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14 Nov 14. DSG decision this week. Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the Government will announce the Preferred Bidder for the management of the UK Defence Support Group (DSG) on November 21st. It is believed that the Minister Michael Fallon signed off the deal on November 14th. Originally the announcement was due to be made in December but it is believed to have been brought forward due to the possibility of the news leaking out. Of the four remaining bidders, Babcock, DynCorp, Carillion and KBR Rheinmetall, the source suggested that the Babcock and DynCorp were the front runners with little to choose between the two. The final bid price will be of great interest as it is believed that DSG is valued at £27m on the MoD’s books. However, sources suggest that there is a twist in the announcement as the clock won’t start until December 5th. Is this just timing or a final best and final request to the two final bidders?
12 Nov 14. Sierra Leone: OP GRITROCK. The Armed Forces. Minister visited British troops deployed in Sierra Leone, including 22 Field Hospital and the Royal Engineers supervising construction of Ebola treatment centres. (MoD, 12 Nov 14.)
The Foreign Secretary met British military and civilian aid workers who are part of the UK effort fighting Ebola in Sierra Leone. The Foreign Secretary also met President Koroma to confirm the UK’s commitment and discuss progress to date while tackling the crisis. (FCO, 12 Nov 14.)
Around 820 Armed Forces personnel are now in Sierra Leone, alongside staff from the FCO and DfID. The international response to Ebola is to be discussed at the G20 Summit taking place on 15/16 Nov 14 in Brisbane. (FCO, 12 Nov 14.)
Comment: The UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations delivered a comprehensive summary (13 Nov 14) of the UK’s position, concluding: “The global battle against Ebola has only just begun; complacency is now our worst enemy.”
The latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) report a total of 14,098 Ebola cases including 5,160 deaths. There is some evidence that case incidence is no longer increasing in Liberia and Guinea, but steep increases persist in Sierra Leone. (UN, 13 Nov 14.)
(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 14/45, 17 Nov 14)
10 Nov 14. Iraq: OP SHADER. The UK Government will work with the Iraqi Government to ensure it represents its entire people and is able to tackle the threat [i.e. ISIL] effectively. (Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Nov 14.)
Between 8 and 29 Oct 14 the number of sorties flown over Iraq by UK military aircraft was 109. The total number of missions was 46, four of which successfully deployed ordnance. (Written Answers (WA), 11 Nov 14.)
The UK has a small Defence Section working in the British Embassy in Baghdad. As at 3 Nov 14, this permanent presence was supplemented by around 30 personnel acting in support of Operations against ISIL terrorists. (WA, 11 Nov 14.)
British Forces continued to conduct air Operations to assist the Iraqi Government in its fight against ISIL. An RAF Reaper remotely piloted air system was involved in a coalition air strike in the Kirkuk region. A British Army team remains in Erbil, providing training assistance requested by the Kurdish Peshmerga. (MoD, 13 Nov 14.)
Comment: Reports from “top Pentagon officials” speculated that “conditions on the ground could change US calculations” and that combat troops may yet be deployed in Iraq. (‘Wall Street Journal’, 14 Nov 14.)
(Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 14/45, 17 Nov 14)
10 Nov 14. Afghanistan: OP HERRICK/OP CATALINA. The NATO train, advise and assist mission will have around 12,000 personnel from NATO allies and partners in 2015. The UK will contribute a fe