United Kingdom - CMO - Factpage

· The UK has three branches of military: The Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), and the Royal Air Force.

· The Secretary of State for Defence is Rt Geoffrey Hoon MP

· The Minister of State for the Armed Forces is Adam Ingram MP

· The Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Defence Procurement is Lord William Stephen Goulden Bach

· The Under Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans is Ivor Caplin MP

· The Chief of the Defence Staff is General Sir Micheal Walker whose job is to be the professional head of the UK Armed Forces and the principal military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Government.

· The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Anthony Bagnall whose job is to be Deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, with responsibilities for the personnel and resources.

· The First Sea Lord is Admiral Sir Alan West whose job is to head the Royal Navy.

· The Chief of the General Staff is General Sir Mike Jackson whose job is to head of the British Army.

· The Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup whose job is to head the British Air Force.

· The Permanent Under Secretary is Sir Kevin Tebbit

· The Second Permanent Under Secretary is Ian Andrews

· The Chief of Defence Procurement is Sir Peter Spencer

· The Chief Scientific Adviser is Professor Sir Keith O’Nions

· The Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces’s purpose is to: 1) defend the United Kingdom, and Overseas Territories, our people and interests; 2)act as a force for good by strengthening international peace and security.

· The Defence Budget is spent on Personnel (37%), Equipment (41%), and Other (21%).

· The Total Expenditure (Estimate 2000-2001) of the Defence Budget is 23.6 £ billion.

· The British Armed Forces has four Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines – HMS VANGUARD, VIGILANT,VICTORIOUS and VENGEANCE. The four submarines will enable us to maintain a continuous deterrent patrol at sea over the life of the Trident force. Continuous patrol ensures that at no time can a potential attacker see a gap in our defences.

· The British Armed Forces have fifty-eight Trident D-5 long-range ballistic missiles carried and launched by the Vanguard Class submarines.

· The UK has less than 200 operational, available warheads.