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Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

(Redirected fromBritish Ministry of Defense)
This article is about the department established in 1964. For the department from 1947 to 1964, seeMinistry of Defence (1947–1964).For its headquarters, seeMinistry of Defence Main Building.

TheMinistry of Defence(MODorMoD) is aministerial departmentof theGovernment of the United Kingdom.It is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of theBritish Armed Forces.

Ministry of Defence
Logo

MoD Main Building,Westminster
Department overview
Formed1 April 1964 (as modern department)
JurisdictionGovernment of the United Kingdom
HeadquartersMain Building,Whitehall, Westminster, London
51°30′14″N0°07′30″W/ 51.5040°N 0.1249°W/51.5040; -0.1249
Employees
  • 60,000 (FTE) civilian staff (April 2021)[1]
  • 198,940 military personnel[2]
Annual budget£55 billion;FY2021[3]
Secretary of State responsible
Department executives
Child agencies
Websitegov.uk/modEdit this at Wikidata

The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irelandand its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability.[4]The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning anddefence procurement.

The expenditure, administration and policy of the MOD are scrutinised by theDefence Select Committee,[5]except forDefence Intelligencewhich instead falls under theIntelligence and Security Committee of Parliament.[6]

History

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During the 1920s and 1930s, Britishcivil servantsand politicians, looking back at the performance of the state duringWorld War I,concluded that there was a need for greater co-ordination between the three services that made up the armed forces of the United Kingdom: theRoyal Navy,theBritish Armyand theRoyal Air Force.The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by the coalition government ofDavid Lloyd Georgein 1921, but theChiefs of Staff Committeewas formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-service co-ordination. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s,Stanley Baldwincreated the position ofMinister for Co-ordination of Defence.Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfieldheld the post until the fall of theChamberlain governmentin 1940. His success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments, and his lack of political influence.

On forming his government in 1940,Winston Churchillcreated 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 untilClement Attlee's government introduced theMinistry of Defence Act of 1946.After 1946, the three posts ofSecretary of State for War,First Lord of the Admiralty,andSecretary of State for Airwere formally subordinated to the newMinister of Defence,who had a seat in the Cabinet. The three service ministers – Admiralty, War, 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: theAdmiralty,theWar Office,theAir Ministry,theMinistry of Aviation,andan earlier formof the Ministry of Defence. Those departments merged in 1964, and the defence functions of theMinistry of Aviation Supplywere merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971.[7]The unification of all defence activities under a single ministry was motivated by a desire to curbinterservice rivalriesand followed the precedent set by the AmericanNational Security Act of 1947.[8]

Ministerial team

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The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold:[9][10]

Minister Portrait Office Portfolio
John HealeyMP Secretary of State for Defence Overall responsibility for the department; strategic operations and operational strategy, including as a member of the National Security Council; defence planning, programme and resource allocation; strategic international partnerships: US, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf, NATO; nuclear operations, policy and organisations; strategic communications.
Maria EagleMP Minister of State for Defence Procurement Defence procurement; defence industrial strategy; economic growth and export campaigns; export licensing and controls; defence industry relationships; acquisition reform; equipment plan; defence estates; Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO); Defence Digital; science and technology; research and development; single source contract regulations; shipbuilding; multi-lateral capability programmes and organisations
Lord Coaker Minister of State for Defence Corporate governance including transformation programme; single departmental plan, risk reporting and health, safety and security; EU relations, including Brexit (excluding No Deal planning); engagement with retired senior Defence personnel and wider opinion formers; arms control and counter-proliferation, including strategic export licensing and chemical and biological weapons; UK Hydrographic Office; Statutory Instrument programme; Australia, Asia and Far East defence engagement; Defence Fire and Rescue; safety and security; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland devolved authorities; ship wrecks, museums and heritage; Ministry of Defence Police; ministerial correspondence and PQs
Luke PollardMP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Recruitment and readiness; Afghan resettlement and relocation; Ukraine support; Armed Forces Commissioner; climate change and sustainability; force generation, posture and deployment; global operational policy and commitments; crisis response; Permanent Joint Operating Bases; military aid to civilian authorities; national resilience; Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme
Alistair CarnsMP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People Veterans policy and delivery; civilian workforce; armed forces people policy; armed forces families; Office for Veterans Affairs (OVA); Veterans UK; Armed Forces Covenant; service resettlement; incentivisation; reserves and cadets; equality, diversity and inclusion; pensions and compensation; service charities; Service Justice System; legal

Senior military officials

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AdmiralSir Tony Radakin,the Chief of the Defence Staff.
Defence chiefs at the Coronation of Charles III in 2023

Chiefs of the Defence Staff

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TheChief of the Defence Staff(CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to theSecretary of State for Defenceand thePrime Minister.

The CDS is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) who deputises and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the armed services aspect of the MOD through the Central Staff, working closely alongside the Permanent Secretary. They are joined by the professional heads of the three British armed services (Royal Navy,British ArmyandRoyal Air Force) and the Commander ofStrategic Command.All personnel sit atOF-9rank in theNATO rank system.[11]

Together the Chiefs of Staff form theChiefs of Staff Committeewith responsibility for providing advice on operational military matters and the preparation and conduct of military operations.

The current Chiefs of Staff are as follows.[12]

Other senior military officers

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The Chief of Defence Staff is supported by severalDeputy Chiefs of the Defence Staffand senior officers atOF-8rank.[11]

Additionally, there are a number ofAssistant Chiefs of Defence Staff,including theDefence Services Secretaryin theRoyal Householdof theSovereignof theUnited Kingdom,who is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel).[13]

Senior management

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Permanent Secretary and other senior officials The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by several civilian, scientific and professional military advisors. ThePermanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence(generally known as thePermanent Secretary) is the senior civil servant at the MOD. Their role is to ensure that it operates effectively as a government department and has responsibility for the strategy, performance, reform, organisation and the finances of the MOD.[14] The role works closely with the Chief of the Defence Staff in leading the organisation and supporting Ministers in the conduct of business in the department across the full range of responsibilities.

  • Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence–David Williams
  • Second Permanent Secretary – Laurence Lee
  • Chief Operating Officer – Nina Cope
  • Director General Finance – Charlie Pate
  • Director General Nuclear – Vanessa Nicholls
  • Director General Security Policy – Dominic Wilson
  • Director General Commercial – Andrew Forzani
  • Director General Strategy and International – Angus Lapsley
  • MOD Chief Scientific Adviser–Dame Angela McLean
  • MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (Nuclear) – Professor Robin Grimes
  • Lead Non-Executive Board Member –Lord Grimstone
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Audit Committee – Simon Henry
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the Defence Equipment and Support Board –Paul Skinner
  • Non-Executive Defence Board Member and Chair of the People Committee – Danuta Gray

Defence policy

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See also:Foreign policy of the United Kingdom

TheStrategic Defence and Security Review 2015included £178 billion investment in new equipment and capabilities.[15][16]The review set a defence policy with four primary missions for the Armed Forces:[17]

  • Defend and contribute to the security and resilience of the UK and Overseas Territories.
  • Provide the nuclear deterrent.
  • Contribute to improved understanding of the world through strategic intelligence and the global defence network.
  • Reinforce international security and the collective capacity of our allies, partners and multilateral institutions.

The review stated the Armed Forces will also contribute to the government's response to crises by being prepared to:[17]

  • Support humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and conduct rescue missions.
  • Conduct strike operations.
  • Conduct operations to restore peace and stability.
  • Conduct major combat operations if required, including under NATO Article 5.

Governance and departmental organisation

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A British armed forces careers office inOxford

Governance

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Defence is governed and managed by several committees.

  • TheDefence Councilprovides the formal legal basis for the conduct of defence in the UK through a range of powers vested in it by statute and Letters Patent. It too is chaired by the Secretary of State, and its members are ministers, the senior officers and senior civilian officials.[18][19]
  • The Defence Board is the main MOD corporate board chaired by the Secretary of State oversees the strategic direction and oversight of defence, supported by an Investment Approvals Committee, Audit Committee and People Committee. The board's membership comprises the Secretary of State, the Armed Forces Minister, thePermanent Secretary,the Chief and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, theChief of Defence Materiel,Director General Finance and three non-executive board members.[18][19]
  • Head Office and Corporate Services (HOCS), which is made up of the Head Office and a range of corporate support functions. It has two joint heads the Chief of the Defence Staff and the Permamant Secretary who are the combined TLB holders for this unit they are responsible for directing the other TLB holders.[19][20]

Departmental organisation

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The following organisational groups come under the control of the MOD.[21][22]

Top level budgets

The MOD comprises seven top-levelbudgets.The head of each organisation is personally accountable for the performance and outputs of their particular organisation. These are:[23]

Executive agencies

Executive non-departmental public bodies

Advisory non-departmental public bodies

Ad-hoc advisory group

  • Central Advisory Committee on Compensation

Other bodies

Public corporations

Enabling organisation

In addition, the MOD is responsible for the administration of the Sovereign Base Areas ofAkrotiri and Dhekeliain Cyprus.[24]

Contracting

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Competitive procurement processes are used whenever possible,[25]and all new direct tender and contract opportunities valued over £10,000 are advertised on a system called the Defence Sourcing Portal. A separate internal policy generally operates in respect of low value purchasing below this threshold.[26]

DEFCON contract conditions are numbered defencecontract conditionsare in contracts issued by the MOD (not to be confused withDEFCONas used by theUnited States Armed Forces,which refers to a level of military "defence readiness condition" ).

Examples include:

  • DEFCON 534: Subcontracting andprompt payment
  • DEFCON 620: a change control procedure[27]
  • DEFCON 658 (cyber) applies to all suppliers down thesupply chain[27]
  • DEFCON 659 relates to security measures for disclosure of "Secret Matters" including within the supply chain, requiring a contractor to ensure that employees "engaged on any work in connection with the Contract have notice that theOfficial Secrets Acts 1911–1989apply to them and will continue so to apply after the completion or termination of the Contract ", potentially also requiring employees to" sign a statement acknowledging that, both during the term of the Contract and after its completion or termination ", they are bound by the Official Secrets Acts 1911–1989 (and where applicable by any other legislation).[28]
  • DEFCON 705: the MOD's standardIPRcondition for fully funded research and technology contracts.

A full set of the DEFCONs can be accessed via the MoD's Defence Gateway (registration required).[29]

The government noted in 2013 that the MoD's third-party expenditure was characterised by "complex, high-value contracts". Defence purchasing contributes to government ambitions to make supply chains more accessible tosmall and medium-sized enterprises,but the government commented that it had yet to secure good insight into the supply chain role of SMEs.[30]

Property portfolio

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The Ministry of Defence is one of the United Kingdom's largest landowners, owning 227,300hectaresof land and foreshore (either freehold or leasehold) at April 2014, which was valued at "about £20 billion". The MOD also has "rights of access" to a further 222,000 hectares. In total, this is about 1.8% of the UK land mass. The total annual cost to support the defence estate is "in excess of £3.3 billion".[31]

The defence estate is divided as training areas & ranges (84.0%), research & development (5.4%), airfields (3.4%), barracks & camps (2.5%), storage & supply depots (1.6%), and other (3.0%).[31]These are largely managed by theDefence Infrastructure Organisation.

Main Building

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Main article:Ministry of Defence Main Building
The MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London

The headquarters of the MOD are inWhitehalland is known asMOD Main Building.This structure isneoclassicalin style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs byVincent Harristo house theAir Ministryand theBoard of Trade.A major refurbishment of the building was completed under aPrivate Finance Initiativecontract bySkanskain 2004.[32]The northern entrance inHorse Guards Avenueis flanked by two monumental statues,EarthandWater,byCharles Wheeler.Opposite stands theGurkhaMonument, sculpted byPhilip Jacksonand unveiled in 1997 by QueenElizabeth II.Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to theFleet Air ArmandRAF(to its east, facing the riverside).

Henry VIII's wine cellar at thePalace of Whitehall,built in 1514–1516 forCardinal Wolsey,is in the basement of Main Building, and is used for entertainment. The entire vaulted brick structure of the cellar was encased in steel and concrete and relocated nine feet to the west and nearly 19 feet (5.8 m) deeper in 1949, when construction was resumed at the site afterWorld War II.This was carried out without any significant damage to the structure.[33]

Controversies

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Fraud

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Main article:Gordon Foxley

The most notable fraud conviction has been that ofGordon Foxley,Director of Ammunition Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. Police claimed he received at least £3.5m in total in corrupt payments, such as substantial bribes from overseas arms contractors aiming to influence the allocation of contracts.[34]

Germ and chemical warfare tests

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A government report covered byThe Guardiannewspaper in 2002 indicated that between 1940 and 1979, the Ministry of Defence "turned large parts of the country into a giant laboratory to conduct a series of secretgerm warfaretests on the public "and many of these tests" involved releasing potentially dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms over vast swathes of the population without the public being told. "[35]The Ministry of Defence claims that these trials were to simulate germ warfare and that the tests were harmless. However, families who have been in the area of many of the tests are experiencing children with birth defects and physical and mental handicaps and many are asking for a public inquiry. The report estimated these tests affected millions of people, including during one period between 1961 and 1968 where "more than a million people along the south coast of England, fromTorquayto theNew Forest,were exposed to bacteria includingE.coliandBacillus globigii,which mimicsanthrax."Two scientists commissioned by the Ministry of Defence stated that these trials posed no risk to the public. This was confirmed by Sue Ellison, a representative of theDefence Science and Technology LaboratoryatPorton Downwho said that the results from these trials "will save lives, should the country or our forces face an attack by chemical and biological weapons."

Civil action

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In February 2019, former soldier Inoke Momonakaya won £458,000 payout after a legal battle for the racial harassment and bullying he received while serving in the army.[36]In August 2019,A Commons Defence Select Committeereport revealed that several female andBAMEmilitary staff have raised concerns regarding discrimination, bullying and harassment.[37]In September 2019, two former British army soldiers Nkululeko Zulu and Hani Gue won a racial discrimination claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD).[38]In November 2019, mixed race soldier Mark De Kretser sued MoD for £100k claiming he was subjected to "grindingly repetitive" racist taunts from colleagues.[39][40]

Territorial Army cuts

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In October 2009, the MOD was heavily criticised for withdrawing the bi-annual non-operational training £20m budget for theTerritorial Army(TA), ending all non-operational training for six 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.[41]

Overspending

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In 2013, it was found that the Ministry of Defence had overspent on its equipment budget by £6.5bn on orders that could take up to 39 years to fulfil. The Ministry of Defence has been criticised in the past for poor management and financial control.[42] Specific examples of overspending include:

  • EightBoeing Chinook HC3were ordered in 1995 as dedicatedspecial forceshelicopters.[43]The aircraft were to cost £259 million and the forecast in-service date was November 1998.[43]However, although delivered in 2001, the Mk3 could not receive airworthiness certificates as it was not possible to certify theavionicssoftware,and would not enter service until 2017.[44][45]The procurement was described byEdward Leigh,then Chairman of thePublic Accounts Committee,as "one of the most incompetent procurements of all time" and theNational Audit Officeissued a scathing report on the affair, stating that the whole programme was likely to cost £500 million.[46][43]
  • In 2010, theNimrod MRA4maritime patrol aircraft procurement was cancelled after £3.4 billion had been spent on the programme. In addition there were termination costs which were not disclosed.[47]In January 2011 it was reported by theFinancial Timesthat when the decision was taken to scrap the aircraft, "[it] was still riddled with flaws".[48]

Hacking

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In May 2024, the ministry's payroll system was reportedly targeted multiple times in acyberattackin which personnel and their bank details were compromised. While initial reports attributed thecyberattack to China,the Minister of DefenceGrant Shappssaid it would take some time to conclude who was to blame.[49][50]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"MOD biannual civilian personnel report: 2021".Retrieved6 March2022.
  2. ^"UK Armed Forces Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics 1 October 2021".Retrieved6 March2022.
  3. ^"Budget 2020".HM Treasury.Retrieved12 March2020.
  4. ^"The Defence Vision, Ministry of Defence website".Retrieved3 February2021.
  5. ^"Defence Committee".Parliament of the United Kingdom. Archived fromthe originalon 29 December 2021.Retrieved29 December2021.The Defence Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies.
  6. ^"Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament".gov.uk.Retrieved29 December2021.The ISC oversees the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of MI5, MI6, GCHQ, Defence Intelligence, the Joint Intelligence Organisation, the National Security Secretariat (NSS) and Homeland Security Group.
  7. ^Ministry of Defence (10 December 2012)."History of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Defence website".Mod.uk.Retrieved3 June2013.
  8. ^Hobkirk, Michael (1 September 1987)."Reform across the sea: A comparison of defence policy making in the UK and the USA".The RUSI Journal.132(3): 55–60.doi:10.1080/03071848708522824.ISSN0307-1847.
  9. ^"Her Majesty's Official Opposition".UK Parliament.Retrieved17 October2017.
  10. ^"Our ministers".GOV.UK.Ministry of Defence.Retrieved12 May2015.
  11. ^ab"Organogram – Ministry of Defence".data.gov.uk.31 March 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2017.Retrieved18 December2017.
  12. ^"Ministry of Defence – Our senior military officials".GOV.UK.Ministry of Defence.Retrieved23 July2018.
  13. ^"Central Top Level Budget Organogram"(PDF).30 June 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 8 October 2012.Retrieved3 February2021.
  14. ^"Ministry of Defence – Our management".GOV.UK.Ministry of Defence.Retrieved18 December2017.
  15. ^"PM pledges £178 billion investment in defence kit".Ministry of Defence. 23 November 2015. p. 27.Retrieved23 November2015.
  16. ^"UK announces rapid strike forces, more warships in new defence plan".Reuters.23 November 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2015.Retrieved23 November2015.
  17. ^ab"National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015"(PDF).HM Government. November 2015. pp. 27, 29.Retrieved23 November2015.
  18. ^ab"Our governance".GOV.UK.Ministry of Defence.Retrieved23 August2015.
  19. ^abc"A Short Guide to the Ministry of Defence"(PDF).nao.org.uk.National Audit Office UK. September 2017.Retrieved19 September2018.
  20. ^"Head Office and Corporate Services Organogram".data.gov.uk.MOD UK. 30 September 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 19 September 2018.Retrieved19 September2018.
  21. ^"Departments, agencies and public bodies".GOV.UK.Retrieved16 December2017.
  22. ^"A Short Guide to the Ministry of Defence"(PDF).National Audit Office.September 2017. p. 40.Retrieved18 December2017.
  23. ^"About us – Defence Nuclear Organisation".Retrieved26 March2021.
  24. ^Overseas Territories: The Ministry of Defence's Contribution(PDF).Ministry of Defence, Directorate-General Security Policy.
  25. ^National Audit Office,Improving value for money in non-competitive procurement of defence equipment,published 25 October 2017, accessed 10 February 2023
  26. ^Ministry of Defence,The Ministry of Defence Procurement process,updated 15 February 2021, accessed 10 February 2023
  27. ^abMinistry of Defence,Defence condition 658: cyber (flow-down),updated 10 September 2021, accessed 2 July 2022
  28. ^Cabinet Office,Contractual Process,Appendix 1: DEFCON 659 Security Measures, Version 7.3, May 2018, accessed 2 July 2022
  29. ^Ministry of Defence,Defence Gateway
  30. ^This article incorporates text published under the BritishOpen Government Licence:Cabinet Office,Making Government business more accessible to SMEs: Two Years On,published on 8 August 2013, accessed on 25 September 2024
  31. ^ab"MOD land holdings bulletin: index".GOV.UK.Ministry of Defence.Retrieved23 August2015.
  32. ^"Better Defence Builds Project Case Study"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 6 August 2009.
  33. ^"The Old War Office Building; a History"(PDF).Retrieved3 June2013.
  34. ^"House of Commons Debates – Wednesday 16 Oct 1996 – Mr. Mike Hall (Warrington, South)".Hansard.Parliament of the United Kingdom. 16 October 1996.Retrieved19 January2008.
  35. ^Antony Barnett (21 April 2002)."Millions were in germ war tests".The Guardian.Retrieved23 August2015.
  36. ^Savike, Jessica (15 February 2019)."$1.3m settlement".FijiTimes.Retrieved24 October2023.
  37. ^"Complaints by female and BAME military staff a 'serious concern'".BBC News. 7 August 2019.Retrieved24 October2023.
  38. ^"Paratroopers win Colchester barracks racial harassment claim".BBC News. 16 September 2019.Retrieved24 October2023.
  39. ^"Mixed-race Norfolk soldier labelled Apu and Dr Huxtable by 'racist' comrades, court hears".Eastern Daily Press.6 November 2019.Retrieved24 October2023.
  40. ^"Army racism: 'People called me Apu'".BBC News.Retrieved24 October2023.
  41. ^"Cuts force TA to cease training",BBC News, 10 October 2009
  42. ^Bowden, David (10 January 2013)."MoD Overspends Equipment Budget By £6.5bn".Sky News.
  43. ^abc"Chinook blunder 'left RAF short'".BBC News. 7 April 2004.
  44. ^UK signs deal to get grounded Chinook HC3 helicopters into serviceBy Craig Hoyle 18 October 2007
  45. ^Perry, Dominic (29 March 2017)."PICTURES: RAF welcomes updated Chinook HC5"./ flightglobal.Retrieved27 May2020.
  46. ^Evans, Michael (4 June 2008). "£500m 'wasted' on Chinooks that have never flown".The Times.London.
  47. ^"Ministry of Defence: The Major Projects Report 2011"(PDF).nao.org.National Audit Office. 16 November 2011.Retrieved27 May2020.
  48. ^"A failure of UK budget surveillance".Financial Times.London. 30 January 2011.
  49. ^Bulter, Alexander (6 May 2024)."UK's MoD 'hacked by China'".The Independent.Retrieved6 May2024.
  50. ^Sparrow, Andrew (7 May 2024)."Grant Shapps says it will 'take some time' to conclude who was to blame for cyber-attack on armed forces payroll – as it happened".The Guardian.Retrieved7 May2024.

Bibliography

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  • Chester, D. N and Willson, F. M. G.The Organisation of British Central Government 1914–1964:Chapters VI and X (2nd edition). London: George Allen & Unwin, 1968.
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