In Pictures
Picture 23: HMS Gloucester approaching Angostura Inglesa [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 22: A Combat Logistics Patrol in southern Afghanistan [Picture: Ben Park, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 21: Soldiers from Command Troop, The Light Dragoons, stand guard over their camp on Salisbury Plain, supported by a Sultan Command Vehicle [Picture: Cpl Rupert Frere RLC, MOD/Crown Copyright 2009]
Picture 20: HMS Daring [Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 19: A local Afghan resident completes his registration documents at a mobile voter registration unit in advance of the elections in August 2009 [Picture: Sgt Dan Harmer, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 18: The daughters of Gary Thompson, the oldest serviceman to die in Afghanistan - from left: Laurie, Jade, Aimee, Kelly and Jordan [Picture: via MOD]
Picture 17: A member of Lima Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines, and his explosives-detecting dog take a break in Helmand province [Picture: James Elmer, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 16: An Australian gunner from 4th Field Regiment Royal Australian Artillery fires the 105mm 'Dragon' field gun [Picture: Cpl Dan Bardsley RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 15: A female Afghan National Police member carries out small arms training on a firing range in Helmand, southern Afghanistan [Picture: Corporal Steve Wood, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 14: Tornado GR4 pilots arrive back at RAF Marham [Picture: SAC Ellie Insley, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 13: Fitting-out continues on new attack submarine Astute in Barrow-in-Furness [Picture: Mike Vallance, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 12: Private Barry Dougan of The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, cautiously approaches a room in a compound searching for narcotics and illegal weapons during a patrol in Afghanistan [Picture: Cpl Rupert Frere, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 11: A British Army infantryman adopts a firing position alongside a scaled-down soldier [Picture: Harland Quarrington, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 10: A 1 (Fighter) Squadron Harrier pilot prepares for take-off [Picture: SAC Neil Chapman, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 9: Royal Marines take a spin in one of their new armoured raiding craft [Picture: PO(Phot) Sean Clee, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 8: A Guardsman shouts information back as the men of 7 Platoon, 2 Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, go through a compound assault in Afghanistan [Picture: Corporal Dan Bardsley RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 7: 20th Armoured Brigade's flag is lowered at Basra's Contingency Operating Base [Picture: Corporal Williams RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 6: A Merlin helicopter from RAF Benson is loaded onto a C-17 at RAF Brize Norton for delivery to Afghanistan [Picture: Steve Lympany, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 5: A captured 'go fast' vessel, which posed a hazard to shipping, is destroyed by HMS Iron Duke's upper deck guns [Picture: LA(Phot) Stuart Hill, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 4: A young girl runs into the arms of her soldier mother as the 40th Regiment Royal Artillery return to Lisburn Barracks in Northern Ireland after six months in Afghanistan [Picture: Corporal Gabriel Moreno RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 3: Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore became the first ever female member of the world-famous Red Arrows display team this year [Picture: SAC Ben Stevenson, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 2: A flypast of Royal Navy Merlin, Sea King and Lynx helicopters over London for Fly Navy 100 [Picture: LA(Phot) Caroline Davies, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
Picture 1: A Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter lands during a resupply of ground forces [Picture: Sgt Dan Harmer, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]