The UK has played an active role in 10 conflicts in the last 43 years, JD Vance
His Majesty's Armed Forces as it exists today can be traced back 500 years, but it's experience on the frontline is not resigned to history.
JD Vance, the American vice-president, has suggested otherwise, describing the United States' long-standing ally as "some random country that hasn't fought a war in 30 or 40 years".
In recent weeks, Sir Keir Starmer has pushed to be seen leading a European response to ending the war in Ukraine.
The so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' putting troops on the ground in defence of Ukrainian peace is expected to include France and other allies from across the continent and possibly the Atlantic.
Here is a list of all the wars the UK has been involved with across the last 40 years.
Ukraine conflict 2014-present
Britain has been one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine in its fight for freedom against the Russian aggressor.
Despite not fielding troops in combat, the UK has supplied vital training and weapons to its ally.
Coalition against Islamic State 2014-present
British forces joined an international coalition targeting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
Operation Shader's most significant contribution has been RAF air strikes against pockets of ISIS fighters.
Yemen Conflict 2014-present
The Uk has supported a coalition preventing attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea in the wake of the long-running conflict.
Libyan Civil War 2011
The conflict in Northern Africa saw British and Nato countries aligning with rebels to defeat Mummar Gaddafi.
War in Afghanistan 2001-2021
Against the backdrop of the War on Terror, British troops deployed alongside a coalition of western countries, including the United States tasked with rooting out the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
Over the 20 years of fighting on Operation Herrick, 457 UK personnel were killed.
The fallout from 9/11 was the only time in Nato's history when Article 5 has been invoked.
Iraq War 2003-2009
Tasked with toppling Sadam Hussein's decades-old regime, British forces joined a US-led coalition searching for weapons of mass destruction.
Across the conflict, the UK took 179 casualties but were ultimately successful in overthrowing Saddam, despite not finding any weapons of mass destruction.
Sierra Leone Civil War 2000-2002
The United Kingdom declared an intervention in the West African conflict after the UN mission failed.
The war between rebel forces for control of Sierra Leone's rich diamond deposits resulted in only a single British casualty but tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
Balkans Wars 1992-1999
British troops served alongside Nato allies in the breadth of civil wars in Eastern Europe.
The conflicts saw some of the worst ethnic cleansing since the Second World War.
Gulf War 1990-1991
During the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, British forces lined up alongside an American-led coalition to liberate the Middle Eastern nation.
In the short war, 47 British servicemen were killed.
Falklands War 1982
In a surprise attack on British sovereign territory, the Royal Navy sent a fleet to retake the Falklands islands from Argentina.
In the war in that lasted two months, 255 British troops lost their lives.
Backlash to Vance's comments
UK politicians have hit back at JD Vance's comments, which were made during an interview with Fox News.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said it was "deeply offensive to ignore such service and sacrifice".
He added that Britain "came to their aid deploying thousands of personnel to Afghanistan, including my own brother" in support of the US after 9/11.
Former Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said he made the "mistake" of reading JD Vance's book, where the vice-president detailed his time serving in the US military.
"By his own admission he spent his time in the Marines 'writing articles and taking pictures'," he said.
"Perhaps if he had got his hands dirty serving his country like so many of his fellow American and British veterans… he might not be so quick to dismiss their sacrifice."
The PM's spokesman said: "The Prime Minister and, I think, this whole country is full of admiration for British troops who served, for instance, in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom have lost their lives in the process, and obviously alongside allies, including the United States."
"This is absurdly dishonest," JD Vance said in response to the backlash. "I don't even mention the UK or France in the clip, both of whom have fought bravely alongside the US over the last 20 years and beyond.
"But let's be direct: there are many countries who are volunteering (privately or publicly) support who have neither the battlefield experience nor the military equipment to do anything meaningful."
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