28 Sep 16. Iraq and Syria: OP SHADER. On 23 Sep 16 Typhoons struck two mortar positions in Western Iraq, while a Reaper destroyed a truck loaded with rockets in the North. On the next day a Reaper provided close air support to Iraqi Operations in the Tigris Valley and conducted four attacks on terrorist targets. A Reaper again patrolled the Northern Tigris Valley on
25 Sep 16, delivering four further attacks. On 26 Sep 16 Tornados destroyed two Daesh vehicles in the Qayyarah region as a Reaper destroyed a further vehicle near Sharqat and Typhoons bombed a terrorist position East of Mosul. Typhoons hit a mortar team near Qayyarah as well as another mortar team and an artillery position North of Mosul on 27 Sep 16. (MoD, 28 Sep 16.)
Comment: The Foreign Ministers of France, Italy, Germany, the UK and the US (The Quint) and the EU’s High Representative issued (25 Sep 16) a Joint Statement on Syria. The Ministers called for the creation of “the conditions necessary for the resumption of UN-led talks about a political transition”.
During a visit to Turkey (27 Sep 16) the Foreign Secretary pledged £1m for de-mining projects to allow humanitarian and stabilisation efforts to begin in Northern Syrian towns recently liberated from Daesh. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/38, 03 Oct 16)
27 Sep 16. Bulgaria: Defence Secretary Visits. The Defence Secretary visited Bulgaria (27 Sep 16); the first by a British Defence Secretary for over 20 years. (It was also the first visit by a UK Cabinet member since the UK’s EU referendum.) The Defence Secretary said he was “committed to helping Bulgaria deal with increased militarisation in the Crimea and the Black Sea and greater Russian military transfers through the Bosporus”.
Comment: During a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart, the Defence Secretary confirmed that the UK would send a Type 45 destroyer to the Black Sea in Spring 2017 “as a demonstration of the UK’s on-going commitment to support Bulgaria, NATO’s Southern flank and wider shared security interests”. The visit follows on from the UK gift of 40 Land Rovers to the Bulgarian Border Force. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/38, 03 Oct 16)
29 Sep 16. Albania: Defence Secretary Visits. The MoD reported (29 Sep 16) on a two-day visit to Albania by the Defence Secretary. During the visit to Tirana and to the mountain training area of Biza, the Defence Secretary met the Albanian Prime Minister and Defence Minister as well as witnessing Royal Marines and soldiers taking part in EX JOINT EFFORT. The Exercise is the first to be held since it was announced that Albania is to contribute a Light Infantry Company to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force when the UK leads the Task Force in 2017.
Comment: Albania has become an important training destination for the UK. Later in the month (October 2016) approximately 1,500 RN personnel are to take part for the fifth consecutive year in the amphibious EX ALBION LION, joining 250 members of the Albanian Armed Forces. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/38, 03 Oct 16)
29 Sep 16. Solomon Islands: OP RENDER SAFE. MoD (Army) reported (29 Sep 16) that an explosive ordnance disposal team found and destroyed over 800 kilograms of unexploded World War II munitions during OP RENDER SAFE in the Solomon Islands. The team from 33 Engineer Regiment worked with the Royal Solomon Island Police Force to locate the explosive remnants of war in the jungle and in the waters around Russell Island. The team found over 680 individual items in the first 10 days of the Operations, ranging from grenades and 37mm projectiles to 75mm anti-tank rounds and 105mm high explosive projectiles.
Comment: OP RENDER SAFE is a current Australian Defence Force commitment to explosive ordnance disposal in the South West Pacific. Over 180 personnel from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK are involved in the present Operation. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 16/38, 03 O