The Royal Navy is the United Kingdom’s naval warfighting force and the oldest of His Majesty’s Armed Forces and such as is known as the Senior Service.
The Royal Navy operates on three central principles:
• Global. Defending the nation, promoting our prosperity and projecting our influence at home and abroad.
• Modern. Embracing tomorrow. A modern responsible employer.
• Ready. A driving force for transformation through technology and skills. Ready to fight and win.
The Royal Navy operates three Dockyard Ports in the United Kingdom, each containing a major Naval Base, as well as numerous smaller facilities around the United Kingdom to support training and maritime reserve activity. Each Naval Base is a major local employer and provides a plethora of support facilities to Royal Navy warships and personnel, as well as international partners.
His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth has been an integral part of the city since 1194. It is home to almost two-thirds of the Royal Navy’s Surface Fleet, including the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, Type 45 Destroyers, Type 23 Frigates and numerous patrol vessels. Within the broader remit of the Dockyard Port sits Navy Command Headquarters, ammunitioning, fuel and ship support facilities, training establishments and the wide variety of commercial operations and leisure craft activity.
His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde is located at Faslane, on the Gare Loch, in West Scotland. Home to the Submarine Service, Clyde is the base port for the Vanguard-class Submarines that provide United Kingdom’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent and the advanced hunter-killer Astute-class Submarines. The Dockyard Port also supports training, ammunitioning, fuelling and submarine maintenance activity, as well as overseeing commercial interests within its waters.
His Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport, situated in the heart of the city of Plymouth, is home port for the remaining elements of the Surface Fleet, including amphibious assault vessels and Type 23 Frigates. The world-renowned Fleet Operational Standards and Training (FOST) organisation is based here and the Dockyard Port also contains key facilities for major warship maintenance as well as other Defence outputs and commercial activities.
Wider Ministry of Defence
Further to the ports operated by the Royal Navy, the Ministry of Defence owns and operates a multitude of other ports, harbours and marine facilities both in the United Kingdom and around the world, including Bahrain, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Singapore and the South Atlantic Islands. These facilities support a broad range of Defence activity in support of UK and Allied interests and are operated by personnel from multiple sectors of Defence including the Royal Navy, British Army, Strategic Command, Defence Munitions and the Oil and Pipelines Agency.