Naval Service (United Kingdom)
The Naval Service is the naval warfare and maritime organisational structure of the British Armed Forces. It consists of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The term Naval Service should be distinguished from the "UK Naval Services", which consist of the Naval Service and the Merchant Navy. 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 Mark Stanhope who is a member of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom. The Defence Council delegates administration of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence.
The Naval Service is naturally dominated by the Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), and operates primarily from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based; Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, the latter being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe. The Royal Navy currently accounts for over 80% of Naval Service personnel with a strength of 37,720 sailors and marines in July 2012. Additionally there were 26,520 regular reserves of the Royal Navy. The Royal Fleet Auxiliary numbered 2,700 personnel in 2010.
As of 2012, the Naval Service operates a combined total of over 258 vessels (including those of Marine Services). The total displacement of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and Royal Fleet Auxiliary is approximately 775,000 tonnes.
Read more about Naval Service (United Kingdom): Vessels
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