[Withdrawn] Ministry of Defence single departmental plan December 2017
Updated 11 July 2019
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This publication was withdrawn on 23 May 2018
It has been replaced by a new version
Our single departmental plan sets out our objectives and how we will achieve them.
The first duty of government is to defend our country and to keep our people safe. In the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review, we set out plans for stronger Defence with more ships, more aircraft, more troops at readiness, better equipment for special forces, and more for cyber.
We will protect our people, territories, values and interests, at home and overseas, through strong Armed Forces and in partnership with Allies, to ensure our security and safeguard our prosperity. We will also project our influence abroad and continue to place NATO at the heart of our Defence posture.
Our objectives
We will:
-
Protect our people
-
Project our global influence
-
Promote our prosperity
-
Manage the Department of State
1. Protect our people
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson MP,Secretary of State for Defence
Lead Officials:
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chief of Defence Staff
Dominic Wilson, Director General Security Policy
Peter Watkins, Director General Strategy and International
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations)
1.1 Defend and contribute to the security and resilience of the UK and Overseas Territories against state and non-state threats
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Enforce the sovereignty of the United Kingdom, including its territorial waters and airspace, and of the Overseas Territories |
| Develop Joint Force 2025 and deliver it into service in order to respond to future threats |
| Provide assistance to the civil authorities in support of UK resilience |
| Develop defensive cyber operations capabilities |
1.2 Deliver nuclear deterrence and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Deliver Trident continuous at sea nuclear deterrent to provide the ultimate guarantee of our safety and build the new fleet of 4 Dreadnought ballistic missile submarines |
1.3 Conduct overseas defence activity
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Continue to play a leading role in defeating Daesh in Iraq and Syria |
| Play a leading role in NATO through the NATO Response Force |
| Deliver global presence and capacity building activities |
| Operate and sustain the Permanent Joint Operating Bases and overseas support facilities |
Our performance
Planned Expenditure on Equipment and Support between 2016-2026
| Category | Planned Expenditure on Equipment and Support between 2016-2026 |
|---|---|
| Submarines (all Submarines and Atomic Weapons Establishment) | £44.0 billion |
| Land equipment (e.g. AJAX and personal equipment) | £19.1 billion |
| Combat Air (e.g. Typhoon, Tornado, F-35) | £18.0 billion |
| Ships (e.g. T45s, T26s, Queen Elizabeth Carrier, Support Shipping) | £19.0 billion |
| Weapons (e.g. Air and sea launched missiles) | £13.5 billion |
| Air Support (e.g. Voyager, A400M, C130) | £16.6 billion |
| Helicopters (e.g. Merlin, Apache, Chinook) | £10.6 billion |
| Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance (Air traffic management and multiple small programmes) | £4.6 billion |
Source: Defence in Numbers
Release schedule: biannual
Numbers of UK Armed Forces deployed
| Number of UK Armed Forces personnel deployed by Financial Year | ||
| FY 14/15 | - | 90,560 |
| FY 14/15 | (of which unique individuals) | 36,070 |
| FY 15/16 | - | 56,860 |
| FY 15/16 | (of which unique individuals) | 23,120 |
| FY 16/17 | - | 56,900 |
| FY 16/17 | (of which unique individuals) | 24,210 |
Source: Annual Report and Accounts
Release schedule: annual
2. Project our Global Influence
Lead ministers:
The Rt Hon Mark Lancaster MP, Minister of State for the Armed Forces
The Rt Hon The Earl Howe, Minister of State in the House of Lords
Lead officials:
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chief of Defence Staff
Peter Watkins, Director General Strategy and International
Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations)
2.1 Influence through international Defence engagement
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Remain at the forefront of the NATO alliance and support other multilateral organisations |
| Strengthen the rules based international order including through conflict prevention, capacity building, international Defence training and counter-proliferation |
| Strengthen our international defence partnerships through regional engagement strategies |
Our performance
United Nations defence commitments
| Year | Number of UK military personnel deployed on UN-led peacekeeping operations |
|---|---|
| April 2017 | 720 |
| April 2016 | 350 |
| April 2015 | 300 |
Source: Ministry of Defence
Release schedule: quarterly
International Defence Training
| Financial year | Numbers of International Defence Training (IDT) places offered |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | 1397 |
| 2015/16 | 1964 |
| 2016/17 | 2240 |
Source: Ministry of Defence
Release schedule: quarterly
3. Promote our prosperity
Lead Ministers:
Guto Bebb MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement
Lead Officials:
Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary
Cat Little, Director General Finance
Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability)
3.1 Promote UK prosperity and civil society
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Maintain an industrial base sufficient to maintain operational advantage and freedom of action whilst ensuring value for money |
| Promote exports by ensuring that UK equipment is ‘International by Design’ |
| Support the UK skills agenda through skills development with academia, industry and defence provided educational facilities |
| Release surplus MOD land to support the national house building programme |
Our performance
Defence Exports
| Year | Value of defence exports 2014/15 - 2016/17 (based on orders) |
|---|---|
| 2016 | £5.90 billion |
| 2015 | £7.74 billion |
| 2014 | £8.48 billion |
Source: UK Defence and Security Export Statistics
Release schedule: annual
Apprenticeships
| Financial year | Apprenticeship new starts |
|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 14,322 |
| 2016/17 | 11,255 |
Source: Ministry of Defence/Release schedule: annual
Defence jobs
| Sectors | Breakdown of jobs by sector (2015/16) |
|---|---|
| Technical, Financial Services & Other Business Services (including R&D, Equipment testing, Education and Healthcare) | 42,800 jobs |
| Shipbuilding and Repair | 19,250 jobs |
| Other Manufacturing | 10,100 jobs |
| Aircraft and spacecraft | 7,150 jobs |
| Construction | 5,900 jobs |
| Weapons and Ammunition | 5,950 jobs |
Source: MOD Regional Expenditure with UK Industry and Commerce 2015/16
Release schedule: annual
4. Manage the Department of State and the Defence Enterprise
Lead Ministers:
The Rt Hon The Earl Howe, Minister of State in the House of Lords
Guto Bebb MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence Procurement
The Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Defence People and Veterans
Lead Officials:
Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, Chief of Defence Staff
David Goldstone, Chief Operating Officer
Cat Little, Director General Finance
Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability)
4.1 Direct Defence
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Increase the defence budget every year by 0.5% in real terms and continue to meet NATO’s target to spend 2% of GDP on defence for the rest of the decade |
| Deliver the UK strategic military headquarters role and command UK military operations at home and overseas |
| Ensure that the defence programme is balanced, affordable and cost effective |
| Deliver Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) 2015 recommendations |
| Implement changes as a result of the lessons identified in the Iraq Inquiry |
4.2 Deliver key enabling functions
| How we will achieve this |
|---|
| Ensure Defence has the right numbers of capable and motivated people that represent the breadth of society it exists to defend |
| Develop and manage departmental infrastructure across the defence estate in the most effective, efficient and sustainable way to meet defence needs |
| Manage the Department’s response to EU exit, identifying and acting on the risks and opportunities |
| Improve UK Armed Forces operational advantage by ensuring innovation is nurtured, developed and implemented across Defence |
| Ensure a culture of safety and compliance with the Defence Regulatory Framework |
| Maintain a whole force strategic base and global support network that sustains military operations and defence activity |
Our performance
UK defence spending as a proportion of GDP
| Years | Expenditure on defence as a percentage of GDP 2014-16 |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 2.18% |
| 2015 | 2.08% |
| 2014 | 2.19% |
Release schedule: annual
Total number of armed forces personnel
| Years | Total size of the Armed Forces (regulars and reserves) |
|---|---|
| April 2015 | 168,750 |
| April 2016 | 167,700 |
| April 2017 | 170,206 |
Source: UK Armed Forces Service Personnel Statistics
Release schedule: annual
Diversity: Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity (BAME) recruits
| Financial year | Proportion of BAME recruits joining the armed forces (regulars) 2014/15 - 2016/17 |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | 5.5% |
| 2015/16 | 5.7% |
| 2016/17 | 7.2% |
Source: UK Armed Forces Diversity Statistics
Release schedule: biannual
Diversity: Female recruits
| Financial year | Proportion of female recruits joining the armed forces (regulars) 2014/15 - 2016/17 |
|---|---|
| 2014/15 | 11.7% |
| 2015/16 | 11.2% |
| 2016/17 | 11.4% |
Source: UK Armed Forces Diversity Statistics/Release schedule: biannual
Armed Forces Covenant
| Year | Number of organisations signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant |
|---|---|
| April 2015 | 700 |
| April 2016 | 1000 |
| April 2017 | 1,300 |
Source: Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report
Release schedule: annual
Our finances
Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) - £44.6 billion
Resource DEL (including depreciation) - £36 billion
Capital DEL - £8.5 billion
Annually Managed Expenditure - £1.4 billion
Control totals included in this document are in line with the latest voted by Parliament in the Main Supply Estimates 2017-18
Source: Main Supply Estimates 2017/18