British Armed Forces War. Repeatedly emerging victorious from conflicts has allowed Britain to establish itself as one of the world's leading military and economic powers. Today, the British Armed Forces consist of: the Royal Navy, a blue-water navy with a fleet of 74 commissioned ships, together with the Royal Marines, a highly specialised amphibious light infantry force; the British Army, the UK's principal land warfare branch; and the Royal Air Force, a technologically sophisticated air force with a diverse operational fleet consisting of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. The British Armed Forces include standing forces, Regular Reserve, Volunteer Reserves and Sponsored Reserves. Its
Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces The Commander-in-chief of the British Armed Forces, also referred to as commander in chief of the armed forces of the Crown, is a position vested in the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II, who as sovereign and head of state is the "Head of the Armed Forces". Long-standing constitutional convention, however, has vested "de facto" executive authority, by the exercise of Royal Prerogative powers, in the prime minister and the Secretary of State for Defence. The Prime Minister (acting with the support of the Cabinet) makes the key decisions on the use of the