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111-515: The British Forces Post Office (BFPO) provides a postal service to HM Forces separate from that provided by Royal Mail in the United Kingdom. BFPO addresses are used for the delivery of mail in the UK and around the world. BFPO moved from its original base at Inglis Barracks , Mill Hill to its current base at RAF Northolt in west London in 2007. Below is an example of a BFPO address, using

222-630: A "statutory liability for service" and are liable to be recalled (under Section 52 of the Reserve Forces Act (RFA) 1996) for duty during wartime, which is known as the Regular Reserve . MoD publications since April 2013 no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract. These contracts are similar in nature to those of

333-833: A Royal Air Force outpost at Al Udeid Air Base which serves as the operational headquarters for No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group and its operations across the Middle East. A large Royal Navy Naval Support Facility (NSF) is located in Bahrain, established in 2016 it marks the British return East of Suez. In support of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), the United Kingdom retains a naval repair and logistics support facility at Sembawang wharf , Singapore. Other overseas military installations include; British Forces Brunei , British Forces Germany ,

444-685: A base, without repair or refit capabilities, in 1951 and finally closed in 1995, following the Cold War (United States and Canadian bases in Bermuda closed in the same period), leaving only the Royal Bermuda Regiment and the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps there today. Malta became independent in 1964, and the last British armed forces personnel were removed from the former colony in 1979. Gibraltar continues to be used by

555-658: A colony were generally considered to be separate forces from the Home Militia Force and Volunteer Force in the United Kingdom, and from the militia forces and volunteer forces of other colonies. Where a colony had more than one militia or volunteer unit, they would be grouped as a militia or volunteer force for that colony, such as the Jamaica Volunteer Defence Force , which comprised the St. Andrew Rifle Corps (or Kingston Infantry Volunteers ),

666-721: A dual role of Armoured Cavalry and Mounted Ceremonial on Horse Guards in London, and for state occasions. The Royal Air Force has a large operational fleet that fulfils various roles, consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft . Frontline aircraft are controlled by Air Command , which is organised into five groups defined by function: 1 Group (Air Combat), 2 Group (Air Support), 11 Group (Air and Space operations), 22 Group (training aircraft and ground facilities) and 38 Group (Royal Air Force's Engineering, Logistics, Communications and Medical Operations units). In addition 83 Expeditionary Air Group directs formations in

777-935: A field artillery regiment based in Plymouth, and 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers . The Commando Logistic Regiment consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy. The British Army is the land force of the British Armed Forces, and is made up of the Regular Army and the part-time Army Reserve . The Army is commanded by the Chief of the General Staff , a four-star general within Army Headquarters , based at Andover . Deployable combat formations are; The Infantry of

888-418: A joint force it involves all three armed Services: a land component composed of formations at national brigade level, maritime and air components with their associated Headquarters, together with logistics and support functions. The Royal Navy is a technologically sophisticated naval force, and as of May 2024 consists of 66 commissioned ships with an additional 13 support vessels of various types operated by

999-747: A long string of Anglo-Spanish and Anglo-Dutch wars, as well as a series of "world wars" with France, such as; the Seven Years' War (1756–1763), the French Revolutionary Wars (1792–1802) and the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815). During the Napoleonic wars, the Royal Navy victory at Trafalgar (1805) under the command of Horatio Nelson (aboard HMS Victory ) marked the culmination of British maritime supremacy, and left

1110-454: A military satellite communications system, Skynet , initially in large part to support East of Suez bases and deployments. Since 2015 Skynet has offered near global coverage. The British Armed Forces place significant importance in the ability to conduct expeditionary warfare . While the armed forces are expeditionary in nature, it maintains a core of "high readiness" forces trained and equipped to deploy at very short notice, these include;

1221-510: A return military address displayed on the envelope. In addition, mail to those destinations cannot be sent using the Bluey system . In 2012, in collaboration with Royal Mail , the BFPO introduced UK-style postcodes , to help ordering items online, owing to problems with websites not recognising the BFPO addressing format. The addresses are assigned to the notional post town "BFPO" and, as of 2012,

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1332-535: A single fleet since the abolition of the Eastern and Western fleets in 1971. The recently built Type 45 destroyers are stealthy and technologically advanced air-defence destroyers. The Royal Navy has commissioned two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers, embarking an air-group including the advanced fifth-generation multi-role fighter, the F-35B Lightning . A submarine service has existed within

1443-715: A strategic competition in what became known as The Great Game for supremacy in Central Asia . Britain feared that Russian expansionism in the region would eventually threaten the Empire in India. In response, Britain undertook a number of pre-emptive actions against perceived Russian ambitions, including the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842), the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880) and

1554-661: A £178 billion investment over ten years in new equipment and capabilities. On 8 March 2023 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a further £5bn in defence spending with a long-term goal of an increased spending to 2.5% of GDP. The United Kingdom is one of five recognised nuclear weapon states under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and maintains an independent nuclear deterrent , currently consisting of four Vanguard -class ballistic missile submarines , UGM-133 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles , and 160 operational thermonuclear warheads . This

1665-455: Is a direct descendant of the money order , which had been established by a private company in 1792. During World War I and World War II, British postal orders were temporarily declared legal tender to save paper and labour. Postal orders can be bought and redeemed at post offices in the UK, although a crossed postal order must be paid into a bank account. Until April 2006 they came in fixed denominations though an amount of any value less than

1776-586: Is assisted by the 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 Defence Council , Chiefs of Staff Committee , Defence Management Board and three single-service boards. The Defence Council, composed of senior representatives of the services and

1887-536: Is based. This is especially important as mail to BFPO addresses is often charged at the inland UK rate, and if it is addressed to an overseas destination with only UK postage attached, this will result in delays. For security reasons, mail from HM Forces to civilian addresses in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland must be handed directly to BFPO staff, not placed in the post box, and must not have

1998-722: Is known as Trident in both public and political discourse (with nomenclature taken after the UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missile). Trident is operated by the Royal Navy Submarine Service , charged with delivering a 'Continuous At-Sea Deterrent' (CASD) capability, whereby one of the Vanguard -class strategic submarines is always on patrol. According to the British Government, since the introduction of Polaris (Trident's predecessor) in

2109-634: Is regarded as being a part of the numismatic and notaphilic history of that country. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle make mention of messengers being sent by King Edward the Elder (899–924) to recall members of the Kent fyrd , but it is generally regarded that the origins of the postal services stem from the King's Messengers ( Nuncii et Cursores ) of medieval times. In particular the Royal Post established in

2220-571: Is £250.00 for a fee of £12.50. The use of postal orders (or postal notes in some countries) was extended to most countries that are now part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, plus to a few foreign countries such as Jordan, Egypt and Thailand. United States Postal Money Service was introduced in 1864 by an act on Congress as a way of sending small amounts of money through the mail. By 1865 there were 416 post offices designated as money order offices that had issued money orders to

2331-571: The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and other NATO operations. In 2010, the governments of the United Kingdom and France signed the Lancaster House Treaties which committed both governments to the creation of a Franco-British Combined Joint Expeditionary Force . It is envisaged as a deployable joint force, for use in a wide range of crisis scenarios, up to and including high intensity combat operations. As

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2442-887: The British Army Training Unit Kenya , British Army Training Unit Suffield in Canada, British Army Training and Support Unit Belize , and British Gurkhas Nepal . Some British Overseas Territories also maintain locally raised units and regiments; The Royal Bermuda Regiment , the Falkland Islands Defence Force , the Royal Gibraltar Regiment , the Royal Montserrat Defence Force , the Cayman Islands Regiment , and

2553-550: The British Expeditionary Force , or of a mixture of British Army, Indian Army, or Imperial auxiliary units, such as the Malakand Field Force (this is similarly to the naval use of the term task force ). In this usage, force is used to describe a self-reliant body able to act without external support, at least within the parameters of the task or objective for which it is employed. During

2664-694: The British expedition to Tibet (1903–1904). During this period, Britain also sought to maintain the balance of power in Europe, particularly against Russian expansionism, who at the expense of the waning Ottoman Empire had ambitions to "carve up the European part of Turkey". This ultimately led to British involvement in the Crimean War (1854–1856) against the Russian Empire. The beginning of

2775-620: The COVID-19 pandemic ; the armed forces' support to the latter falls under Operation Rescript , described as the UK's "biggest ever homeland military operation in peacetime" by the Ministry of Defence. Figures released by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March 2016 show that 7,185 British Armed Forces personnel have lost their lives in medal earning theatres since the end of the Second World War. King Charles III , sovereign of

2886-584: The Defence Council . The United Kingdom is one of five recognised nuclear powers , a permanent member on the United Nations Security Council , a founding and leading member of NATO and party to the AUKUS security pact and the Five Power Defence Arrangements . Overseas garrisons and training facilities are maintained at Ascension Island , Bahrain , Belize , Bermuda , British Indian Ocean Territory , Brunei , Canada , Cyprus ,

2997-637: The Falkland Islands , Germany , Gibraltar , Kenya , Montserrat , Nepal , Qatar , Singapore and the United States . With the Acts of Union 1707 , the armed forces of England and Scotland were merged into the armed forces of the Kingdom of Great Britain . There were originally several naval and several military regular and reserve forces , although most of these were consolidated into

3108-703: The Jamaica Corps of Scouts , and the Jamaica Reserve Regiment , but not the Jamaica Militia Artillery . In smaller colonies with a single militia or volunteer unit, that single unit would still be considered to be listed within a force, or in some case might be named a force rather than a regiment or corps, such as is the case for the Falkland Islands Defence Force and the Royal Montserrat Defence Force . The militia, yeomanry and volunteer forces collectively were known as

3219-530: The Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) (Royal Navy), UK Commando Force (Royal Marines), and 16 Air Assault Brigade (British Army). Frequently, these forces will act as part of a larger tri-service effort, under the direction of Permanent Joint Headquarters , or along with like-minded allies under the Joint Expeditionary Force . Similarly, under the auspices of NATO , such expeditionary forces are designed to meet Britain's obligations to

3330-662: The Military intervention against ISIL (2014–present). Britain's military intervention against Islamic State was expanded following a parliamentary vote to launch a bombing campaign over Syria ; an extension of the bombing campaign requested by the Iraqi government against the same group. In addition to the aerial campaign, the British Army has trained and supplied allies on the ground and the Special Air Service ,

3441-540: The Postal Order Society that was established in 1985 with members both domestically and overseas. They hold twice-yearly postal auctions of postal orders and related material from across the British Commonwealth. Despite competition from cheques and electronic funds transfer , postal orders continue to appeal to customers, especially as a form of payment for shopping on the Internet, as they are drawn on

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3552-730: The Reserve Force Act 1867 ) were increasingly integrated with the British Army through a succession of reforms over the last two decades of the 19th century (in 1871, command of the Auxiliary Forces in the British Isles was taken from the Lords-Lieutenant of counties and transferred to the War Office , though colonial governors retained control of their militia and volunteer forces, and by the end of

3663-691: The Royal Dragoon Guards , currently operate the Warrior IFV on an interim basis, until Ajax reaches full operating capability . There are six Light Cavalry regiments (three Regular + three Reserve) equipped with the Jackal 2 and Coyote TSV , tasked with providing reconnaissance and fire support. The Household Cavalry , made up of the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals , operate in

3774-769: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary . Command of deployable assets is exercised by the Fleet Commander of the Naval Service . 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 Surface Fleet consists of aircraft carriers , amphibious warfare ships , destroyers , frigates , patrol vessels , mine-countermeasure vessels , and other miscellaneous vessels. The Surface Fleet has been structured around

3885-402: The Royal Navy , the Waterguard (subsequently HM Coastguard ), and Sea Fencibles and River Fencibles formed as and when required for the duration of emergencies. The Merchant Navy and offshore fishing boat crews were also important manpower reserves to the armed naval forces (any seaman was liable to impressment , with many so conscripted especially during the two decades of conflict from

3996-491: The Special Boat Service , and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (British special forces) has carried out various missions on the ground in both Syria and Iraq. The armed forces have also been called upon to assist with national emergencies through the provisions of the military aid to the civil authorities (MACA) mechanism. This has seen the armed forces assist government departments and civil authorities responding to flooding, food shortages, wildfires, terrorist attacks and

4107-489: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute , the United Kingdom is in sixth place in the world's military spending list in 2023. For comparison: Great Britain spends more in absolute terms than Germany, Ukraine, France or Japan, similar to Saudi Arabia, but less than India, Russia, China or the United States. In September 2011, according to Professor Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute , current "planned levels of defence spending should be enough for

4218-431: The Suez Crisis (1956). Reflecting Britain's new role in the world and the escalation of the Cold War (1947–1991), the country became a founding member of the NATO military alliance in 1949. Defence Reviews , such as those in 1957 and 1966 , announced significant reductions in conventional forces, the pursuement of a doctrine based on nuclear deterrence , and a permanent military withdrawal east of Suez . By

4329-451: The Turks and Caicos Regiment . Though their primary mission is "home defence", individuals have volunteered for operational duties. The Royal Bermuda Regiment is an amalgam of the Bermuda Militia Artillery (which had been part of the Royal Regiment of Artillery ) and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps , raised in the 1890s as Imperial forces funded by the War Office as part of the British Army, and both antecedent units sent contingents to

4440-432: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ), the British Armed Forces have seen action in most major wars involving the world's great powers , including the Seven Years' War , the American War of Independence , the Napoleonic Wars , the Crimean War , the First World War and the Second World War . Britain's victories in most of these wars allowed it to influence world events and establish itself as one of

4551-453: The Yeomen Warders and the Yeomen of the Guard , with armies raised only temporarily for expeditions overseas), made up of civilians embodied for annual training or emergencies, and had used various schemes of compulsory service during different periods of its long existence. The Militia was originally an all infantry force, organised at the city or county level, and members were not required to serve outside of their recruitment area, although

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4662-436: The aerograms that are (still) provided for troops on active service and their families at home. Self-adhesive strips along the edges of the paper allowed it to be folded and sealed without the added weight of an envelope, meaning that more of them could be carried by air or by hand for the same total weight. Because of the blue paper these were nicknamed "blueys", and the name came to carry something of an emotional charge due to

4773-410: The military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom , its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies . They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid . Since the formation of the united Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707 (later succeeded by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , and finally by

4884-416: The reserve forces , auxiliary forces , or local forces . Officers of these forces could not sit on courts martial of regular forces personnel. The Mutiny Act did not apply to members of the Reserve Forces. The other regular military force that existed alongside the British Army was the Board of Ordnance , which included the Ordnance Military Corps (made up of the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, and

4995-443: The 1960s, from April 1969 "the Royal Navy's ballistic missile boats have not missed a single day on patrol", giving what the Defence Council described in 1980 as a deterrent "effectively invulnerable to pre-emptive attack". As of 2015, it has been British Government policy for the Vanguard -class strategic submarines to carry no more than 40 nuclear warheads, delivered by eight UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles. In contrast with

5106-426: The 1st Battalion Royal Yorkshire Regiment , within the 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team , operate the Foxhound protected mobility vehicle; Armoured Infantry (to become Heavy Mechanised Infantry under Future Soldier ), such as the 1st Battalion Royal Regiment of Fusiliers , within the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade Combat Team , operate the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), but will be equipped with

5217-442: The Army List. Confusingly, and similarly to the dual meaning of the word Corps in the British Army (by example, the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps was in 1914 part of the 6th Brigade that was part of the 2nd Infantry Division , which was itself part of 1st Army Corps ), the British Army sometimes also used the term expeditionary force or field force to describe a body made up of British Army units, most notably

5328-431: The Atlantic and its connected seas. As, until the end of the First World War, it was presumed the only navies that might prove a threat were all of countries on, or off, the Atlantic, no Imperial fortress was established in the Pacific or Indian Oceans, to which power would be extended from Bermuda and Malta following the completion of the Panama and Suez canals. Local-service military reserve units were raised in some of

5439-416: The British Armed Forces serving in theatre. The letters are downloaded and printed and then dispatched to the recipient via the traditional military postal system. Letters sent by serving Armed Forces members to family and friends in the UK (from Operational Theatres) are downloaded and printed at various locations in the UK and then delivered to the Royal Mail for final delivery. The name, e-bluey, comes from

5550-423: The British Army has a strength of 48 battalions (32 regular and 16 reserve), structured under 17 unique regiments. These battalions are trained and equipped for specific roles within their respective Brigade Combat Teams (BCT); Light Infantry , such as the famous 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards , within the 4th Light Brigade Combat Team , fight on foot without armoured vehicles; Light Mechanised Infantry , such as

5661-399: The British Army." The Royal Armoured Corps provides the armoured capability of the British Army. The Royal Tank Regiment , Queen's Royal Hussars and Royal Wessex Yeomanry (of the Army Reserve ) operate Challenger 2 main battle tanks, which are being upgraded to Challenger 3 , and are part of 3rd (UK) Division 's Armoured Brigade Combat Teams. Armoured Cavalry regiments, such as

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5772-423: The Cold War, at least in the context of British defence policy, was the Falklands War (1982). Since the end of the Cold War , an increasingly international role for the armed forces has been pursued, with re-structuring to deliver a greater focus on expeditionary warfare and power projection . This entailed the armed forces often constituting a major component in peacekeeping and humanitarian missions under

5883-418: The Eastern Atlantic and North Sea . While NATO obligations took increased prominence, Britain nonetheless found itself engaged in a number of low-intensity conflicts, including a spate of insurgencies against colonial occupation. However the Dhofar Rebellion (1962–1976) and The Troubles (1969–1998) emerged as the primary operational concerns of the armed forces. Perhaps the most important conflict during

5994-413: The Falkland Islands ( British Forces South Atlantic Islands ) and Diego Garcia ( British Forces British Indian Ocean Territories ). While not a PJOB, Ascension Island (another BOT) is home to the airbase RAF Ascension Island , notable for use as a staging post during the 1982 Falklands War , the territory is also the site of a joint UK-US signals intelligence facility. Qatar is home to RAF Al Udeid ,

6105-495: The First World War, by 1933 fascism had given rise to Nazi Germany , which under the leadership of Adolf Hitler re-militarised in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles. Once again tensions accumulated in European relations, and following Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Second World War began (1939–1945). The conflict was the most widespread in British history, with British Empire and Commonwealth troops fighting in campaigns from Europe and North Africa, to

6216-434: The French Revolution until the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and from 1835 registered on the Register of Seamen to identify them as a potential resource), and many of their seamen would serve part time in the Royal Navy Reserve (created under the Naval Reserve Act 1859 ) and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (created in 1903). The British military (those parts of the British Armed Forces tasked with land warfare, as opposed to

6327-401: The INtouch message service. One of the services that is provided by some of the British Forces Post Offices is the issuing and cashing of postal orders . A British postal order issued at a forces post office is very sought after by collectors of postal orders. A postal order issued by a BFPO in a Commonwealth country, such as the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus,

6438-426: The Imperial fortresses (notably Bermuda and Malta), which could be embodied for full time service in war time to reinforce the regular garrisons, and these were funded by the War Office as part of the British Army. After the First World War, the growing belligerence and naval power of the Japanese Empire led to the construction of the Singapore Naval Base. The regular British Armed Forces otherwise were distributed around

6549-413: The Invasion of Iraq, over 250,000 e-blueys were sent per month, a record that still stands. The e-bluey became ubiquitous. By the time it was replaced, it accounted for 80% of the flat mail delivered to troops in theatre. e-Blueys were available in numerous locations around the globe plus on operational Navy ships. The e-bluey system was supported by SuperLetter.Com Inc. who wrote the software and managed

6660-593: The Middle East and the 38 Group combines the expeditionary combat support and combat service support units of the RAF. Deployable formations consist of Expeditionary Air Wings and squadrons —the basic unit of the Air Force. Independent flights are deployed to facilities in Brunei, the Falkland Islands, Iraq, and the United States. The Royal Air Force operates multi-role and single-role fighters, reconnaissance and patrol aircraft, tankers, transports, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, and various types of training aircraft. Postal order The postal order

6771-481: The Middle East and the Far East . Approximately 390,000 British Empire and Commonwealth troops died. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Axis powers and the establishment of the United Nations (replacing the League of nations). Post–Second World War economic and political decline, as well as changing attitudes in British society and government, were reflected by the armed forces' contracting global role, and later epitomised by its political defeat during

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6882-423: The Militia Artillery integrating within Royal Artillery territorial divisions in 1882 and 1889, and becoming parts of the Royal Field Artillery or Royal Garrison Artillery in 1902 (though retaining their traditional corps names), but was not merged into the Territorial Force when it was created in 1908 (by the merger of the Yeomanry and Volunteer Force). The Militia was instead renamed the Special Reserve , and

6993-445: The Militia. These were seen as a useful way to add to military strength economically during wartime, but otherwise as a drain on the Militia and so were not normally maintained in peacetime, although in Bermuda prominent propertied men were still appointed Captains of Forts , taking charge of maintaining and commanding fortified coastal artillery batteries and manned by volunteers (reinforced in wartime by embodied militiamen), defending

7104-426: The Ministry of Defence, provides the "formal legal basis for the conduct of defence". The three constituent single-service committees ( Admiralty Board , Army Board and Air Force Board ) are chaired by the secretary of state for defence. The chief of the defence staff (CDS) is the senior-most officer of the armed forces and is an appointment that can be held by an admiral , air chief marshal or general . Before

7215-403: The Navy in a position of uncontested hegemony at sea. By 1815 and the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars, Britain had risen to become the world's dominant great power and the British Empire subsequently presided over a period of relative peace, known as Pax Britannica . With Britain's old rivals no-longer a threat, the 19th century saw the emergence of a new rival, the Russian Empire , and

7326-483: The Royal Navy and will maintain Britain's nuclear-powered submarine fleet capabilities for decades to come. The Royal Marines are the Royal Navy's amphibious troops. Consisting of a single manoeuvre brigade (UK Commando Force) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise in amphibious , arctic , and mountain warfare . Contained within UK Commando Force are three attached army units; 383 Commando Petroleum Troop RLC, 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery ,

7437-422: The Royal Navy for more than 100 years. The Submarine Service 's four Vanguard -class nuclear-powered submarines carry Trident II ballistic missiles , forming the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent . Seven Astute -class nuclear-powered fleet (attack) submarines have been ordered, with five completed and two under construction. The Astute class are the most advanced and largest fleet submarines ever built for

7548-412: The Royal Navy or the British Army during the 19th and 20th Centuries (the Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Flying Corps of the British Army, by contrast, were separated from their parent forces in 1918 and amalgamated to form a new force, the Royal Air Force , which would have complete responsibility for naval, military and strategic aviation until the Second World War ). Naval forces included

7659-413: The Royal Sappers and Miners), as well as the originally-civilian Commissariat Stores and transport departments, as well as barracks departments, ordnance factories and various other functions supporting the various naval and military forces. The English Army, subsequently the British Army once Scottish regiments were moved onto its establishment following the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England,

7770-630: The UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles and modernise the infrastructure associated with the CASD. Former weapons of mass destruction possessed by the United Kingdom include both biological and chemical weapons . These were renounced in 1956 and subsequently destroyed. The British Armed Forces historically relied on four Imperial fortress colonies (Bermuda, Gibraltar, Halifax and its environs in Nova Scotia, and Malta), where dockyards were established, naval squadrons based, soldiers garrisoned, and naval and military stores stockpiled. These acted as lynchpins in maintaining British naval supremacy on

7881-409: The US. A Defence canteen order was a variant of a postal order used in Australia during World War II . Purchased at a post office, it was payable to an enlisted person in goods from a canteen rather than being a cash instrument. Postal orders are gaining in popularity as collectibles, especially among numismatists who collect banknotes. There is an active numismatic organisation in the UK called

7992-505: The United Kingdom , is the Head of the Armed Forces , with officers and personnel swearing allegiance to him. Long-standing constitutional convention, however, has de facto vested military authority and associated royal prerogative powers in the prime minister and the secretary of state for defence , with the former (acting with the support of the Cabinet ) making the key decisions on

8103-462: The United Kingdom , is the Head of the Armed Forces , with officers and personnel swearing allegiance to him. Long-standing constitutional convention, however, has vested de facto executive authority, by the exercise of royal prerogative , in the Prime Minister and the secretary of state for defence . The Prime Minister (acting with the Cabinet ) makes the key decisions on the use of

8214-422: The United Kingdom to maintain its position as one of the world's top military powers, as well as being one of NATO-Europe's top military powers. Its edge – not least its qualitative edge – in relation to rising Asian powers seems set to erode, but will remain significant well into the 2020s, and possibly beyond." The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence and announced

8325-519: The United States, international money orders are pink and domestic money orders are green. Canada had its own postal orders (called postal notes) from 1898 until 1 April 1949, when these were discontinued and withdrawn. A British Forces Post Office in Suffield, Alberta was issuing British postal orders as late as July 2006. Chinese Imperial Post began issuing postal orders since 1897,

8436-1104: The Volunteer Reserve. The distribution of personnel between the services and categories of service on 1 July 2023 was as follows: On 1 April 2024, most personnel in the UK Regular Forces were stationed in the United Kingdom (around 96%). Of the 5,700 personnel stationed overseas, around two thirds were in Europe (66%), while 14% were stationed in North America, 6% in North Africa and the Middle East, 6% in Asia and 5% in Sub-Saharan Africa. 1,230 personnel were distributed across several regions in Germany, primarily North Rhine-Westphalia as part of British Army Germany . However, up to 750 of these were Locally Engaged Civilians. According to

8547-775: The Western Front during the First World War. They also sent contingents that served in North-Western Europe, and Italy and North Africa during the Second World War. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment mobilised section-sized units for attachment to British regiments deployed during the Iraq War . The Isle of Man , a Crown dependency hosts a multi-capability recruiting and training unit of the British Army Reserve . Since 1969 Britain has had

8658-528: The area within which militia units in Britain could be posted was increased to anywhere in the Britain during the 18th century, and Militia coastal artillery , field artillery, and engineers units were introduced from the 1850s. The Yeomanry was a mounted force that could be mobilised in times of war or emergency. Volunteer Force units were also frequently raised during wartime, which did not rely on compulsory service and hence attracted recruits keen to avoid

8769-514: The armed forces. The UK Parliament approves the continued existence of the British Army by passing an Armed Forces Act at least once every five years, as required by the Bill of Rights 1689 . Only a "standing army" requires reapproval by Parliament; the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the Royal Marines and any other forces are not included in the requirement. The armed forces are managed by

8880-805: The auspices of the United Nations, NATO, and other multinational operations, including: peacekeeping responsibilities in the Balkans and Cyprus , the 2000 intervention in Sierra Leone and participation in the UN-mandated no-fly zone over Libya (2011). Post- 9/11 , the armed forces became heavily committed to the War on Terror (2001–present), with lengthy campaigns in Afghanistan (2001–2021) and Iraq (2003–2009), and more recently as part of

8991-705: The century, at the latest, any unit wholly or partly funded from Army funds was considered part of the British Army) and the early years of the 20th century, whereby the Reserve Forces units mostly lost their own identities and became numbered Territorial Force sub-units of regular British Army corps or regiments (the Home Militia had followed this path, with the Militia Infantry units becoming numbered battalions of British Army regiments, and

9102-555: The colonial Governors as defence is not a competency that has been delegated to local governments). Under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation alliance, and with the steady reduction of both the British Empire and the British Armed Forces over the decades that followed the Second World War, the significance of the three remaining Imperial fortresses (military control of Halifax having passed to

9213-463: The colony's coast from the 17th century to the 19th century (when all of the batteries were taken over by the regular Royal Artillery). The militia system was extended to a number of English (subsequently British ) colonies, beginning with Virginia and Bermuda . In some colonies, Troops of Horse or other mounted units similar to the Yeomanry were also created. The militia and volunteer units of

9324-483: The country to conduct operations worldwide. The majority of Britain's permanent military installations are located on British Overseas Territories (BOTs) or former colonies which retain close diplomatic ties with the United Kingdom, and located in areas of strategic importance. The most significant of these are the "Permanent Joint Operating Bases" (PJOBs), located on the four overseas territories of Cyprus ( British Forces Cyprus ), Gibraltar ( British Forces Gibraltar ),

9435-411: The fictitious Loamshire Regiment : BFPO 61 is for Milan , Italy. Until the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Hong Kong used postal orders with BFPO 1 being the address for British forces serving in the then colony . When sending mail from the UK to a member of HM Forces serving overseas, the sender must address it to the appropriate BFPO number, and not to the country in which that person

9546-638: The general staff for the Army and the chief of the air staff for the Royal Air Force . As of 1 July 2023 the British Armed Forces are a professional force with a total strength of 185,980 personnel, consisting of 140,300 UK Regulars and 4,140 Gurkhas , 33,210 Volunteer Reserves and 8,330 "Other Personnel". As a percentage breakdown of UK Service Personnel, 77.1% are UK Regulars and Gurkhas, 18.8% are Volunteer Reserves and 4.1% are composed of Other Personnel. In addition, all ex-Regular personnel retain

9657-714: The hostilities of the First World War (1914–1918), in what is recognised today, as the most devastating war in British military history, with nearly 800,000 men killed and over 2 million wounded. Allied victory resulted in the defeat of the Central Powers , the end of the German Empire, the Treaty of Versailles and the establishment of the League of Nations . Although Germany had been defeated during

9768-461: The later half of the 17th century, and in particular, throughout the 18th century, British foreign policy sought to contain the expansion of rival European powers through military, diplomatic and commercial means, especially of its chief competitors Spain , the Netherlands , and France . This saw Britain engage in a number of intense conflicts over colonial possessions and world trade, including

9879-473: The mid-1970s, the armed forces had reconfigured to focus on the responsibilities allocated to them by NATO. The British Army of the Rhine and RAF Germany consequently represented the largest and most important overseas commitments that the armed forces had during this period, while the Royal Navy developed an anti-submarine warfare specialisation, with a particular focus on countering Soviet submarines in

9990-595: The naval forces) historically was divided into a number of military forces , of which the British Army (also referred to historically as the 'Regular Army' and the 'Regular Force') was only one. The oldest of these organisations was the Militia Force (also referred to as the Constitutional Force ), which (in the Kingdom of England ) was originally the main military defensive force (there otherwise were originally only royal bodyguards, including

10101-492: The new Boxer mechanised infantry vehicle from 2024. The four battalions of the Parachute Regiment , forming 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and part of Special Forces Support Group , are the British Army's elite airborne infanteers, held at high readiness and specialising in rapid deployment by parachute and helicopter, widely regarded as the "fittest, most aggressive, resilient and disciplined regiment in

10212-554: The new Dominion government following the 1867 Confederation of Canada , and naval control transferred in 1905 to what was to become the Royal Canadian Navy ) rapidly faded. The Bermuda-based North America and West Indies Station was abolished in 1956, and the last regular army units removed from the Bermuda Command in 1957 (leaving only two part-time reserve units), with the naval dockyard in Bermuda reduced to

10323-440: The next higher fixed denomination could be produced by adding one or more postage stamps in the space on the postal order that was designated for that purpose, but due to increased popularity they were redesigned to make them more flexible and secure. They now have the payee and value added at the time of purchase, making them more like a cheque. There is a fee for using this form of payment. The maximum value of postal order available

10434-402: The other recognised nuclear weapon states, the United Kingdom operates only a submarine-based delivery system, having decommissioned its tactical WE.177 free-fall bombs in 1998. The House of Commons voted on 18 July 2016 in favour of replacing the Vanguard -class submarines with a new generation of Dreadnought -class submarines . The programme will also contribute to extending the life of

10545-454: The postcodes all begin with "BF1". For example, the above address would appear as: These UK style postcodes are provided for compatibility with non-BFPO UK addresses and are solely for use within websites, due to the automated sorting process at BFPO they should not appear on items of mail. To speed up the delivery to HM Forces, the BFPO developed a hybrid form of mail, known as the 'e-Bluey', in which letters can be sent directly by internet to

10656-523: The practice was discontinued in the 1990s, those who were appointed to the position of CDS had been elevated to the most senior rank in their respective service. The CDS, along with the permanent under secretary, are the principal military advisers to the secretary of state. All three services have their own respective professional chiefs; the First Sea Lord for the Royal Navy , the chief of

10767-406: The regular British Armed Forces, though the naval and military establishment in the colony (now termed a British Overseas Territory ) has been reduced to several Royal Naval patrol craft, the locally raised Royal Gibraltar Regiment , and a Royal Air Force Station without aircraft based on it. The British Armed Forces today maintain a number of overseas garrisons and military facilities which enable

10878-507: The regular army and the forces it absorbed, though British military units organised on Territorial lines remain in British Overseas Territories that are still not considered formally part of the British Army, with only the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and the Royal Bermuda Regiment (an amalgam of the old Bermuda Militia Artillery and Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps) appearing on the British Army order of precedence and in

10989-551: The reign of King Edward IV (1461–83) to support his troops engaged in a war against Scotland. A dedicated military postal unit, the Army Post Office Corps was formed in 1882. In 1913 it was subsumed into the Royal Engineers as the Royal Engineers (Postal Section) and in late 1990s became the BFPO. Today, all services are provided by BFPO. British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are

11100-522: The servers for the e-bluey system. The system won several awards, including BFPO e-bluey System Winner 2001 World Mail Award, BFPO e-bluey System Winner 2005 UK Mail Award, and BFPO 2007 UK Mail Award for Technology. The e-bluey equipment was maintained by Technical Support Services (TSS), a department within BFPO London, since its inception. The e-bluey service ceased in April 2017. It was replaced by

11211-429: The significance of receiving a possibly rare bluey from a loved one. "e-Bluey" was thus a natural term for the BFPO's electronic hybrid mail system. The e-blueys are downloaded from an e-bluey web server (www.ebluey.com) and utilises Pressure Sealed forms that are printed and sealed with an integrated Printer/Sealer. This ensures maximum security and privacy and the correspondence is not censored or reviewed. The e-bluey

11322-496: The so-called "remittance certificate". After purchase, these certificates are payable at main post offices in China and usually bearing franked postage stamps represented as fee. Since 1925, a set of special stamps were used by post offices to issue secured postal orders. Since 1929, Chinese Post were capable of selling international postal orders cashable under UPU protocol at a few other countries including Japan, Britain, France, and

11433-476: The twentieth century served to reduce tensions between Britain and the Russian Empire, partly due to the emergence of a unified German Empire . The era brought about an Anglo-German naval arms race which encouraged significant advancements in maritime technology (e.g. Dreadnoughts , torpedoes and submarines ), and in 1906, Britain had determined that its only likely naval enemy was Germany. The accumulated tensions in European relations finally broke out into

11544-419: The use of the armed forces. The sovereign retains the power to prevent the unconstitutional use of the armed forces, including that of its nuclear arsenal . The Ministry of Defence is the government department charged with formulating and executing defence policy. It currently employs 56,860 civilian staff members as of 1 October 2015. The department is administered by the secretary of state for defence who

11655-627: The value of over $ 1.3 million and by 1882 they had issued orders valued at $ 113.4 million from 5,491 money order offices. Currently they facially appear as a draft against an account held by the United States Postal Service , and the United States Postal Service requires a purchaser to know, in advance, where presentment of the instrument will occur. Only special, more expensive United States International Postal Money Orders may be presented abroad. In

11766-436: The world where required to guard against invasion or rebellion, reinforced in some colonies by locally raised reserve forces. In colonies where there was no strategic requirement, regular forces were rarely stationed, with local governments encouraged to maintain and fund military reserve units as contributions to their own defence (although these units were ultimately under the control of the national, i.e. British, Government via

11877-746: The world's leading military and economic powers. The British Armed Forces consist of: the Royal Navy , a blue-water navy with a fleet of 66 commissioned ships, together with the Royal Marines , a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force; the British Army , the UK's principal land warfare branch; and the Royal Air Force , a technologically sophisticated air force with a diverse operational fleet consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The British Armed Forces include standing forces, Regular Reserve , Volunteer Reserves and Sponsored Reserves . King Charles III , sovereign of

11988-487: Was first conceived by Brigadier Barry Cash, CE of the British Forces Post Office (now retired). He assigned the initial development to Major Roy Walker MBE (now retired) in the late 1990s. The service was activated the week before Christmas of 2000. Photo capability was added in 2005, allowing senders to attach personal photos to their e-blueys. In the spring of 2003, during the first three months of

12099-680: Was originally a separate force from these, but absorbed the Ordnance Military Corps and various previously civilian departments after the Board of Ordnance was abolished in 1855. The Reserve Forces (which referred to the Home Yeomanry, Militia and Volunteer Forces before the 1859 creation of the British Army Regular Reserve by Secretary of State for War Sidney Herbert , and re-organised under

12210-560: Was permanently suspended after the First World War (although a handful of Militia units survived in the United Kingdom, its colonies, and the Crown Dependencies). Unlike the Home, Imperial Fortress and Crown Dependency Militia and Volunteer units and forces that continued to exist after the First World War, although parts of the British military, most were not considered parts of the British Army unless they received Army funds (as

12321-864: Was the case for the Bermuda Militia Artillery and the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps ), which was generally only the case for those in the Channel Islands or the Imperial Fortress colonies (Nova Scotia, before Canadian confederation , Bermuda, Gibraltar, and Malta). Today, the British Army is the only Home British military force (unless the Army Cadet Force and the Combined Cadet Force are considered), including both

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