All military operations within the UK fall under the generic title of UK Operations (UK Ops), which comprises the Armed Forces' response to a wide range of contingencies and emergencies during peace, periods of tension and crisis and war.

For the majority of UK Ops, the command structure will utilise the Army's regional forces structure.  For most small and medium crises the Regional Forces Brigade in whose area of operations the disaster is will work direct to the HQ of the Standing Joint Force Commander (UK)'s staff at HQ Land Forces, keeping the Div HQ aware of the situation. 

For larger operations and where the crisis spreads across into another brigade's area the Div HQ will interpose as the co-ordinating HQ.  2nd Division's area of operations covers Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the North of England.  To affect this military assistance there exists a comprehensive system of liaison in each brigade and across to the RN and RAF who are in close touch with the relevant emergency services and local authorities.

Former examples of military assistance to other government departments include the Foot and Mouth crisis and the firemen's industrial action in 2002.  More recently the armed forces have assisted in the Carlisle floods in 2005 and the South Yorkshire and Humberside flooding of 2007 and Belfast in 2008.

Although the armed forces are not currently well placed to bring large scale assistance as in the past, there is plenty of scope for smaller more localised support.  Examples of local response include assisting the police with rescuing motorists stranded in snowdrifts in Lancashire and Yorkshire in early 2009.