Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

Ministry of Defence

MoD Main Building, Westminster
Department overview
Formed	1 April 1964 (as modern department)
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	Main Building, Whitehall, Westminster, London 51°30′14″N 0°07′30″W
Employees	60,000 (FTE) civilian staff (April 2021) 198,940 military personnel
Annual budget	£55 billion; FY 2021
Secretary of State responsible	John Healey MP, Secretary of State for Defence
Department executives	Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff David Williams, Permanent Secretary
Child agencies	Defence Equipment and Support Defence Science and Technology Laboratory United Kingdom Hydrographic Office
Website	gov.uk/mod

The Ministry of Defence is a British government department headed by the Secretary of State for Defence in the Cabinet. It controls the administration of the British Armed Forces.

The present Ministry is a post-World War II creation, joining the Admiralty, the War Office, the Air Ministry and part of the Ministry of Aviation. Ministers of State supervise each of the three armed services, and a Joint Chiefs of Staff committee is led by the professional heads of the three services.

History

Before 1964, the British Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force had their own departments. During and after World War I and II, leaders thought there should be more cooperation between them. In 1940, Prime Minister Winston Churchill created the role of Minister of Defence, but it was combined with the job of Prime Minister. In 1946, the Ministry of Defence became its own department with its own minister.