Population: 58 938 thousand people. The military budget of Great Britain in 2001 was 34 billion US dollars. British armed forces in the end of 2001: regular forces - 211 430 people (of them 16 430 women). The reserve - 247 100 people, including land forces - 177 400, air force - 43 350, naval forces - 26 350, territorial troops - 40 300. Recruitment for the army is voluntary. Mobilization resources - 14,5 million people, including 12,1 million able-bodied men.
Land forces: 113 950 people, land forces headquarters, rear command in Germany, 3 division headquarters (instead of reorganized military districts), armoured (3 armoured tank brigades, 3 artillery, 4 engineers, 1 antiaircraft artillery and 1 army-co-operation aviation regiments) and mechanized (2 mechanized and airborne brigades, 3 artillery, 3 engineers, 1 antiaircraft artillery regiment and 1 army-co-operation aviation regiment) divisions, 3 armoured cavalry regiments, 2 MLRS missile systems regiments, 2 SAM and engineer regiments, 14 headquarters of infantry brigades, 1 air defence brigade headquarter, 1 air support brigade, 1 lift-off brigade. In total units: 6 armoured, 4 armoured cavalry regiments, 6 motorized infantry (armored troop carriers Saxon), 9 mechanized (combat vehicles Warrior), 25 infantry, 3 airborne battalions, a SAS regiment, 11 artillery regiments (2 missile system regiments, 5 special forces and 3 artillery regiments, 1 training artillery regiment), 4 antiaircraft artillery regiments. 10 sapper regiments, 4 army-co-operation aviation regiments. Territorial armies: 2 SAS regiments, 3 artillery (MLRS, field artillery, instrumental reconnaissance), 4 SAM, 5 engineers and 1 aviation regiments, 15 infantry battalions, 4 light reconnaissance battalions.
Arms: 636 tanks (of them 294 Challenger-2), 1 018 infantry fighting vehicles, 467 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, more than 2 320 armored troop carriers, 475 field artillery guns (including 179 self-propelled guns), 63 MLRS, 543 81 mm mortars, more than 900 antitank missile systems, 687 SAM systems, 258 combat helicopters (133 SA-341, 125 Lynx AH-1,-7 and-9), 6 planes BN-2.
Air force: 53 900 people, 427 war-planes, combat helicopters are not available. Tactical elements: 10 fighter and bomber air squadrons, 5 air defence fighter squadrons, 4 reconnaissance air squadrons, 3 pilotless vehicle squadrons, 2 AWACS air squadrons, 1 electronic reconnaissance air squadron, 3 transport air squadrons, an intercommunication air squadron, 9 helicopter squadrons, 2 SAR helicopter squadron. Planes and helicopters: 217 Smerch of modifications GR.1, 1Ai and 1B, F.3 (89 mothballed), 53 Jaguar of modifications GR. 1A and GR. 1 B and T.2A and T.2B (26 more mothballed). 60 Harrier of modifications GR-7 (27 mothballed) and T-10, 121 Hawk T.1 (22 mothballed), 4 C-17a, 7 Canberra, 24 Nimrod, 21 MR-2, 7 E-3D, 9 Tristar, 2 C-2a, 24 VC-10, 3 K-2, 4 K-3, 5 K-4, 55 Hercules-C.1 and -C.3, 16 BAe-125, 8 resque ships-2 and -3, 2 Islander CC-Mk2, 2 BAe-146, 84 Tucano (44 in reserve), 11 Jetstream, 106 Bulldog, 43 Firefly, 15 Wessex, 34 CH-47, 39 SA-330, 25 Sea King, 38 AS-350 JB, 2 AS-355, 9 Bell 412ER.
Naval forces: 43 530 people (including 3 330 women). Navy, territorial, aircraft and training headquarters.
Navy: the flotillas of surface ships, submarines, minesweepers, fishery protection and hydrography squadrons.
Ships: 4 atomic submarines with ballistic missiles Vanguard, 12 atomic submarines (5 Swiftsure, 7 Trafalgar), 3 light aircraft-carriers Invincible, 11 destroyers with guided missiles (4 Manchester, 7 Sheffield), 20 frigates with guided missiles (5 Cornwall, 15 Duke), 22 minesweepers (11 Hunt, 11 Sendaun), 1 helicopter carrier Ocean, 1 helicopter storm-boat
Fearless, 4 air cushion boats Griffon, 12 W, 14 storm-boats, 7 patrol ships (2 Castle, 5 Island), 16 patrol vessels Archer, 24 support vessels (2 universal store-ships, 7 tankers, 4 store-ships, 6 hydrographic vessels, 1 floating shop).
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