Ministry of Defence written question – answered at on 8 November 2017.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) regular (i) soldiers, (ii) sailors and (iii) airmen and (b) reserve (A) soldiers, (B) sailors and (C) airmen, by medical category, there were for each year since 2010.
There are three Medical Deployability Standard (MDS) categories for the Armed Forces. Medically Fully Deployable (MFD) personnel are those medically fit for duty with no employment limitations. Medically Limited Deployable (MLD) personnel are medically fit for duty with minor employment limitations. MLD personnel may have a medical condition or functional limitation that prevents the meeting of all MFD requirements. Medically Not Deployable (MND) personnel are medically fit for duty with major employment limitations. MND personnel are not fit to deploy on Operations but may be deployable on UK based exercises.
The table below provides the number (n) and percentage of UK Regular Armed Forces in each MDS category, by Service as at 1 April for each year since 2010. These figures include full time trained and serving personnel against requirement. This was the deployable population.
All | MFD | MLD | MND | Unknown MDS | |||||
n | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
1 April 2010 | |||||||||
All Services | 177,897 | 143,253 | 81% | 18,101 | 10% | 13,615 | 8% | 2,928 | 2% |
35,502 | 28,366 | 80% | 1,843 | 5% | 2,938 | 8% | 2,355 | 7% | |
Army | 102,261 | 80,546 | 79% | 14,786 | 14% | 6,736 | 7% | 193 | |
RAF | 40,134 | 34,341 | 86% | 1,472 | 4% | 3,941 | 10% | 380 | 1% |
1 April 2011 | |||||||||
All Services | 176,816 | 143,278 | 81% | 18,828 | 11% | 13,800 | 8% | 910 | 1% |
Naval Service3 | 35,426 | 29,793 | 84% | 1,995 | 6% | 2,882 | 8% | 756 | 2% |
Army | 101,303 | 79,092 | 78% | 15,217 | 15% | 6,952 | 7% | 42 | |
RAF | 40,087 | 34,393 | 86% | 1,616 | 4% | 3,966 | 10% | 112 | |
1 April 2012 | |||||||||
All Services | 170,010 | 137,866 | 81% | 17,666 | 11% | 14,211 | 8% | 267 | |
Naval Service3 | 33,287 | 28,428 | 85% | 1,786 | 5% | 2,866 | 9% | 207 | 1% |
Army | 98,598 | 76,781 | 78% | 14,319 | 15% | 7,480 | 8% | 18 | |
RAF | 38,125 | 32,657 | 86% | 1,561 | 4% | 3,865 | 10% | 42 | |
1 April 2013 | |||||||||
All Services | 160,712 | 130,770 | 81% | 15,464 | 10% | 14,352 | 9% | 126 | |
Naval Service3 | 31,423 | 26,799 | 85% | 1,825 | 6% | 2,697 | 9% | 102 | |
Army | 93,939 | 73,668 | 78% | 12,237 | 13% | 8,021 | 9% | 13 | |
RAF | 35,350 | 30,303 | 86% | 1,402 | 4% | 3,634 | 10% | 11 | |
1 April 2014 | |||||||||
All Services | 150,891 | 122,616 | 81% | 13,811 | 9% | 14,396 | 10% | 68 | |
Naval Service3 | 30,509 | 25,866 | 85% | 1,732 | 6% | 2,859 | 9% | 52 | |
Army | 87,176 | 68,564 | 79% | 10,667 | 12% | 7,938 | 9% | 7 | |
RAF | 33,206 | 28,186 | 85% | 1,412 | 4% | 3,599 | 11% | 9 | |
1 April 2015 | |||||||||
All Services | 144,117 | 116,125 | 81% | 13,401 | 9% | 14,547 | 10% | 44 | |
Naval Service3 | 30,058 | 25,338 | 84% | 1,846 | 6% | 2,840 | 9% | 34 | |
Army | 82,231 | 63,854 | 78% | 10,122 | 12% | 8,246 | 10% | 9 | |
RAF | 31,828 | 26,933 | 85% | 1,433 | 5% | 3,461 | 11% | 1 | |
1 April 2016 | |||||||||
All Services | 140,432 | 112,024 | 80% | 13,551 | 10% | 14,822 | 11% | 35 | |
Naval Service3 | 29,702 | 24,850 | 84% | 1,932 | 7% | 2,892 | 10% | 28 | |
Army | 79,746 | 61,431 | 77% | 10,001 | 13% | 8,308 | 10% | 6 | |
RAF | 30,984 | 25,743 | 83% | 1,618 | 5% | 3,622 | 12% | 1 | |
1 April 2017 | |||||||||
All Services | 138,844 | 111,026 | 80% | 13,860 | 10% | 13,916 | 10% | 42 | |
Naval Service3 | 29,584 | 24,793 | 84% | 2,044 | 7% | 2,722 | 9% | 25 | |
Army | 78,407 | 60,532 | 77% | 9,971 | 13% | 7,890 | 10% | 14 | |
RAF | 30,853 | 25,701 | 83% | 1,845 | 6% | 3,304 | 11% | 3 |
1 Full time trade trained and serving against requirement personnel.
2 As at 1 April each year.
3 Includes Royal Navy and Royal Marines.
The table below provides the number and percentage of UK Future Reserves 2020 personnel in each MDS, by Service as at 1 April for each year since 2013. Like for like figures for all three Services are not available prior to October 2012.
All | MFD | MLD | MLD | Unknown MDS | |||||
n | n | % | n | % | n | % | n | % | |
1 April 2013 | |||||||||
All Services | 29,388 | 24,514 | 83% | 2,322 | 8% | 1,422 | 5% | 1,130 | 4% |
Maritime Reserves3 | 2,610 | 2,196 | 84% | 68 | 3% | 49 | 2% | 297 | 11% |
25,238 | 21,056 | 83% | 2,232 | 9% | 1,290 | 5% | 660 | 3% | |
1,540 | 1,262 | 82% | 22 | 1% | 83 | 5% | 173 | 11% | |
1 April 2014 | |||||||||
All Services | 28,147 | 22,935 | 81% | 2,554 | 9% | 1,480 | 5% | 1,178 | 4% |
Maritime Reserves3 | 2,850 | 2,335 | 82% | 106 | 4% | 69 | 2% | 340 | 12% |
Army Reserves | 23,578 | 19,278 | 82% | 2,409 | 10% | 1,319 | 6% | 572 | 2% |
RAF Reserves | 1,719 | 1,322 | 77% | 39 | 2% | 92 | 5% | 266 | 15% |
1 April 2015 | |||||||||
All Services | 30,814 | 23,898 | 78% | 2,770 | 9% | 1,564 | 5% | 2,582 | 8% |
Maritime Reserves3 | 3,157 | 2,457 | 78% | 121 | 4% | 74 | 2% | 505 | 16% |
Army Reserves | 25,438 | 19,884 | 78% | 2,592 | 10% | 1,392 | 5% | 1,570 | 6% |
RAF Reserves | 2,219 | 1,557 | 70% | 57 | 3% | 98 | 4% | 507 | 23% |
1 April 2016 | |||||||||
All Services | 34,755 | 26,180 | 75% | 3,105 | 9% | 1,676 | 5% | 3,794 | 11% |
Maritime Reserves3 | 3,541 | 2,883 | 81% | 131 | 4% | 104 | 3% | 423 | 12% |
Army Reserves | 28,672 | 21,398 | 75% | 2,888 | 10% | 1,480 | 5% | 2,906 | 10% |
RAF Reserves | 2,542 | 1,899 | 75% | 86 | 3% | 92 | 4% | 465 | 18% |
1 April 2017 | |||||||||
All Services | 36,222 | 27,484 | 76% | 3,354 | 9% | 1,808 | 5% | 3,576 | 10% |
Maritime Reserves3 | 3,555 | 2,925 | 82% | 159 | 4% | 108 | 3% | 363 | 10% |
Army Reserves | 29,941 | 22,423 | 75% | 3,092 | 10% | 1,581 | 5% | 2,845 | 10% |
RAF Reserves | 2,726 | 2,136 | 78% | 103 | 4% | 119 | 4% | 368 | 13% |
1 Includes trained and untrained Reservist personnel.
2 As at 1 April each year.
3 Maritime Reserves comprises the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Marine Reserve.
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No0 people think not
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