Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD or MoD) is the British government department responsible for implementing the defence policy set by Her Majesty's Government and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.

The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability.The Defence Vision, Ministry of Defence website. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, the MOD does not foresee any short-term conventional military threat; rather, it has identified weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, and failed and failing states as the overriding threats to Britain's interests.Strategic Defence Review 1998  Ministry of Defence, accessed 8 December 2008. The MOD also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement.

History
During the 1920s and 1930s, British civil servants and politicians, looking back at the performance of the state during the First World War, concluded that there was a need for greater co-ordination between the three services that made up the armed forces of the United Kingdom—the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force. The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by David Lloyd George's coalition government in 1921; but the Chiefs of Staff Committee was formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-service co-ordination. As rearmament became a concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created the position of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence. Lord Chatfield held the post until the fall of Neville Chamberlain's government in 1940; his success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments and his limited political influence.

Winston Churchill, on forming his government in 1940, created 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 until Clement Attlee's government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946 (see Ministry of Defence (1947–64)). From 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War, First Lord of the Admiralty, and Secretary of State for Air were formally subordinated to the new Minister of Defence, who possessed a seat in the Cabinet. The said 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: the Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry, the Ministry of Aviation, and an earlier form of the Ministry of Defence. These departments merged in 1964; the defence functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971.

Ministerial team
The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows:

 Minister Rank Portfolio The Rt Hon. Ben Wallace MP Secretary of State Overall responsibility for the department and its strategic direction The Rt Hon. Mark Lancaster TD MP Minister of State for the Armed Forces Operations and operational legal policy; force generation (including exercises); manning, recruitment and retention of regulars; cyber; Permanent Joint Operating Bases; Northern Ireland; international defence engagement; Africa and Latin America; operational public inquiries, inquests, safety and security.  The Rt Hon. The Baroness Goldie DL Minister of State for Defence  Department spokesperson in the House of Lords, commemorations and ceremonies; Efficiency Programme; EU relations, including Brexit; Lawfare; ceremonial duties, medallic recognition and protocol policy and casework; commemorations; engagement with retired senior defence personnel and wider opinion formers; community engagement; arms control and proliferation, including export licensing; UK Hydrographic Office; Statutory Instrument Programme; Australia, Far East; defence fire and rescue; London estate; Defence Medical Services; museums and heritage; ministerial correspondence and PQs. Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP Minister for Defence Procurement Equipment plan delivery; the nuclear enterprise; defence equipment and support reform; defence exports; innovation; science and technology (including Dstl); information computer technology; the Gulf; the Single Source Regulations Office; Scotland and Wales. Johnny Mercer MP Minister for Defence People and Veterans Civilian and service personnel policy; veterans policy including resettlement, transition, charities and Veterans Board; Armed Forces People Programme; mental Health; DIO better defence estate; armed forces pay, pensions and compensation; Armed Forces Covenant; service justice; welfare and service families; youth and cadets; security and safety including vetting (non-operations); inquiries and inquests (operations and non-operations); environment and sustainability; equality, diversity and inclusion. Works with Cabinet Office.

Senior military officials
alt=General Sir Nicholas Carter, the Chief of the Defence Staff.|left|thumb|General Sir Nicholas Carter, the Chief of the Defence Staff.|209x209px

Chiefs of the Defence Staff
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime 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 Army and Royal Air Force) and the Commander of Joint Forces Command. All personnel sit at OF-9 rank in the NATO rank system.

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

The current Chiefs of Staff are as follows. 
 Chief of the Defence Staff – General Sir Nick Carter
 Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff – Admiral Timothy Fraser
 First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff – Admiral Tony Radakin (Head of the Royal Navy)
 Chief of the General Staff – General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith (Head of the British Army)
 Chief of the Air Staff – Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston (Head of the Royal Air Force)
 Commander of Joint Forces Command – General Patrick Sanders

 Other senior military officers 
The Chief of Staff is supported by several other senior military personnel at OF-8 rank.
 Chief of Defence People – Lieutenant General Richard Nugee
 Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) – Lieutenant-General Douglas Chalmers
 Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability) – Air Marshal Richard Knighton
 Chief of Joint Operations - Vice-Admiral Ben Key
 Defence Senior Adviser Middle East - Lieutenant-General  Sir John Lorimer

Additionally, there are a number of Assistant Chiefs of Defence Staff, including the Defence Services Secretary in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, who is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel). 

Senior management
Permanent Secretary and other senior officials
The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by several civilian, scientific and professional military advisors. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence (generally known as the Permanent 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.
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 – Stephen Lovegrove
 Director General Finance – Cat Little
 Director General Head Office and Commissioning Services – Julie Taylor 
 Director General Nuclear – Vanessa Nicholls
 Director General Security Policy – Angus Lapsley
 MOD Chief Scientific Adviser – Simon Cholerton, to be replaced by Dame Angela McLean
 MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (Nuclear) – Professor Robin Grimes
 Lead Non-Executive Board Member – Sir Gerry 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

The 1998 Strategic Defence Review and the 2003 Delivering Security in a Changing World white paper outlined the following posture for the British Armed Forces –
 The ability to support three simultaneous small- to medium-scale operations, with at least one as an enduring peace-keeping mission (e.g. Kosovo). These forces must be capable of representing Britain as lead nation in any coalition operations.
 The ability, at longer notice, to deploy forces in a large-scale operation while running a concurrent small-scale operation.

The MOD has since been regarded as a leader in elaborating the post-Cold War organising concept of "defence diplomacy".  As a result of the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron signed a 50-year treaty with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that would have the two countries co-operate intensively in military matters. The UK is establishing air and naval bases in the Persian Gulf, located in the UAE and Bahrain. A presence in Oman is also being considered.

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

Current threats
Following the end of the Cold War, the threat of direct conventional military confrontation with other states has been replaced by terrorism. In 2009, Sir Richard Dannatt, then head of the British Army, predicted British forces to be involved in combating "predatory non-state actors" for the foreseeable future, in what he called an "era of persistent conflict". He told the Chatham House think tank that the fight against al-Qaeda and other militant Islamist groups was "probably the fight of our generation".

Dannatt criticised a remnant "Cold War mentality", with military expenditures based on retaining a capability against a direct conventional strategic threat; He said currently only 10% of the MOD's equipment programme budget between 2003 and 2018 was to be invested in the "land environment" – at a time when Britain was engaged in land–based wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Defence Committee – Third Report "Defence Equipment 2009" cites an article from the Financial Times website"MoD orders spending clampdown", Financial Times, 16 November 2008, FT.com stating that the Chief of Defence Materiel, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, had instructed staff within Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) through an internal memorandum to re-prioritise the approvals process to focus on supporting current operations over the next three years; deterrence related programmes; those that reflect defence obligations both contractual or international; and those where production contracts are already signed. The report also cites concerns over potential cuts in the defence science and technology research budget; implications of inappropriate estimation of Defence Inflation within budgetary processes; underfunding in the Equipment Programme; and a general concern over striking the appropriate balance over a short-term focus (Current Operations) and long-term consequences of failure to invest in the delivery of future UK defence capabilities on future combatants and campaigns. The then Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth MP, reinforced this re-prioritisation of focus on current operations and had not ruled out "major shifts" in defence spending. In the same article, the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, acknowledged that there was not enough money within the defence budget and it is preparing itself for tough decisions and the potential for cutbacks. According to figures published by the London Evening Standard the defence budget for 2009 is "more than 10% overspent" (figures cannot be verified) and the paper states that this had caused Gordon Brown to say that the defence spending must be cut.Defence cuts 'to leave aircraft carriers without any planes', Robert Fox, 23 June 2009 The MOD has been investing in IT to cut costs and improve services for its personnel.  As of 2017 there is concern that defence spending may be insufficient to meet defence needs.Defence budget: New equipment at risk over MoD savings 'doubts' BBC

thumb|right|The plaque outside the South Door of the MoD's Main Building.

Governance and departmental organisation
thumb|180px|A British armed forces careers office in Oxford
 Governance 
Defence is governed and managed by several committees.
 The Defence Council provides 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.

 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, the Permanent Secretary, the Chief and Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, the Chief of Defence Materiel, Director General Finance and three non-executive board members.

 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.

 Departmental organisation 
The following organisational groups come under the control of the MOD.

Top level budgets

The MOD comprises seven top-level budgets. The head of each organisation is personally accountable for the performance and outputs of their particular organisation.
 Head Office and Corporate Services (HOCS)
Navy Command - Royal Navy
 Army Command - British Army
 Air Command - Royal Air Force
 Joint Forces Command
 Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO)
 Director General Nuclear
Bespoke trading entity
 Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S)
Executive agencies
 Defence Electronics and Components Agency (DECA)
 Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)
 UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) – also has trading fund status.
 Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) – created in April 2017 and to be fully functional by April 2018.
Executive non-departmental public bodies
 National Museum of the Royal Navy
 National Army Museum
 Royal Air Force Museum
 Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO)
Advisory non-departmental public bodies
 Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors
 Advisory Group on Military Medicine
 Armed Forces Pay Review Body
 Defence Nuclear Safety Committee
 Independent Medical Expert Group
 National Employer Advisory Board
 Nuclear Research Advisory Council
 Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons
 Veterans Advisory and Pensions Committees
Ad-hoc advisory group
 Central Advisory Committee on Compensation
Other bodies
 Commonwealth War Graves Commission
 Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
 Defence Sixth Form College
 Defence and Security Media Advisory Committee
 Fleet Air Arm Museum
 Independent Monitoring Board for the Military Corrective Training Centre (Colhester)
 Reserve Forces' and Cadets' Associations
 Royal Hospital Chelsea
 Royal Marines Museum
 Royal Navy Submarine Museum
 Service Complaints Ombudsman 
 Service Prosecuting Authority
 United Kingdom Reserve Forces Association
Public corporations
 The Oil and Pipelines Agency (OPA)
Support organisation
 Defence Business Services (DBS)

In addition, the MOD is responsible for the administration of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus.

Property portfolio
right|thumb|The MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London
The Ministry of Defence is one of the United Kingdom's largest landowners, owning 227,300 hectares of 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".

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%). These are largely managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

 Main Building 

The headquarters of the MOD are in Whitehall and is known as MOD Main Building. This structure is neoclassical in style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs by Vincent Harris to house the Air Ministry and the Board of Trade. A major refurbishment of the building was completed under a Private Finance Initiative contract by Skanska in 2004.Better Defence Builds Project Case Study  The northern entrance in Horse Guards Avenue is flanked by two monumental statues, Earth and Water,  by Charles Wheeler. Opposite stands the Gurkha Monument, sculpted by Philip Jackson and unveiled in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II. Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to the Fleet Air Arm and RAF (to its east, facing the riverside).

Henry VIII's wine cellar at the Palace of Whitehall, built in 1514–1516 for Cardinal 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  deeper in 1949, when construction was resumed at the site after the Second World War. This was carried out without any significant damage to the structure.

Controversies

Fraud

The most notable fraud conviction has been that of Gordon 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.

Germ and chemical warfare tests
A government report covered by The Guardian newspaper 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 secret germ warfare tests 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." 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, from Torquay to the New Forest, were exposed to bacteria including e.coli and bacillus globigii, which mimics anthrax." 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 the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down who said that the results from these trials "will save lives, should the country or our forces face an attack by chemical and biological weapons."  Asked whether such tests are still being carried out, she said: "It is not our policy to discuss ongoing research." It is unknown whether or not the harmlessness of the trials was known at the time of their occurrence.

Chinook HC3 helicopters

The MOD was criticised for spending £240m on eight Boeing Chinook HC3 helicopters which only started to enter service in 2010, many years after they were ordered in 1995 and delivered in 2001. A National Audit Office report reveals that the helicopters have been stored in air conditioned hangars in Britain since their 2001  delivery, while troops in Afghanistan have been forced to rely on helicopters which are flying with safety faults. By the time the Chinooks are airworthy, the total cost of the project could be as much as £500m.

In April 2008, a £90m contract was signed with Boeing for a "quick fix" solution, so they could fly by 2010: QinetiQ would downgrade the Chinooks—stripping out some of their more advanced equipment.

Territorial Army cuts
In October 2009, the MOD was heavily criticized for withdrawing the bi-annual non-operational training £20m budget for the Territorial Army (TA), ending all non-operational training for 6 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."Cuts force TA to cease training", BBC News, 10 October 2009

Overspending
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, investing in projects that have taken up to 10 and even as much as 15 years to be delivered.

See also
 Defence Review
 The Lancaster House Treaties (2010)
 Stabilisation Unit
 United Kingdom budget

References

Bibliography
 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.

External links

 
 www.mod.uk Archived Website
 Defence Relationship Management
 Defencemanagement.com

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