National statistics

Background Quality Report UK armed forces equipment and formations 2023

Updated 8 March 2024

1. Introduction and Statistical Presentation

1.1 Overview

This is an annual publication which provides information on the numbers and types of formations, vessels, aircraft, and selected land equipment of the UK armed forces. Statistics are also provided on the numbers of militarily useful, British-registered vessels.

1.2 Background and context

Equipment and formations statistics were previously published in the National Statistics publication Formations, Vessels and Aircraft. Based on consultation feedback and discussions with internal subject matter experts, a number of changes were made to the publication in 2016.

The publication provides a yearly snapshot (at 1 April) of current equipment available to the UK armed forces, except tables 3-4 which provide a yearly snapshot as at 31 December. With the exception of tables 3-5, all the tables in this publication are National Statistics. The data in tables 3 and 4, provided by Department for Transport (DfT), are from a commercial source outside their control, and are therefore outside the scope of National Statistics. The data in Table 5 (land equipment) have not been assessed as National Statistics.

1.3 Statistical Processing

Data are received annually via data suppliers from Navy Command, Army HQ, Air Command and Joint Helicopter Command (Tables 1-2 and 5-9), and DfT (Tables 3 and 4). The data suppliers complete standard templates for each table using data that are derived from their administrative systems which are sent to and cross-checked by Government Statisticians. 

Data on numbers of Naval ships and submarines, aircraft and formations are provided by associated 1* Divisional areas within Navy Command Headquarters and from across the wider Royal Navy. These numbers are collated and crossed checked internally by each area before submission.

Data on numbers of combat platforms and other land equipment are provided by Head Equipment.  This has been cross-checked with information available in the Joint Asset Management and Engineering Solutions (JAMES) database and verified by the single service General Staff in MOD Head Office. The data for 2023 is currently provisional as this process is under review.

Data on Army formations are provided by the Army HQ Organisation Branch, which is responsible for the structure of the Army and the supporting Management Information Systems.  The data held on these systems is cross-checked by Organisation Branch staff with the Army HQ’s Planning and Military Strategy branches.

Data on RAF aircraft numbers are provided by Air Command and are cross-checked against numbers planned in the relevant Annual Budgeting Cycle. Information on RAF squadrons and formations has been incrementally generated from planned force structure changes, which are recognised when they have taken place and cross-checked against details held elsewhere, such as the RAF station as well as Force information held on the RAF website.

Data on the number of Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) aircraft are taken from the annual Command Acquisition Support Plan and cross checked by the JHC Headquarters before submission.

Information on militarily-useful British-registered commercial vessels is provided by the DfT who purchase the data from IHS Global, a commercial supplier, under contract. The figures from 2009 onwards are taken from the DfT’s World Fleet Database and reflect changes in the classification of ships within the underlying data provided by IHS. For further details see the DfT note on their Shipping Fleet Statistics.

1.4 Quality Management

The MOD’s quality management process for Official Statistics consists of three elements: (1) Regularly monitoring and assessing quality risk via an annual assessment; (2) Providing a mechanism for reporting and reviewing revisions/corrections to Official Statistics; (3) Ensuring BQRs are publishing alongside reports and are updated regularly.

2. Relevance

The information in this publication contributes to the public accountability of the MOD and collates information in one place from the three Services. While internal systems may be adequate for internal use, publication in this format makes this information available publicly, regularly and as a time series. It is thought to be the only place in which information on vessels, land equipment, aircraft and formations is brought together systematically in a coherent document. Note that, following substantial changes to the publication in 2016, some time series have been lost.

This publication has a variety of users including academics, politicians, journalists, individuals with professional and business interests and the general public. While the MOD has a budget for defence as a whole, there is much interest particularly in the media for equipment numbers.

The relevance of this publication, for internal and external users, has been improved following a review in 2016. The feedback has been used to reformat the publication to better meet users’ needs, for example the addition of land equipment statistics.

3. Accuracy

The figures in this publication have been verified and checked for accuracy by subject matter experts in the relevant branches in Navy Command, Army HQ, Air Command and Joint Helicopter Command. The figures have also been subjected to checks by Government Statisticians.

The 2023 publication includes revisions to some previously published figures. Further information is available in the supplementary UK armed forces equipment and formations 2023 Excel Tables.

The figures for the Royal Marines in worksheet 2 have been revised due to a double counting error that had existed since 2016.

Three Unmanned Aircraft Systems are reported for the first time in 2023. These statistics have been backdated to contain the whole time series as follows:

• Puma LE 2018 to 2023
• Puma AE 2022 to 2023
• Wasp 2020 to 2023

The Unmanned Aircraft System platforms reported are categorised as Certified as well as S2 as per RA 1600. Certified and S2 UAS platforms are technologically complex platforms that operate beyond visual line of sight with high levels of risk. S1 and Open categories cover mini UAS of low complexity, below 25kg operating up to 2 kilometres. These are outside of the scope of this publication and so are not reported here.  

RA1600 can be found here: RA 1600 – Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAS)

Black Hornet was previously included in this report from 2016 to 2023, these are out of scope and have been removed.

The number of Infantry Regular Army Battalions and Royal Signals Regular Army Regiments in 2022 have been revised due to an administrative error.

4. Timeliness and Punctuality

As a National Statistic, the release date for this publication was pre-announced on MOD’s Calendar of Upcoming Releases section of GOV.UK.

The timeliness of this publication has been improved following the 2016 consultation and review process.

5. Coherence and Comparability

The publication provides a yearly snapshot (at 1 April) of current equipment available to the UK armed forces, except tables 3-4 which provide a yearly snapshot as at 31 December.

Following a public consultation in 2016, a number of changes to the definitions and terminology have been made to the publication. As a result, some time series have been lost.

Due to a change in data provider at DfT in 2022, ro-ro passenger vessels are no longer distinguishable. Therefore, passenger vessels include cruise only. Additionally, specialist and fishing vessels are no longer available.

Three Unmanned Aircraft System platforms were added in the revised edition of the 2023 report. A back series of data has been provided.

6. Accessibility and Clarity

This report is published on the UK Armed Forces Equipment and Formations page on GOV.UK as an accessible HTML document. The tables are available in an Excel file to allow the figures to be reused.

The introduction, commentary and footnotes within the tables assist with the accessibility and clarity of this publication by setting out contextual information, and by providing definitions and explanations of the terms used.

Additional clarity has been provided about the definition of ‘in service’, especially in relation to aircraft. Although a total number of ‘in service’ aircraft (both Fixed-wing and Rotary-wing) has been provided, users should be aware that the definition of ‘in service’ is dependent on the part of the UK armed forces that control those platforms. Definitions have been provided as footnotes in the relevant tables to assist user interpretation.

7. Trade-offs between Output Quality Components

Collation of this data from multiple sources takes considerable time and there are often delays due to operational commitments and the need to discuss information with subject matter experts, thus reducing the timeliness of these statistics. Although the data are requested early, they are often not finalised until close to the publication date and therefore could not be published earlier.

8. Cost and Respondent Burden

The outputs are produced from the administrative data provided by the MOD and the DfT.  The benefit of the MOD publishing these statistics is that outputs from these administrative data are placed in the public domain and as Official Statistics, in a way that ensures their independence from political interference and adherence to quality standards. The small burden that this places on the data suppliers is considered to be worthwhile to achieve this and the consequent public accountability provided by their publication.

9. Confidentiality and Security

In producing these statistics, we adhere to the Analysis Directorate: confidentiality policy. We follow principles and protocols laid out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics and comply with the pre-release access arrangements. The MOD statistics pre-release access list is published on the GOV.UK website.

The files are all stored on a secure MOD network, with access to files limited to individuals in Analysis-Publications. All MOD, Civil Service and data protection regulations are adhered to.

9.1 Contact Details

Please contact Analysis Publications Team, Analysis-Publications@mod.gov.uk, if you have any queries about the UK armed forces equipment and formations publication.

Last updated: 8 March 2024