Every UK Overseas Military Base, Mapped

This video explains Britain’s global network of overseas military bases. Using publicly available data, we created a map of every country and oversea territory with a British controlled base. Along the way we examine how the bases came into being, why Britain has so many and what they are used for today. TIMECODES 0:00 What are these bases? 0:45 How big is Britain's military? 1:09 Why bases abroad? 1:41 How many bases? 2:30 The map 3:15 How does Britain compare? 3:46 Why so many? 5:18 Training bases 6:45 Middle East bases 9:27 Euro-Atlantic bases 11:21 Americas bases 12:25 Indo-Asia-Pacific bases 14:00 Can Britain use them? FILM CLIPS Explore and licence the IWM film clips used in this video: https://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/collections/_V9Vpz7aO CREDITS Unless otherwise noted UK MOD footage, is used under the MOD Crown Copyright News / Editorial Licence: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/crown-copyright-mod-news-licence/mod-crown-copyright-news-editorial-licence UK MOD Images used under Open Government Licence: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ US Department of War footage/images are in the public domain. The appearance of this visual information does not imply or constitute endorsement. Vanguard class SSBN Outline by Mike1979 Russia via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 4.0 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA https://x.com/I_W_M https://instagram.com/imperialwarmuseums https://facebook.com/iwm.london https://tiktok.com/@imperialwarmuseums REFERENCES 1. https://www.iiss.org/publications/the-military-balance/2026/the-military-balance-2026/global-defence-spending/ 2. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2026/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-1-january-2026#:~:text=The%20current%20Strength%20(at%201,UK%20Regular%20Forces 3. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-equipment-and-formations-2025/uk-armed-forces-equipment-and-formations-2025 4.https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/683d89f181deb72cce2680a5/The_Strategic_Defence_Review_2025_-_Making_Britain_Safer_-_secure_at_home__strong_abroad.pdf 5. https://www.declassifieduk.org/revealed-the-uk-militarys-overseas-base-network-involves-145-sites-in-42-countries/ 6. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-2026/quarterly-service-personnel-statistics-1-january-2026#further-information 7. https://iari.site/2024/06/12/the-strategic-importance-of-djibouti-for-the-world-superpowers/ 8. https://www.cato.org/commentary/750-bases-80-countries-too-many-any-nation-time-us-bring-its-troops-home 9. https://defencehq.medium.com/batus-the-canadian-prairie-home-to-the-armys-biggest-playground-1c6806ed9eac 10. https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/21/transforming-the-british-army-estate-in-belize/ 11. https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/global-operations/brunei/ 12. https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/global-operations/africa/batuk/ 13. https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/global-operations/europe/germany/ 14. https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8794/CBP-8794.pdf 15. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g74npdwnyo 16. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2r1xldl1ko 17. https://news.sky.com/story/inside-the-base-where-raf-aces-are-shooting-down-iranian-drones-13538059 + https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/12/uk-military-bases-cyprus-not-up-for-negotiation/ 18. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/136461/pdf/ 19. https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/guardians-of-the-sky-air-policing/ + https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/how-the-royal-air-force-deployed-to-estonia/ + https://www.gov.uk/government/news/raf-typhoons-begin-nato-air-policing-mission-in-lithuania + https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/op-chessman-raf-typhoons-arrive-in-poland-for-enhanced-air-policing-mission/ 20. https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2023/march/08/230308-campvikingnorway 21. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-steps-up-defence-of-arctic-and-high-north-from-rising-russian-threats 22. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a790a78ed915d07d35b4643/overseas_territories.pdf 23. https://www.ascension.gov.ac/travel-and-shipping/travel-by-air 24. https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-01-12/122058 25. https://www.army.mod.uk/learn-and-explore/about-the-army/corps-regiments-and-units/brigade-of-gurkhas/british-gurkhas-nepal/ 26. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckdg7jjlx2go 27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9dqg3nqynlo 28. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04x1lg1lygo 29. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/mod-criticised-after-delay-in-sending-hms-dragon-to-cyprus