16 Mar 16. Budget 2016: Defence Aspects. In his Budget Statement (16 Mar 16), the Chancellor of the Exchequer made no reference to the Armed Forces or to Defence. Figures released in Budget 2016 (the Red Book) show MoD Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL), which are also expressed as a percentage of Total Managed Expenditure (TME) in the following Table:-
MoD Budget Allocations
£M 2015/16E 2016/17P 2017/18P 2018/19P 2019/20 P
Resource DEL 27,600 27,700 28,500 29,100 30,000
Capital DEL 7,600 7,300 7,500 7,800 8,100
Total DEL 35,200 35,000 36,000 36,900 38,100
% TME 4.7% 4.5% 4.6% 4.6% 4.7%
Comment: ‘Budget 2016’ is published as HC 901 and the above figures are derived from Tables 2.3, 2.4 & 2.4a. The Defence Secretary announced (14 Mar 16) that the baseline profit rate for contracts awarded without competition is to be set at 8.95% for the next 12 months (effective from 1 Apr 16). The current baseline profit rate is 10.6%.(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/12, 21 Mar 16)
12 Mar 16. Iraq and Syria: OP SHADER. The Defence Secretary offered more troops in support of the Iraqi Security Forces. Training was required in logistics and bridge building and there was also a need for specialist medical staff. (MoD, 12 Mar 16.)
RAF aircraft continued daily armed reconnaissance missions over Iraq and Syria and have conducted attacks on a number of Daesh targets. On 11 Mar 16 a Reaper conducted two attacks and assisted three other coalition attacks West of Sinjar. A Reaper engaged a terrorist rocket team on 12 Mar 16 before assisting in a coalition attack. On 13 Mar 16 Typhoons destroyed the entrance to a tunnel system West of Ramadi and on the following day, Tornados and Typhoons supported Kurdish forces in Northern Iraq. (MoD, 15 Mar 16.)
The Foreign Secretary made a Statement (15 Mar 16) in the House of Commons on Syria: Russian Redeployment and the Peace Process. The Foreign Secretary was keen to emphasise that no independent evidence had been seen “to verify Russia’s claims that military withdrawals have already begun”.
Comment: The MoD stated (12 Mar 16) that the British Army had helped to train over 6,500 Iraqi personnel to date, while the RAF had flown some 2,200 missions in Iraq and Syria against Daesh. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/12, 21 Mar 16)
17 Mar 16. Ukraine: Defence Agreement. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ukraine was signed by the Armed Forces’ Minister (17 Mar 16) in Kyiv. The Ukrainian Minister of Defence signed the MoU on behalf of his Country. The agreement is to last for 15 years and covers: sharing information on threats; joint exercises; training and co-operation over military equipment.
Comment: In the past year, the UK has trained some 2,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces through courses on: improvised explosive devices; operating in urban environments; medical care; logistics and operational planning. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/12, 21 Mar 16)
19 Mar 16. Royal Navy: ‘Robot War Games.’ The Royal Navy is to host a large scale demonstration of maritime autonomous systems, as part of the wider EX JOINT WARRIOR, in October 2016. The results of EX UNMANNED WARRIOR “will allow the Navy to explore the feasibility of increasing the use of unmanned and autonomous systems in delivering maritime capability in the future”.
Comment: The above Royal Navy statement followed publication in the Financial Times (18 Mar 16) of details about EX UNMANNED WARRIOR. The paper’s Defence Editor forecast that the Exercise would showcase those unmanned craft which may “play a central role in British military Operations”. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/12, 21 Mar 16)
18 Mar 16. HMS ARTFUL: Commissioned. Third of Class HMS ARTFUL was commissioned on 18 Mar 16 at HM Naval Base Clyde. ARTFUL is the first Royal Navy submarine to be fitted with the Comm