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of the British Armed Forces
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| Components |
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Surface fleet Fleet Air Arm Submarine Service Royal Naval Reserve Nursing Service (QARNNS) Royal Fleet Auxiliary |
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Royal Marines Reserve Special Boat Service |
| History and future |
| History of the Royal Navy History of the Royal Marines Customs and traditions Future of the Royal Navy |
| Ships |
| Current fleet Current deployments Historic ships |
| Personnel |
| The Admiralty Senior officers Uniforms Officer rank insignia Ratings rank insignia |
| Related civilian agencies of the Ministry of Defence |
| Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service (now privatised) |
The Surface Fleet is the name given to the collection of surface vessels (as opposed to submarines or aircraft) of the Royal Navy. In 2008 it consisted of two flotillas based at Portsmouth and Devonport, both on the south coast of England and a flotilla based at the Clyde Naval Base at Faslane in Scotland.
The Surface Fleet consists of a wide variety of vessels, ranging from aircraft carriers to mine countermeasures vessels to offshore patrol vessels, but the backbone of the fleet consists of destroyers (type 42) and frigates (types 22 and 23).
By 2008 the surface fleet was engaged in numerous operations in the North and South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Northern Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea where the Cyprus Squadron is based. Closer to home, the Surface fleet also conducts Fishery Protection Patrols in UK waters, in a formal agreement with DEFRA. The Fishery Protection Squadron is the largest front line squadron in the Royal Navy.