NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
14 Oct 07. Iraq: OP TELIC. A (female) Lance Corporal from the Royal Logistic Corps died on 14 Oct 07 from injuries that she sustained in a traffic accident in Qatar on 3 Oct 07. UK deaths since the start of the Campaign thus rose to 171, of whom 109 have been classified as Killed in Action and 24 as Died of Wounds sustained in action. (MoD, 16 Oct 07.)
From Spring 2008 around 2,500 UK personnel will be based in Southern Iraq with the majority located at the Contingency Operating Base at Basrah Air Station. (Ministerial Answer (MA), 15 Oct 07.)
The process of moving 500 logistic and support staff from Iraq to “elsewhere in the region” will begin shortly. (MA, 15 Oct 07.)
Approximately two-thirds of UK Service personnel in Iraq are accommodated in tents. The tents are protected against direct and indirect attack and are air conditioned, heated and equipped with full sanitation facilities. (MA, 17 Oct 07.)
As at 30 Sep 07, four members of the Territorial Army (TA) and one Regular Reservist have been killed on Operations in Iraq since 2003 while two TA members have been killed in Afghanistan. (MA, 17 Oct 07.)
The Iraqi Air Force currently has about 1,200 personnel and operates 50 aircraft. (MA, 18 Oct 07.)
Comment: The Defence Secretary said (15 Oct 07) that the objectives of UK Forces operating along the Iraq-Iran border were “to enhance border security and deter and intercept the smuggling of illegal weapons….”.(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0741, 22 Oct 07)
15 Oct 07. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. The UK currently provides five Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT) to 3 Brigade, Afghan National Army; one for each Kandak (or Battalion). The OMLT are predominantly drawn from an Infantry Battalion, currently 1st Bn Grenadier Guards but soon to be 2nd Bn The Yorkshire Regiment. The combined strength of the OMLT is about 250. (MA, 15 Oct 07.)
From June 2006 to September 2007 the estimated amount of ammunition used by UK Forces was: 5.56mm – 1,100,000 rounds; 7.62mm – 1,600,000 rounds and 105mm High Explosive – 12,000 rounds. (MA, 15 Oct 07.)
1st Bn The Royal Anglian Regiment returned to Pirbright on 16 Oct 07 and 23 Pioneer Regiment to Bicester on 17 Oct 07. (MoD.)
Comment: An article in ‘The Economist’ (20 Oct 07) suggests that the Campaign in Afghanistan is “straining” NATO. The article lists ISAF’s main troop-contributing nations as: US – 15,108; UK – 5,291; Germany – 3,155; Italy – 2,395; Canada – 1,730; The Netherlands – 1,516; Turkey – 1,220 & France – 1,073. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0741, 22 Oct 07)
24 Oct 07. General Dynamics builds FRES Supply Chain in the North. Sheffield event builds on existing Bowman supply chain and current FRES programme in support of Defence Industrial Strategy. General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited (GDUK), a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), is continuing to build its supply chain for the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) programme. Delegates from over 120 companies attended a supply chain conference on 25 October at Sheffield’s Innovation Technology Centre. The event is being staged in partnership with NDI, the Northern Defence Industries body, and will give delegates the opportunity to learn more about PIRANHA. The vehicle itself, fresh from the British Army’s FRES Utility Vehicle trials at Bovington, will be on display outside the Technology Centre, while GDUK will be displaying its Crew Station Demonstrator inside the hall.
Oct 07. General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited recently held an Open Innovation Day for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to identify potential technology partners. The event, organised in collaboration with SEEDA’s Innovation Advisory Service, highlighted the importance of SMEs in the UK. SMEs have been a key contributor to the development of innovative technologies at General Dynamics UK, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD). As the bigges