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EUROPE
08 Jun 10. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK. A Lance Bombardier from 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was killed in a small arms engagement in the
Nad ‘Ali District on 8 Jun 10. A Private from 2nd Bn The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment was killed in an explosion in the Nahr-e Saraj District on 9 Jun 10. UK deaths since the start of Operations on 7 Oct 01 thus rose to 294, of whom 260 were killed as a result of hostile action. (MoD, 9 Jun 10.)
Combined Force Nad ‘Ali increased the ‘security footprint’ in the South of Nad ‘Ali District with the establishment of new patrol bases. (MoD, 7 Jun 10.)
“The decision to deploy UK Forces to Helmand followed careful analysis and comprehensive discussion within MoD and across other Departments.” (MoD, 9 Jun 10.)
“We will have successfully completed our military Operations when Afghanistan is stable enough to manage
its own internal and external security…..”. (Defence Secretary, 9 Jan 10.)
The Prime Minister made his first visit to Afghanistan (10/11 Jun 10) since taking office. During a Press conference with the Afghan President, the Prime Minister pledged an extra £67m to counter improvised explosive devices (IED). After Kabul, the Prime Minister visited Camp Bastion. (No 10, 10/11 Jun 10.)
Comment: Clarification of the Prime Minister’s pledge indicated that a ‘significant proportion’ of the £67m is to be spent on vehicles for the EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) community, most of which will be Mastiffs. Additional EOD remotely-controlled vehicles and military working dogs are also to be procured.
‘Snapshot’ figures of trauma cases released by the MoD (10 Jun 10) showed that 51% of casualties were due to IED and 29% to gunshot wounds. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 09/23, 14 June 09)
17 Jun 10. A £7bn project to replace ageing Sea King helicopters that support Britain’s mountain rescue teams has been suspended by the UK government, amid warnings of a wave of “brutal” cuts coming to Scotland.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander announced yesterday that the government had cancelled or frozen £10.5bn of projects announced in the dying days of the previous Labour administration. The suspension of the helicopter contract was by far the biggest cut in a list that includes roads, libraries, sports funding, court buildings and education scholarships. After reviewing 217 projects that were approved between January and May this year, the government accused Labour of trying to buy the election. Twelve projects that would have cost a total of £2bn have been scrapped. A further 12, which would have cost some £8.5bn, have been suspended. (Source: Scotsman)
10 Jun 10. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on June 10 set out austerity principles for the defense alliance with an economic straitjacket to hit defense budgets for years to come.While the former Danish prime minister urged allies not to cut too deeply – saying they could target “fat not muscle” but that “salami-slicing” across the board was inappropriate – he said a “rationalization”