Military branches Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force

Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 13,829,704 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service
males : 11,527,058 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure $35.1 billion (FY95/96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3.1% (FY95/96)

Disputes - international Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain;Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims SouthGeorgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garciain British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute involvingDenmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreementin the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory)

Illicit drugs gateway country for Latin American cocaine entering the European market;producer of synthetic drugs, precursor chemicals; transshipment point forSouthwest Asian heroin; money-laundering center

NOTE: The information regarding United Kingdom on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of United Kingdom Military 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about United Kingdom Military 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.