Which is most important branch of UK Armed Forces? Here's what the British public thinks

Some 22% of the British public think that the Royal Air Force is the most important branch of the UK Armed Forces for national security, a new poll has shown.

The British Army came in second on 21% in the YouGov-commissioned survey of 3,881 British adults, with the Royal Navy in third on 16%. 

The poll comes amid heightened debate over the funding of the UK's Armed Forces, with the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan still not released and a spotlight on British military capabilities as the war in Iran continues to shape the world.

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The RAF, using its Typhoons and F-35 aircraft, has been conducting defensive air patrols over Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to protect the Gulf states from drone and missile attacks from Iran.

The pilots have so far racked up more than 700 flying hours during their missions, the Ministry of Defence said. 

The poll shows very different results when viewed from the perspective of different age groups, as young people aged between 18 and 24 think that the British Army (22%) is the most important service. 

The British Army's boss recently visited Kenya to state that the service has a responsibility to the Kenyan community, among whom it trains at the British Army Training Unit in Kenya. 

By contrast, the RAF steadily takes off in significance with age, given that 23% of 50 to 64-year-olds and close to a third (30%) of those over 65 years old think that the Air Force is crucial to defending the UK. 

From a regional perspective, Londoners believe the British Army and the RAF are of equal value to national security, with 21% of the capital's inhabitants choosing both services. 

Meanwhile, the Welsh reckon that the Royal Navy is the least important service for UK national security, with only 12% of Welsh people considering the Senior Service vital for combating threats from adversaries.