Northwood Headquarters
Encyclopedia
Northwood Headquarters is a military
headquarters
facility of the British Armed Forces
in Eastbury, Hertfordshire
, England
, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to three command and control functions of the British armed forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); Permanent Joint Headquarters
, Commander in Chief Fleet and the NATO Regional Command, Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood.
, in 1939 the Royal Air Force
took over the site for the use of RAF Coastal Command
which made use of the Eastbury house and also created a network of underground bunkers and operations blocks. The house was used as an Officers' Mess though was subsequently damaged by fire. The RAF vacated the site in 1969.
In 1953, the NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic Area, who was also Commander-in-Chief Fleet
, established his Headquarters at Northwood.
In April 1963 the Naval unit at Northwood was commissioned as HMS Warrior
and in September 1971 the Royal Navy took over responsibility for the whole site. In 1978 the Flag Officer Submarines also moved his Headquarters to Northwood.
As HQ of the Commander-in-Chief Fleet
the site was the controlling Headquarters for Operation Corporate
, the Falklands War
.
The site falls under the authority of Chief of Joint Operations following a handover from the Commander-in-Chief Fleet
in 2002.
In 2006 major construction works commenced to improve the functionality of the site: the works, which involve the refurbishment or replacement of many of the key buildings for the Permanent Joint Headquarters
, are being carried under a Private Finance Initiative
contract by Carillion.
The main entrance to the base is located on Sandy Lane, Northwood.
joint military operation
. PJHQ is headed by the Chief of Joint Operations. Single-service operations remain under the OPCON of the appropriate front-line command.
Commander in Chief Fleet from April 1963, shortly after the transfer of the Home Fleet ashore in 1960.
Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands
by Argentinian
forces in 1982, CINCFLEET was given command of the operation to recover the islands. The Operation was directed from Northwood with CINCFLEET staff augmented by personnel from corresponding UK Land Forces and RAF Strike Command
headquarters.
In 2002, following a rationalisation, CINCFLEET moved the majority of the staff to Portsmouth
, moving into HMS Excellent in 2004. Commander Operations remains with the current operations staff on the Northwood site and CINCFLEET retains an office in addition to the Portsmouth location.
Commander Operations is also commander of the corresponding NATO regional HQ.
Previously AMCCN was designed Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT) as part of Allied Command Atlantic
.
AMCCN provides the Northern Maritime command element of AJFCB to Allied Command Operations
.
A headquarters structure is available for the command of European Union
military operation. Personnel to support this structure would be seconded from existing NATO and national posts in the site, augmented from elsewhere as required.
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
facility of the British Armed Forces
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
in Eastbury, Hertfordshire
Eastbury, Hertfordshire
Eastbury is a settlement in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood in Hillingdon. Other settlements nearby include Moor Park and South Oxhey, and Eastbury is about equal distance between the Northwood and Moor Park tube stations . Northwood...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to three command and control functions of the British armed forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO); Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters
The Permanent Joint Headquarters is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London....
, Commander in Chief Fleet and the NATO Regional Command, Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood.
History
The headquarters is based on the grounds of Eastbury Park, the estate purchased by David Carnegie in 1857. During the Second World WarWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1939 the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
took over the site for the use of RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force . Founded in 1936, it was the RAF's premier maritime arm, after the Royal Navy's secondment of the Fleet Air Arm in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period, 1919–1939, and as a consequence the service did not receive...
which made use of the Eastbury house and also created a network of underground bunkers and operations blocks. The house was used as an Officers' Mess though was subsequently damaged by fire. The RAF vacated the site in 1969.
In 1953, the NATO Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic Area, who was also Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
, established his Headquarters at Northwood.
In April 1963 the Naval unit at Northwood was commissioned as HMS Warrior
HMS Warrior
At least five ships and one shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Warrior.*HMS Warrior was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1781. She became a receiving ship after 1818, a convict ship after 1840, and was broken up in 1857.*HMS Warrior was the Royal Navy's first...
and in September 1971 the Royal Navy took over responsibility for the whole site. In 1978 the Flag Officer Submarines also moved his Headquarters to Northwood.
As HQ of the Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
the site was the controlling Headquarters for Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate was the codename given to the 1982 British military involvement in the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War. The commander of task force operations was Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse. Operations lasted from 1 April 1982 to 20 June 1982....
, the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
The site falls under the authority of Chief of Joint Operations following a handover from the Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Commander-in-Chief Fleet is the admiral responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the British Royal Navy...
in 2002.
In 2006 major construction works commenced to improve the functionality of the site: the works, which involve the refurbishment or replacement of many of the key buildings for the Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters
The Permanent Joint Headquarters is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London....
, are being carried under a Private Finance Initiative
Private Finance Initiative
The private finance initiative is a way of creating "public–private partnerships" by funding public infrastructure projects with private capital...
contract by Carillion.
The main entrance to the base is located on Sandy Lane, Northwood.
Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) is a tri-service organisation holding Operational Control of British armed forcesBritish Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
joint military operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
. PJHQ is headed by the Chief of Joint Operations. Single-service operations remain under the OPCON of the appropriate front-line command.
Royal Navy
Northwood, as HMS Warrior, was the flagship of the Royal Navy'sRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Commander in Chief Fleet from April 1963, shortly after the transfer of the Home Fleet ashore in 1960.
Following the invasion of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
by Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
forces in 1982, CINCFLEET was given command of the operation to recover the islands. The Operation was directed from Northwood with CINCFLEET staff augmented by personnel from corresponding UK Land Forces and RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
headquarters.
In 2002, following a rationalisation, CINCFLEET moved the majority of the staff to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, moving into HMS Excellent in 2004. Commander Operations remains with the current operations staff on the Northwood site and CINCFLEET retains an office in addition to the Portsmouth location.
Commander Operations is also commander of the corresponding NATO regional HQ.
NATO and the EU
The NATO regional command, Allied Maritime Component Command Northwood, an element of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, is based in the site. Commander AMCCN is CINCFLEET Commander Operations.Previously AMCCN was designed Commander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic (CINCEASTLANT) as part of Allied Command Atlantic
Allied Command Transformation
Allied Command Transformation is a NATO military command, which was formed in 2003 after North Atlantic Treaty Organisation restructuring....
.
AMCCN provides the Northern Maritime command element of AJFCB to Allied Command Operations
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
.
A headquarters structure is available for the command of European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
military operation. Personnel to support this structure would be seconded from existing NATO and national posts in the site, augmented from elsewhere as required.
Support units
The three Headquarters Staffs are supported by:- Joint Support Unit Northwood, providing administrative support, life support, facilities and supplier management.
- Defence Communication Services AgencyDefence Communication Services AgencyThe Defence Communication Services Agency was responsible for the delivery of Information and Communication Services across the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence from 1 April 1998 to March/April 2007...
regional office, London and Northwood providing Communications and Information Systems support.
- A detachment of Fleet Protection Group Royal MarinesFleet Protection Group Royal MarinesThe Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines , formerly Comacchio Company Royal Marines and Comacchio Group Royal Marines , is a commando-sized specialist unit of the Royal Marines responsible for guarding the United Kingdom's Naval nuclear weapons and other security-related duties.-History:On 1 May...
personnel providing force protection.