Editing United Kingdom (section)

=== Military ===
{{Main|British Armed Forces|Military history of the United Kingdom}}

{{Multiple image
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| image1            = HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales meet at sea for the first time.jpg
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| caption1          = [[HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)|HMS Queen Elizabeth]] and [[HMS Prince of Wales (R09)|HMS Prince of Wales]]
| image2            = Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Defender (D36).jpg
| caption2          = Royal Navy Destroyer [[HMS Defender (D36)|HMS Defender]]
| image3            = Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 MOD 45160575.jpg
| caption3          = Royal Air Force [[Eurofighter Typhoon]] Jet
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| image4            = Challenger 3.jpg
| caption4          = British Army [[Challenger 3]] Main Battle Tank
}}

The [[British Armed Forces]] consist of three professional service branches: the [[Royal Navy]] and [[Royal Marines]] (forming the [[Naval Service (United Kingdom)|Naval Service]]), the [[British Army]] and the [[Royal Air Force]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ministry of Defence |url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Home |access-date=21 February 2012 |publisher=Ministry of Defence |archive-date=19 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219194140/http://mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Home/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The armed forces of the United Kingdom are managed by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] and controlled by the [[Defence Council of the United Kingdom|Defence Council]], chaired by the [[Secretary of State for Defence]]. The [[Commander-in-Chief]] is the [[Monarchy of the United Kingdom|British monarch]], to whom members of the forces swear an oath of allegiance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 March 2012 |title=Speaker addresses Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |url=http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/march/speaker-addresses-hm-the-queen |access-date=28 April 2013 |publisher=UK Parliament |archive-date=1 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501221305/http://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2012/march/speaker-addresses-hm-the-queen/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Armed Forces are charged with protecting the UK and its overseas territories, promoting the UK's global security interests and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. They are active and regular participants in [[NATO]] (including the [[Allied Rapid Reaction Corps]]), the [[Five Power Defence Arrangements]], [[RIMPAC]] and other worldwide coalition operations. [[Overseas military bases of the United Kingdom|Overseas garrisons]] and facilities are maintained in [[RAF Ascension Island|Ascension Island]], [[Mina Salman|Bahrain]], [[Military of Belize|Belize]], [[Military Forces based in Brunei|Brunei]], [[British Army Training Unit Suffield|Canada]], [[British Forces Cyprus|Cyprus]], [[Diego Garcia]], the [[Military of the Falkland Islands|Falkland Islands]], [[British Forces Germany|Germany]], [[British Forces Gibraltar|Gibraltar]], [[British Army Training Unit Kenya|Kenya]], [[Oman]], [[Al Udeid Air Base|Qatar]] and [[Singapore]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=House of Commons Hansard |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=raf%20diego%20garcia&ALL=RAF&ANY=&PHRASE=%22Diego%20Garcia%20%22&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=&SPEAKER=&COLOUR=red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=50221w33.html_spnew0&URL=/pa/cm200405/cmhansrd/vo050221/text/50221w33.htm#50221w33.html_spnew0 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309114107/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/cgi-bin/newhtml_hl?DB=semukparl&STEMMER=en&WORDS=raf%20diego%20garcia&ALL=RAF&ANY=&PHRASE=%22Diego%20Garcia%20%22&CATEGORIES=&SIMPLE=&SPEAKER=&COLOUR=red&STYLE=s&ANCHOR=50221w33.html_spnew0&URL=%2Fpa%2Fcm200405%2Fcmhansrd%2Fvo050221%2Ftext%2F50221w33.htm#50221w33.html_spnew0 |archive-date=9 March 2009 |access-date=23 October 2008 |publisher=UK Parliament}}; {{Cite web |title=House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 17 Jun 2013 (pt 0002) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130617/text/130617w0002.htm#13061746000236 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214025754/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmhansrd/cm130617/text/130617w0002.htm#13061746000236 |archive-date=14 February 2015 |access-date=4 March 2015 |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk}}</ref>

The UK is the 34th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024 [[Global Peace Index]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 Global Peace Index |url=https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf |access-date=13 August 2024 |archive-date=19 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240819091540/https://www.economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/GPI-2024-web.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to sources which include the [[Stockholm International Peace Research Institute]] and the [[International Institute for Strategic Studies]], the UK has the [[List of countries by military expenditures|fourth- or fifth-highest military expenditure]]. Total defence spending in 2024 is estimated at 2.3% of GDP.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rishi Sunak vows to boost UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68880171 |access-date=24 April 2024 |publisher=BBC News |date=24 April 2024 |archive-date=23 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240423233438/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68880171 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the end of the [[Cold War]], defence policy has a stated assumption that "the most demanding operations" will be undertaken as part of a coalition.<ref>''UK 2005: The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''. Office for National Statistics. p. 89.</ref>