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16 Oct 20. Joint Statement – Five Eyes nations defence ministers. UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace yesterday evening took part in a videoconference of defence ministers from the Five Eyes nations. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace yesterday evening took part in a videoconference of defence ministers from the Five Eyes nations, chaired by Canada’s Minister of National Defence the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan.
Mr Wallace joined defence ministers from Australia, Canada, and the United States. New Zealand were represented by a senior official, due to the ongoing New Zealand general election.
Ministers highlighted the long-standing and trusted collaboration in intelligence among Five Eyes partners, and reaffirmed their commitment to advance defence and security cooperation to protect shared interests and values.
Ministers discussed current and future international initiatives, and considered how the Five Eyes might increase cooperation to address shared global security challenges. They concluded the meeting by sharing their respective engagement strategies in the Indo-Pacific region and identified ways to better coordinate efforts.
Ministers underscored the importance of meeting regularly to discuss defence issues and strengthen mutual support, and committed to convening again in the near future.
Canada’s Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, chaired a videoconference of defence ministers from the Five Eyes nations – Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, on 15-16 October. New Zealand was represented by a senior official, due to the New Zealand general election.
Ministers highlighted the long-standing and trusted collaboration in intelligence among Five Eyes partners, and reaffirmed their commitment to advance defence and security cooperation to protect shared interests and values.
Ministers discussed current and future international initiatives, and considered how the Five Eyes might increase cooperation to address shared global security challenges. They concluded the meeting by sharing their respective engagement strategies in the Indo-Pacific region and identified ways to better coordinate efforts.
Ministers underscored the importance of meeting regularly to discuss defence issues and strengthen mutual support, and committed to convening again in the near future. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/US DoD)
15 Oct 20. Sweden boosts military spending, expands draft amid Russia tensions. Sweden will boost military spending by around 40% over the next five years and double the numbers conscripted into the armed forces as it looks to beef up its defence amid growing tensions with Russia, the government said on Thursday.
Sweden, which is not a member of NATO but enjoys close ties with the bloc, ran down its military after the end of the Cold War to save money.
“We have a situation where the Russian side is willing to use military means to achieve political goals,” Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told reporters. “Based on that, we have a new geo-political security situation to deal with.”
Hultqvist said the new proposals would mean an increase in the military budget of 27.5bn Swedish crowns ($3.10bn) by 2025.
Increased Russian activity in the Baltic Sea region has pushed Sweden into a hasty programme of rearmament, including the purchase of Patriot missiles from the United States.
Last month, Sweden protested to Moscow after two warships entered its territorial waters without permission and has repeatedly complained about Russian military planes flying too close to its own aircraft and violating Swedish airspace.
The government said the military budget would be increased successively between 2021 and 2025, and would fund an expansion of military personnel to around 90,000 from the current 60,000, including a new mechanised brigade with updated artillery.
The navy will get an extra submarine, increasing the number to five, and the corvette fleet will be updated, while both the army and air force will get upgraded weapons systems.
In addition, the draft will be expanded to 8,000 a year by 2025, up from 4,000 in 2019. Sweden ended conscription in 2010, but reintroduced compulsory military service for a limited number of men and women in 2017. (Source: Reuters)
15 Oct 20. Turkey clears way to test Russian S-400 defence system this week. Turkey has issued notices restricting air space and waters off its Black Sea coast to allow firing tests apparently on Friday involving its Russian-made S-400 missile defence units, a week after they were transported to the area.
While Turkey already tested the surface-to-air weapons last year, further exercises could stoke tensions with NATO ally the United States, which sharply opposed the purchase from Moscow on grounds the S-400s compromise NATO defence systems.
Washington reacted last year by expelling Turkey from its F-35 jet programme and has threatened sanctions. The lira has remained near all-time lows since videos in local press last week showed the S-400s being hauled north from near Ankara.
Turkey’s air space notice, or NOTAM, restricts an area near the coastal city of Sinop for a radar test and possibly live-fire for six hours on Oct. 16. It advised aircraft to avoid the area to a height of 200,000 feet (61,000 metres).
Earlier this week, Turkey issued a maritime notice for shooting training and two others for military training. The so-called NAVTEX notices said shooting training would be held Oct. 16-17.
The S-400 surface-to-air defence system is one of the most advanced in the world with a medium to long-range radar that can spot and track incoming aircraft, directing a barrage of missiles at their targets to a range of 400km (249 miles).
Turkey signed the S-400 deal with Russia in 2017. Deliveries of the first four missile batteries, worth $2.5bn, began in July last year. Ankara has carried out radar tests previously but the shooting test will be a first.
Last week – after videos of the S-400 videos emerged and reports of the planned tests circulated – two U.S. senators called again for President Donald Trump’s administration to impose sanctions on Turkey. (Source: Reuters)
15 Oct 20. Dstl’s new counter-terrorism facility opened by The Queen. The Queen, accompanied by the Duke of Cambridge, officially opened Dstl’s new state-of-the-art Energetics Analysis Centre and met specialist scientific staff. The UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has been given a rare Royal visit during the COVID-19 pandemic to showcase the science inside defence and security when Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Cambridge visited its site near Salisbury.
The Queen and The Duke officially opened Dstl’s new £30m Energetics Analysis Centre. They also met staff who have been providing specialist scientific advice and support to the COVID-19 pandemic and those involved in providing a rapid operational response to the Novichok incident in 2018.
The Energetics Analysis Centre is a state-of-the-art building from which hundreds of scientists conduct world-class research and analysis to give the UK military and security advantage, protecting against terrorist and criminal threats. The expert team’s impact extends across Government, reaching the Ministry of Defence, Home Office, Department for Transport and other agencies.
Hosted by Dstl’s Chief Executive, Gary Aitkenhead, The Queen and The Duke viewed interactive displays and met a number of scientists at a social distance who explained how Dstl’s science and technology keeps the public safe by detecting explosives, helping to identify terrorist networks and analysing vital forensic evidence to help bring those involved in terrorism to justice.
Mr Aitkenhead said: “There is no greater accolade than to have The Queen and The Duke of Cambridge open this extraordinary building, particular during a global pandemic. This is testament to Dstl and our people as a proven national asset, not just in forensic science and explosives detection, but across a wide range of scientific fields, including artificial intelligence, cyber and quantum and in doing so providing an advantage to our military and security services. It’s great for us to showcase our work, which benefits us all in the UK, and to be recognised in this way is a great honour.”
A highlight of the visit was a simulation of a forensic explosives investigation by scientists from the Forensic Explosives Laboratory (FEL), which is one of several world-leading capabilities found in the Energetics Analysis Centre. FEL provides evidence and expert witness statements to support the British Criminal Justice System on explosives-related cases. This support has been crucial in providing evidence to the courts for numerous terrorist cases including the attacks at Manchester Arena and Parsons Green.
Other elements of the visit included meeting police search dog Max, who is trained using Dstl’s state-of-the-art canine explosives training aids. The Queen and The Duke also saw Dstl’s Linear Accelerator (Linac), an incredibly powerful X-ray machine used for inspecting weapons and munitions. It is the only one of its kind in the UK for use on items containing explosives. The Linac allows the engineers and scientists to see inside explosive objects without disturbing them or taking them apart. It can produce an image through 250mm of steel, with a level of detail smaller than the thickness of a human hair.
During the visit, The Queen and The Duke made a special presentation of the Firmin Sword of Peace to the Army’s Headquarters South West in recognition of its exceptional contribution in support of the city of Salisbury and its communities following the Novichok nerve agent attack in March 2018.
The Headquarters was appointed as the Joint Military Command headquarters responsible for the Defence contribution to the decontamination of multiple sites across the city during the twelve-month operation. During this time they worked exceptionally closely with the Dstl scientists whose scientific expertise was pivotal to the success of the decontamination operation.
Colonel Mike Duff, the Deputy Joint Military Commander for the decontamination operation, who received the Sword on behalf of the headquarters said:
It is a huge honour to receive the Firmin Sword of Peace in recognition of the work done by Headquarters South West. This was a true team effort that would not have been possible without contributions from across Defence, including Dstl, and the local authorities. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
15 Oct 20. OSCE Mission in Kosovo: UK Statement. Delivered by Ambassador Neil Bush at the OSCE Permanent Council on 15 October 2020.
Thank you Chair
The UK welcomes Ambassador Braathu to the Permanent Council. We thank you and your team for the comprehensive Report.
Ambassador Braathu – we recognise that the Mission’s progress has been achieved during the exceptional circumstances of a global pandemic. Your continued support and advocacy during these unprecedented times is highly valued. We recognise that the Mission has helped to enable all communities in Kosovo gain access to information through the Mission’s monitoring and assisting with language compliance. This is of crucial importance at any time, but even more so in relation to COVID-19.
We also welcome that the Mission raised awareness on the new laws on access to public documents and protection of personal data. At the same time, we recognise that the Mission has needed to adjust its own working methods as a result of the global pandemic, whilst continuing to provide support in Kosovo.
I would like to reiterate our appreciation for the Mission’s timely reporting on key developments, and the value we attach to your spot reports, as part of the OSCE’s Early Warning.
I will now turn to three areas in your Report – on displaced persons and property rights, gender and democratic institutions and oversight, including through freedom of media.
Firstly – on displaced persons, including your engagement with other international actors. And, here I would mention the work with UNHCR on the needs of displaced persons in the context of COVID-19. This occurred through facilitating bilateral meetings with representatives from Belgrade, Podgorica, Pristine, and Skopje. We hope that a housing and solutions process for the Kosovo displaced can be found.
Your Report also mentions the Mission’s advocacy work on protection of property rights for non-majority communities, displaced, and vulnerable communities. This resulted in the approval of two legislative acts to further strengthen property rights, which we welcome. We also welcome the extensive monitoring carried out by the Mission in the Decan/Decani Special Protective Zone during this period. And we refer to the Quint statement of 27 August, as noted in the Report.
Secondly – we commend the efforts of the Mission in promoting gender equality and in addressing gender-based and domestic violence. A highlight of your advocacy and support in this period includes the vote by the Assembly of Kosovo to incorporate the Istanbul Convention into the Constitution.
The range of other work undertaken on gender is also welcome, including to overcome gender stereotypes, as well as in facilitating the sustainability of domestic violence shelters and increasing awareness of how victims can seek help, particularly relevant given the increased number of incidents during the pandemic. We would welcome hearing some of the lessons learnt and best practice from the roundtables to combat gender stereotypes.
Thirdly – Your support for democratic institutions and oversight arrangements is critical. Media literacy and Safety of Journalists rightly receives your attention. We welcome the Mission’s support to improve media literacy, including through broadcasts on the role of the public in countering disinformation and assessing media, as well as through lectures on media literacy to students.
However, as your Report notes, there has been an eight per cent increase in threats or attacks committed against journalists in the period from March to September, bringing the number for this period to 19. It is essential to continue addressing impunity for crimes committed against journalists, including those killed or missing since the conflict, as well as measures to prevent threats and violence against journalists. Such attacks are wholly unacceptable. We appreciate that the Mission takes action, such as in your joint statement with RFOM that condemned the physical attack on the Director of TV Puls on 27 April.
On 14 October, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Local Government Administration, briefed us in Vienna. This was an excellent opportunity for delegations to hear first-hand from one of your interlocutors about the value of your work on the ground. We look forward to further briefings from Kosovo interlocutors during the next reporting periods.
I would like to reiterate that the UK continues to support Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations. We welcome the relaunch of the EU-led Dialogue facilitated by EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, as well as recent progress achieved in Washington towards greater economic cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia. Progress in the Dialogue and towards wider reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia will require both parties to take steps to implement agreements reached, and establish and protect a rational and calm atmosphere to allow cooperation.
The UK is clear that all, but particularly those in positions of power and authority, have a responsibility to refrain from provocative and/or harmful rhetoric. The UK stands ready to support a comprehensive and sustainable normalisation agreement between Kosovo and Serbia that respects territorial integrity, and benefits the people of both countries. All here I am sure, will share the determination to help bring the Dialogue to a successful conclusion, working in good faith and in a spirit of compromise between the two sides.
In concluding, I would like to thank you personally, Ambassador Braathu, for your outstanding leadership of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo over the last four years, and to wish you all the best in your next endeavours. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
15 Oct 20. How defence is rising to the sustainability challenge. Today the Government issued its response to the Committee on Climate Progress Report to Parliament, which was published in June this year. For Defence, this is significant because for the first time the Committee made specific recommendations on how we should focus
The Committee’s report centred on building a ‘resilient’ green recovery from the COVID crisis, accelerating the UK transition to Net Zero by 2050, and strengthening national resilience to the impacts of climate change. For Defence, it recommended our effort should focus on the resilience and sustainability of the estate and our white vehicle fleets, exploring the potential for alternative fuels for military vehicles, understanding risks to Defence operations from a significantly climate changed world, and exploring an increased role for military support to the impacts of climate change.
We are a couple of months from completing the Defence Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, but – as the Government response indicates – we are already advancing in some areas, including:
- Developing a more energy-efficient estate, alongside building a ‘natural capital register’ to better pinpoint and quantify future carbon offsetting opportunities on the estate, such as planting new woodland and regenerating our extensive peat bogs.
- Changing the Defence standard for aviation fuel, so that it can now be blended with up to 50% alternatives to conventional fossil fuel for all military aircraft.
- Putting the global impacts of climate change at the heart of the current Integrated Review that is shaping future Defence Tasks, such as UK military support to domestic and international relief operations, and intervention in cross-border disputes.
While not mentioned in the Response, we are also now taking delivery of the first tranche of electric vehicles under our White Fleet contract with Babcock, while installing the first tranche of centrally-funded EV charging points at more than 35 Defence establishments. We remain committed to achieving the Government target of 100% EV white fleet by 2030.
There is much to do to deliver everything that the Committee on Climate Change is recommending. But we are not starting from scratch, and there are an increasingly large number of people in defence who really care about this. From commuting to commissioning, everyone will have an active part to play, as individuals, managers, and leaders, building this into how they work.
And we are not alone – I have been really struck by the huge support we are getting from so many in the defence community, from industry, to non-defence companies prepared to support just because they want to be part of something big.We must not squander this great opportunity to change what we do for the better. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
15 Oct 20. The UK’s future combat air programme can generate billions for the UK economy. For the first time, preliminary data has revealed the economic importance of the UK’s future combat air programme, Tempest – predicting it will support an average of 20,000 jobs every year from 2026 to 2050.1
The Tempest programme is being delivered by Team Tempest, a UK technology and defence partnership formed by BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA, Rolls-Royce and the RAF, and involving hundreds of high-tech companies, SMEs and academia across the UK. It is one of the UK’s most ambitious technological endeavours, designed to deliver a highly advanced, adaptable and affordable military combat air system which will play a key role in the nation’s defence and security.
Along with meeting a major military requirement, the programme is expected to deliver significant benefits to the UK over its full lifetime. It will preserve sovereign capability whilst investing in highly skilled jobs, with a specific focus on young people, developing technology and infrastructure, and will support the wider economy and long-term prosperity of the UK.
The data released today represents the preliminary findings of an independent analysis by PwC on the economic contribution at the initial stages of the multi-decade Tempest programme, covering the period up to 2050. A full report will be available by the end of the year.
The preliminary findings reveal:
- The Tempest programme will contribute at least £25.3bn2 to the UK economy in the first 30 years alone. This figure excludes the significant impact of R&D spillover3 and the important role Tempest plays in securing the critical UK combat air industrial sector and its associated economic benefits.
- For every £100 of direct value added generated by the Tempest programme partners, £220 of GVA 4 (direct, indirect and induced) is estimated to be created across the UK economy.
- The programme is forecast to support an average of circa 20,000 jobs every year between 2026 and 2050. For every 100 workers employed directly by the Tempest programme partners, a further 270 are estimated to be employed across the UK economy (direct, indirect and induced).
This initial analysis looks at the period of programme development, production, entry into service and early support, but does not include the full potential of export opportunities, R&D investment or the value of the programme beyond 2050.
Michael Christie, Director, Combat Air Acquisition Programme, BAE Systems, commented:
“Tempest is an exciting and ambitious multi-decade programme that will help to preserve our national security whilst at the same time driving significant economic benefits for the UK. The initial analysis revealed today demonstrates that Tempest is critical to ensuring the UK can sustain its world-leading Combat Air Sector, preserving the sovereign capability that is essential to retaining military freedom of action for the UK.”
Tempest is a beacon to attract engineers and technicians and a place for young people to build their careers. There are currently 1,800 people employed across UK industry and the MOD, a number that is set to increase to 2,500 next year.
ADS Chief Executive, Paul Everitt, said: “The Tempest programme is essential for our national security and future prosperity. The high value design and ground breaking engineering skills required for success will create a new generation of talent to drive UK industry. Defence programmes like Tempest offer an invaluable opportunity to secure a recovery from the current COVID-19 crisis. It will embed high-value design and manufacturing skills in the UK for decades to come, sustain thousands of high paying jobs and give apprentices the opportunity to build their career in an iconic programme with massive export potential.”
BAE Systems, on behalf of Team Tempest partners, commissioned PwC to carry out an independent analysis of the economic impact of the Tempest programme. The full report is due for publication before the end of the year.
Today’s announcements illustrate the wider economic, skills and technology benefit to the UK. In July seven further companies signed agreements to progress opportunities to work on future combat air concepts and underpinning technologies across Team Tempest – including Bombardier Belfast, Collins Aerospace in the UK, GE Aviation UK, GKN Aerospace, Martin-Baker, QinetiQ, and Thales UK.
1The draft report referenced was prepared only for BAE Systems (Operations) Limited and solely for the purpose and on the terms agreed with BAE Systems (Operations) Limited. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP accepts no liability (including for negligence) to anyone else in connection with the draft report. Any content that is referenced from the draft report is subject to change between now and the issue of the final version to BAE Systems (Operations) Limited.
2 Figures presented in NPV (net present value) terms in 2019 basis. The estimates have been discounted by the social time preference rate of 3.5% as recommended in HM Treasury’s Green Book.
3 R&D Spillover: A positive consequence of research and development applied to sectors beyond which it was developed for, which has benefits to the wider economy.
4 Figures presented in GVA (gross value added). GVA is a measure in economics of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy.
07 Oct 20. Kosovo and Serbia take tentative steps towards economic co-operation. A 4 September White House agreement between Kosovo and Serbia may improve political dialogue and economic co-operation, but has also attracted criticism for perceived concessions and an overly broad focus that includes Middle East affairs and Chinese 5G technology. The road to the agreement began in October 2019, when US President Donald Trump assigned then-Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell as Presidential Envoy for Serbia and Kosovo Peace Negotiations.
Diplomatic progress on a new agreement was made in January and February 2020 and a signing was scheduled for 27 June. However, this was delayed following the Hague Tribunal’s unexpected announcement that Hashim Thaçi, Kosovan incumbent president and leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the 1998–99 war with Serbia, could be indicted for war crimes. Nevertheless, despite a brief flare-up in political tensions, no further action against Thaçi was subsequently taken.
On 4 September, Kosovan Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić finally met at the White House in Washington DC and signed the Kosovo and Serbia economic normalisation agreements in the presence of US President Donald Trump. The deal built off the normalisation of relations begun by the EU’s so-called Berlin Process, but also addressed US regional security interests and relations with Israel. (Source: Jane’s)
14 Oct 20. HMS Dragon forges ties with Ukraine in Odessa. HMS Dragon has spent a week in the Ukraine’s premier port forging closer ties with the country’s navy. The Portsmouth-based destroyer has broken away from the UK’s amphibious task group currently operating in the Mediterranean to patrol the Black Sea, working with Britain’s allies and partners in the region to guarantee freedom of movement.
She sailed through the Dardanelles and Bosporus bound for the historic Black Sea port of Odessa, home of the Ukrainian Navy, for a high-profile visit focused on diplomacy and combined training, before paying their respects to the city’s WW2 dead.
The Ukraine is at the beginning of a 15-year plan to build up its Navy, support facilities, shipbuilding and ports on the Black Sea and Sea of Azov with the goal of becoming a major regional maritime force by 2035.
Dragon’s visit to Odessa builds on the solid foundations laid by Operation Orbital, which has already seen more than 18,000 Ukrainian troops train alongside UK Armed Forces personnel.
The destroyer’s Commanding Officer Commander Giles Palin joined senior members of the Ukrainian Navy, including its head Rear Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa.
The ship’s passageways and compartments turned into a training ground for both elite Ukrainian commando forces, 73rd Marine detachment, who practised board and search skills.
And staff from the Ukrainian Navy’s damage control school were shown how Royal Navy sailors respond to fire and flood on board, while the team behind the destroyer’s Wildcat discussed operating a helicopter safely at sea from the deck of a modern warship and survival equipment with their Ukrainian counterparts.
Lieutenant Dimitrii Rudnev, in charge of the new Ukrainian reconnaissance ship UKRS Lahuna joined Dragon for the day of manoeuvres with three of his nation’s patrol ships off the coast of Odessa to learn about the Royal Navy’s routines at sea – and how it conducts close, complex manoeuvres with foreign vessels, assisted by standard NATO terminology and procedures.
“It means a lot to be here on HMS Dragon – particularly so soon after President Zelenskyy visited HMS Prince of Wales in England,” he said.
“Both navies working alongside one another is further affirmation of strong UK-Ukrainian bonds.”
In addition, the Wildcat shared Black Sea skies with an Mi-14 from 10 Naval Aviation Brigade, painted in Ukraine’s national colours of light blue and yellow.
“We are delighted to be working alongside the Ukrainian Navy while in Odessa – and to be learning valuable insights from one another through joint training,” said Commander Palin.
“We’ve tested our reactions to emergencies through practising advanced fire-fighting techniques and honed the ability of both nations’ specialist teams to conduct interdiction operations through boarding training.
“By capacity building with allies in this way, we bolster their resilience and ability to defend themselves in the face of any aggression – as well as enabling us to learn from their experiences.”
Odessa enjoys a Mediterranean-esque climate – it’s still in the low 20s Celsius in early October – and feel with tree-line boulevards and grand 18th and 19th Century buildings.
But it was laid waste during a bitter siege in World War 2 when invested by German and Romanian troops, while as many as 60,000 men and women sacrificed themselves defending the city.
The sailors and marines who took part in the autumn battles of 1941 are remembered by the impressive red granite Monument to the Unknown Sailor which rises 21 metres above Shevchenka Park.
Dragon’s ship’s company paid their respects to Odessa’s heroes by laying a wreath at the foot of the memorial.
And on a lighter note, the Band of the Ukrainian Navy performed on the jetty next to the Portsmouth-based destroyer – with the ship’s company lining the side in appreciation. (Source: Royal Navy)
13 Oct 20. WTO to authorise tariffs on $4bn of US exports to the European Union in the Boeing Subsidies Case. The WTO has announced its decision that the European Union will be authorised to impose tariffs on USD 4bn of US goods exported to the European Union every year. This follows four previous WTO panel and appellate reports from 2011 to 2019 confirming that subsidies to Boeing violate WTO rules. The decision finds that illegal subsidies to Boeing cost Airbus USD 4bn dollars in lost sales and market share annually.
The EU Commission has already completed its public consultation on the planned countermeasures and has published the preliminary list of US products they will apply to, including Boeing aircraft.
“Airbus did not start this WTO dispute, and we do not wish to continue the harm to the customers and suppliers of the aviation industry and to all other sectors impacted,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “As we have already demonstrated, we remain prepared and ready to support a negotiation process that leads to a fair settlement. The WTO has now spoken, the EU can implement its countermeasures. It is time to find a solution now so that tariffs can be removed on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Airbus fully supports the EU Commission in taking the necessary action to create a level playing field and seek a long overdue agreement.
13 Oct 20. Judge-led review to provide greater certainty for troops being investigated. A judge-led review into how allegations of wrongdoing are raised and investigated will help tackle the uncertainty faced by military personnel on future overseas operations, the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced Tuesday 13 October.
The review, to be led by a retired judge, will make sure the guidance and policy framework for investigating allegations during overseas operations is fit for the future. This will help ensure that all allegations are taken forward in a timely manner, providing reassurance to victims and closure to innocent personnel caught up in investigations. It will not reconsider past investigations or prosecutorial decisions or reopen historical cases but will look at how processes can be strengthened going forward.
The review will complement the reforms made under the Overseas Operations Bill, which is currently going through parliament. Together they will provide service personnel on future operations with greater clarity and certainty.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Nobody wants to see service personnel subjected to drawn-out investigations, only for the allegations to prove to be false or unfounded. At the same time, credible allegations against those who fall short of our high standards must be investigated quickly and efficiently.”
This review, which will run in tandem with our Overseas Operations Bill and build on the recommendations of the Service Justice System Review, will help future-proof investigations and provide greater certainty to both victims and service personnel.
The review will begin in the coming months and will consider whether we have the skills and processes in place for all elements of the investigative process, from allegations through to prosecutions. It will look at whether there is enough cooperation between independent investigators and prosecutors to increase the speed of decision-making, as well as the extent to which such investigations are hampered by organisational culture.
Recommendations from the review will build on existing measures to improve the efficiency of Service Police investigations following the Service Justice System Review conducted by HH Shaun Lyons and Sir John Murphy, published earlier this year.
Measures introduced following that review included setting up a Defence Serious Crime Unit to bring together individual Special Investigation Bureau units, similar to civilian police forces which deal in regional crime, to remove the duplication of work and enhance operational effectiveness.
This announcement follows the Second Reading of the Overseas Operations Bill last month. The Bill will enable stronger legal protections for service personnel and veterans facing the threat of repeated investigations and potential prosecution. The Bill delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment to tackle vexatious claims and end the cycle of reinvestigations against our armed forces. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
12 Oct 20. British Army admits more delays in fielding enough combat forces. The limitations of the British Army’s ability to field modernized armored fighting forces in the 2020s have been laid bare in evidence submitted by the military to the parliamentary Defence Committee.
The Army admitted that by 2025 it would only be able to field a combat division consisting of just a single maneuver brigade and an interim maneuver support brigade.
A fully capable division including a new Strike brigade will not be available for fielding until the early 2030s — more than five years late, the Army said in written evidence published by the committee Oct 9.
One analyst here wondered what impact the admission would have on Britain’s allies.
“If you are the chief of staff of the U.S. Army, which still retains considerable heavy forces, you are going to really wonder how much the British Army is a warfighting army, “said Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank in London.
The government’s 2015 strategic defense and security review mandated a restructuring of the Army with the creation of a combat division of three brigades, including fielding one of two new medium-weight strike brigades being formed for rapid deployment with new General Dynamics tracked Ajax reconnaissance and Artec Boxer wheeled infantry vehicles.
The interim maneuver support brigade will be equipped with Ajax, the first Boxer platforms and in-service protected mobility vehicles.
“It’s quite jaw-dropping. One of the key takeaways from this evidence is the Army can’t field two armored infantry brigades,” said Barry.
“The Army was mandated [in the 2015 review] to deliver two armored infantry brigades, whereas they are now saying they can only generate one. They have enough vehicles for three infantry armored brigades, but my very strong suspicion is they haven’t been spending money on spares. If they haven’t got sufficient spare parts they will only risk sending one brigade on operations,” said Barry.
The analyst said the Army here would regularly exercise at brigade level but hasn’t done so for several years.
In the evidence to the parliamentary committee the Army blamed the capability shortfall on a lack of cash being made available to modernize its armored fighting vehicle fleet.
This was later reinforced by the Ministry of Defence in a statement.
“Previous planning and spending decisions have not fully resourced the Army to achieve the warfighting division output within this time frame. The upcoming integrated review will rebalance resource with ambition,” said a ministry spokesperson.
“By 2025, the Army will be able to field a war-fighting division optimized for high-intensity combat operations. A full strike brigade will be achieved in the early 2030s,” said the spokesperson.
The Conservative government is expected to publish its integrated review of defense, security, foreign and development policy next month.
Analysts here reckon the Army is likely to be in the firing line for cuts and delays to programs, including in the armored-vehicles sector, as the governments seeks to move some of its defense and security spending into areas like space, cyber, artificial intelligence and subsea warfare.
The first of 589 Ajax vehicles have been delivered to the Army here and full operating capability is set for 2025.
Boxer deliveries start 2023 but full operating capability is not planned until 2032 – nearly 13 years after the contract for just over 500 vehicles was signed.
Substantial upgrades to the Challenger 2 main battle tank and Warrior infantry fighting vehicle are also in the final stages of contract talks with Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and Lockheed Martin, respectively.
Both platforms are pretty much obsolete in their current state but the programs are often cited by analysts as being potential victims of the Integrated Review.
Cuts to program numbers are likely, say analysts.
Associated with the new divisional capability a program to replace the Army’s aging AS90 self-propelled artillery has recently been put back by two years.
Britain’s new heavy artillery had been due to gain initial operating capability in the last quarter of 2026 but the MoD has confirmed that is now delayed until 2029.
The procurement delay means the out-of-service date for AS90 has also gone back two years. A portion of the howitzer force will now be life-extended until 2032, coinciding with the operational date of the full divisional force.
There was one sliver of good news for British Army maneuver plans Oct. 12 when the MoD announced it had awarded a $55m deal to Stockport, northwest England-based WFEL to produce 17 sets of medium girder bridges. (Source: Defense News)
10 Oct 20. Strike Brigades delay? The proposed “warfighting” Division of the Army will be slimmed down and delayed by at least five years, the Ministry of Defence has admitted, which could see our forces ‘haemorrhaging credibility’.
The MoD has said it will not be able to field a full warfighting division, universally understood to be made up of about 10,000 troops, until the 2030s and has changed the accepted understanding of the size of such a force.
The new division was set to be up and running by 2025 and include troops and equipment “optimised for high intensity combat operations”.
But in a statement to the Commons Defence Select Committee the MoD said it will only be able to field one armoured infantry brigade, of about 3,000 troops, equipped with tanks and armoured vehicles at that time.
This force will fight alongside a new “Interim Manoeuvre Support Brigade” of reconnaissance units and Light Infantry equipped with much older vehicles.
The last defence review, in 2015, called for the army to field a division of three brigades. This force would be assembled from two armoured infantry and two new ‘strike’ brigades, the latter able to deploy rapidly over long distances using the new Ajax and Boxer armoured vehicles.
The army has said it will buy 589 Ajax reconnaissance vehicles and 508 eight-wheeled Boxer vehicles for the infantry, each programme costing about £2.5bn.
However, a lack of cash has meant the fleets will not be fully in service for another decade meaning soldiers will have to operate in lightly protected vehicles, many of which were bought for service in Afghanistan.
It means the number of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles, fielded by 3rd UK Division based on Salisbury Plain, will be the smallest in post-war history.
Jack Watling of Rusi, a defence think-tank, said the British army risked “haemorrhaging credibility” if it didn’t either buy new equipment or significantly upgrade existing vehicles.
“3 UK Division isn’t credible right now and our allies know that. We couldn’t get it [to a battle] quickly enough and it wouldn’t fare well once there,” he warned.
The government’s Integrated Review of foreign, security and defence policy, expected to report next month, will attempt to balance investment in future capabilities with the requirement to field a credible fighting force today. The head of the army, General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, sees a more deployable army as having greater deterrent value. Lighter, more mobile forces are thought to suit this model better than simply upgrading existing legacy equipment. The MoD note says the last strategic defence and security review (SDSR), in 2015, “did not fully resource the Army”.
“Subsequent programming decisions have kept the modernisation programme alive but placed it under increasing pressure and resulted in an inability to fully meet the 2015 SDSR ambitions,” the MoD said.
Mr Watling added: “We’re hemorrhaging credibility because we haven’t modernised.
“The army has an abundance of light infantry, but they’re not manoeuvrable and they’re not survivable on the modern battlefield.”
Pointing to the number of tanks lost by Armenia in the current conflict with Azerbaijan, Mr Watling says unless Britain adapts to the digitised battlefield where artillery and other loitering munitions are directed by surveillance assets, “you are talking about Britain’s entire armoured capability lasting less than a day against a peer adversary with modern sensors”.
“That’s not to say tanks are irrelevant. The challenge is how do you get the tanks to the fight without losing too many before they arrive.”
If the armoured infantry brigade of the future has two tank units (a total of 112 vehicles) it should have the same combat power as a current division, Mr Watling said.
“It’s one very hard punch. That’s not an outrageous proposition,” he said, adding the French army is designed around such a model.
“As a starting position, Nato will not see this as credible…but other armies accept that warfare is changing and we need to modernise.
“They will be infuriated if this is just a blizzard of buzzwords.”
An MoD spokesperson said: “Previous planning and spending decisions have not fully resourced the Army to achieve the Warfighting Division output within this timeframe. The upcoming Integrated Review will rebalance resource with ambition.
“By 2025, the Army will be able to field a war-fighting division optimised for high intensity combat operations. A full strike Brigade will be achieved in the early 2030s.” (Source: Daily Telegraph)
10 Oct 20. NATO chief seeks technology gains in alliance reform push. As NATO officials hash out reform proposals aimed at reinvigorating the alliance, there will be a dedicated push to enhance military technology development among member states, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced this week.
“As part of NATO 2030, I intend to put further proposals on the table to maintain our technological edge, to develop common principles and standards for new technologies, and to enhance cooperation between allies in areas like joint research and development,” Stoltenberg said during a speech at the Globsec think tank’s Bratislava Forum event.
The NATO 2030 drill encompasses various strands of analyses by experts inside and outside the alliance command structure. The reform push goes back to a resolution from the 2019 London summit, which tasked the Norwegian prime minister at the time to lead a “reflection process” that would incorporate new threats like cyberwar, the rise of China, Russian saber-rattling, climate change and terrorism.
Over the summer, Stoltenberg unveiled a new political tack emanating from the NATO 2030 study, postulating that the alliance would strive to increase its global reach, including in the Indo-Pacific.
“Military strength is only part of the answer,” Stoltenberg said in a June speech. “We also need to use NATO more politically.”
He reiterated that objective this week, saying the alliance would seek deeper ties with “like-minded” nations outside of NATO.
Resilience is another key prong of the reform agenda, and Stoltenberg previewed a new push for member states to shore up their defenses against potentially hostile forces seeking to undermine the alliance through the back door. Such measures could come in the form of a common monitoring regime for keeping foreign investors from snapping up “critical infrastructure, companies and technologies,” Stoltenberg said.
“And we should agree common principles and whether to export technologies that we rely on for our security,” he added. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
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