Editing British Army (section)

=== Recent history (2000–present) ===
==== War in Afghanistan ====
{{Main|War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)}}

[[File:3royalanglianafghan.JPG|thumb|250px|alt=Armed soldiers in and around a military vehicle|[[Royal Anglian Regiment]] in Helmand Province]]

In November 2001, as part of [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] with the United States, the United Kingdom deployed forces in [[Afghanistan]] to topple the [[Taliban]] in [[Operation Herrick]].<ref>{{harvnb|Mallinson|2009|p=452}}.</ref> The [[3rd Division (United Kingdom)|3rd Division]] were sent to [[Kabul]] to assist in the liberation of the capital and defeat Taliban forces in the mountains. In 2006 the British Army began concentrating on fighting Taliban forces and bringing security to [[Helmand Province]], with about 9,500 British troops (including marines, airmen and sailors) deployed at its peak<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22713.aspx|title=Why we are in Afghanistan|publisher=Ministry of Defence (MoD)|access-date=7 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141022195153/http://www.army.mod.uk/operations-deployments/22713.aspx|archive-date=22 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>—the second-largest force after that of the US.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8305922.stm UK sends 500 more to Afghanistan] BBC News, 15 October 2009</ref> In December 2012 Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] announced that the combat mission would end in 2014, and troop numbers gradually fell as the [[Afghan National Army]] took over the brunt of the fighting. Between 2001 and 26 April 2014 a total of 453 British military personnel died in Afghan operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation/afghanistan|title=British fatalities in Afghanistan|publisher=MoD|access-date=7 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150725021450/https://www.gov.uk/government/fields-of-operation/afghanistan|archive-date=25 July 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Operation Herrick ended with the handover of [[Camp Bastion]] on 26 October 2014,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29776544|title=UK ends Afghan combat operations|date=26 October 2014|work=BBC News|access-date=26 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026082004/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29776544|archive-date=26 October 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> but the British Army maintained a deployment in Afghanistan as part of [[Operation Toral]].<ref name=toral>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/09/uk-afghanistan-troops-increase-david-cameron|title=UK to increase troops in Afghanistan from 450 to 500|date=9 July 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=4 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207151415/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/09/uk-afghanistan-troops-increase-david-cameron|archive-date=7 February 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following an announcement by the US Government of the end of their operations in the Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced in April 2021 that British forces would withdraw from the country by 11 September 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56744265|title=UK troops to begin 'drawdown' in Afghanistan|work=BBC News|date=14 April 2021}}</ref> It was later reported that all UK troops would be out by early July.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/02/uk-to-bring-home-last-remaining-troops-in-afghanistan-this-weekend|title=UK to bring home last remaining troops in Afghanistan this weekend|date=2 July 2021|website=The Guardian}}</ref> Following the collapse of the Afghan Army, and the completion of the withdrawal of civilians, all British troops had left by the end of August 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58372437|title=Afghanistan: British ambassador home as last UK troops leave|work=BBC News|date=29 August 2021}}</ref>

==== Iraq War ====
{{Main|Iraq War|Operation Telic}}

[[File:1 RRF engage Iraqi Army positions with their 81mm Mortars. Iraq. 26-03-2003 MOD 45142764.jpg|thumb|250px|alt=Two soldiers with a mortar gun—one loading and the other aiming|British soldiers from the [[Royal Regiment of Fusiliers|1st Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers]] [[Battlegroup (army)|battlegroup]] engage Iraqi positions with an [[81mm mortar]] [[Battle of Basra (2003)|south of Basra]]]]

In 2003, the United Kingdom was a major contributor to the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|invasion of Iraq]], sending a force of over 46,000 military personnel. The British Army controlled southern Iraq, and maintained a peace-keeping presence in [[Basra]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6977914.stm|title=Timeline: UK troops in Basra|work=BBC News|access-date=9 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403070032/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6977914.stm|archive-date=3 April 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> All British troops were withdrawn from Iraq by 30 April 2009, after the Iraqi government refused to extend their mandate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/British_Troops_Leave_Iraq_As_Mandate_Ends/1789785.html |title=British Troops Leave Iraq As Mandate Ends |date=31 July 2009 |publisher=Rferl.org |access-date=22 October 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108093957/http://www.rferl.org/content/British_Troops_Leave_Iraq_As_Mandate_Ends/1789785.html |archive-date=8 November 2010 |url-status=live  }}</ref> One hundred and seventy-nine British military personnel died in Iraqi operations.<ref name=":6" /> The [[British Armed Forces]] returned to Iraq in 2014 as part of [[Operation Shader]] to counter the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] (ISIL).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmdfence/106/106.pdf|title=UK Operations in Syria and Iraq|year=2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318085447/https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmdfence/106/106.pdf|archive-date=18 March 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Recent military aid ====
{{Main|Operation Rescript|Operation Temperer|Military Aid to the Civil Authorities}}
The British Army maintains a standing liability to support the civil authorities in certain circumstances, usually in either niche capabilities (e.g. explosive ordnance removal) or in general support of the civil authorities when their capacity is exceeded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61965/defenceconrtibution1.pdf|title=Operations in the UK: Defence Contribution to Resilience|date=2007|website=Ministry of Defence|access-date=1 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305164425/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61965/defenceconrtibution1.pdf|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/30013.aspx|title=UK Operations|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170421033859/http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/30013.aspx|archive-date=21 April 2017}}</ref> In recent years this has been seen as army personnel supporting the civil authorities in the face of the [[2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak]], the 2002 firefighters strike, widespread flooding in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014, [[Operation Temperer]] following the [[Manchester Arena bombing]] in 2017 and, most recently, [[Operation Rescript]] during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/23/raise-terror-level-critical-5000-troops-streets-operation-temperer|title=Critical threat level: who made the decision and what does it mean?|last1=Travis|first1=Alan|date=24 May 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=28 May 2017|last2=MacAskill|first2=Ewen|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170526163704/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/23/raise-terror-level-critical-5000-troops-streets-operation-temperer|archive-date=26 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="OpRESCRIPT">{{cite news|last1=Haynes|first1=Deborah|author-link=Deborah Haynes|date=19 March 2020|title=Coronavirus: Up to 20,000 troops on standby to help deal with COVID-19 outbreak|work=[[Sky News]]|url=https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-up-to-20-000-troops-on-standby-to-help-deal-with-covid-19-outbreak-11959977|access-date=20 October 2020}}</ref>

==== Baltic States ====
Since 2016, the British Army has maintained a presence in the [[Baltic States]] in support of the [[NATO Enhanced Forward Presence]] strategy which responded to the [[2014 Russian annexation of Crimea]]. The British Army leads a multinational armoured battlegroup in [[Estonia]] under Operation Cabrit and contributes troops to another military battle group in [[Poland]].<ref name="efp">{{cite web |url=https://www.army.mod.uk/deployments/baltics/ |title=ENHANCED FORWARD PRESENCE (EFP) |work=British Army |accessdate=23 March 2022 }}</ref> As part of the NATO plans, Britain has committed a full mechanized infantry [[brigade]] to be on a high state of readiness to defend Estonia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Brigade assigned to Estonia likely to be one of British Army's strongest|url=https://news.err.ee/1609141828/brigade-assigned-to-estonia-likely-to-be-one-of-british-army-s-strongest|date=23 October 2023|access-date=11 July 2024|website=ERR News}}</ref>

==== Ukraine ====
Between 2015 and 2022, the British Army deployed Short Term Training Teams (STTTs) to [[Ukraine]] under [[Operation Orbital]] to help train the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine]] against further Russian aggression.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forces.net/news/uk-troops-training-forces-ukraine-leave-weekend-armed-forces-minister-says|title=UK troops training forces in Ukraine to leave this weekend|date=12 February 2022|publisher=Forces.net}}</ref> This operation was succeeded by [[Operation Interflex]] in July 2022.<ref name="politico1">{{cite news |last1=Gallardo |first1=Cristina |last2=Caulcutt |first2=Clea |title=Ukraine's military recruits need training. Only one of Europe's giants is pulling its weight |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-and-france-at-odds-over-military-training-for-ukrainians/ |access-date=17 September 2022 |work=[[Politico]] |date=16 September 2022}}</ref>