The Naval Service had 39,400 regular personnel as of April 2006. The Royal Navy is a constituent component of the Naval Service, which also comprises the Royal Marines, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and associated reserve forces under command. There are currently 90 commissioned ships in the Royal Navy, including aircraft carriers, submarines, mine counter-measures and patrol vessels as well as the ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The Royal Navy is the second largest navy in the world in terms of gross tonnage. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, its role for the 21st century has returned to focus on global expeditionary ( blue water) operations. During the Cold War, it was transformed into primarily an anti-submarine force, hunting for Soviet submarines, being mostly active in the North Atlantic Ocean. From the early 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, it was the largest and most powerful navy in the world, helping to establish the British Empire as the dominant power of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service).
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