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DEFENCE

This is the department to use for all your comments relating to the armed forces (Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Services, including counter espionage).
While there may be some overlap with the emergency services (Fire, Police, Ambulance and Coastguard), these will not be dealt with here. For Policing issues, please see entries in the Department of Justice.

The Defence of the United Kingdom is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. Highly trained civil servants, riding in tanks or flying helicopters, patrol the streets of London looking for the Taliban.
Not really. Britain is part of NATO. Formed in 1949 to counter the threat of post-war communist expansion as the Soviet Union sought to extend its influence in Europe, Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - is the world's most powerful regional defence alliance.

It has traditionally stated its general aim as being to "safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilisation" of its members by promoting "stability and well-being in the North Atlantic area".

The majority of foreign troops in Afghanistan are under the command of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).

Established by the UN Security Council in December 2001, its stated role is to promote security and development.

It is also involved in training the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP).

The government recently announce a "root and branch" review of Britain's defence policy - the first since the strategic defence review of 1998.

Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, claimed he would "ensure the armed forces are fit for the challenges of tomorrow".

Early 2010 will see a Green Paper outlining initial plans and a more substantive Strategic Defence Review will follow - after next year's general election.

The initial review is not concerned with making cuts to the defence budget (currently £36bn).

Defence policy will be reviewed as an entirety - the purpose, the methods, the likely challenges, the necessary technology.

All significant decisions on budget appear to have been postponed until after the next general election.

Meantime, over £2.2bn from the reserve has been approved for urgent operational requirements in Afghanistan.

Big decisions remain to be made regarding the possible renewal or replacement of Trident in 2024, and the reported £1bn overrun of costs on two new aircraft carriers, for which the Royal Navy had originally bugeted £3.9 billion

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