18 Jan 05. BAE Systems North America has achieved another world-class systems and software engineering maturity rating for one of its business units. With more than 60 percent of BAE Systems’ software engineers operating in a CMM level 4 or 5 product development environment – compared to an industry average of approximately 10 percent – BAE Systems is now further expanding its integrated systems and software maturity using CMMI. BAE Systems Communication, Navigation, Identification and Reconnaissance (CNIR) in Wayne, New Jersey, was formally assessed at Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Software Engineering Maturity Level 5 and Systems Engineering/Program Management Maturity Level 3 on Dec. 15. CNIR joins BAE Systems National Security Solutions in San Diego, California, and Reston, Virginia., who have also achieved the Level 5 rating.

11 Jan 05. RAF: Process and Organisation Review (POR). Progress on the POR was released on 11 Jan 05. The POR aims to establish a new HQ organisation, given the future reduced strength of the RAF to 41,000. The main work of the POR is to examine the potential for collocation and rationalisation of the two Command HQ: Strike Command at RAF High Wycombe and Personnel and Training Command at RAF Innsworth. Comment: The current combined staff of the two HQ is about 3,000 and the target for the new organisation is 2,000. The two present sites, High Wycombe and Innsworth, have been identified as the best options for collocation. Firm recommendations are expected to be made to Ministers early in 2006, with the new HQ established no later than 2008. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 05/03, 17 Jan 05)

10 Jan 05. Airfields: Under Review. The Armed Forces’ Minister confirmed that “an extensive review” of the MoD’s future requirement for airfields was taking place, but it would not conclude until “later this year”. The possible consequences for airfields “might be confirmation of a current role, a change in role or, in some cases, closure”. Comment: 73 airfields are being examined, including 50 described as “prime”. Some early results of the study have already been made public. It is assumed that the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) will require two bases and seven RAF Stations are under consideration for the role. Either RAF Kinloss or RAF Waddington is the likely base for the Nimrod MRA4, when the aircraft enters service. The future structure of the University Air Squadrons is also under review. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 05/03, 17 Jan 05)

10 Jan 05. 400 members of the 1st Bn The Royal Highland Fusiliers (1 RHF) are to be deployed from Cyprus to Multinational Division (South East) “for a limited period in support of election security”. (Ministerial Answer
(MA), 10 Jan 05.) The MoD has “no reliable means of ascertaining the number of Iraqi civilians injured by military or terrorist action”. (MA, 10 Jan 05.)
Since February 2003 the UK conducted 2,762 medical evacuations from Iraq, including a small number of entitled civilians and Iraqis. 790 of the medical evacuations were of Service personnel suffering from injuries due to hostile actions, accidents and other incidents. (MA, 10 Jan 05.) As at 6 Jan 05 approximately 8,850 UK Armed Forces personnel were serving on OP TELIC, of whom some 8,050 were based within Iraq. Around 300 RN personnel had been temporarily allocated to OP GARRON (Item 2). The move of 1 RHF personnel from Cyprus adds 400 to the figures. (MA, 10 Jan 05.) A Ministerial Statement (11 Jan 05) announced a continuation of the call-out of the Reserves for service in Iraq. In 2004, some 2,350 Reservists were accepted into service to support Operations In Iraq. A further 900 Army Reservists are to be deployed to Iraq from April 2005, where the majority will serve for six months. Comment: The White House confirmed (12 Jan 05) that the Iraq Survey Group had “essentially ended” its physical search for weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons, which had b