Ministry of Defence / About Us  / UK Defence Websites 

UK Defence Websites

MoD | Royal Navy & Royal Marines | Army (Corps & Regiments) | Royal Air Force (Squadrons)

• Ministry of Defence, United Kingdom  - Central corporate website of the UK MOD. Provides information on the UK's armed forces and the MOD, obtaining service records, policy documents and Defence news.

• Army Base Repair Organisation - Delivers to its prime customer, the British Army, a range of services, products and engineering advice across the whole spectrum of land based weapon systems and equipment.
• British Defence Staff in the United States - The British Defence Staff (Washington) based at The British Embassy in Washington DC and deal with all aspects of US-UK defence matters. They are made up of a core of single service and civilian personnel as well as exchange and liaison officers located throughout the USA
• Central Data Management Authority - Responsible for ensuring consistent definition of data across the MOD and Services to enable interoperability amongst information systems.
• Defence Analytical Services Agency - DASA site includes a number of MOD statistical reports either online or as downloadable PDF files.
• Defence Bills Agency - DBA provides a range of services to the Ministry of Defence in respect of bill payment, debt recovery and the provision of associated management information. This site is mainly aimed at MOD contractors and finance branches, providing information on prompt payment and contact points.
• Defence Engineering and Science Group - Site presents information on the work of the DESG and the opportunities it offers for training and career development.
• Defence Estates - Site of the Defence Estates Agency - responsible for the properties and lands owned by the MOD.
• Defence Export Services Organisation - Responsible for promoting and licensing the export of British military equipment.
• Defence Procurement Agency - Britain's largest purchasing organisation, responsible for procuring everything from Eurofighters to screwdrivers.
• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory - Provides scientific and technological research and evaluation to the Ministry of Defence
• Defence Secondary Care Agency - The DSCA is responsible for providing trained military secondary care personnel to the UK Armed Forces. This site provides information on how they discharge this duty (most info is available via the 1997 report page).
• Defence Section British Embassy Seoul - A summary of what's on including the Gloster Valley, Kapyong ceremonies, and Veterans' revisits to Korea.
• Design Repository - MOD programme which aims to establish an accurate and consistent equipment related data across the Land environment for new and legacy equipment.
• Directorate General Commercial Organisation - Provides advice on a wide range of commercial issues to the Defence Procurement Agency (DPA), the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO), and to all other Top Level Budget Holders (TLBs) in the Ministry of Defence. Site provides DEFCONs, DEFFORMs and other guidance useful to industry.
• Disposal Services Agency - The Disposal Services Agency (formerly Disposal Sales Agency) provides a managed disposal service for Government and public sector organisations, focusing on asset realisation, inventory disposal, site clearances, waste management and consulting plus project management.
• Duke of Yorks School - The Duke of York's Royal Military School (an agency of the UK Ministry of Defence) provides a unique education for 11-18 year old children of those who have served for a minimum of four years on regular engagements in the British Armed Forces.
• Farnborough Innovation Centre - A joint venture between DERA, RBC, COMAX and HTEC, to establish an interface between research and commerce allowing better exploitation of DERA technology.
• The Hydrographic Office - Site of the Hydrographic Office, responsible for producing Admiralty charts of the waters off Britain and around the world.
• International Visits Clearance Office - Provides details on the role of IVCO in sponsoring visits to UK defence establishments by non-UK citizens and visits by UK nationals to defence establishment sites overseas.
• Met. Office - Provides UK and international weather forecasting services for the Ministry of Defence, business and the public.
• Royal College of Defence Studies - The RCDS is the senior Defence academic institution in the United Kingdom, bringing together high fliers - both military and civilian, selected by their governments - from every corner of the globe for a year-long international relations and security course.
• Strategic and Combat Studies Institute - The SCSI is a MOD sponsored yet independent organisation that brings together on a regular basis those interested in defence studies and related fields. Site provides details of activities and publications.
• UK MOD Directorate of Standardization - DStan website contains PDF versions of Defence Standards documents.
• UK National Codification Bureau - Responsible for NATO Codification in the United Kingdom.
• Veterans Agency - The MOD Executive Agency responsible for administration of, and policy relating to, service pensions and veterans' issues.

Royal Navy & Royal Marines

• Royal Navy  - Official website of the Royal Navy. Includes information about the Naval Service, a history of the Royal Navy and profiles of each of the Navy's ships.

• Royal Marines  - Official website of the Royal Marines, including information about the RM, the activities of the Commandos and how to join.

• The Blue Band magazine - Official Magazine of the Royal Marines Band Service - Online edition of the official Royal Marines Band magazine.
• Navy News - The newspaper of the Royal Navy
• Royal Navy Careers - Provides information on a wide range of well paid careers in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines which are challenging, exciting and demanding. Includes job vacancies and background information on pay and conditions.
• Royal Naval Reserve - The Royal Naval Reserves consists of thousands of men and women trained to serve in the Royal Navy both in peace and wartime. Site provides background information on the RNR, its activities, roles and future.

Army

• The British Army  - Official website of the British Army. Includes information on careers, the equipment and role of the Army, current operations and regimental histories.

• Armoured Fighting Vehicle School - The AFV CIS (Communications and Information Systems) School provides training to elements of the armed forces. Site details the school's role and lists course details.
• Army Careers - As Britain’s largest employer, the Army has over 15000 vacancies annually for people of all ages, abilities and educational standards. This site explains the opportunities afforded by the Army and invites visitors to "Be The Best".
• The British Army Picture Library - Site has over 5,0000 images of the Army, also crests, logos and recent news pictures. Download images or order prints online.

Corps

• The Adjutant General's Corps - The Adjutant General's Corps provides the British Army with all the professional skills required to administer its servicemen and women, police them, educate them and provide legal support.
• The Army Air Corps - Responsible for Army aviation (including scout and attach helicopters), the AAC is a combat arm in its own right and also provides support to the Army as a whole. Its site provides details of the Corps' history, organisation, activities and equipment.
• Army Corps of Music - The ACM is one of the largest single employers of musicians in the world, over 1100 musicians in twenty nine bands of the Regular Army. Site describes the role of music in the British Army and the activities of the Corps.
• The Army Physical Training Corps - Responsible for physical training of Army soldiers, to ensure that troops are fit both physically and mentally. Site provides a history of the Corps and information on its current activities.
• The Intelligence Corps - Combat intelligence, security intelligence, protective security, photographic interpretation and imagery analysis, signal intelligence, the study of foreign armies and interrogation all fall within the domain of the Intelligence Corps.
• Queens Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps - The QARANC provides medical support to the Army in Service hospitals, or Ministry of Defence Hospital Units. Site profiles the Corps and individual members, also providing career information.
• The Royal Armoured Corps - The Royal Armoured Corps (RAC) is the mailed fist of the British Army. Together with the infantry, the RAC's role is to seek and close with the enemy and defeat him using Firepower, Mobility and Protection.
• The Royal Army Chaplains' Department - The Royal Army Chaplains' Department was founded in 1796. Chaplains of all denominations share a ministry to soldiers and their families wherever they may serve.
• The Royal Army Medical Services - The Army Medical Services are organised into three Corps: the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), the Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) and the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps (QARANC). Collectively they are responsible for safeguarding the health of Army personnel.
• Royal Corps of Signals - The Royal Corps of Signals is responsible for providing communications for the British Army throughout the world. Site offers information on the Corps, its activities, equipment and career opportunities.
• The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - The REME is responsible for regular inspection, maintenance and modification of Army equipment to ensure that it is always ready for action. Site details the activities and various trades practiced by the REME.
• The Royal Engineers - The RE provide military engineering support to the three Armed Services and other Government Departments. Site presents details of the Corps, its history and activities, and includes an online version of Sapper magazine.

Regiments

• The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - Dating back to the 18th century, the Argyll and Sutherlands are one of Scotland's oldest regiments. Site provides information on the regiment's regular, Territorial and Cadet units.
• The Black Watch - A famous Scottish regiment which today recruits all its men from Perthshire, Angus and Fife. Site comprises a brief history of the regiment and its present-day activities.
• Blues and Royals - The Blues and Royals (one of the Household Cavalry regiments) were formed in 1969 from an amalgamation of The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) and The Royal Dragoons (The Royals). Site provides a brief history of the Regiment.
• The Cheshire Regiment - The Regiment was raised in 1689 on the Roodee, Chester for service under William III. Site provides a brief history of the Regiment.
• The Coldstream Guards - The oldest continuously serving regular regiment of the British Army, the Coldstreams have achieved distinction as an Infantry regiment for more than 350 years.
• Devonshire & Dorset Regiment - The Devon and Dorsets, founded in 1958 from the amalgamation of the former Devonshire and former Dorset Regiments, are today based in Wiltshire and their home counties of Devon and Dorset. Site includes information on recent operations, regimental history and recruitment activities.
• The Duke of Wellington's Regiment - The site of this London-based regiment, the only one to be named after a non-Royal individual, provides an overview of the modern Regiment, its history and details of career opportunities.
• 1 General Support Regiment - 1 General Support Regiment provides logistic support to affiliated armoured regiments, engineer regiments and other divisional troops in order to sustain 1 (UK) Armoured Division.
• The Green Howards - North Yorkshire and Teesside's own Armoured Infantry Regiment. Site provides a past-and-present view of the Regiment and information on joining up.
• The Grenadier Guards - One of the British Army's oldest Regiments, and the only one to have gained its title directly from the part it played in action. Site provides a brief look at the Regiment's current activities and past history.
• The Highlanders - The 1st Battalion The Highlanders is the British Army's newest combat infantry battalion, formed in 1994 and recruiting from the North East, Highlands and Islands of Scotland and Glasgow.
• The Irish Guards - One of the five famous Regiments of Foot Guards, the Irish Guards provide an overview of their history and recent deployments, including a profile of their unopposed entry into Kosovo at the end of the 1999 war.
• The King's Own Royal Border Regiment - The King's Own Royal Border Regiment are the only Infantry Regiment in the British Army that recruits exclusively from North Lancashire and Cumbria. Site details the activities of the Regiment and includes a profile of its 1999 deployment in Macedonia.
• The King's Own Scottish Borderers - One of the oldest regiments of the British Army, the KOSB provide a brief history and information on the Regiment's current activities.
• The King's Regiment - The City Regiment of Manchester and Liverpool. Site provides an overview of the Regiment and its many accolades.
• King's Royal Hussars - The King's Royal Hussars is an armoured regiment equipped with Challenger Main Battle Tanks. The regiment recruits from Lancashire and Greater Manchester in the north, and Hampshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight and Channel Islands in the south.
• King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery - One of the Regiments comprising the Household Troops, the King's Troop RHA is primarily responsible for carrying out state ceremonial and routine public duties such as Royal Salutes and Queens Life Guard. Site details the activities of the Troop and its horses and guns.
• The Life Guards - The Life Guards are the senior Regiment in the British Army. Site provides a brief history of the Regiment's illustrious career from 1660 to the present day.
• The Light Dragoons - The Light Dragoons are based primarily in northern England, recruiting in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham and South Yorkshire. Site provides a past and present view of the Regiment, plus information on its activities and recruitment.
• The Light Infantry - The modern Light Infantry, the largest infantry regiment in today's Order of Battle, was formed as a large regiment in 1968 from a merger of the Somerset & Cornwall Light Infantry, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, the King's Shropshire Light Infantry and the Durham Light Infantry.
• Official Parachute Regiment Website - Official website of the Parachute Regiment, providing details of how to join, training activities and information on the Regiment's history. You can also buy online from the Airborne Shop.
• 7 Para Royal Horse Artillery - 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery provides fire support for 5th Airborne Brigade with 3 regular parachute batteries of 105mm towed Light Guns.
• The Parachute Regiment - The Parachute Regiment is the airborne infantry of the British Army. Their tasks have been and will continue to be many and varied, taking them all over the globe. Those soldiers who have earned the coveted maroon beret are not supermen, but ordinary people who are prepared to go that extra mile.
• The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire - The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire (PWO) is the modern-day successor to the former West Yorkshire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Own) and the East Yorkshire Regiment (The Duke of York's Own).
• The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment - The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment is the senior English infantry regiment of The Line. It was formed on 9th September 1992 by the amalgamation of the Queen's Regiment and The Royal Hampshire Regiment. It is the Infantry County Regiment of London, Surrey, Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Middlesex, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands.
• The Queen's Lancashire Regiment - The Red Rose County's Own Infantry Regiment
• Queen's Royal Hussars - The Queen's Royal Hussars is the senior Light Cavalry regiment in the British Army and has a proud history of loyal service over 300 years. The 1993 amalgamation between The Queen's Own Hussars and The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars has seen the strengths and abilities from both, forged together in the new regiment.
• The Queen's Royal Lancers - As part of the Royal Armoured Corps, The Queen's Royal Lancers are the 'mailed fist' of the British Army. Together with the Infantry, the Regiment's role is to seek and close with the enemy and defeat him using Firepower, Mobility and Protection.
• 1 Regiment Royal Artillery - The 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery is the senior Regiment in the British Army when on parade with its guns. The Regiment is equipped with the Army’s most modern self propelled 155mm howitzer, the 47 ton British AS90.
• 12 Regiment Royal Artillery - 12th Regiment Royal Artillery provides Close Air Defence for the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division.
• 16 Regiment Royal Artillery - Based in Woolwich, South East London, 16th Regiment Royal Artillery (The London and Kent Gunners) is an Air Defence Regiment equipped with the Rapier anti-aircraft missile system.
• 19 Regiment Royal Artillery - 19th Regiment Royal Artillery are The Highland Gunners, recruiting from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and are currently stationed in the Garrison town of Colchester, Essex.
• 32 Regiment Royal Artillery - 32 Regiment Royal Artillery is a Depth Fire regiment based in Larkhill, 10 miles north of Salisbury. It is equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS for short and also operates the Phoenix Remotely Piloted Vehicle.
• 39 Regiment Royal Artillery - 39 Regiment Royal Artillery is equipped with the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) and various Surveillance and Target Acquisition assets
• 4 Regiment Royal Artillery - Currently residing in Osnabruck, Germany, 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was formed at Helmieh in Egypt in May 1939 from three batteries drawn from independent commands in India.
• 40 Regiment Royal Artillery - 40 Regiment RA - the Lowland Gunners - recruits mainly from the Lowland areas of Scotland, which include Edinburgh and Glasgow.
• 47 Regiment Royal Artillery - The Hampshire and Sussex Gunners are situated on the border of Hampshire and West Sussex close to the picturesque town of Emsworth where they have been stationed since 1989.
• 5 Regiment Royal Artillery - The Regiment’s role is to deliver precise targeting information in all operational environments. Over half the Regiment is maintained at high readiness for Joint Rapid Reaction Force operations.
• 22 Regiment Royal Artillery - Y Magnelwyr Cymreig - 22 Regiment The Royal Artillery (known as The Welsh Gunners, or Y Magnelwyr Cymreig) is an Air Defence regiment which recruits particularly from South Wales.
• The Royal Anglian Regiment - The Royal Anglian Regiment is the Regiment of ten counties of East Anglia and the East Midlands with a history going back to 1685. It was formed in 1964 from the regiments of the East Anglian Brigade, which themselves had been formed through a series of amalgamations of six former County Regiments between 1958-60.
• Royal Artillery - 29 Commando Regiment - 29 Commando Regiment is the Close Support Artillery Regiment that supports 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. Formed in 1961 the Regiment is based in the Royal Citadel Plymouth and has detached batteries at Arbroath and Poole.
• Royal Dragoon Guards - The Royal Dragoon Guards is one of the British Army's oldest regiments, originating in 1685 from Troops of Horse raised by King James II. Now equipped with the Challenger tank, the RDG is a front line armoured Regiment in the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps.
• The Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers - The British Army is a professional, high-tech operation. Around the world it employs a range of complex equipment to achieve its objectives. From rifles to rocket launchers, motorcycles to main battle tanks, the Army's effectiveness depends on its equipment being fit and ready to go at a moments notice. The Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) makes sure that it is.
• The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment - The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment is almost the youngest regiment in the British Army, but was formed from the Gloucestershire Regiment and the Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment (Berkshire and Wiltshire) whose 300 years of history and traditions it has inherited.
• Royal Gloucestershire Hussars - Territorial Army Regiment based in Cirencester with over 200 year of local history.
• The Royal Green Jackets - The Royal Green Jackets was formed as a large Regiment on 1 January 1966 by the amalgamation of the 1st Green Jackets (the 43rd & 52nd), the 2nd Green Jackets (the King's Royal Rifle Corps), and the 3rd Green Jackets (the Rifle Brigade).
• The Royal Gurkha Rifles - One of the most historic regiments of the British Army, the Royal Gurkha Rifles recruits from the Gurkha people of Nepal and has participated in campaigns around the world for nearly 200 years.
• The Royal Highland Fusiliers - The Fusiliers are Infantry soldiers, equipped with Warrior Armoured vehicles, and recruit primarily from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
• The Royal Irish Regiment - In 1992 the oldest, most distinguished Irish infantry Regiment of the line, the Royal Irish Rangers (itself the successor to several famous Irish Regiments of the past) merged with the youngest and largest infantry Regiment in the British Army, The Ulster Defence Regiment, to create a new Regiment with a unique identity - The Royal Irish Regiment.
• The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers - The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, formed in 1968 from the amalgamation of several older regiments, is today headquartered in Her Majesty's Tower of London - the last remnant of the once huge garrison in the Tower.
• The Royal Regiment of Wales - Formed in 1969 as a result of an amalgamation of the Welch Regiment and the South Wales Borderers, the Royal Regiment of Wales is one of the oldest and most decorated infantry regiments in the British Army.
• The Royal Scots - A Scottish Infantry Regiment which recruits from Edinburgh and The Lothians. Site provides information on the regiment and the lifestyle of its members.
• The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards - Scotland's only cavalry regiment, based in Northern Germany and equipped with the new Challenger II Main Battle Tanks.
• The Royal Tank Regiment - The first tank unit in the world, the Royal Tank Regiment has (in its previous guise as the Royal Tank Corps) used tanks since their invention in 1916 and today continues to serve in deployments around the world, most recently in Kosovo.
• The Royal Welch Fusiliers - A distinguished Welsh Infantry regiment, which has recruited from North Wales since 1689.
• The Scots Guards - Formed in 1642 as King James I's Royal Guard, the Scots Guards have seen action around the world as a long-serving Infantry regiment.
• 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards - 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (The Welsh Cavalry) is the senior Cavalry regiment of the Line. The regiment's origins go back to 1685 when The 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards and The Queen's Bays (2nd Dragoon Guards) were both formed by James II. These two regiments amalgamated in 1959 to form 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards.
• The Staffordshire Regiment - An armoured infantry regiment, equipped with Warrior Armoured Vehicles and recruiting from Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
• 9th/12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's) - The 9th/12th Royal Lancers is predominantly an armoured reconnaissance regiment equipped with armoured scout vehicles, providing the eyes and ears of an Armoured Division.
• The Welsh Guards - Raised in 1915 as one of the Royal Regiments of Foot Guards, the Welsh Guards is a prominent Infantry regiment currently roled as a Mechanised Battalion.
• The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment - The county infantry regiment of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Worcestershire, in existence since 1794.

 Royal Air Force

• The Royal Air Force  - Official site, including a reference guide to the aircraft and weapons used by the RAF as well as news items and press releases.

• Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre - Handles all military and civilian requests for emergency support in the UK.
• Department of Specialist Ground Training - The Department of Specialist Ground Training undertakes the initial specialist and continuing professional development training of engineer and supply officers for the Royal Air Force. Website provides a range of information on the DSGT and its courses.
• Directorate of Legal Services (RAF) - The Directorate of Legal Services provides legal services and advice to the service on all internal and external matters relating to service, national and international law. Website provides summary information on the DLS's work and the RAF's legal structure.
• Lifelong Learning in the Royal Air Force - Site containing resources and information relating to lifelong learning within the Royal Air Force.
• RAF Air Warfare Centre Cranwell - The Air Warfare Centre is a central repository of expertise, providing coordinated mission support for the Royal Air Force. The aim of the Aerosystems Department is to provide specialist education and training in advanced avionics and aerospace concepts. Its site provides details of the various courses on offer.
• RAF Apprentices And Boy Entrants - Main contact site for RAF Apprentices and Boy Entrants who wish to be put in touch with their Associations, Entry Representatives or Entry Colleagues. Includes directories of contacts, links and notice boards.
• RAF Boy Entrants Association Main Page - The Official Website of The RAF Boy Entrants Association. Membership is open to anyone who served part, or all, of their training as an RAF Boy Entrant. Includes historical information about RAF BEs, links and a forum for members.
• RAF Music Services - Aims to provide optimum musical support for RAF personnel and to enhance the public perception of their activities. Includes Central, College, and Regiment bands.
• Red Arrows 2001 - The official web site of the Royal Air Force aerobatic team, the Red Arrows. Provides coverage of the Red Arrows' aircraft, history and forthcoming events.
• The Royal Air Force Fire Service - Provides fire fighting services to the Royal Air Force.
• The Royal Air Force Picture Library - Comprehensive free online library of RAF photography.
• Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF) - Website contains a history of the RAuxAF, recruiting details and all the latest RAuxAF news.
• Training Development and Support Unit - The pages of the Royal Air Force TDSU, including details of their tasks, course details and contact numbers.

Squadrons

• No. 8 Sqn - Part of the RAF's Airborne Early Warning force, this squadron site has a wealth of information about the its aircraft and role, and a large historical area also.
• No. 101 Squadron - Details of all the Squadron's aircraft and also contains an exhaustive Squadron chronology.
• No. 23 Squadron - Features information about the history and current details of the squadron, plus details of the Sentry AEW1 aircraft flown from its Waddington base
• No. 47 Squadron - No. 47 Squadron Royal Air Force. A C-130 Hercules squadron based at RAF Lyneham in the UK.
• No. 56(R) Squadron, Royal Air Force - Official site with facts, figures and history of the RAF's largest Tornado F3 squadron, including details of the aerobatic display team.
• 609 (West Riding) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force - Site about 609 (West Riding) Squadron, including news on the squadron, a squadron history, a photo gallery and additional information on the squadron's home base
• XV Squadron - Based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, the squadron has the responsibility of training Tornado pilots for the RAF.

Page Modified: 29th April 2003