His Majesty's Naval Service

Last updated
His Majesty's Naval Service
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom [note 1]
Type Naval warfare and maritime service
Role Naval, expeditionary and amphibious warfare
Part ofFlag of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom).svg British Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ Whitehall / Portsmouth
Branches
Commanders
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Martin Connell
Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Andrew Burns
Insignia
White Ensign [note 2]
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg

His Majesty's Naval Service (or, when the reigning monarch is female, Her Majesty's Naval Service) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare and maritime service. [1] [2] It consists of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and Naval Careers Service. [3] The Naval Service as a whole falls under the command of the Navy Board, which is headed by the First Sea Lord. This position is currently held by Admiral Sir Ben Key (appointed November 2021). [4] The Defence Council delegates administration of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence.

Contents

The Naval Service is dominated by the Royal Navy, and operates primarily from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based; Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, the last being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe. As of December 2024, there were about 90 vessels in service with the various branches of the Naval Service, plus about 100 additional vessels operated by the supporting Serco Marine Services. These vessels included: 62 commissioned ships of the Royal Navy, 17 principal landing craft of the Royal Marines, 11 auxiliary ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and about 100 supporting Marine Services vessels. [5] Additional vessels are under charter to the Ministry of Defence. As of 2022, HM Naval Service (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Naval Careers Service) employed about 39,500 regular and reserve personnel. [6] [7] [8] [9]

In 2020, the First Sea Lord announced that the 'Naval Service' will informally be known as the 'Royal Navy'. The Royal Navy was made a colloquial name for the Naval Service as part of a transformation programme with the approval of the Navy Executive Committee to reflect the strength of the Royal Navy brand and assist with unifying the force. [10] [11]

The total displacement of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is, as of December 2024, around 671,000 tonnes, while the combined displacement of Royal Marine landing craft is approximately an additional 2,200 tonnes.

King's Regulations for the Royal Navy

Components as of 2017

The 2017 Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy stipulate that the Naval Service consists of: [3]

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary operate a fleet of auxiliaries in support of the Royal Navy. Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel are part of the Ministry of Defence civil service. Among the many contractors which support the Ministry of Defence and Royal Navy is Serco Marine Services, provided under a private finance initiative.

Former composition

The following services were formerly also components of the Naval Service:

Naval Reserve Forces:

Formerly the Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service, the Fleet Reserve, and the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors were also considered part of the Naval Service.

Composition of the Naval Service

Royal Navy

Referred to as the "Senior Service" by virtue of it being the oldest service within the British Armed Forces, the Royal Navy is a technologically sophisticated naval force and forms the core structure of the Naval Service. Command of deployable assets is exercised by the Fleet Commander. The United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent is carried aboard the navy's Vanguard class of four nuclear ballistic-missile submarines. The surface fleet consists of aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, patrol ships, mine-countermeasures, and miscellaneous vessels. The submarine service has existed within the Royal Navy for more than 100 years. The service possessed a combined fleet of diesel-electric and nuclear-powered submarines until the early 1990s. Following the Options for Change defence review, the Upholder-class diesel-electric submarines were withdrawn and the attack submarine flotilla is now exclusively nuclear-powered.

Royal Marines

The infantry component of the Naval Service is the Corps of Royal Marines. Consisting of a single manoeuvre brigade (UK Commando Force) and various independent units, the Royal Marines specialise in amphibious, arctic, and mountain warfare. [12] Contained within the UK Commando Force are attached army units; 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, an artillery regiment based in Plymouth, and 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers. Both regiments have Commando REME detachments. [13] The Commando Logistic Regiment consists of personnel from the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Navy. [14]

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment at sea (RAS). It also transports Army and Royal Marine personnel, as well as supporting training exercises. RFA personnel are members of the Ministry of Defence civil service who wear Merchant Navy rank insignia with naval uniforms and are under naval discipline when the vessel is engaged on warlike operations. RFA vessels are commanded and crewed by these civilians, augmented with regular and reserve Royal Navy personnel to perform specialised military functions such as operating and maintaining helicopters or providing hospital facilities. The RFA is funded out of the UK defence budget and the Commodore commanding the RFA is directly responsible to the Royal Navy Fleet Commander.

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary also provides the naval service's principal amphibious warfare capability through its three Bay-class landing ship dock vessels. The service is manned by around 1,750 civilian personnel (as of late 2022). [15]

The Naval Careers Service is the recruiting arm of the Naval Service. [16] It is manned by former Royal Navy and Royal Marine personnel who are typically based at Armed Forces Careers Offices. [17] It is the smallest component of the Naval Service, comprising fewer than 200 personnel. [18]

In support of the Naval Service

Marine Services, U.K.

Marine Services enables Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Ships, including the United Kingdom's Strategic Nuclear Deterrent, to either move in or out of port for operational deployment and training exercises around the world. The service operates a large assortment of vessels including tugs and pilot boats as well as transporting stores, liquid and munitions and providing passenger transfer services to and from ships for officers and crew. Serco Denholm took over Marine Services to the Naval Service from the now disbanded Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service in 2008. In late 2009 Serco bought out Denholm's share, with the service now being known as Serco Marine Services. [19]

Marine Services, Gibraltar

Marine services at the Port of Gibraltar, including naval vessels using the port, are provided by Boluda Towage Europe. [20] Boluda acquired Resolve Marine Group in 2024, which had been equipped with one ASD ocean-going and harbour tug (Resolve Hercules), four harbour tugs (Rooke, Wellington, Egerton and Eliott), two barges (Isaac 1874 and RMG 280) as well as the anchor-handling tug Resolve Blizzard, which provided regional firefighting, oil pollution and emergency response services. [21] [22] Several of these assets were acquired by Boluda which, in June 2024, also strengthened its own presence at Gibraltar by adding the tugboat “VB Responder” to its fleet. [23]

Marine Services, Falkland Islands

As of 2021, marine services at the British military and naval port in the Falkland Islands, Mare Harbour, were provided by the contracted Netherlands Marine Services company Van Wijngaarden. The company operated two tugs (Giesenstroom and Dintelstroom) as well as a multi-purpose barge (MP2003) at the port. [24]

Lists of vessels

See the articles below for lists of vessels operated by or in support of His Majesty's Naval Service:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑
  2. ↑
    English White Ensign 1620.svg
    1630–1707
    Scottish Red Ensign.svg
    Middle Ages–1707
    Naval Ensign of Great Britain (1707-1800).svg
    1707–1800

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Navy</span> Naval warfare force of the United Kingdom

The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies, and a component of His Majesty's Naval Service. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the English Navy of the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Fleet Auxiliary</span> Naval auxiliary fleet which supports the Royal Navy

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by providing fuel and stores through replenishment at sea, transporting Royal Marines and British Army personnel, providing medical care and transporting equipment and essentials around the world. In addition the RFA acts independently providing humanitarian aid, counter piracy and counter narcotic patrols together with assisting the Royal Navy in preventing conflict and securing international trade. They are a uniformed civilian branch of the Royal Navy staffed by British merchant sailors. The RFA is one of five RN fighting arms.

HMS <i>Albion</i> (L14) 2003 Albion-class landing platform dock of the Royal Navy

HMS Albion is a landing platform dock of the Royal Navy, the first of the two-ship Albion class. Built by BAE Systems Marine in Barrow-in-Furness, Albion was launched in March 2001 by the Princess Royal. Her sister ship, Bulwark, was launched in November 2001, also from Barrow. Affiliated to the city of Chester and based in Plymouth, she is the ninth ship to carry the name Albion, stretching back to the 74-gun 1763 warship, and last carried by an aircraft carrier decommissioned in 1973 after 19 years service. Designed as an amphibious warfare ship, Albion carries troops, normally Royal Marines, and vehicles up to the size of the Challenger 2 main battle tank. She can deploy these forces using four Landing Craft Utility (LCUs) and four Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVPs). A flight deck supports helicopter operations.

RFA <i>Fort Austin</i> 1979 Fort Rosalie-class replenishment ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Fort Austin is a retired British Fort Rosalie-class dry stores ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service</span> Military unit

The Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service(RMAS) was a British Government agency which ran a variety of auxiliary vessels for His Majesty's Naval Service (incl. Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary). The service from 2009 has been run by Serco and is known as Serco Marine Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Future of the Royal Navy</span>

Future planning of the Royal Navy's capabilities is set through periodic Defence Reviews carried out by the British Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standing Royal Navy deployments</span>

Standing Royal Navy deployments is a list of operations and commitments undertaken by the United Kingdom's Royal Navy on a worldwide basis. The following list details these commitments and deployments sorted by region and in alphabetical order. Routine deployments made by the Navy's nuclear-powered submarines and their location of operations is classified.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HMNB Clyde</span> Operating base in Scotland for the Royal Navy

His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde, primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy. It is the navy's headquarters in Scotland and is best known as the home of Britain's nuclear weapons, in the form of nuclear submarines armed with Trident missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gibraltar Squadron</span> Military unit

The Gibraltar Squadron is a unit of the British Royal Navy. It is the only seagoing Royal Naval unit based in Gibraltar, attached to British Forces Gibraltar. It currently includes two Cutlass-class fast patrol boats with a maximum speed of up to 41-knots. The squadron also uses three Pacific 24 rigid-hulled inflatable boats and deploys one diving support boat. The 2021 defence white paper indicated that henceforth, one River-class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Trent, would also be permanently based in Gibraltar for operations in the Mediterranean and in the Gulf of Guinea. As of 2023, 28 personnel were assigned to the squadron, along with additional personnel assigned to HMS Trent.

DMS Maritime, formerly Defence Maritime Services, is a company providing port services to the Australian Defence Force and Marine Unit. It is a subsidiary of Serco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serco Marine Services</span> An auxiliary maritime service

Serco Marine Services is a Private Finance Initiative contract, with Serco Group, to deliver auxiliary services to His Majesty's Naval Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government Service Ensign</span> Defaced Blue Ensign flown by British vessels

The Government Service Ensign is a defaced Blue Ensign flown by vessels owned by the British Ministry of Defence for which no other ensign is appropriate. It is most commonly seen flown by warships undergoing contractors' trials before being commissioned into the Royal Navy, and former Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service vessels now operated by Serco Denholm.

<i>SD Northern River</i>

SD Northern River is a large multi-purpose auxiliary ship operated by Serco Marine Services in support of the United Kingdom's Naval Service and is currently the largest ship operated by Serco Marine Services, both in terms of dimensions and gross tonnage.

RFA <i>Tiderace</i> (A137) 2018 Tide-class replenishment tanker of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary

RFA Tiderace is a Tide-class replenishment tanker of the British Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Ordered from DSME in 2012, she was officially named on 1 December 2016 and was accepted by the Ministry of Defence in June 2017. Tiderace entered service on 2 August 2018.

In 1989 the Royal Navy was under the direction of the Navy Department in the UK Ministry of Defence. It had two main commands, CINCFLEET and Naval Home Command.

A Littoral Response Group (LRG) is a Royal Navy task group usually consisting of one or two amphibious warfare ships, a company of Royal Marines and supporting elements primarily tasked with littoral warfare from the littoral areas. They were first deployed in 2020 and have been described by the Royal Navy as being more flexible and agile compared to previous amphibious task groups with an emphasis on forward-basing, precision strike capabilities, high mobility, modern command and control technology, networked autonomous systems and deception capabilities. Multiple LRGs were to be able to combine to form a more substantial Littoral Strike Group (LSG) and also join a UK Carrier Strike Group to form an Expeditionary Strike Force.

The Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) is a planned class of up to six multi-mission amphibious warfare ships in development for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The ships were first officially mentioned in the British government's 2021 defence white paper, titled Defence in a Competitive Age. In May 2024, funding for the ships was announced at the Sea Power Conference in London. They will replace the service's two Albion-class landing platform docks, three Bay-class landing ship docks and the multi-purpose support ship RFA Argus.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ NAVAL PERSONNEL HIERARCHY, mod.uk. 5 October 2014.
  2. ↑ Her Majesty’s Naval Service Eligibility and Guidance Notes, mod.uk. 5 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Vice Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE has been appointed to First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff". gov.uk. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  5. ↑ "Serco wins £200m contract to provide marine services for Royal Navy". Advance. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  6. ↑ "The Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2022". Navy Lookout. 30 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "Royal Naval Reserve". Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Number of personnel in the armed forces of the United Kingdom between 2012 and 2022, by military branch". Statista. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  9. ↑ "Royal Marines Reserve". Royal Navy. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Adieu 'Naval Service,' Hello 'Royal Navy'" (PDF). Navy News (791). Ministry of Defence: 20. June 2020. ISSN   0028-1670 . Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  11. ↑ First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin. "The Whole Force: Naval Service to Royal Navy". Royal Navy Association. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  12. ↑ BBC News (2002), UK's mountain warfare elite, news.bbc.co.uk
  13. ↑ The Commando Role for 1 RIFLER Archived 2009-01-14 at the Wayback Machine , army.mod.uk
  14. ↑ Commando Logistic Regiment Archived 2005-05-14 at the Wayback Machine , royalnavy.mod.uk
  15. ↑ "Navy struggling to keep RFA Fort Victoria operational". NavyLookout. 19 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Queen's Regulations for the Royal Navy Chapter One" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. pp. 1–3. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  17. ↑ "BR3 Volume One Naval Personnel Management Chapter Three" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. pp. 20–6. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  18. ↑ "Royal Navy and Royal Marines Monthly Personnel Situation Report" (PDF). British Government. Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  19. ↑ Bush, Steve (2014). British Warships and Auxiliaries. Maritime Books. p. 64. ISBN   978-1904459552.
  20. ↑ "Boluda acquires Resolve Fire and Salvage". Boluda Towage Europe. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  21. ↑ "Tugs and Barges". Resolve Marine Services (Gibraltar). Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  22. ↑ "Resolving to Expand". Nautic Expo. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  23. ↑ "Boluda strengthens its fleet in Gibraltar with a new boat". Boluda Towage Europe. 18 June 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  24. ↑ Childs (RN), Cdr J R (June 2021). "British Forces South Atlantic Islands East Cove Port Navigation Risk Assessment 2021" (PDF). Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  25. ↑ "Outsourcing giant Serco marks 25 years working with Royal Navy". BusinessLive. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2023.

Sources

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