Permanent Joint Headquarters

The Permanent Joint Headquarters was established in April 1996 to enhance the operational effectiveness and efficiency of UK-led joint, potentially joint and multi-national operations, and to exercise operational command of UK forces assigned to multinational operations led by others.

The PJHQ's mission is as follows:

-Provide politically aware military advice to the MOD to inform the strategic commitment of UK forces to operations.

-When directed by the Chief of Defence Staff, exercise operational command of UK forces assigned to overseas Joint and Combined operations, either led by the UK or another nation, in order to achieve MOD UK's strategic objectives

-In conjunction with the Front Line Commands and MOD, develop the UK's Joint warfighting capability. The HQ has some 588 personnel from the 3 Services and the Civil Service.

The HQ is responsible for directing, deploying, sustaining and recovering UK joint forces, however, there are certain areas that the HQ will not be involved.

These are: Strategic Nuclear Deterrent; Defence of the UK Home Base Territorial Waters and Airspace Northern Ireland Counter-terrorism in UK; NATO Article V (General War).