30 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review
•• Multiple additional operations, ranging from specialist missions such as counterterrorism or counter-piracy, through to broader, more complex operations such as
the military support to tackle Ebola in Sierra Leone or the enduring naval presence in
the Gulf.
•• A wide range of defence engagement activities, such as training teams and
mentoring.
4.42 Joint Force 2025 will be underpinned by significant policy changes: in personnel policy
to ensure that the Armed Forces can recruit and retain the people they need in a competitive
employment market; a stronger international focus in defence; and a defence innovation
initiative to ensure that we remain in step with our closest allies and ahead of our adversaries.
We will develop proposals to ensure that the Armed Forces can operate effectively
overseas and are not subject to unjustified legal claims that undermine their ability to
do their job.
Joint Forces Command
4.43 The MOD will build on the success of the Joint Forces Command, which was set up
in 2012 to champion the critical capabilities needed by all three Services and to support the
command of operations through the Permanent Joint Headquarters.
4.44 Joint Forces Command will lead the MOD’s work to improve its understanding of
our security environment, using new information technology and greater analytical power to
exploit big data, social media and both open source and classified material. We will maintain
our satellite communications and invest in cyber and space capabilities. We will protect our
networks, and attack those of our adversaries if necessary. We will strengthen our command
and control systems, enabling them to work more easily with our NATO Allies, especially the
US and France, and across government. We will improve our deployed logistical and medical
capabilities by facilitating greater access to experts in the UK.
Special Forces
4.45 Our Special Forces undertake the most dangerous and difficult missions to keep us
safe. We will more than double our current planned investment in Special Forces equipment
to enhance their ability to operate and strike globally in the most hostile environments on their
own or with our closest allies, and in particular to enhance their counter-terrorism capabilities.
4.46 We will buy advanced communications equipment and weapons, and ensure that our
Special Forces can operate covertly around the world. They will have the information they
need, including through our investment in advanced high-altitude surveillance aircraft. We will
upgrade our helicopters and transport aircraft so that they can deploy further and faster.
The Royal Navy
4.47 The Royal Navy delivers our nuclear deterrent, projects our maritime power and
provides world-class amphibious forces. As part of Joint Force 2025, we will have:
•• Two new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built for
the Royal Navy. These 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. We will increase the number of F35 Lightning
aircraft we are buying in the early 2020s to ensure that we make best use of this
world-leading capability, and we will buy three new logistic ships to support the fleet,
in addition to the four tankers that will enter service from 2016.