24 Feb 16. Iraq and Syria: OP SHADER. Tornados destroyed a terrorist weapons factory in Mosul on 24 Feb 16. On the next day Tornados and Typhoons conducted five attacks in Iraq and Syria, destroying weapon positions and bunkers. On 26 Feb 16 Tornados and Typhoons conducted three attacks in Northern Iraq. On 28 Feb 16 Tornados and Typhoons conducted three further attacks in Northern Iraq while a Reaper carried out five attacks in Northern Syria. (MoD, 1 Mar 16.)
Comment: In addition to the above ‘strikes,’ RAF aircraft undertook extensive reconnaissance activity and strategic surveillance. On the ground, British military instructors continued to assist in the Coalition programme for training the Iraqi security forces. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/10, 07 Mar 16)
02 Mar 16. Afghanistan: All Change. (US) General J M Nicholson replaced (US) General J F Campbell in command of NATO’s RESOLUTE SUPPORT mission on 2 Mar 16. (NATO, 2 Mar 16.)
The Armed Forces. Minister met personnel from 2nd and 6th Bns The Royal Regiment of Scotland on their return from Kabul, where they had been training Afghan security forces. (MoD, 3 Mar 16.)
Comment: As Commander of the RESOLUTE SUPPORT mission, General Nicholson leads NATO’s effort to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces and help them to improve their effectiveness.
6 SCOTS is a Reserve unit within 51st Infantry Brigade and it was claimed that the deployment “was an opportunity for the two units, Regular and Reserve, to put their interoperability into force.”.
(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/10, 07 Mar 16)
03 Mar 16. Ukraine: Numbers Deployed. The Armed Forces. Minister said (3 Mar 16) that, in addition to the three members of the Armed Forces
permanently based in Ukraine, there were 53 military personnel deployed in Ukraine providing training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 40 of the 53 are from 1st Bn The Mercian Regiment and the remainder from a number of units.
Comment: An earlier (18 Jan 16) Parliamentary Answer confirmed the support given to Ukraine from the Government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) which is a ‘cross-Whitehall’ fund. The CSSF
Ukraine programme supports a number of interventions including peace-building activities and support to international organisations.
(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/10, 07 Mar 16)
29 Feb 16. Tunisia: Training Assistance. The Defence Secretary announced (29 Feb 16) that military personnel “are providing mobile patrolling and
surveillance training in Tunisia”. A Short Term Training Team of about 20, from 4th Infantry Brigade, has been deployed to train Tunisian forces responsible for countering illegal cross-border movement from Libya.
Comment: The UK team is training Commanders from the 1st Tunisian Brigade and the above deployment follows-on from a previous exercise with the Tunisian Brigade Headquarters. Both deployments are said (by the Defence Secretary) to point to the strengthened Defence relationship between the UK and Tunisia. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/10, 07 Mar 16)
03 Mar 16. Successor SSBN: Funding. The Defence Procurement Minister issued (3 Mar 16) a Written Statement about the new fleet of four
Successor ballistic missile submarines. The Minister confirmed plans to invest $642m to supplement the Successor Assessment Phase of £3,300m; bringing the total Assessment Phase commitment to £3,900m. The Successor programme is expected to cost £31,000m, to which the Government has added £10,000m of ‘contingency’ funding.
Comment: An explanatory note from the MoD (3 Mar 16) stated that the £642m included £225m for new facilities at BAE Systems, Barrow-in-Furness. The funding will also see “significant investment” in the UK/US
collaborative Common Missile Compartment and some £200m towards the submarine’s power plant. The MoD published (26 Feb 16) an article on the UK.s nuclear deterrence which includes a policy paper on ‘UK