includes civilian agencies under the control of the Navy Board
Navy Board
The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. Its composition is identical to that of the Admiralty Board of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, except that it does not include any of Her Majesty's Ministers.From 1546 to 1831, the Navy...
.
Branches
- The Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
(including Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing ServiceQueen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing ServiceQueen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service is the nursing branch of the British Royal Navy. The Service unit works alongside the Royal Navy Medical Branch....
) - The Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
- The Naval Reserve Forces:
- The Royal Naval ReserveRoyal Naval ReserveThe Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
(including Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve) - The Royal Marines ReserveRoyal Marines ReserveThe role of the Royal Marines Reserve of the United Kingdom is to support the regular Royal Marines in times of war or national crisis. The RMR consists of some 600-1000 trained ranks distributed among the five RMR Centres within the UK...
- The Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryThe Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
- The Royal Naval Reserve
- Naval Careers Service
Formerly the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service
The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service was a British Government agency which ran a variety of non-combat support vessels for the Royal Navy.-Organisation:...
,the Royal Fleet Reserve,and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors
Royal Corps of Naval Constructors
The Royal Corps of Naval Constructors is an institution of the Royal Navy and British Admiralty for training in naval architecture. It was established by Order in Council in August 1883, on the recommendation of the naval architect Sir William White. It still exists, as a branch of the Naval...
were also considered part of the Naval Service.
The term Naval Service should be distinguished from the "UK Naval Services", which consist of the Naval Service and the Merchant Navy.
The April 2005 regular strength of the Naval Service (i.e. Royal Navy and Royal Marines) was 36,320. The Naval Service is dominated by the Royal Navy, which accounts for over 80% of Naval Service personnel. The Naval Service as a whole comes under the command of the Navy Board, which is headed by the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
.
Ships of the Naval Service
The Naval service operates a total of 168 ships, broken up as follows;- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
; the Royal Navy operates 79 commissioned ships. - Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryThe Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary operates 13 commissioned ships plus 6 further roll on/roll off Point class ships. - Royal Maritime Auxiliary ServiceRoyal Maritime Auxiliary ServiceThe Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service was a British Government agency which ran a variety of non-combat support vessels for the Royal Navy.-Organisation:...
; the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service operates a total of 70 commissioned ships.
Royal Navy
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
, who also has authority over the Royal Marines, and the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Personnel matters are the responsibility of the Second Sea Lord
Second Sea Lord
The Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command , commonly just known as the Second Sea Lord , is one of the most senior admirals of the British Royal Navy , and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments.-History:In 1805, for the first time, specific functions were...
/Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, an appointment usually held by a vice-admiral.
The United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent is carried aboard the navy's Vanguard-class
Vanguard class submarine
The Vanguard class are the Royal Navy's current nuclear ballistic missile submarines , each armed with up to 16 Trident II Submarine-launched ballistic missiles...
of four nuclear ballistic-missile submarines. The surface fleet consists of carriers
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, amphibious assault ship
Amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault...
s, patrol ships
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
, mine-countermeasures
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
, and miscellaneous vessels. A submarine service
Royal Navy Submarine Service
The Royal Navy Submarine Service is the submarine element of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the "Silent Service", on account of a submarine being required to operate quietly in order to remain undetected by enemy sonar...
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
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise in amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
, arctic
Arctic warfare
Arctic warfare or winter warfare is a term used to describe armed conflict that takes place in an exceptionally cold weather, usually in snowy and icy terrain, sometimes on ice-covered bodies of water...
, and mountain warfare
Mountain warfare
Mountain warfare refers to warfare in the mountains or similarly rough terrain. This type of warfare is also called Alpine warfare, named after the Alps mountains...
. Contained within 3 Commando Brigade are three attached army units; an infantry battalion (from April 2008), an artillery regiment, and an engineer regiment. The Commando Logistic Regiment
Commando Logistic Regiment
The role of the Commando Logistic Regiment , Royal Marines is to provide second line Combat Service Support to Headquarters 3 Commando Brigade and Royal Marines Commandos in peace, war and operations other than war....
consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy.
Former components of the Naval Service
- The Women's Royal Naval ServiceWomen's Royal Naval ServiceThe Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
(merged into the Royal Navy in 1993) - The Royal Naval Minewatching ServiceRoyal Naval Minewatching ServiceThe Royal Naval Minewatching Service was a civilian organisation formed in 1952 as part of the auxiliary forces of the British Naval Service....
(reformed into the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service in 1962 and disbanded in 1994) - The Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing ServiceQueen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing ServiceQueen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service is the nursing branch of the British Royal Navy. The Service unit works alongside the Royal Navy Medical Branch....
(incorporated within the Royal Navy in 2000)
Naval Reserve Forces:
- The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (merged with the Royal Naval Reserve in 1958)
- The Royal Naval Volunteer (Supplementary) Reserve
- The Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve
- The Royal Naval Volunteer (Postal) Reserve)
- The Royal Naval Emergency Reserve (disbanded c. 1959)
- The Royal Naval Special Reserve (disbanded c. 1960)
- The Women's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (renamed the Women's Royal Naval Reserve in 1958, merged into the Royal Naval Reserve in 1993)
- The Women's Royal Naval Supplementary Reserve
- The Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service Reserve (incorporated within the Royal Naval Reserve in 2000)