UK Defence Organisation – Levene and Army 2020

May 31, 2014 by MartinR - Think Defence

A post from a new contributor, MartinR

The Levene Report on changes to the MOD sensibly pulled a number of defence organisations into one central joint forces command. However it also appeared to push the three armed services into deeper silos than before, each with their own budgets, etc.

I believe that an opportunity was missed to bring the three armed services together at the operational level. I would like to discuss this.

Annex I is a rough sketch of how I suggest that HM Armed Forces should be organised. It does not show everything, as I do not know everything, but it provides a framework. I have not included training organisations, establishments or units.

I suggest reducing the number of 4 star officers to four, as the numbers of service personnel do not, in my view, warrant more. Each 4 star officer should be a member of the Defence Staff, rather than the Naval, General or Air Staffs.

The 4 star officers should each command elements of all three armed services and the civil services to achieve their shared aim of defending the United Kingdom’s people, territories and interests.

I consider that the three armed services should remain separate entities. However they must always be looked on as parts of the whole; rather than as independent services that cooperate when necessary but otherwise go their separate ways.

Each armed service should be headed by a 3 star officer, who is the head of his service, and who concentrates on his service to ensure that it is always ready to play its part in defending the nation. However he must be subordinate to the CDS & VCDS.

The present system resembles a battalion where all the company commanders are lieutenant colonels, rather than majors, who consider that they can do as they wish, with just a nod to the CO & 2IC every now and then.

If the Navy complain that the RN cannot possibly be headed by a Vice-Admiral they should be reminded that Lord Nelson was a Vice-Admiral and if that rank was good enough for him…..

• UK Defence Forces
  • UK Naval Forces
  • UK Land Forces
  • UK Air Forces
• Rank structure
• Aviators
• Conclusion
• Annexe I (Armed Forces)
• Annexe II (Land Forces)
• Annexe III (Air Forces)
• Annexe IV (Major Combat Units of the British Army and Royal Marines)
• Annexes