His Majesty's Naval Service
His Majesty's Naval Service (or, when the reigning monarch is female, Her Majesty's Naval Service) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare and maritime service. It consists of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and Naval Careers Service. 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 Ben Key (appointed November 2021). The Defence Council delegates administration of the Naval Service to the Admiralty Board, chaired by the Secretary of State for Defence.
| His Majesty's Naval Service | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Type | Naval warfare and maritime service |
| Role | Naval, expeditionary and amphibious warfare |
| Part of | British Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Whitehall / Portsmouth |
| Branches |
Naval Careers Service |
| Commanders | |
| First Sea Lord | Admiral Sir Ben Key |
| Second Sea Lord | Vice Admiral Martin Connell |
| Fleet Commander | Vice Admiral Andrew Burns |
| Insignia | |
| White Ensign | |
| His Majesty's Naval Service of the British Armed Forces |
|---|
| Components |
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| History and future |
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| Ships |
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| Personnel |
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| Auxiliary services |
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The Naval Service is dominated by the Royal Navy, and operates primarily from three bases in the United Kingdom where commissioned ships are based; Portsmouth, Clyde and Devonport, the last being the largest operational naval base in Western Europe. As of January 2024, there were nearly 100 vessels in service with the various branches of the Naval Service, plus about 100 additional vessels operated by the supporting Serco Marine Services. These vessels included: 68 commissioned ships of the Royal Navy, 17 principal landing craft of the Royal Marines, 13 auxiliary ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary and about 100 supporting Marine Services vessels. Additional vessels are under charter to the Ministry of Defence. As of 2022, HM Naval Service (Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Naval Careers Service) employed about 39,500 regular and reserve personnel.
In 2020, the First Sea Lord announced that the 'Naval Service' will informally be known as the 'Royal Navy'. The Royal Navy was made a colloquial name for the Naval Service as part of a transformation programme with the approval of the Navy Executive Committee to reflect the strength of the Royal Navy brand and assist with unifying the force.
The total displacement of the Royal Navy and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary is, as of January 2024, in excess of 762,200 tonnes, while the combined displacement of Royal Marine landing craft is approximately an additional 2,200 tonnes.