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Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is the United Kingdom government department
responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces
.
The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom
and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability. With the collapse of the Soviet Union
and the end of the Cold War
, the MOD does not foresee any short-term conventional military threat; rather, it has identified weapons of mass destruction
, international terrorism, and failed and failing states
as the overriding threats to the UK's interests
. The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces
, contingency planning and defence procurement.
, concluded that there was a need for greater co-ordination between the three Services that made up the armed forces of the United Kingdom—the British Army
, the Royal Navy
, and the Royal Air Force
. The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by Prime Minister
David Lloyd George's
coalition government in 1921; but the Chiefs of Staff Committee
was formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-Service co-ordination. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin
created the position of Minister for Coordination of Defence
. Lord Chatfield
held the post until the fall of Neville Chamberlain's
government in 1940; his success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments and his limited political influence.
Winston Churchill
, on forming his government in 1940, created the office of Minister of Defence to exercise ministerial control over the Chiefs of Staff Committee and to co-ordinate defence matters. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlee's
government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946. The new ministry was headed by a Minister of Defence who possessed a seat in the Cabinet. The three existing service Ministers — the Secretary of State for War
, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Secretary of State for Air
— remained in direct operational control of their respective services, but ceased to attend Cabinet.
From 1946 to 1964 five Departments of State did the work of the modern Ministry of Defence: the Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Aviation, and an earlier form
of the Ministry of Defence. These departments merged in 1964; the defence functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971.
) is the senior civil servant at the MOD. Her role is to ensure the MOD operates effectively as a department of the government.
, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, is General Sir David Richards, British Army.
He is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and by the professional heads of the three services of HM Armed Forces.
There are also three Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff with particular remits, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability), Deputy CDS (Personnel and Training) and Deputy CDS (Operations). The Surgeon General
, represents the Defence Medical Services
on the Defence Staff, and is the clinical head of that service.
Additionally, there are a number of Assistant Chiefs of Defence Staff, including the Defence Services Secretary
in the Royal Household
of the Sovereign
of the United Kingdom
, who is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel).
and the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World
White Paper outlined the following posture for the British Armed Forces:
The MOD has since been regarded as a leader in elaborating the post-Cold War organising concept of “Defence Diplomacy
”.
In November 2010, the MOD released its first ever business plan.
, the perceived threat of direct conventional military confrontation with other states has been replaced by terrorism
- Sir Richard Dannatt predicted British forces to be involved in combating "predatory non-state actors" for the foreseeable future, in what he called an "era of persistent conflict". He told the prestigious think tank
Chatham House
that the fight against al-Qaeda
and other militant Islamist groups was "probably the fight of our generation".
Sir Richard Dannatt criticised a remnant "Cold War mentality", with military expenditures based on retaining a capability against a direct conventional strategic threat; He said currently only 10% of the MoD's equipment programme budget between 2003 and 2018 was to be invested in the "land environment" - at a time when Britain was engaged in land-based wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Defence Committee - Third Report "Defence Equipment 2009" cites an article from the Financial Times website stating that the Chief of Defence Materiel
— General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue
had instructed staff within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) through an internal memorandum to reprioritize the approvals process to focus on supporting current operations over the next three years; deterrence related programmes; those that reflect defence obligations both contractual or international; and those where production contracts are already signed. The report also cites concerns over potential cuts in the defence science and technology research budget; implications of inappropriate estimation of Defence Inflation within budgetary processes; underfunding in the Equipment Programme; and a general concern over striking the appropriate balance over a short-term focus (Current Operations) and long-term consequences of failure to invest in the delivery of future UK defence capabilities on future combatants and campaigns. The then Secretary of State for Defence
— The Rt Hon. Bob Ainsworth, MP
reinforced this reprioritization of focus on current operations and had not ruled out "major shifts" in defence spending. In the same article the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
— Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
, Royal Navy
, acknowledged that there was not enough money within the defence budget and it is preparing itself for tough decisions and the potential for cutbacks. According to figures published by the London Evening Standard the defence budget for 2009 is "more than 10% overspent" (figures cannot be verified) and the paper states that this had caused Gordon Brown to say that the defence spending must be cut.
The MOD has been investing in IT to cut costs and improve services for its personnel.
The Ministry of Defence includes a number of organisations:
Top Level Budget holder organisations:
Executive Agencies:
Trading Funds:
Non-departmental public bodies:
For many years the Met Office
was a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence, however on 18 July 2011 it was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
.
The Ministry of Defence is one of the United Kingdom's largest landowners owning, as of January 2010, 240,000 hectare
s (2,400 square kilometres) which were valued in 2009 at "nearly £20 billion". The MOD also has "rights of access" to a further 130,000 hectares. The National Audit Office estimates annual expenditure on the defence estate at £2.9 billion.
The defence estate is divided as training areas & ranges (78.1%), airfields (7%), research & development (4.9%), storage & depots (3.1%), barracks & camps (3.1%), miscellaneous (1.8%), radio sites (1.7%), and naval bases (0.3%). These are largely managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
The headquarters of the MOD are in Whitehall
and are now known as Main Building. This structure is neoclassical
in style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs by Vincent Harris
to house the Air Ministry
and the Board of Trade
. The northern entrance in Horse Guards Avenue
is flanked by two monumental statues, Earth and Water, by Charles Wheeler
. Opposite stands the Ghurka Monument, sculpted by Philip Jackson
and unveiled in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II. Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to the Fleet Air Arm and RAF
(to its east, facing the riverside). A major refurbishment of the building was completed under a PFI
contract by Skanska
in 2004.
Henry VIII's
wine cellar at the Palace of Whitehall
, built in 1514–1516, is in the basement of Main Building, and is used for entertainment. The entire arched brick structure of the cellar was moved a short distance in 1949.
, head of defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. Police claimed he received at least £3.5m in total in corrupt payments substantial bribes from overseas arms contractors aiming to influence the allocation of contracts.
In April 2008, a £90m contract was signed with Boeing
for a "quick fix" solution, so they can fly by 2010: QinetiQ
will downgrade the Chinooks - stripping out some of their more advanced equipment.
Departments of the United Kingdom Government
Her Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom contains a number of Cabinet ministers who are usually called secretaries of state when they are in charge of Government departments called ministerial departments...
responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
.
The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability. With the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the MOD does not foresee any short-term conventional military threat; rather, it has identified weapons of mass destruction
Weapons of mass destruction
A weapon of mass destruction is a weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to a large number of humans and/or cause great damage to man-made structures , natural structures , or the biosphere in general...
, international terrorism, and failed and failing states
Failed state
The term failed state is often used by political commentators and journalists to describe a state perceived as having failed at some of the basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government...
as the overriding threats to the UK's interests
National interest
The national interest, often referred to by the French expression raison d'État , is a country's goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. The concept is an important one in international relations where pursuit of the national interest is the foundation of the realist...
. The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces
Armed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
, contingency planning and defence procurement.
History
During the 1920s and 1930s, British civil servants and politicians, looking back at the performance of the state during World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, concluded that there was a need for greater co-ordination between the three Services that made up the armed forces of the United Kingdom—the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
David Lloyd George's
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
coalition government in 1921; but the Chiefs of Staff Committee
Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...
was formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-Service co-ordination. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin
Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC was a British Conservative politician, who dominated the government in his country between the two world wars...
created the position of Minister for Coordination of Defence
Minister for Coordination of Defence
The position of Minister for Coordination of Defence was a British Cabinet-level position established in 1936 to oversee and co-ordinate the rearmament of Britain's defences....
. Lord Chatfield
Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield
Admiral of the Fleet The Rt Hon. Sir Alfred Ernle Montacute Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield, GCB, OM, KCMG, CVO, PC was a Royal Navy officer and held the position of First Sea Lord from 1933 to 1939...
held the post until the fall of Neville Chamberlain's
Neville Chamberlain
Arthur Neville Chamberlain FRS was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 1937 to May 1940. Chamberlain is best known for his appeasement foreign policy, and in particular for his signing of the Munich Agreement in 1938, conceding the...
government in 1940; his success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments and his limited political influence.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, on forming his government in 1940, created the office of Minister of Defence to exercise ministerial control over the Chiefs of Staff Committee and to co-ordinate defence matters. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlee's
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946. The new ministry was headed by a Minister of Defence who possessed a seat in the Cabinet. The three existing service Ministers — the Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, the First Lord of the Admiralty, and the Secretary of State for Air
Secretary of State for Air
The Secretary of State for Air was a cabinet level British position. The person holding this position was in charge of the Air Ministry. It was created on 10 January 1919 to manage the Royal Air Force...
— remained in direct operational control of their respective services, but ceased to attend Cabinet.
From 1946 to 1964 five Departments of State did the work of the modern Ministry of Defence: the Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Aviation, and an earlier form
Ministry of Defence (1947–1964)
The Ministry of Defence was a department of the British Government responsible for defence and the British Armed Forces.-History:Prior to the Second World War defence policy was co-ordinated by the Committee of Imperial Defence...
of the Ministry of Defence. These departments merged in 1964; the defence functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971.
Ministers
The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows:| Minister | Rank | Portfolio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Rt Hon Philip Hammond Philip Hammond Philip Hammond MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He is the current Defence Secretary in the Coalition government led by David Cameron, having succeeded Liam Fox on 14 October 2011... MP |
Secretary of State Secretary of State for Defence The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position... |
Overall responsibility and strategic direction | |
| Nick Harvey Nick Harvey Nicholas Barton "Nick" Harvey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North Devon and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.-Early life and education:... MP |
Minister of State | Armed forces, operations | |
| Gerald Howarth Gerald Howarth James Gerald Douglas Howarth known as Gerald Howarth is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Aldershot since 1997, having been the MP for Cannock and Burntwood from 1983 to 1992.... MP |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | International security strategy, defence exports | |
| The Rt Hon Andrew Robathan Andrew Robathan Andrew Robert George Robathan is a British Conservative politician, and Member of Parliament for South Leicestershire in Leicestershire... MP |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Defence personnel, welfare and veterans | |
| Peter Luff Peter Luff Peter James Luff MP is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Mid Worcestershire since the 1997 general election, and was MP Worcester from 1992 until 1997... MP |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Defence equipment, support and technology | |
| Lord Astor of Hever John Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever John Jacob Astor, 3rd Baron Astor of Hever, DL is a British businessman and Conservative elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords... DL Deputy Lieutenant In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county.... |
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State | Lords spokesman |
| Key | Conservative Conservative Party (UK) The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House... |
|---|---|
| Liberal Democrat Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
Permanent Secretaries and other senior officials
The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by a number of civilian, scientific and professional military advisors. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence (generally known as the Permanent SecretaryPermanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
) is the senior civil servant at the MOD. Her role is to ensure the MOD operates effectively as a department of the government.
- Permanent Under-Secretary of State — Ursula Brennan
- Second Permanent Under-Secretary of State — Jon Day
- Chief of Defence MaterielChief of Defence MaterielThe Chief of Defence Materiel is a senior post in the British armed forces created in April 2007. It merges the roles of Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief of Defence Logistics into a single post responsible for leading Defence Equipment and Support....
— Bernard Gray - Chief Scientific AdviserMoD Chief Scientific AdviserThe Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK's Ministry of Defence is responsible for providing strategic management of science and technology issues in the MoD, most directly through the MoD research budget of well over £1 billion, and sits as a full member of the Defence Management Board and the...
— Professor Mark WellandMark WellandSir Mark Edward Welland FRS FREng, is a professor and the head of the Cambridge University Nanoscience Centre. He started his career in nanotechnology at IBM Research, Yorktown Heights, U.S., where he was part of the team that developed one of the first scanning tunneling microscopes.Having... - Director General Finance — Jon Thompson
Chiefs of the Defence Staff
The current Chief of the Defence StaffChief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, is General Sir David Richards, British Army.
He is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff and by the professional heads of the three services of HM Armed Forces.
- Vice-Chief of the Defence StaffVice-Chief of the Defence StaffThe Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-List of Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff:*1964 to 1966 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle...
— General Sir Nicholas HoughtonNick HoughtonGeneral Sir John Nicholas Reynolds Houghton, GCB, CBE, ADC Gen. is a senior officer in the British Army, currently serving as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the head of Britain's Armed Forces; based at the Ministry of Defence, London.-Early life:Born...
, British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. - First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval StaffFirst Sea LordThe First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
— Admiral Sir Mark StanhopeMark StanhopeAdmiral Sir Mark Stanhope, GCB, OBE is the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom, thus the professional head of the Royal Navy.-Early life:...
, Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service... - Chief of the General StaffChief of the General Staff (United Kingdom)Chief of the General Staff has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board...
— General Sir Peter WallPeter Wall (British Army officer)General Sir Peter Anthony Wall, KCB, CBE, ADC Gen. is a senior British Army officer, currently the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army....
, British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. - Chief of the Air Staff — Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen DaltonStephen DaltonAir Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Gary George Dalton, KCB, BSc, FRAeS, RAF is the current Chief of the Air Staff and professional head of the Royal Air Force.-RAF career:...
, Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
There are also three Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff with particular remits, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability), Deputy CDS (Personnel and Training) and Deputy CDS (Operations). The Surgeon General
Surgeon-General (United Kingdom)
The Surgeon-General is the senior medical officer of the British Armed Forces; the post is held by the senior of the three individual service medical directors....
, represents the Defence Medical Services
Defence Medical Services
The Defence Medical Services are an umbrella organisation within the Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom, which organises all medical, dental and nursing services within the British Armed Forces.-Structure:...
on the Defence Staff, and is the clinical head of that service.
Additionally, there are a number of Assistant Chiefs of Defence Staff, including the Defence Services Secretary
Defence Services Secretary
The Defence Services Secretary is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. Reporting to the Private Secretary's Office, he is responsible for liaison between the Sovereign and the British Armed Forces...
in the Royal Household
Royal Household
A Royal Household in ancient and medieval monarchies formed the basis for the general government of the country as well as providing for the needs of the sovereign and his relations....
of the Sovereign
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, who is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel).
Defence policy
The 1998 Strategic Defence ReviewStrategic Defence Review
The Strategic Defence Review was a British policy document produced by the Labour Government that came to power in 1997. Then Secretary of State for Defence, George Robertson, set out the initial defence policy of the new government, with a series of key decisions designed to enhance the United...
and the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World
Delivering Security in a Changing World
The 2003 Defence White Paper, titled Delivering Security in a Changing World, set out the future structure of the British military, and was preceded by the 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2002 SDR New Chapter, which responded to the immediate challenges to security in the aftermath of the...
White Paper outlined the following posture for the British Armed Forces:
- The ability to support three simultaneous small- to medium-scale operations, with at least one as an enduring peace-keeping mission (e.g. KosovoKosovoKosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
). These forces must be capable of representing the UK as lead nation in any coalition operations. - The ability, at longer notice, to deploy forces in a large-scale operation while running a concurrent small-scale operation.
The MOD has since been regarded as a leader in elaborating the post-Cold War organising concept of “Defence Diplomacy
Defence diplomacy
In international politics, defence diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources and capabilities.-Origin of the Concept:...
”.
In November 2010, the MOD released its first ever business plan.
Perceived current threats
Following the end of the cold warCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the perceived threat of direct conventional military confrontation with other states has been replaced by terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
- Sir Richard Dannatt predicted British forces to be involved in combating "predatory non-state actors" for the foreseeable future, in what he called an "era of persistent conflict". He told the prestigious think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
Chatham House
Chatham House
Chatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
that the fight against al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and other militant Islamist groups was "probably the fight of our generation".
Sir Richard Dannatt criticised a remnant "Cold War mentality", with military expenditures based on retaining a capability against a direct conventional strategic threat; He said currently only 10% of the MoD's equipment programme budget between 2003 and 2018 was to be invested in the "land environment" - at a time when Britain was engaged in land-based wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Defence Committee - Third Report "Defence Equipment 2009" cites an article from the Financial Times website stating that the Chief of Defence Materiel
Chief of Defence Materiel
The Chief of Defence Materiel is a senior post in the British armed forces created in April 2007. It merges the roles of Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief of Defence Logistics into a single post responsible for leading Defence Equipment and Support....
— General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue
Kevin O'Donoghue
General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue KCB, CBE is a retired British Army officer and former Chief of Defence Materiel. He retired from the service in December 2010, being succeeded as Chief of Defence Materiel by Bernard Gray.-Career:...
had instructed staff within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) through an internal memorandum to reprioritize the approvals process to focus on supporting current operations over the next three years; deterrence related programmes; those that reflect defence obligations both contractual or international; and those where production contracts are already signed. The report also cites concerns over potential cuts in the defence science and technology research budget; implications of inappropriate estimation of Defence Inflation within budgetary processes; underfunding in the Equipment Programme; and a general concern over striking the appropriate balance over a short-term focus (Current Operations) and long-term consequences of failure to invest in the delivery of future UK defence capabilities on future combatants and campaigns. The then Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
— The Rt Hon. Bob Ainsworth, MP
Bob Ainsworth
Robert William Ainsworth is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Coventry North East since 1992, and was the Secretary of State for Defence from 2009 to 2010...
reinforced this reprioritization of focus on current operations and had not ruled out "major shifts" in defence spending. In the same article the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
— Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
Mark Stanhope
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, GCB, OBE is the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom, thus the professional head of the Royal Navy.-Early life:...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, acknowledged that there was not enough money within the defence budget and it is preparing itself for tough decisions and the potential for cutbacks. According to figures published by the London Evening Standard the defence budget for 2009 is "more than 10% overspent" (figures cannot be verified) and the paper states that this had caused Gordon Brown to say that the defence spending must be cut.
The MOD has been investing in IT to cut costs and improve services for its personnel.
Departmental Organisation
Top Level Budget holder organisations:
- Navy CommandNavy Command HeadquartersNavy Command Headquarters is the organisation responsible for the direction and management of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The organisation provides support to Commander in Chief Fleet, the admiral responsible to the First Sea Lord for the provision of ships, personnel, aircraft and...
- Land Forces
- Air CommandRAF Air CommandAir Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire....
- Central TLB
- Chief of Joint OperationsPermanent Joint HeadquartersThe Permanent Joint Headquarters is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London....
- Defence Equipment and Support
- Defence Infrastructure Organisation
Executive Agencies:
- Defence Vetting AgencyDefence Vetting AgencyThe Defence Vetting Agency is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government responsible for vetting employees of the British Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence civil servants, defence contractors, and certain other government departments and organisations who work on contracts with certain...
- Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding AgencyMinistry of Defence Police and Guarding AgencyThe Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency is an executive agency of the Ministry of Defence. The organisation was formed on 1 April 2004 by the amalgamation of the MoD Police Agency with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service, with the purpose of providing a coordinated approach to the...
, which includes the Ministry of Defence PoliceMinistry of Defence PoliceThe Ministry of Defence Police is a civilian police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The force is part of the larger government agency, the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency , together with the Ministry of Defence Guard Service... - People, Pay and Pensions AgencyPeople, Pay and Pensions AgencyThe People, Pay and Pensions Agency is an Agency of the UK Ministry of Defence. When the agency was formed in April 2006 it subsumed the Pay & Personnel Agency and now provides of all civilian personnel services to the MOD....
- Service Children's EducationService Children's EducationService Children's Education is an executive agency of the United Kingdom government responsible for the education of the children of service families and Ministry of Defence personnel serving outside of the United Kingdom...
- Service Personnel and Veterans AgencyService Personnel and Veterans AgencyThe Service Personnel and Veterans Agency was officially launched on 2 April 2007 and is part of the UK Ministry of Defence. SPVA provides personnel, pensions, welfare and support services to members of the UK Armed Forces and veterans and their dependents...
Trading Funds:
- Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
- Defence Support GroupDefence Support GroupThe Defence Support Group is an executive agency and wholly owned trading fund of the Ministry of Defence. It was established on 1 April 2008 by the merger of Defence Aviation Repair Agency and the Army Base Repair Organisation. It was created under The Defence Support Group Trading Fund Order...
- UK Hydrographic OfficeUnited Kingdom Hydrographic OfficeThe United Kingdom Hydrographic Office is an organisation within the UK government responsible for providing navigational and other hydrographic information for national, civil and defence requirements...
Non-departmental public bodies:
- National Army MuseumNational Army MuseumThe National Army Museum is the British Army's central museum. It is located in the Chelsea district of central London, England adjacent to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the home of the "Chelsea Pensioners". The National Army Museum is open to the public every day of the year from 10.00am to 5.30pm,...
- National Museum of the Royal NavyNational Museum of the Royal NavyThe National Museum of the Royal Navy was created in early 2009 to act as a coordinating body for the four service museums of the Royal Navy. The museums are:*Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth Dockyard, Hampshire*Royal Marines Museum, Southsea, Hampshire...
- Royal Air Force Museum
For many years the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
was a trading fund of the Ministry of Defence, however on 18 July 2011 it was transferred to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills is a ministerial department of the United Kingdom Government created on 5 June 2009 by the merger of the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform .-Ministers:The BIS...
.
Property portfolio
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (2,400 square kilometres) which were valued in 2009 at "nearly £20 billion". The MOD also has "rights of access" to a further 130,000 hectares. The National Audit Office estimates annual expenditure on the defence estate at £2.9 billion.
The defence estate is divided as training areas & ranges (78.1%), airfields (7%), research & development (4.9%), storage & depots (3.1%), barracks & camps (3.1%), miscellaneous (1.8%), radio sites (1.7%), and naval bases (0.3%). These are largely managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
The headquarters of the MOD are in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
and are now known as Main Building. This structure is neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
in style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs by Vincent Harris
Vincent Harris
Emanuel Vincent Harris OBE, RA was an English architect who designed several important public buildings.He was born in Devonport, Devon and educated at Kingsbridge Grammar School. He was articled to the Plymouth architect James Harvey in 1893; in 1897 he moved to London where he assisted E. Keynes...
to house the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
and the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
. The northern entrance in Horse Guards Avenue
Horse Guards Avenue
Horse Guards Avenue is a road in the City of Westminster, London, linking the major thoroughfares of Whitehall and Victoria Embankment, to the east of the Horse Guards building and parade area. It is not to be confused with Horse Guards Road, which is on the opposite side of the Horse Guards...
is flanked by two monumental statues, Earth and Water, by Charles Wheeler
Charles Wheeler (sculptor)
Sir Charles Thomas Wheeler KCVO RA was a British sculptor, and the first sculptor to hold the Presidency of the Royal Academy ....
. Opposite stands the Ghurka Monument, sculpted by Philip Jackson
Philip Jackson (sculptor)
Philip Henry Christopher Jackson CVO is an award-winning Scottish sculptor, noted for his modern style and emphasis on form. Acting as Royal Sculptor to Queen Elizabeth II, his sculptures appear in numerous UK cities, as well as Argentina and Switzerland.His twice life-size bronze statue of...
and unveiled in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II. Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to the Fleet Air Arm and RAF
Royal Air Force Memorial
The Royal Air Force Memorial is a 1923 military memorial on the Victoria Embankment in central London, dedicated to the memory of the casualties of the Royal Air Force in World War I...
(to its east, facing the riverside). A major refurbishment of the building was completed under a PFI
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
contract by Skanska
Skanska
Skanska AB, is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden, where it also is the largest construction company. The company's head office is in Solna, north of Stockholm.-History:...
in 2004.
Henry VIII's
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
wine cellar at the Palace of Whitehall
Palace of Whitehall
The Palace of Whitehall was the main residence of the English monarchs in London from 1530 until 1698 when all except Inigo Jones's 1622 Banqueting House was destroyed by fire...
, built in 1514–1516, is in the basement of Main Building, and is used for entertainment. The entire arched brick structure of the cellar was moved a short distance in 1949.
Fraud
The most notable fraud conviction was that of Gordon FoxleyGordon Foxley
Gordon Foxley was head of defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. He was convicted on 12 counts of corruption in 1993 after he took bribes from arms manufacturers to set up defence contracts...
, head of defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. Police claimed he received at least £3.5m in total in corrupt payments substantial bribes from overseas arms contractors aiming to influence the allocation of contracts.
Chinook HC3 helicopters
The MOD has been criticised for an ongoing fiasco, having spent £240m on eight Chinook HC3 helicopters which only started to enter service in 2010, years after they were ordered in 1995 and delivered in 2001. A National Audit Office report reveals that the helicopters have been stored in air conditioned hangars in Britain since their 2001 delivery, while troops in Afghanistan have been forced to rely on helicopters which are flying with safety faults. By the time the Chinooks are airworthy, the total cost of the project could be as much as £500m.In April 2008, a £90m contract was signed with Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
for a "quick fix" solution, so they can fly by 2010: QinetiQ
QinetiQ
Qinetiq is a British global defence technology company, formed from the greater part of the former UK government agency, Defence Evaluation and Research Agency , when it was split up in June 2001...
will downgrade the Chinooks - stripping out some of their more advanced equipment.
Volunteer army cuts
In October 2009, the MOD was heavily criticized for withdrawing the bi-annual non-operational training £20m budget for the volunteer Territorial Army (TA), ending all non-operational training for 6 months until April 2010. The government eventually backed down and restored the funding. The TA provides a small percentage of the UK's operational troops. Its members train on weekly evenings and monthly weekends, as well as two week exercises generally annually and occasionally bi-annually for troops doing other courses. The cuts would have meant a significant loss of personnel and would have had adverse effects on recruitment.See also
- Defence DiplomacyDefence diplomacyIn international politics, defence diplomacy refers to the pursuit of foreign policy objectives through the peaceful employment of defence resources and capabilities.-Origin of the Concept:...
- Defence ReviewDefence ReviewA Defence Review is the process by which government of the United Kingdom decides upon its overall defence policy and upon the means and resources devoted to achieving its defence objectives. Such reviews can happen when political or economic factors dictate, such as upon a change of Government...
- Franco-British Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty and Downing Street Declaration
- Gordon FoxleyGordon FoxleyGordon Foxley was head of defence procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. He was convicted on 12 counts of corruption in 1993 after he took bribes from arms manufacturers to set up defence contracts...
- Stabilisation UnitStabilisation UnitThe Stabilisation Unit is an interdepartmental agency of the UK government; it is jointly owned by the FCO, the DFID, and the MOD. It aims to support fragile states and countries emerging from conflict, where close cooperation between international agencies, the military, and civilian personnel is...
- United Kingdom budgetUnited Kingdom budgetThe United Kingdom budget deals with HM Treasury budgeting the revenues gathered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and expenditures of public sector departments, in compliance with government policy.Adjustment is achieved with the GDP deflator....