British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

I wonder if any Canadian troops have done this yet?


Two soldiers from 2nd Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles have returned from a 100 day/ 1,500-mile endurance challenge in the Arctic Circle where they trekked around Ellesmere Island off the northern Canadian coast on foot and by sea.

The challenge required the duo to trek, kayak and ski across 1000 miles of treacherous terrain in the sub-zero temperatures of Ellesmere Island; all this while staying alert to the dangers of Polar bears, crevasses, ice floes, strong headwinds and fast-moving icebergs which could have crushed their kayaks if they were caught unawares.

While they managed the feat in only 91 days, a section of the Nares Straight along the east coast of the island remained impassable due to packed ice along the coastline – highly unusual for this time of year. This sadly meant that the pair could not break the World Record for a complete circumnavigation, but nevertheless they completed over 1000-miles of trekking and kayaking.

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/27178.aspx

 

[daftandbarmy]

Thieves steal senior RAF man's medals

Air Cdre Paddy Teakle returned from a wedding in the UK to find his 11 medals, including a Distinguished Service Order and OBE, had been taken.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/11831757/Thieves-steal-senior-RAF-mans-medals.html

http://www.hha.hvkk.tsk.tr/ICAP/bio/english/iteakle.html

 

[AJFitzpatrick]

I think the more disturbing bit is that the burglary was from a Ministry of Defence flat.

 

[daftandbarmy]

:

'Action woman' puts male competitors to shame in gruelling Special Forces training

Dr Claire Miller endured hooded interrogation, sleep deprivation and “surf torture” for new BBC Two series Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week


They are the most elite fighting units on earth, and open only to men.


But one woman has braved the “ultimate hell” of Special Forces selection, demonstrating a toughness that put many of her male competitors to shame.


Dr Clare Miller, a 32-year-old doctor, was one of 29 people chosen to take part in an experiment that will reopen the debate on whether women should be allowed to join the Special Forces.


She endured hooded interrogation, sleep deprivation and “surf torture” in a process that saw male competitors drop out because they could not take the pace, and was determined to prove that women are not the weaker sex.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/11832806/Action-woman-puts-male-competitors-to-shame-in-gruelling-Special-Forces-training.html

 

[crowbag]

Cheers from Herrick 7!  Can't see your pic, this is where it was when we set up the ammo store.

Nice! When I arrived it was XMas eve and the FOB only had three sides of Hesco - small world! Cheers

 

[daftandbarmy]

Help for dying RAF cadet delayed by 30 minutes, inquest hears


Coroner’s court told it took teenagers with untested radios some time to get through to adult supervisors 1.2 miles away

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/01/dying-raf-cadet-david-efemena-help-delayed-30-minutes-inquest-hears

 

[CougarKing]

RAF assets about to join the US-led air campaign over Syria? Aren't the Typhoons from RAF Akrotiri already involved over Iraq?

Reuters

Britain signals move toward air strikes in Syria
Sat Sep 5, 2015 6:33pm EDT

By Nick Tattersall and William Schomberg

ANKARA/LONDON (Reuters) - Britain moved closer to military action in Syria as a senior minister on Saturday said Europe's migration crisis had to be tackled at its source and a newspaper said a parliamentary vote on bombing Islamic State militants in Syria could take place next month.

Finance minister George Osborne said Britain and Europe had to find a way to tackle the conflict in Syria as well as provide asylum to those genuinely fleeing persecution.

"You've got to deal with the problem at source, which is this evil Assad regime and the ISIL (Islamic State) terrorists, and you need a comprehensive plan for a more stable, peaceful Syria," Osborne told Reuters in an interview.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Blackadder1916]

RAF assets about to join the US-led air campaign over Syria? Aren't the Typhoons from RAF Akrotiri already involved over Iraq?

Reuters

Syria and Iraq.  Two different countries. Two different political, diplomatic and legal scenarios.  Two different authorizations for military action.

 

[The Bread Guy]

A blast from the past (pun intended) - how much ammo did the Brits use in Helmand between October 2012 and September 2014? 

Source

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

SO, the members of Herrick 18 were trigger happy … but forgot most of their 105's at home.  :nod:

I guess that's what the professors in operations research will conclude.

 

[MarkOttawa]

UK SDSR Way ahead?

OPINION: What to expect from UK defence review
...
Today, the RAF has eight squadrons equipped with manned strike aircraft, and the looming transition from its offensive platform of choice – the Panavia Tornado GR4 – to a swing-role Eurofighter Typhoon and combat-capable F-35 appears fraught with schedule risk.

Will this be the SDSR where a fanciful-looking plan to buy 138 Lightning IIs finally gets trimmed? Funds could be diverted to a new maritime patrol aircraft; most likely the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, and to order AH-64E attack helicopters, rather than splash out a possible $3 billion on a complex remanufacturing for its Apaches.

Given the surprise outcome of the 2010 review, it’s anyone’s guess.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/opinion-what-to-expect-from-uk-defence-review-416402/

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Kirkhill]

SO, the members of Herrick 18 were trigger happy … but forgot most of their 105's at home.  :nod:

I guess that's what the professors in operations research will conclude.

Don't forget getting rid of those nasty attack helicopters.  Look how much money you could save getting rid of them.  All those expensive rounds going down range.

Obviously Canadians are right not to be buying Apaches.

:sarcasm:

 

[daftandbarmy]

UK announces doubling of military training for Ukrainian army – now for 2,000 soldiers

The British Army will be investing more into training the Ukrainian army by increasing the number of soldiers in the program to 2,000, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon has announced. He has described the conflict in eastern Ukraine as “red hot.

http://www.rt.com/news/312236-uk-ukraine-military-training/

 

[daftandbarmy]

Wiped out by an RAF team sitting 3,000 miles away in Lincolnshire: How pilots took out British jihadis with a
Hellfire missile fired by £10m remote-controlled drone

British jihadists Reyaad Khan, 21, from Cardiff and Ruhul Amin, 26, from Aberdeen, killed in attack on August 21
They were blitzed in Syria by a drone controlled by RAF pilots sitting 3,000 miles away in Lincolnshire
Airmen were operating the controversial £10m Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from hub at RAF Waddington
The use of pilotless planes mirrors the plot of popular US drama Homeland, shown on Channel 4


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3225719/Wiped-RAF-team-sitting-3-000-miles-away-controversial-technology-remote-controlled-drone-attack.html#ixzz3lALKi1Jb
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Their tax dollars at work..... ;D

 

[daftandbarmy]

Like, Duh  :

Majority of people in Northern Ireland believe peace will not last

As politicians at Stormont hold talks to save power sharing from collapse, face-to-face poll reveals that under 45% of population see peace process as durable


http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/sep/10/majority-of-people-in-northern-ireland-believe-peace-will-not-last

 

[daftandbarmy]

How hero colonel resigned in protest at the betrayal of Sergeant Blackman and 'a failure of moral courage by the chain of command'

Oliver Lee was selected for promotion to full colonel at the age of just 37

Days before Alexander Blackman shot Taliban casualty, Lee had been made the sergeant’s de facto Commanding Officer

Sergeant Blackman was convicted of murder and then jailed for life in 2013

But explosive legal documents reveal that Lee was appalled by the trial


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3230016/How-hero-colonel-resigned-protest-betrayal-Sergeant-Blackman-failure-moral-courage-chain-command.html#ixzz3lOgkwBXG
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[daftandbarmy]

Wife stands by her army captain husband after he was given seven years for raping a house guest while she slept in the next bedroom


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3231010/Army-captain-raped-house-guest-fianc-e-slept-room-jailed-seven-years.html#ixzz3lSNjRdzr
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[tomahawk6]

The British Army has appointed a senior enlisted advisor to the senior Army Staff,Sergeant Major Haughton.If I read the press release right after his 3 year appointment he will become a Major ?

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/27179.aspx

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2015/09/13/british-army-appoints-first-army-sergeant-major/71976280/

 

[Edward Campbell]

The British Army has appointed a senior enlisted advisor to the senior Army Staff,Sergeant Major Haughton.If I read the press release after his 3 year appointment he will become a Major ?

http://www.army.mod.uk/news/27179.aspx

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/2015/09/13/british-army-appoints-first-army-sergeant-major/71976280/

One of the smarter things the Brits do (did, anyway, when I served), in my opinion, is to keep the senior NCO ranks, up to and including WO1, young and active by, more or less automatically, promoting most WOs to captain. I'm guessing that Mr Haughton will, based on his overly long stint in the WO ranks, skip captain and go straight to major.

Some of those commissioned (directly to captain) from the senior enlisted ranks were specialist officers, back when I served (things may have changed), but some (several? many?) went into normal regimental and staff duty assignments and were promoted to and above major, even above lieutenant colonel in one case that I know for certain, in competition with their peers.