127-498: The Saab Bofors Dynamics NLAW (pronounced: enn- LAH , / ˈ ɛ n l ɔː / ), also known as the MBT LAW or RB 57 , is a fire-and-forget , lightweight shoulder-fired , and disposable (single-use) line of sight (LOS) missile system, designed for infantry use. The missile uses a soft-launch system and is guided by predicted line of sight (PLOS). It can carry out an overfly top attack (OTA) on an armoured vehicle, or
254-750: 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
381-630: 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
508-897: 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 ,
635-685: 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
762-658: 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 ),
889-610: A direct attack (DA) on structures and non-armoured vehicles. The system was developed in Sweden by prime contractor Saab Bofors Dynamics , on behalf of the British and Swedish defence authorities who procured the system in a joint venture . It was mainly produced in the United Kingdom by Team MBT LAW UK, which included 14 subcontractors , most notably Thales Air Defence . Users of the weapon include Finland , Indonesia , Luxembourg , Malaysia , Sweden , Switzerland , Ukraine , and
1016-721: 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
1143-935: 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
1270-514: A hard-kill system (a counter projectile(s) used to destroy the incoming missile), fire-and-forget missiles can often be jammed by means such as electro-optical dazzlers . Many of these are infrared homing missiles; some of the remainder (e.g. AIM-120) are active radar guided. British Armed Forces The British Armed Forces are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom , its Overseas Territories and
1397-418: 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
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#17327662492601524-747: 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
1651-454: 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;
1778-514: A precaution against increased hostilities, the Ukrainian forces reported that NLAWs produced far greater damage against Russian armoured vehicles than their standard Soviet-era equipment. On 24 March 2022, the UK pledged to deliver a further 6,000 NLAWs and a senior Ukrainian military officer also claimed they were the "weapon of choice" for his troops, responsible for 30–40% of Russian tanks destroyed. An unknown number of launchers were captured by
1905-505: A result of qualification failures in the tests of November 2006, it was delayed until 2008. Due to the similar requirements made by the Swedish and British defence authorities, the weapon comes with only minor differences in appearance. It uses a single shaped-charge warhead, as opposed to other comparable missiles that have a tandem warhead . Saab, who also develops the system software, announced in 2015 that they had been able to optimise
2032-535: 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
2159-715: 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
2286-584: A total of 3,000 units. This was followed by Luxembourg, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Switzerland. As of 16 March 2022, the United Kingdom confirmed that it had delivered more than 4,000 of their NLAWs to the Ukrainian military, to be used against Russia during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine . Research for a new Swedish light anti-tank guided missile began in the 1990s by the Swedish Armed Forces , for its mechanized infantry which were lacking both tanks and anti-tank warfare weapons. Initially,
2413-661: 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
2540-586: 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
2667-465: Is designated 102 mm raskas lähipanssarintorjuntaohjus NLAW ( 102 RSLPSTOHJ NLAW ) for Finnish speaking troops, and 102 mm tung närpansarvärnsrobot NLAW (meaning roughly "102 mm heavy close-in anti-armour missile") for Fenno-Swedish speaking troops. >3,000 ordered: 600 units delivered in 2012–2013. 500 units ordered in 2016 or 2017, and delivered in 2018–2020. 2,000 units ordered in 2005, and delivered in 2009–2012. Another 3,000 units order
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#17327662492602794-722: 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
2921-476: Is made in Switzerland by Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland Ltd. More than 24,200 units have been produced. Depending on which source, it costs: £20,000 (2008); US$ 30,000 (2022); US$ 33,000 (2022); US$ 40,000 (2022). Each unit has a shelf life of around 20 years. The NLAW is a man-portable, soft-launch , and confined-spaces (saltwater countermass) system, allowing the missile to be fired from almost anywhere;
3048-442: Is unnecessary for the operator to consider the target distance (so long as it is within range), or to stay exposed whilst the missile is in the air ( fire-and-forget ). Against tanks and other armoured vehicles, the overfly top attack (OTA) mode is used; the missile flies about one metre above the line of sight, detonating the warhead above the target's weaker top armour via proximity fuze and magnetic sensors. The exact way in which
3175-477: The Akeron MP ATGM . 100 units ordered in 2010 (50) and 2015 (50), and delivered in 2012 and 2016–2017. (All 102 donated to Ukraine war) Fire-and-forget Fire-and-forget is a type of missile guidance which does not require further external intervention after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance , and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of
3302-571: 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
3429-887: 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
3556-550: 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
3683-640: 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
3810-620: 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
3937-505: 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 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ), the British Armed Forces have seen action in most major wars involving
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4064-584: 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 ,
4191-637: 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
4318-703: 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
4445-530: 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
4572-662: 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 ,
4699-730: 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
4826-691: 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
4953-769: 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
5080-402: 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
5207-491: 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
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5334-489: 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
5461-431: 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
5588-451: 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
5715-505: The United Kingdom . The name "NLAW" initially referred to the original British development programme which Saab won the contract for with the "MBT LAW". NLAW stands for Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon or Next-Generation Light Anti-armour Weapon . The N is short for "Next generation" or "Next-generation", while LAW is an abbreviation of "Light Anti-tank Weapon" or "Light Anti-Armour Weapon". MBT LAW stands for Main Battle Tank Light Anti-armour Weapon . NLAW has since development become
5842-453: 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
5969-416: 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
6096-434: The "combined magnetic and optical sensors" ensure the proper detonation of the warhead is classified. The direct attack (DA) mode is used against non-armoured targets, detonating the warhead on impact via contact fuze as the missile flies on the line of sight. The launcher can be fired only once and is disposed of after use. The operator can adjust the arming distance of the missile, to avoid a premature detonation triggered by
6223-443: 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
6350-426: 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
6477-432: The 7 indicates its consecutive number in that class ( robot 57 = 7th missile of the 5th class). In 1997, the British Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) began issuing invitations to tender for a new man-portable anti-tank weapon , to replace the obsolescent British LAW 80s . Swedish Bofors of the Celsius Group (later bought by Saab AB ), American Lockheed Martin , and German Dynamit Nobel replied with offers; due to
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#17327662492606604-442: 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
6731-431: 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
6858-423: 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
6985-399: 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
7112-410: The British NLAW-programme: To be able to hit a moving target at 400 m (1,300 ft) and a stationary target at 600 m (2,000 ft), with a maximum weight of 12.5 kg (28 lb); some of the requirements later made by the Swedish FMV were a lowered backblast area , a minimum effective range of 20 metres, and an environmental adaptation for international operations. Saab Bofors Dynamics,
7239-423: 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
7366-428: The DPA, and the FMV each paid a third of the assessment-phase cost for the MBT LAW, of £18 million. The FMV invested additional money during the NLAW-trials, while the DPA ceased further funding until a contract was signed. The project gained momentum in 2002–2003 after being selected by the British and Swedish defence authorities, meeting the demanding requirements from both nations. Both launcher and missile development
7493-418: 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
7620-413: 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 ,
7747-495: 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
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#17327662492607874-434: 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
8001-426: 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
8128-481: 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
8255-423: 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
8382-445: 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
8509-426: 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
8636-403: 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
8763-483: 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 ,
8890-422: 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
9017-412: 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
9144-584: 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,
9271-741: 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
9398-644: The UK, with final assembly and test done at the Thales Air Defence facilities in Belfast , Northern Ireland. The weapon went into full production in 2008. The final cost for the MBT LAW contract since the beginning of the NLAW-programme, including the assessment phase, development, and manufacture-license, ended up at approximately £400–437 million. Team MBT LAW UK, which provided components for
9525-573: The US designers have not matched the NLAW system's technology. Adding "You give them an hour of training and they can fight the T-90 [the most advanced Russian tank] without a problem.” The missile will auto-destruct at the maximum flight time of 5.6 seconds, which is about 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is designed to operate in all climate conditions and environments, from −38 to +63 degrees Celsius . Preceding
9652-505: 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
9779-462: 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
9906-484: The United Kingdom by 19 January 2022 in anticipation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Another 100 were sent from Luxembourg following the invasion. As of 9 March 2022, the UK confirmed that it had delivered a total of 3,615 NLAW to Ukraine. As of 16 March 2022, the UK confirmed that it had delivered more than 4,000 NLAWs to Ukraine. As of 15 May 2023, the UK delivered more than 5,000 NLAWs to Ukraine. In Ukrainian service
10033-422: 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
10160-1104: 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
10287-775: 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
10414-528: 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
10541-463: The armed forces of Russia and the pro-Russian self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic during the conflict. A number of these captured weapons were reportedly transferred to Iran as part of a deal to acquire drones. NLAWs were the most numerous advanced guided anti-tank missile in Ukraine as of April 2022. Finland announced missile orders in 2007 worth €38 million. In Finnish service the missile
10668-514: 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
10795-805: 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
10922-705: 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
11049-555: 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
11176-463: 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
11303-483: 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 ),
11430-552: The escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War by the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the United Kingdom supplied 2,000 NLAW systems to Ukraine, with another 1,615 delivered by 9 March 2022 to bolster Ukraine's military. More NLAWs were requested by the Ukrainian military following reports that they proved highly effective against Russian vehicles, leading to at least 100 more being allocated by Luxembourg. Alongside US FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile systems, delivered as
11557-574: 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
11684-516: The guidance system by fine-tuning its predicted line of sight . An effective range of 800 m (2,600 ft) and up against stationary targets was demonstrated in April 2014. An effective range of 600 m (2,000 ft) against moving targets has also been reported. As jobs are often the focus of large material orders, a requirement by the British DPA for signing a contract with the winner
11811-714: 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
11938-430: The international designation of the weapon, while MBT LAW exists as a designation for the weapon in the British Army. The name "RB 57" derives from the weapon's designation in Swedish service – robot 57 ("guided missile 57") – which has the abbreviation rb 57 . At times the specified form pansarvärnsrobot 57 ("anti-armour guided missile 57"), pvrb 57 for short, can also be found. The 5 indicates its missile class and
12065-461: 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
12192-496: The limited spots of the NLAW-trials come January 2001, only the two former were rewarded with Project Definition Phase contracts in 1999. Bofors began development of the so-called MBT LAW the same year. In May 2002, Saab Bofors Dynamics ' MBT LAW was selected as winner over Matra BAe Dynamics ' Kestrel (the British derivative of Lockheed Martin's FGM-172 SRAW ) in the NLAW-trials. In June, a memorandum of understanding (MoU)
12319-473: 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
12446-759: The missile is designated Protytankovyy raketnyy kompleks NLAW (Протитанковий ракетний комплекс NLAW), or PTRK NLAW (ПТРК NLAW) for short, meaning "Anti-Tank Missile System NLAW". Selected in May 2002 for the British Army Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon (NLAW) requirement. The system has replaced the ILAW and LAW 80 . In British service the missile is formally designated Round, Guided Missile, NLAW (Next-generation Light Anti-tank Weapon), High-Explosive Anti-Tank, K170A1 or K170A2 ( GM NLAW HEAT K170A1/A2 ) depending on
12573-403: The missile's INS records the operator's aiming movement and extrapolates the flight path needed to intercept the target. After launch, the missile flies autonomously along the pre-programmed flight path, controlled by an inertial guidance system . The system weighs 12.5 kg (28 lb), with a rocket weight of 6.5 kg (14 lb); the mass of the warhead is 1.8 kg (4.0 lb). It
12700-595: 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
12827-492: 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
12954-554: 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
13081-405: The operator can safely fire through any window of a room no bigger than 4 x 2.5 x 2.5 m (high). The missile is first shot out of the launcher with a low-powered ignition system, after which its main rocket ignites and propels it to the target. Guidance uses a predicted line of sight (PLOS) system. For a moving target, the operator maintains tracking for at least 2–3 seconds. The software embedded in
13208-402: 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
13335-422: The over-the-top attack, you create another technical challenge, which is how to hit vertically down through the roof of the tank when the velocity of the missile is in the forward direction. It’s a tricky thing. Before any contracts were signed we had to present a lot of technical evidence that we could really defeat a tank from the top and get the warhead [to detonate] at the right time.” Saab claims that in 20 years
13462-523: 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
13589-400: The project focused on creating as simple and cost-effective a system as possible; after some analysis, the need for a man-portable anti-tank weapon with great effectiveness at short to mid-range emerged. In October 1999, the British DPA awarded Bofors (later Saab Bofors Dynamics) with a product definition order to procure a weapon prototype within 22 months, corresponding to the requirements of
13716-406: 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
13843-507: 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
13970-414: The sensors when it flies over non-targets. They can also fire down or up at a 45-degree angle. The method of exploding above the tank by one metre was met with scepticism at the time. Saab had to work hard to show that they could make the system work. Saab NLAW designer Christer Nygren said: “The protection on main battle tanks was increasing all the time...We saw that we needed a new type of attack. But, with
14097-568: The service of the Swedish, Finnish and British armed forces the following year. It has been estimated that the UK requirement for the British Armed Forces was for 14,000 units, or more; it replaced the obsolescent LAW 80 system and the ILAW ( AT4 CS) which was used as a substitute until its deployment. In 2005, the Swedish government placed a first order for 2,000 units from Saab. Finland has placed three orders between 2007 and 2017, for
14224-510: The system, included: Thales Air Defence (final assembly); BAE Systems Avionics ( inertial measurement unit ); NP Aerospace (plastic and composite mouldings); FR-HiTemp ( control fins and actuators ); Raytheon Systems (electronics assemblies); Skeldings (special purpose springs); Thales Missile Electronics ( proximity fuze ); MetalWeb; BAE Systems RO Defence ; EPS Logistics Technology; Express Engineering; Portsmouth Aviation; ICI Nobel Enterprises ; Leafield Engineering . The missile's warhead
14351-442: The target. This is an important property for a guided weapon to have, since a person or vehicle that lingers near the target to guide the missile (using, for instance, a laser designator ) is vulnerable to attack and unable to carry out other tasks. Generally, information about the target is programmed into the missile just prior to launch. This can include coordinates, radar measurements (including velocity), or an infrared image of
14478-465: The target. After it is fired, the missile guides itself by some combination of gyroscopes and accelerometers , GPS , onboard active radar homing , and infrared homing optics. Some systems offer the option of either continued input from the launch platform or fire-and-forget. Fire-and-forget missiles can be vulnerable to soft-kill systems on modern main battle tanks, in addition to existing hard-kill systems. As opposed to unguided RPGs which require
14605-476: 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
14732-479: The two defence authorities, was worth approximately 4.8 billion SEK , including development and serial production; Sweden's share in the serial production was estimated at one billion SEK. With the finalising of agreements between Sweden and the United Kingdom in 2003, the development of the system continued until 2008, when it entered production in the UK. Deliveries of the weapon began in December 2008; it entered
14859-419: 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
14986-549: The variant (A1 = Mk1, A2 = Mk2), but the project name "Main Battle Tank Light Anti-Armour Weapon" ( MBT-LAW ) also appears. The UK donated thousands of NLAWs out of its own stocks to Ukraine, which it plans to replace from January 2023 onwards, followed by "a larger subsequent order". Unknown quantity planned to be ordered as of June 2024, to be used as the intermediate solution between the AT4 and
15113-436: 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
15240-533: 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 the world's leading military and economic powers. The British Armed Forces consist of: the Royal Navy ,
15367-590: Was done by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Eskilstuna and Karlskoga , Sweden, using technology derived from earlier Bofors systems; such as the RBS 56B BILL 2 (warhead and guidance) and AT4 CS (confined space capability), as well as some further developments. The United Kingdom and Sweden shared the development costs. Full production and delivery was expected to begin by the end of 2006, with the development phase "nearing its end" in 2005 according to Nick Moore (DPA). However, as
15494-680: 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
15621-560: 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
15748-552: Was placed in December 2022 at a cost of 900M SEK for delivery in 2024-2026. In Swedish service the missile is designated robot 57 ( RB 57 ), or pansarvärnsrobot 57 ( pvrb 57 ) in expanded form, meaning "missile 57" and "anti-armour missile 57" respectively (the 5 indicates its missile class and the 7 indicates its consecutive number in that class = 7th missile of the 5th class). 4,000 units in 2017 to fill capability gap left by M47 Dragon decommissioning in 2008, and delivered in from 2018. 2,000 NLAW units were supplied to Ukraine by
15875-675: Was signed between the British DPA and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), who also showed interest in the system. Accordingly, the NLAW-programme became a British–Swedish joint venture (primarily led by the DPA) assigned to Saab Bofors Dynamics (full development and production). It was developed in Sweden and produced in the United Kingdom, with final assembly done by subcontractor Thales Air Defence . The contract signed in June 2002, between Saab and
16002-530: Was that the production of the system would occur in the United Kingdom. For this reason, Saab Bofors Dynamics contracted UK-based Thales Air Defence ahead of the NLAW-programme—while Lockheed Martin contracted Matra BAe Dynamics. To produce the system, Saab and Thales went on to create Team MBT LAW UK which included 14 subcontractors. As per the agreements signed between the United Kingdom and Sweden in 2002–2003, manufacturing occurred mostly in
16129-864: 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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