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24 Aug 21. Joint Expeditionary Force Chiefs hold biannual meeting. The biannual Joint Expeditionary Force Chiefs of Defence meeting was hosted by the UK in London. Joint Expeditionary Force Chiefs of Defence. Crown Copyright.
Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, met with his nine counterparts from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in London 25-26 August 2021.
The JEF Chiefs of Defence discussed current international security challenges, including Afghanistan and violent extremism, and the future development of the JEF.
A joint statement was released following the meeting: [We] look forward to Exercise JOINT PROTECTOR which will take place in Sweden in September. The exercise will test the JEF HQ’s ability to provide command and control to counter malign influence and destabilisation activity short of crisis and competition in the High North, Baltic and the North Atlantic area. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
24 Aug 21. Afghanistan crisis shows technology cannot replace ‘boots on ground’, says former military commander.
Army chief urges Government to reverse plans to shrink the Army by thousands of soldiers. The Afghanistan crisis has shown technology cannot replace “boots on the ground”, a former military commander has said as he warned Britain’s reputation will be tarnished by further cuts to troops.
Lt Gen Sir James Bucknall, who was deputy commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011, urged the Government to reverse its plan to shrink the Army by thousands of soldiers.
In a letter to The Telegraph, the retired commander said the recent Defence Review, which will see troop numbers cut to the smallest in history, had been undermined by recent events in Afghanistan.
He wrote: “If the last few days in Afghanistan have shown anything, it is that numbers count. Strategic patience is all – you must have the critical mass to sustain an operation. The Defence Review removes that capability.
“Technology can and must facilitate our soldiers, but it cannot replace boots on the ground.
“After all, it was not technology that enabled the Taliban to roll up Afghanistan in a matter of weeks, a feat that came as a strategic surprise to the West.”
It comes after Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, announced in March that the number of fully-trained troops able to deployed on operations will be cut to 72,500.
UK military personnel over time
The National Army Museum said the cut in troops was the lowest it has been since 1714 and the war of the Spanish Succession.
Sir James wrote: “The context in which the Defence Review was conceived has changed. Afghanistan is a disaster of strategic proportions with implications for our foreign policy, defence policy, for Nato and for our relationship with the US.
“If Britain wishes to retain any credibility and relevance with allies and adversaries alike, its response cannot be to cut 9,500 soldiers from the Army. The Government must revisit the Defence Review; these cuts have to be reversed.”
The current size of the Army is 82,500, which includes around 6,000 people under training.
The Ministry of Defence has insisted the total number of recruits in training will not be included in the reduction, meaning the size of the cut would be 3,500, not 9,500.
Announcing the reduction in soldiers earlier in the year, Mr Wallace insisted “increased deployability and technological advantage” meant greater effect could be delivered by fewer people.
“These changes will not require redundancies and we wish to build on the work already done on utilising our reserves to make sure the whole force is better integrated and more productive,” he added.
Sir James’s intervention, however, follows heavy criticism from military experts and MPs across the house who have warned against cuts to conventional warfighting capabilities.
John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, condemned the cuts to troops in March, stating that “while the threats to Britain are increasing, this is a plan for fewer troops, fewer ships, fewer planes over the next few years”.
Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the defence select committee, welcomed the investments in cyber and autonomous platforms, but said “they come at a huge price to our conventional defence posture with dramatic cuts to troop numbers, tanks, armoured fighting vehicles and over 100 RAF aircraft”. (Source: Pen & Sword/ Daily Telegraph))
25 Aug 21. UK reaffirms security commitment to Ukraine. Defence Minister marks 30 years of Ukraine independence and participated in the inaugural International Crimea Platform panel. Defence Minister Jeremy Quin spoke at the International Crimea Platform (ICP) in Kyiv and attended celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity.
The UK continues to work with NATO allies and partners to support Ukraine in reducing threats to the region and improving stability and prosperity in support of the rules based international system.
Minister Quin also represented the UK at the independence celebrations and military parade in Independence Square in Kyiv. This included a marching contingent from the Royal Lancers, and Colchester Band, and a flypast of RAF Typhoon fighter jets.
Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said, “It is an honour to represent the UK at such illustrious events to restate our support for Ukraine and celebrate 30 years of the country’s independence. I was proud to watch the Royal Lancers, Colchester Band and RAF Typhoons supporting the military parade to mark this historic occasion.”
The launch of the International Crimea Platform signifies the global community’s recognition of the hugely important need to keep pressing for the reintegration of Crimea as part of Ukraine which the UK fully supports.
The aim of the ICP is to integrate Crimea back into Ukraine. Heads of State from Poland and the Baltic countries, and Foreign Ministers from countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK attended. The ICP helped the global community coordinate on Crimea, increase the effectiveness of the international response, enhance pressure on Russia and step up efforts on ending the illegal annexation.
The UK and NATO are committed to Black Sea regional security, stability and prosperity alongside Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We have demonstrated that ambition with action, conducting joint maritime and land exercises, such as SEA BREEZE and COSSACK MACE with Ukraine, allies and partners this summer.
The UK enjoys a strong bilateral relationship with Ukraine and is committed to securing its security. Since 2015, the UK has trained over 21,000 Ukrainian military personnel in medical skills, logistics, counter improvised explosive devices, leadership, planning and infantry tactics as part of Operation ORBITAL and the UK-led Maritime Training Initiative. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
21 Aug 21. Norway and Russia sharpen transparency pact on warship, aircraft moves. Norway has finalized an updated security agreement with Russia that adds strengthened protocols for avoiding high-risk encounters between aircraft and naval vessels in the High North region. The agreement comes at a time when Norway and Russia have increased military activities there.
The updated agreement includes new enhancements to the existing Incidents at Sea Agreement (INCSEA) between the two nations. “The reality is we are seeing more military activity in Norway’s neighborhood in the High North. Russia has increased its activity, and Norway’s Armed Forces have also bolstered their presence,” said Frank Bakke-Jensen, Norway’s defense minister.
The updated pact covers the operations of naval ships and military aircraft outside the 12 nautical miles territorial water limit. The agreement’s updated protocols also apply to “prohibited actions” involving private and commercial marine vessels and civilian planes.
The cross-border agreement also incorporates new transparency procedures related to communications in dealing with “near encounters” risks and other dangerous situations. These include prohibitions, injunctions and liaison procedures for naval ships and military aircraft. The INCSEA defines what information channels must be used in different risk and incident situations.
Norway has a 122 mile (196 km) border with Russia.
This scaled-up military activities in the High North, Bakke-Jensen said, made it more important to revisit INCSEA and strengthen its functioning mechanisms to ensure improved safety between the militaries of the two countries. Norway and Russia signed their first INCSEA in 1990.
“Military technologies have advanced and continue to advance. The updated agreement will contribute to reducing the risk of dangerous situations while increasing overall stability in the High North,” said Bakke-Jensen.
The INCSEA deal represents one of the principal forms of cross-border cooperation between Norway and Russia. Military collaboration between the two neighbors changed significantly after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
Up to 2014, Norway and Russia, with the Northern Fleet prominent, regularly conducted joint naval exercises in the Barents and Norwegian seas. Following Crimea, Norway, together with other NATO member states, suspended most forms of military cooperation with Russia.
(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
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