At Sea

The core role of the Naval Service is to conduct war-fighting at sea and on land from the sea in support of our nation’s interests.

It is the Royal Navy’s unique ability to use the sea that makes it so fundamental to the defence and security of the UK.

The requirement to conduct combat operations will always be needed but avoiding conflict is vital. The greater emphasis placed on activities which have the prevention of conflict as their object plays to the Royal Navy’s strengths and results in a significant contribution across a large spectrum of operations from humanitarian relief to anti-piracy and counter-drug operations.

Operations can be planned in consort with the Army and Air Force, or conducted unilaterally. The Navy is always expeditionary and is able to deal with threats to our nation’s interest at range. Multi-national and coalitions are not a challenge to units that operate at sea and the long tradition of cooperation between seafaring nations has a significant advantage when operating with allies and partners.

The Nuclear Deterrent remains a Naval Service responsibility.

The future scale of maritime forces has been determined by the Strategic Defence and Security Review. The Royal Navy remains a globally deployable, adaptable and versatile force able to take advantage of the access that the sea gives a capable Task Group and is ready to conduct operations from the sea, land and air without the basing constraints that can affect non-maritime based forces.

These enduring traits will ensure that the Royal Navy continues to exert strategic influence and deliver operational success at and from the sea in support of our Government’s approach.