The army of any state is a shield that is designed to protect the peaceful life of citizens and the territorial integrity of the country. This social formation existed long before people came up with writing, law and other forms of their activity. In other words, the culture of killing a person, namely for this purpose the armies are created, is one of the most ancient spheres of the direct functioning of society. For many centuries, the armies of all states without exception have evolved. This is also due to the history of the development of a country. It should be noted that many of the cultural traditions of the troops that existed several centuries ago are still preserved in the existing armies. Of course, this approach indicates an established system of personnel training, as well as cohesion in the composition of the troops. But out of the total number of armed forces of different countries, there are armies that stand out against the general background. These are today the British Armed Forces. The history of the formation of the army of this country is filled with amazing heroic deeds and valiant battles. The long stay of the state in the status of a colonial empire also had a significant influence on the development of British troops . All this together makes the British Armed Forces a highly professional and mobile military formation, which represents significant combat power. The structure of the troops of this state and their functions will be discussed later in the article.
General concept of the armed forces of Great Britain
The army of Great Britain is the collective concept of a number of different branches of the armed forces. That is, the term refers to all military formations of a state that are part of a single defense structure. The activities of the British army are quite specific, given some political and territorial features. In addition, the military formation of the country has a long history. Army control is carried out through the Ministry of Defense, a structural element of which is a special defense council. As in many progressive modern countries today, the head of state is the commander in chief of the armed forces. In the case of Great Britain, this is the monarch - Queen Elizabeth II.
The initial stage of development of the armed forces of Britain
There are many historical versions about when the army of Great Britain arose. The most common opinion is that the British Armed Forces arose in 1707, as a result of the direct unification of England and Scotland. But some scholars are of the opinion that the point of reference in the history of the army of this state is a much more ancient date. In this case, such a statement is erroneous. Since before the unification of the previously represented states, England was a series of independent, warring countries. During its formation, the British army took part in a large number of wars both in the territory of their colonies and against other states. The most famous military conflicts in which the armed forces of Great Britain took part are the following:
- Napoleonic and seven-year war.
- Crimean War.
- The war against the American colonies.
- The Opium Wars of 1840-1860.
It should also be noted that at this stage of development in the British Army there is a strong fleet and a small number of ground forces. Thanks to this approach to the organization of troops, the empire for a long time had the status of "mistress of the seas." It should also be noted that throughout the entire period of development, the army of France and Great Britain constantly competed with each other. This is due not only to the dominant positions of these states in Europe, but also to national hostility.
Army development in the 20th century
The subsequent stages of the development of the British army are characterized by state participation in the First and Second World Wars. Some reorganization actions were also carried out at this time. For example, in 1916, the British authorities introduced general military service. In addition, in 1922, the state officially abandoned the principle of “two fleets”, according to which the composition of the British Navy should be twice the size of the fleet of other major naval powers. Enough weighty fact for the development of the army of the empire was the country's entry into NATO in 1949. This led to the participation of the United Kingdom in almost all of the major operations carried out by the bloc.
British Armed Forces in the 21st Century
In the 21st century, the British army took part in the war against Afghanistan, as well as Iraq. It should also be noted that a large number of British contingents were sent for military intervention by the state of Libya, which took place in 2013. In addition, representatives of Britain played a significant role in the implementation of Operation Serval. Thus, the British army, which numbers 421 thousand personnel, today is one of the best military forces in the world.
UK Armed Forces
The entire structure of the British army is structured in such a way as to facilitate the implementation of the functions of this formation. In addition, as part of the state armed forces there are some specific types of troops that have a rather interesting field of activity. Thus, the British army, the strength of which was presented above, has the following structural elements:
- Air Force.
- Ground troops.
- Special Forces.
- Medical service.
This structure, as already mentioned above, is best suited to perform individual functional tasks. At the same time, the medical forces of the armed forces are unique in their kind. Because parts of doctors in other world armies are not distinguished as a separate structural element of the armed forces.
Ground troops
Like the armed forces of Great Britain as a whole, the ground forces also begin their history in 1707. To date, the army of England is a professional unit, the main purpose of which is the defeat of enemy personnel on earth. The main striking force of the army, as we understand it, is the infantry. Today, it includes about 36 regular battalions. In addition to this, the power of the British army also comprises the armored corps, the artillery regiment, the engineering corps, the army air corps, the reconnaissance corps and the communications corps. Also part of this kind of troops are territorial military units, which are analogous to the national guard.
British Navy
At all times , naval forces have been Britain's main argument in many international conflicts. This type of force is a structure that consists directly of the fleet and marine corps. To date, this army sector has not lost its priority. It consists of approximately 42 thousand personnel. At the same time, the British fleet is still considered one of the strongest in the world.
Royal fleet
The Royal Navy is a key element of the British Navy. The management of this component of the armed forces is carried out by the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, a special Admiralty Committee exists in the body of the body. He, in turn, consists of four ministers and seven professional sailors. The key tasks of the British Navy today are:
- the protection of the territorial interests of Britain;
- protection of the integrity of the state;
- elimination of surface and underwater threats;
- defeat of coastal fortifications of the enemy;
- accompaniment of international military operations.
It should also be noted that in accordance with its functional tasks, the Navy has special units in its structure, namely:
- submarine fleet;
- surface fleet;
- special air forces of the Navy;
- medical service.
UK Marine Corps
It should be noted that today Britain is one of the first countries where the marine corps was recognized as a completely independent military branch in the naval forces. The innovation was introduced by King Charles II Stuart. In 1664, he issued a decree that decreed the creation of special maritime services. But these units received the greatest impetus in the development during the Second World War. Then, special formations were created from the Marine Corps, the purpose of which was to land on the coast, as well as sabotage activities. To date, this type of force as part of the Navy plays a fairly significant role, which was proved during the war over the Falkland Islands, as well as the Iraq conflict. The structure of the Royal Marines of the United Kingdom includes the following units, namely:
- The commando team No. 3. This element, in turn, is divided into separate formations, for example: the 40th and 42nd sabotage battalions, the 539th assault detachment, etc.
- Marine reserve.
- Orchestral service.
Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Britain
If the Navy is the legendary formation of antiquity, then the modern legends are the special troops of Great Britain. To date, you can find a bunch of information about the activities of special units of the British armed forces. However, it is still not clear which stories are reality and which are myths. One way or another, one can judge the activities of special troops only by analyzing their functional tasks. First of all, it should be noted that in the structure of military special forces there are only two units, namely: SAS and SBS. Each of them was formed during the Second World War. The first unit - a special air service, is an airborne military formation. In combat conditions, it performs the following functions:
- collects intelligence about enemy forces;
- conducts counter-terrorism operations;
- carries out rescue of hostages;
- participates in direct contacts with the enemy.
Also, a specific functional task of SAS is the training of foreign fighters of special units.
The second no less significant unit in the special forces is a special boat service. Today it is a direct competitor to the "fur seals" of the United States of America. For the most part, SBS implements special operations under the auspices of the United Kingdom Navy. The package comes at the expense of the Royal Marines. Very often, the functions of these formations are confused. However, a special boat service is engaged in performing diversionary and reconnaissance operations of a special nature, that is, increased danger or complexity.
It should be noted that the activities of these units use the latest technology and military equipment. For example, a high-quality and rather popular knife of the British army was once invented by specialists of special units. There are also other analogues of such specific equipment. An example of this is the Bash tent of the British Army, which is now used in many military formations of other countries.
UK Medical Service
One of the features of the British armed forces is the presence of such troops as the medical service. In the world there are very few analogues of such an aircraft construction. With regard to the UK, in this state, medical units consist of three main components distributed between other branches of the armed forces, namely the army, navy, air forces, etc. The service is engaged in the direct treatment of personnel of the armed forces, as well as support during military operations.
Air Force
One of the professional arms in the British Armed Forces is the royal forces operating in the air, that is, aviation. It should be noted that the organization of this element of the armed forces is compact. Because all the power of aviation is combined into three groups. They, in turn, number about 34 thousand people. All air groups are designed to eliminate enemy air and ground forces. In their activities, the British Air Force uses equipment of both its own production and foreign. Mostly aircraft manufactured in the USA and the European Union prevail.
UK Army. Armament, equipment
In their activities, the subjects of the armed forces of Great Britain use world-famous prototypes of one or another equipment. For example, the uniform of the British army is distinguished by its practicality and high quality. It is great for performing combat missions. In addition, the military uniform of this state has good camouflage indicators. For example, trousers of the British army perfectly protect against dampness and other negative environmental factors. Therefore, they are very popular among the military personnel of foreign forces. In addition, the British Army's membrane pants are made from a material that allows the body to breathe. However, they do not get wet.
Of course, there are other examples of high-quality equipment. As practice shows, almost all military ammunition manufactured in the UK is excellent for permanent and quite tough operation. For example, a British army jacket in tandem with trousers will provide the fighter with dryness and warmth in almost any condition. Other types of equipment are also in good demand in the market. These include, for example: radio communication devices, survival kits, a British army backpack, etc. Armament of troops is of great importance. Of course, a high-quality bag of the British army is a rather important element, but weapons play a more significant role, of course. To date, the British military uses L85A2 rifles with a telescopic sight, as well as Glock 17 and Sig Sauer P226 pistols .
So, in the article we examined the features of the armed forces of Great Britain. It should be noted that today the armed forces of this state are among the most powerful on Earth. But let's hope that to see clearly the full power of the British army will not be possible.