NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
03 Dec 08. Major Equipment Review next week? Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that UK Defence Secretary, John Hutton will deliver his promised Equipment Review next week just prior to Parliament Winter Recess. Topics expected are delay/extension or cancellation to the FRES UV Requirement; go ahead for FRES Scout; go ahead for Warrior WFLIP Programme; mothballing the bulk of the AS90 fleet as with Challenger 2, retaining 100 C2 vehicles; cancellation of the Comprehensive Whole Fleet Management Requirement; change to AVSI giving the IPTs more control. It is not known what RAF and Naval Programmes are affected. The result is likely to lead to further job losses across the board – just before Christmas.
24 Nov 08. Pre-Budget Report: Defence Expenditure. Presenting his Pre-Budget Report (24 Nov 08), the Chancellor of the Exchequer did not mention Defence during a 55-minute speech. MoD Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) were confirmed in the Report as:-
£M Outturn 07/08 Estimate 08/09 Plan 09/10 Plan 10/11
Resource 35,800 37,300 35,200 36,700
Capital 7,900 8,000 8,200 8,900
Total DEL 43,700 45,300 43,400 45,600
As % of TME 7.5% 7.3% 6.6% 6.7%
(TME = Total Managed Expenditure)
The MoD subsequently (25 Nov 08) released details of additional funding requested for Operations. Over and above the core Defence Budget, £1,397m has been granted for Iraq and £2,318m for Afghanistan during 2008/09. A further supplementary estimate is likely to be submitted before the end of the 2008/09 financial year.
Comment: The Chancellor intends to ‘bring forward’ some £3,000m of capital spending from 2010/11, with the money to be spent on motorways, social housing, schools and energy efficiency measures (but not on Defence programmes). The Pre-Budget Report is published as Command 7484, for 45:00. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0847, 01 Dec 08)
25 Nov 08. Iraq: OP TELIC. Up to 21 Harrier aircraft were deployed in support of OP TELIC between February and May 2003. (Ministerial Answer (MA), 25 Nov 08). [Correction to an MA of 17 Nov 08 which stated that Harrier had never been deployed on OP TELIC.]
“We currently have no legislation dealing directly with the overseas operations of UK-based private military and security companies.” (MA, 25 Nov 08.)
Comment: The Defence Secretary released (25 Nov 08) a Written Statement on the restructuring of Coalition Regional Commands in Iraq. MND (South East), now consisting solely of Basrah Province, “remains focussed on developing the rapidly improving 14th Division”.(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0847, 01 Dec 08)
24 Nov 08. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. A Marine from 45 Commando was killed as a result of an explosion in the Kajaki area of Helmand Province on 24 Nov 08. Two Marines from 42 Commando were killed by enemy fire North West of Lashkar Gah on 27 Nov 08. UK deaths since the start of Operations in October 2001 thus rose to 128, of whom 101 were killed as a result of hostile action. (MoD, 27 Nov 08.)
Royal Engineers completed the construction of two checkpoints near Lashkar Gah as part of the continuing security operation in the area. (MoD, 24 Nov 08.)
“We do not comment on future troops deployments but our Force levels are kept under regular review….”(MA, 24 Nov 08.)
25 UK military personnel are currently based in Pakistan. (MA, 24 Nov 08.) No UK military personnel are embedded with Pakistani combat units although one is attached to a training unit. (MA, 25 Nov 08.)
Helmand Province continues to present significant security challenges…. (MA, 25 Nov 08.)
“Close Air Support is only used when there is a direct threat to Coalition Forces and there is minimal risk of civilian casualties.” (MoD, 27 Nov 08.)
Comment: The Foreign Affairs Committee announced (27 Nov 08) that it is to hold an Inquiry into ‘