Defence Online

MOD Single Departmental Plan 2015 to 2020

August 3, 2016

Single departmental plan: 2015 to 2020

Vision

The first duty of government is to defend our country and to keep our people safe.

Our national security and our economic security go hand in hand. Our strong economy provides the foundation to invest in our security and global influence, which provides more opportunities at home and overseas to increase our prosperity.

In a more dangerous world, we have chosen to use our hard earned economic strength to support our armed forces and give them what they need to help keep Britain safe. We will increase defence spending every year and continue to meet NATO’s target to spend 2% of GDP on defence for the rest of the decade.

In the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) we set out plans for stronger defence with more ships, more planes, more troops at readiness, better equipment for special forces, and more for cyber.

We will protect our people, territories, value and interests, at home and overseas, through strong armed forces and in partnership with allies, to ensure our security and safeguard our prosperity.

Objectives

• Protect our people
• Project our global influence
• Promote our prosperity
• Maintain a strategic base and integrated global support network, and manage the Department of State

Protect our people

Lead minister: Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
Lead official: Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Military Strategy and Operations

1.1 What MOD is doing

The government has committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence. Our SDSR set out plans for a new Joint Force 2025 able to deploy a force of around 50,000. We will defend and contribute to the security and resilience of the UK and overseas territories, protect our people abroad, maintain the continuous at sea deterrent and conduct operations as required. We will:

• pursue a comprehensive political and military strategy to defeat Daesh
• retain the Trident continuous at sea nuclear deterrent to provide the ultimate guarantee of our safety and build the new fleet of 4 Successor Ballistic Missile Submarines
• bring both of our new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, into service so that one is always available
• develop proposals to ensure that the armed forces can operate effectively overseas and are not subject to persistent legal claims that undermine their ability to do their job
• continue to invest in our cyber defence capabilities
• maintain the size of the regular armed services and not reduce the army to below 82,000
• deliver on our commitment to expand the reserve forces to 35,000

1.2 How MOD is doing

Delivering on current operations

Counter Daesh

UK and coalition activity helped halt Daesh advances, and then enabled the start of ground operations by local forces to retake areas of Iraq and Syria from under Daesh control. In Iraq, 30% of the territory Daesh once controlled has been retaken with Tikrit, Sinjar and Ramadi falling back into federal Government Of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government control.

For more information see: Daesh: UK government response.

Continued support to Afghanistan

As part of the UK’s contribution in Afghanistan as part of NATO’s resolute support mission around 450 British troops remain committed in Afghanistan and will do so throughout 2016. Non combat roles being carried out by UK armed forces include the mentoring of instructors in the Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA) to help develop the next generation of Afghanistan’s military leaders, advising in the Afghan security ministries, and providing vital support to NATO’s mission in Kabul, including leading the Kabul Security Force.

For more information see: Britain helps train record number of Afghan army officers

Mediterranean migration

UK has played a leading role in efforts to disrupt human traffickers and migrant smugglers from facilitating the flow of illegal migration through the central Mediterranean. In May 2015, HMS Bulwark, 3 Merlin MK 2 Helicopters and 2 civilian border patrol boats deployed to the Mediterranean.

UK efforts continue under the auspices of an EU Naval Force operation (Op Sophia). The UK contribution to Op Sophia started on 4 July 2015 with the deployment of HMS Enterprise and a Merlin helicopter detachment. Throughout the winter, the UK continued her support with HMS Enterprise, as of March 2016 a total of 9000 migrants have been rescued by the UK.

Ukraine training

The UK remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine, its sovereignty and its territorial integrity. UK personnel in Ukraine are providing infantry, medical, and logistics training to members of the Ukrainian armed forces, alongside our long standing programme of institutional capacity building.

2016 will see the UK headcount of up to 100 UK trainers providing in-country support at any one time (up from 75 in 2015). Coverage is expanding from the previous medical, infantry, and logistics training (with train the trainer elements) to include urban operations, operational planning, and engineering.

For more information see: UK relationship with Ukraine strengthened by defence agreement

Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) launches

The military supports HMG’s wider aviation security measures with a comprehensive UK air defence system held at continuous readiness. Quick reaction alert RAF Typhoon aircraft can be launched within minutes to intercept unidentified or unauthorised aircraft compromising UK controlled airspace. Our integrated air defence system provides the capability to counter airborne terrorist threats and acts as a deterrent against attack. In 2015/16 the MOD has continued to employ Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft and, provide search and rescue cover with Sea King and AW189 helicopters and also intends to return RAF Chinooks to the Falklands Islands.

QRA aircraft were launched on 12 different days in 2015 to intercept and escort both aircraft that had lost communications and Russian military flights. Between 1 January 2016 and 5 May 2016 there have been launches on 5 days.

For more information see: UK jets and warship to bolster Baltic security

Maintaining the continuous at sea deterrent

Our independent nuclear deterrent is the ultimate guarantee of our security. The Royal Navy’s Vanguard class submarines have sustained Operation Relentless, maintaining their mission of deterrent patrols which has been uninterrupted since April 1969. HMS Vengeance has completed her overhaul in Devonport and is making preparations to return to the operational cycle. HMS Vengeance has now commenced her second overhaul in Devonport.

The Successor submarine programme is the UK programme to replace the 4 Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines currently carrying the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent. In 2014 the department was authorised to commit £3.3 billion on the programmes assessment phase. In March 2016, as set out in SDSR 2015, the further investment of £642 million in the design phase was announced, including buying essential long lead items for the 4 submarines. This will take the total cost of the assessment phase approval to £3.9 billion.

In May 2016, the Department fulfilled another commitment from the SDSR 2015 by appointing an Acting Director General Nuclear to head up the new Director General Nuclear organisation. The Director General is responsible for coordinating all the delivery activities across the nuclear enterprise, sponsorship of new and existing delivery bodies, and advising ministers, the Permanent Secretary and senior military leaders on the delivery of the nuclear programme. A permanent appointment will be made by the end of the year.

In March 2016 MOD secured an improved contract with AWE Management Limited (AWEML) for the management and operation of the Atomic Weapons Establishment sites at Aldermaston, Burghfield and Blacknest. The new contract supports the weapons for our nuclear deterrent, while delivering better value for money. The core commitment of the contract with AWEML remains to provide and maintain the nuclear warhead stockpile for the UK’s deterrent, efficiently and effectively, while ensuring full safety and security.

Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers

Two new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy, will enter service from 2018, transforming the Royal Navy’s ability to project our influence overseas. They will form the core of our maritime task group, with one available at all times.

Support to UK civil authorities

Defence is integrated in local and national resilience plans, and personnel and equipment are available to assist the civil authorities at all times. In response to the severe weather that affected parts of Northern England in December 2015 and January 2016, defence deployed or held ready 1,700 personnel.

We provided military aid to the civil authorities on over 79 occasions in 2015/16. Our personnel helped preparing flood defences; assisting in warning and evacuating residents; building temporary bridging to deliver vital utilities to vulnerable infrastructure; provision of specialist engineer advice; military airlift and bolstering planning support to local authorities. There is now a standing operational plan in place to provide military personnel in support of the police in response to a major terrorist incident or threat.

Support to the Falkland Islands

In support of the Falkland Island government, British forces based in the Falkland Islands in November 2015 responded to a distress call by the cruise ship ‘Le Boreal’. The ship reported suffering a major engine room fire. The Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Clyde was despatched to the scene. Working closely with the Falklands Islands Government, British Forces enacted and succeeded a major search and rescue plan.

Legal challenges against military personnel

To ensure our armed forces overseas are not subject to persistent human rights claims that undermine their ability to do their job. The MOD is working with the Ministry of Justice on a wide ranging set of proposals intended to deliver on this commitment by mitigating litigation risk to the armed forces and reducing costs to the taxpayer.

Cyber

We have continued to develop our ability to protect our networks and systems from rapidly evolving cyber threats. Through the National Offensive Cyber Programme, a partnership between the MOD and GCHQ, we are also investing in the tools, techniques and tradecraft we need to use cyber to enhance the effectiveness of our armed forces. We continue to grow our cadre of cyber specialists, in both the regular and reserve forces, and we have established a Joint Cyber & Electromagnetic Activities Group to ensure new cyber effects are properly integrated with other military activities.

Numbers of trained military personnel regular and reserve

Defence is developing a workforce that comprises the most appropriate mixture of regular armed forces, reserve forces, and civilian personnel (including contractors). We will maintain the size of the regular armed forces and expand the reserve forces to 35,000 to have a greater role, providing both a larger proportion of the force and also defence’s capability in certain specialist areas that it is not practical or cost effective to maintain full time.

Trained military personnel and civilians

1: Full-time trained strength (FTTS) The element of the UK armed forces comprised of trained UK regular forces, trained Ghurkhas and a number of reserve forces personnel filling regular posts whilst serving on FTRS. It does not include mobilised reservists.

2: The SDSR 2015 defence key facts booklet announced targets for 2020 for each of the services.

3: Future Reserves 2020 volunteer reserve includes mobilised volunteer reserves, High Readiness Reserves (HRR), and those volunteer reserves serving on Full-time reserve service (FTRS) and additional duties commitments (ADC).

4: The written ministerial statement released on the 19 December 2013 details the planned growth of the FR20 population over the next 5 years. This statement included annual trained strength targets along with intake targets to support the planned growth, and can be viewed in full here.

Totals and sub-totals are rounded separately to the nearest 10.

Source: The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015: defence facts and figures andUK armed forces monthly service personnel statistics

2. Project our global influence

Lead minister: Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
Lead officials: Chief of Defence Intelligence / Director General Security Policy

2.1 What MOD is doing

We will contribute to an improved understanding of the world and increase our influence in the regions that matter to us, through strategic intelligence and the global defence network. We will reinforce international security and the collective capacity of our allies, partners and multilateral institutions.

We will:

• remain at the forefront of the NATO Alliance and support other multilateral organisations
• strengthen our defence partnerships in the Gulf and Asia
• work with our partners to address threats to UK security, including the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, pandemic diseases, the illegal drugs trade, piracy and organised crime
• collect, process, exploit and disseminate strategic intelligence and insights
• sustain the framework to enable effective UK defence engagement
• help to shape the international security environment
• strengthen the rules based international order including through conflict prevention, capacity building and counter-proliferation
• continue close and enduring work with our allies and partners

2.2 How MOD is doing

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

NATO is at the heart of the UK’s defence policy. NATO Assurance Measures form an important part of NATO’s readiness action plan developed in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. The UK made a significant commitment with over 3,000 UK personnel during 2014 involved in assurance activity, including exercises in eastern Europe. This increased to over 4,000 in 2015 and activity involving well over 4,000 personnel is planned for 2016. These measures include the provision of Baltic Air Policing, for the third year running (Estonia, May to August 2016), consisting of 4 RAF Typhoons and 120 personnel, as well as airborne surveillance of NATO’s Eastern Flank through the continued commitment of E-3D Sentry aircraft to the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Control Force.

At the October 2015 NATO defence ministerial, the Defence Secretary announced that the UK will join the US-German Transatlantic Capability Enhancement and Training (TACET) initiative that will provide reassurance and develop capability and resilience in the Baltic States and Poland.

In December 2015 UK, US, and French aircraft flew in the first major exercise of many, designed to improve air combat interoperability between the three nations. This follows the re-signing of the Tri-Lateral Strategic Initiative by each country’s most senior air force officers in July 2015.

The UK will act as the framework nation for the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2017, committing 3,000 British troops.

On 11 February 2016, NATO defence ministers took the decision to participate in international efforts to cut the lines of illegal trafficking and migration in the Aegean Sea. NATO forces were on task in the Aegean within days of the decision to participate, and NATO assets are conducting reconnaissance and surveillance of illegal crossings, working closely with the Greek and Turkish Coastguards and EU’s Frontex. The UK has contributed from the outset: to-date RFA Mounts Bay, RFA Cardigan Bay and RFA Fort Victoria have all participated. We assess that NATO’s efforts have helped to curb migrant flows.

United Nations

Our contribution to UN Peacekeeping operations currently comprises 241 personnel in the UN Peacekeeping mission to Cyprus with an additional 16 personnel deployed to other UN operations including Mali, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan. This number includes three new postings to support the UN command in Korea and the UN mission to Libya.

The MOD reaffirmed its commitment to the women, peace and security (WPS) agenda at the High Level Review of UNSCR 1325 in October 2015. HMG made 8 new commitments including a target for MOD to ensure that by November 2016, all UK troops deploying on overseas missions receive training on WPS and Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI). We are conducting a review of all training offered in defence on WPS and PSVI to help identify gaps in our current capabilities. A WPS/PSVI specific module has been developed for pre-deployment training for troops from other countries. The national action plan on WPS is being incorporated into our regional strategies and country plans.

European Union

The UK increased its contribution to EU Common Security and Defence Policy activity during 2015 by supporting Operation Sophia in the Mediterranean with ships, helicopters, and key staff placements. In EUFOR Operation Althea in Bosnia Herzegovina we have retained our commitment of a reserve force and our standing contribution of staff officers in the headquarters. The UK committed to continue running EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta’s operation headquarters in Northwood. The UK continues to contribute to EUTM Somalia and EUTM Mali.

The Gulf and North Africa

We will build a permanent and more substantial UK military presence in the Gulf region. We have begun work on the future UK maritime hub at Mina Salman in Bahrain, HMS Juffair, to support Royal Navy deployments. We continue to maintain a naval presence which includes mine countermeasure ships, frigates, destroyers and maritime helicopters to contribute to the stability of the region and to make sure vital sea lanes remain open in the region.

We have gifted a significant package of equipment, with a total value of £2,407,450, to the Jordanian armed forces to assist with the establishment of a Quick Reaction Force. The force will be able to deploy approximately 500 personnel at speed, capable of countering emergent Daesh and extremist threats on Jordan’s borders with Syria and Iraq. This gift will greatly enhance the QRF’s capacity and comprises a range of non-lethal command and control, manoeuvre and protective equipment.

We deployed military personnel to the UN Support Mission in Libya and the EU Liaison and Planning Cell, providing essential support to the security track, negotiating with Libyan militias in order to allow the Government of National Accord to work from Tripoli. We also planned, together with international partner nations, how to best support a Government of National Accord once it is established, including through capacity building and security sector reform. In addition, we worked, alongside our partners, on improving our understanding of Daesh’s activity in Libya. We were in dialogue with Libyans in relation to countering Daesh and worked closely with Libya’s neighbours to enhance their ability to protect themselves against threats from terrorists in Libya and prevent weapon smuggling across the region.

Africa

Over 100 UK military personnel deployed to Nigeria on training tasks ranging from 1 to 8 weeks in length, providing training and advice in areas such as countering improvised explosive devices, infantry patrolling skills, civil-military cooperation, and command and leadership. This number will grow as the UK continues to expand its offer of assistance.

The MOD continued to contribute to the UK Government’s Somalia strategy during 2015/16. We have worked to improve the capacity of the African Union’s peace support mission in Somalia, including through the provision of training and mentoring across East Africa to the troop contributing countries of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Additionally, we have provided military personnel to the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) in order to assist with bringing greater cohesion to the international response in-country, and provide policy advice to the Federal Government of Somalia and AMISOM on peace-building and state-building.

The UK was swift in its support to the French when Mali suffered extreme instability due to terrorist armed groups (TAG) activity sweeping down from the north following the collapse of lawful rule in Libya and asked France for help in January 2013.

Asia Pacific

The RAF completed its first ever deployment of the A400M transport aircraft to the region as part of a global deployment providing work-up training to flying crews and support personnel. During the deployment the A400M attended the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition alongside the RAF Falcons parachute display team. The A400M also visited Japan landing at Miho base, the first Royal Air Force aircraft to land at a Japanese Air Self Defence Force base.

India

We have further developed our strong defence relationship with India, hosting military training exercises with all 3 services in the UK in 2015 as well as numerous high-level visits. Cooperation between our air forces was instrumental in enabling the delivery of earthquake relief efforts in Nepal in the aftermath of the earthquake in April. During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK in November 2015, the UK and India agreed a defence and international security partnership, under which we will establish capability partnerships to deepen our cooperation across a set of strategic areas. We will work together with the Indian MOD and armed forces to implement this commitment in 2016.

Sri Lanka

The Prime Minister announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2015 that the UK would re-establish defence relations with Sri Lanka by appointing a non-resident Defence Adviser. The Sri Lankan government has committed to addressing the legacy of its long conflict, including through co-sponsorship of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council last year. This appointment will enable the UK to work with the Sri Lankan armed forces on issues of reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

Latin America and Caribbean

RFA Lyme Bay and her crew provided humanitarian assistance and disaster Relief to both Dominica and The Bahamas following Tropical Storm Erica and Hurricane Joaquin respectively.

UK personnel took part in the annual Exercise Trade Winds 2015, building Caribbean nations’ capabilities to better respond to natural disasters and land and maritime threats, including illicit trafficking. HMS Severn, the first River-class Offshore Patrol Vessel to deploy to the Caribbean, was joined by members of the Belize Coastguard as she took part in the exercise.

Defence engagement

The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 announced that we will make defence engagement a funded, core MOD task for the first time, meaning that the armed forces will prioritise defence engagement alongside other core tasks.

The Defence Secretary visited Nigeria on 21 December 2015 to review its security challenges and the status of the bilateral UK-Nigeria defence relationship. He committed to a further increase in UK training and advisory support to the Nigerian armed forces to help it combat Boko Haram terrorists.

November 2015 saw the end of Operation Gritrock which had provided the UK’s resources and personnel to defeat Ebola in Sierra Leone. By maintaining a small presence of military personnel, which worked closely with partners from across HMGovernment, the Sierra Leonean government was supported in its successful identification and elimination of each last case of Ebola. This led to Sierra Leone being declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation on 7 November 2015. While very small numbers of Ebola have re-occurred in Sierra Leone since November 2015, this was not unexpected as Ebola has always maintained a small presence in West Africa.

We are training 460 overseas students from 85 countries on our top defence education courses in the UK. We are also running 32 courses overseas, in over 30 countries covering strategic leadership, the governance and management of defence, and peacetime security operations.

On 28 September 2015 at the UN Peacekeeping Summit hosted by President Obama, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will increase its contribution to UNpeacekeeping operations and deploy additional military personnel to both South Sudan and Somalia.

3. Promote our prosperity

Lead minister: Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
Lead officials: Director General Security Policy/Director General Head Office and Commissioning Services/Chief of Defence Personnel/Chief Scientific Advisor

3.1 What MOD is doing

We will contribute to the UK’s economic security, support our industry including through innovation and exports, continue to invest in science and technology and contribute to wider skills and citizenship development that supports British society, through cadet forces, university units and investment in skills, including through apprenticeships. We will:

• releasing surplus MOD land to support new housing
• promote defence exports with UK Trade & Investment
• spend 1.2% of the defence budget on science and technology
• increase the proportion of MOD spend with SMEs to 25% by 2020
• launch a defence innovation initiative to remain in step with our allies and ahead of our adversaries
• contribute to the wider UK’s skills agenda
• continue to seek value for money in defence procurement, recognising the important contribution that the UK defence industry makes to our prosperity.
• increase the number of cadet units in schools

3.2 How MOD is doing

Land for housing

• Up to 55,000 new homes contributed through MOD’s release of public sector land for housing.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is currently developing an ambitious programme of estate rationalisation which will provide a plan for a significantly smaller, better Defence estate to meet the needs of the armed forces as set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015.

In January and March 2016, Minister for Defence Procurement and Veterans announced an early commitment to release 12 and 10 MOD sites, respectively, for disposal. Release of these sites will contribute some £640 million towards the £1 billion target for land release sales. It frees up land for up to 22,000 homes, the vast majority in time to help the department’s target of 55,000 units, and in part, the government’s wider target of 160,000 by 2020.

Innovation, science and technology

The SDSR recognised a significant shift in the strategic landscape; in both the adversaries we face and partners with whom we can work to deliver our military edge, and protection of the homeland. In response, MOD committed to launching a defence innovation initiative in summer 2016, which will outline plans for new innovation infrastructure and associated funding. We are on track to deliver this initiative.

A cross departmental team within the department have been planning for the Secretary of State’s and Minister for Defence Personnel’s launch of the initiative this summer. The launch will include defence’s vision for innovation, our goals and objectives, and how we plan to organise to deliver against those goals and objectives, including working with external partners in academia, industry and international allies.

The launch will include a clear outline of the innovation infrastructure we will put in place to meet our most pressing challenges now, and into the future. It will act as an opportunity to reach out to non-traditional suppliers, and begin to break down some of the barriers associated with working with defence and security.

Number of apprentices

• 50,000 apprentices will be trained by MOD by 2020.

The armed forces offer a viable alternative to higher education and further fducation (HE/FE) and provide apprenticeships at various levels (mainly intermediate, but also advanced and higher). Apprenticeships and subsequent opportunities to gain further recognised civilian qualifications, through career training and elective learning, build the potential for a long and fulfilling service career, and an exceptional second career once our people leave the armed forces. We are investing and equipping our people for a life beyond service. It was announced in the SDSR 2015 that we will train at least 50,000 apprentices in defence between 2015 and 2020. Earlier this year the army attended a reception at No 10 Downing Street, in recognition that the 80,000th apprentice had signed up to a course.

Cadet units in schools

• 350 number of parading cadet units in schools (as at June 2016)

The MOD sponsors and supports 4 different cadet forces (voluntary youth organisations): Sea cadets, Army Cadet Force, Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force. They offer challenging and enjoyable activities for young people, and prepare them to play an active part in the community while developing valuable life skills. The government has committed to increase the number of cadet units in schools to 500 by 2020.

4. Maintain a strategic base and integrated global support network, and manage the Department of State

Lead minister: Rt Hon Michael Fallon MP
Lead officials: Chief of Defence Personnel, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability), Director General, Head Office and Commissioning Services/Director General, Finance

4.1 What MOD is doing

We will maintain an agile strategic base and global support network that enables the command, generation, preparation, projection, sustainment, maintenance, operation and redeployment of military capability in support of the defence objectives. This reflects the nature of the department as a strategic military headquarters as well as being a department of state. We will command UK military operations worldwide, while providing the necessary enablers such as infrastructure, equipment, logistics and medical. We will:

• implement the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR)
• Spending £178 Billion over 10 years on equipment and support (IPA reports)
• provide more opportunities for talented people from all communities and walks of life to serve their country by increasing our recruitment of female and BAME personnel by 15% and 10% respectively
• implement the accepted recommendations of Lord Ashcroft’s Veterans’ Transition Review on the way the nation fulfils its obligations to veterans
• work to address hearing loss among veterans
• help more servicemen and women to buy their own home through our £200 million Forces’ Help to Buy scheme
• continue to support the unsung heroes of the armed forces community: the partners and families of those who serve by supporting the implementation of the armed force covenant and the wider armed forces community, families and veterans

4.2 How MOD is doing

Equipment and support

Equipment and support expenditure forecast for the financial year 2015 to 2016 is £13Bn. MOD Government Major Projects Portfolio data, 2016 Major Projects Report 2015 and the Equipment Plan 2015 to 2025 Impact of the Strategic Defence and Security Review on the Equipment Plan

Armed Forces Covenant

Our commitment to the armed forces is set out in the Armed Forces Covenant that we enshrined in law. We manage a £10 million annual Covenant Fund; distributing funding to organisations that support the armed forces community; and manage a £25 million Aged Veterans’ Fund (distributed over 5 years to support veterans’ non-core health and social care, and wellbeing needs). Improving communications on the covenant is a priority. Steps we have taken include: in January 2016 we launched a new brand; MOD chairs the cross-government Covenant Communications Group; and on 22 April 2016 we launched a dedicated covenant website. For more information about what we have achieved, see the report below:

Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2015

Progress towards Lord Ashcroft’s recommendations

On 11 February 2014, Lord Ashcroft published his Veterans’ Transition Review in which he made 62 recommendations on how government could better support armed forces personnel make the transition from their military careers to civilian life at the end of their service. Out of the 62 recommendations made by Lord Ashcroft, 14 recommendations remain ‘active’ and are now being reported to the Cabinet Office through the Defence People and Training Board. Of the 45 discrete recommendations, 31 are fully in place and 14 still open. The Head of Training, Education, Skills, Recruiting and Resettlement met with Lord Ashcroft’s team on 23 May 2016 and are continuing to work with them to research how to implement the recommendations.

Workforce dynamics and diversity

Percentage of female and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) personnel joining2,4,5 the UK regular forces 1 / FR20 Volunteer Reserves 3 as at 1 April 2016

Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)

1: UK regulars comprise full time service personnel, including nursing services, but excluding Full time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel.
2: Intake to UK regular forces comprises new entrants, re-entrants, direct trained entrants (including Professionally Qualified Officers) and intake from the reserves. It excludes all movements within the regular forces; including flows from the untrained to trained strength, transfers between Services and flows from Ranks to Officer due to promotion.
3: FR20 Volunteer Reserve comprises volunteer reserves, including mobilised volunteer reserves, High Readiness Reserves (HRR), volunteer reserves serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and Additional Duties Commitments (ADC). Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI), Regular Reserves, Sponsored Reserves, Honorary Reserves and University Officer Cadets are excluded.
4: Intake to FR20 Volunteer Reserve forces comprises new entrants, regular to reserve transfers, reserve re-joiners, and reserve personnel joining from another part of the reserves that are not included in the FR20 target population.
5: A total of 96.0 per cent of intake into the UK regular forces and the FR20 Volunteer Reserve combined, had a known ethnicity on intake, in the 12 months to 31 March 2016.

Percentage of female and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) personnel in the UK regular forces 1 and FR20 Volunteer Reserves 2 as at 1 April 2016

Source: Defence Statistics (Tri-Service)

1: UK regulars comprise full time service personnel, including nursing services, but excluding Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) personnel, Gurkhas, mobilised Reservists, Military Provost Guard Service (MPGS), Locally Engaged Personnel (LEP), Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), High Readiness Reserve (HRR) and Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI) personnel. Unless otherwise stated, includes trained and untrained personnel.
2: FR20 Volunteer Reserve comprises volunteer reserves, including mobilised volunteer reserves, High Readiness Reserves (HRR), volunteer reserves serving on Full Time Reserve Service (FTRS) and Additional Duties Commitments (ADC). Non Regular Permanent Staff (NRPS), Expeditionary Forces Institute (EFI), Regular Reserves, Sponsored Reserves, Honorary Reserves and University Officer Cadets are excluded.

Percentage of female and BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) civilian personnel1 as at 1 April 2016

Source: Defence Statistics (Civilian)

1: Civilian figures include all core MOD and industrial personnel, but exclude all trading funds personnel, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Locally engaged civilians.
2: Ethnicity for MOD Civilian personnel as recorded on Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is self declared. Non-declarations of 1,600 (61.5 %) out of 2,600 personnel recruited within the financial year 2015/16 have been excluded from these figures. Therefore caution should be used when interpreting the ethnicity rate within the recruitment period.

Civilian employees

• 56,240 civilians are employed by the MOD, as at 1st April 2016. This will be reduced to 41,000 by 2020

SDSR Implementation

We have made Defence Engagement a fully funded, core task. We published our UK armed forces families’ strategy on 11 January 2016 setting out our approach to service families.

Delivering efficiently in MOD

What MOD is doing

The SDSR 2015 announced that the MOD could reinvest any efficiency savings that is generates. We are committed to reducing our operating costs over the Parliament, whilst continuing to improve the effectiveness of our services through:

Military pay and manpower: We have conducted a further review to ensure the continuing efficacy of the military allowances package. Amendments have been made to a small number of contributory allowances as a result of this review, changes to which came into effect on 1 April 2016. We have also looked at commitment bonuses which were introduced to reward completed early years of service for all regular other ranks (ORs), acting as an incentive for them to remain in the armed forces to a point where the benefits of the pension scheme generally begin to act as a retention tool

Civilian pay and manpower: In addition to the 4 year 1% public sector pay policy announced in the summer budget, the department will reduce the number of civilians employed by the MOD by almost 30%, to 41,000, by the end of this Parliament. There are a significant number of programmes in progress that are reducing our workforce and individuals are aware if they are affected

In addition, we will explore opportunities to make further changes to the way we work and what civilians do in the department, considering where we can innovate or deliver outputs differently.

Equipment: We will continue to build on our strong track record of making efficiencies within our equipment programme, by driving a better service via the managed service providers in Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), development of a Single Source Regulatory Office to ensure we get the best value for money on single source procurements, a continuation of the current equipment support costs review, and the transformation of defence logistics

Estate and infrastructure: Defence is committed to delivering a significantly smaller, more efficient, and better quality estate, that continues to provide a safe and effective place for military users to live, work and train but one that better meets the needs of Joint Force 2025 (JF2025). We will reduce the built estate by 30%, releasing public sector land for 55,000 new homes

Other areas of spending: we will look to bear down, where appropriate, on other areas of non front-line expenditure; in particular on business travel costs, professional fees, non-operational training costs as well as our PFI projects. Delivering savings in our commercial relationships including through spend on common goods and services, delivered in partnership with Crown Commercial Services

How MOD is working collaboratively across government

We will work collaboratively with Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and other government departments to deliver transformational change in key areas, including:

• developing digital solutions that meet common standards set by the Government Digital Service and utilise cross-government platforms such as GOV.UK Verify, GOV.UK Pay or GOV.UK Notify as part of departmental digital services wherever this demonstrates the best value money solution for government
• rationalising our estate in a joined up way, looking to develop ‘government hubs’ with other government departments, releasing land for housing where possible and participating in the development of the new commercial property model
• delivering savings in our commercial relationships including through spend on common goods and services, delivered in partnership with Crown Commercial Services
• working in partnership with: the Cabinet Office to deliver arm’s length bodies (ALB) transformation plans; Infrastructure and Projects Authority on major projects programmes and prioritisation; and reducing losses through fraud and error alongside developing a debt management strategy

The MOD will update this document in October 2016.

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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.