British Military Current Events

[CougarKing]

Wow. "Rock Apes" being honoured by US Marines.

RAF Gunner Cpl Marcin Wojtak and his unit have been honoured by US military chiefs with the presentation of the prestigious US Marines’ Commendation Medal from the United States Marine Corps by Brig Gen Lawrence Nicholson.

Cpl Wojtak died after his patrol vehicle struck an IED during a routine patrol in Helmand Province, last month.

The medal was received on behalf of 2 Force Protection and dedicated to Cpl Wojtak by Commanding Officer Wg Cdr Shaun Ryles.

Brig Gen Lawrence said: “The award is for his technical acumen, ability to convey the tactical and technical considerations within his command, and for establishing an over-arching template for security.”

The US Commander also praised Wg Cdr Ryles for the Force Protection Wing’s recent efforts which have allowed coalition aircraft to land and take off from Camp Bastion unchallenged by surface to air weapons.

Wg Cdr Ryles said: “I received the medal on behalf of 2 Force Protection but especially dedicate it to the memory of Cpl Marcin Wojtak.

“It’s humbling to be recognised as a unit. It does illustrate our essential role in working alongside the US Marine Corps to deliver our specialist capability but in the delivery of this there are always risks – and the sad and tragic loss of Cpl Wojtak is an example of this.”

Wg Cdr Ryles is one of a handful of UK military fighters to receive the Commendation Medal from the United States Marine Corps.


.

 

[time expired]

The figure I gave of General Officers killed in WW1 was incorrect .The number should
have been 78,I rechecked  Richard Holmes excellent book Tommy to obtain the
correct figure, a much more reliable source than any BBC comedy series I feel.
                                        Regards

 

[CougarKing]

Another tragic update: Rest In Peace, Soldier.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/091115/world/eu_britain_afghanistan

LONDON - The Ministry of Defence says a British soldier has been shot dead in southern Afghanistan.


The ministry says the soldier from 7th Battalion The Rifles was killed by small arms fire during a foot patrol near Sangin in Helmand province on Sunday morning.


His death brings to 233 the number of British military personnel who have died in Afghanistan since the start of operations there in late 2001.


The military says the soldier's family has been informed.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Interview with SSgt Schmid's wife.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1184614595?bctid=48474674001

Words fail me.

This one is tough to watch too.

WOUNDED (E02 - BBC Documentary) - Tom Neathway receives his medal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzHICSIPvOI

Quote from a mate of mine in the UK:

"We had a good remebrance parade on Sunday , best attended I have seen.

Two rifles( the new light infantry) arrived from afganistan home last Friday , 18 killed and 90 permanently disabled ... One coy took casualties of 1 in 3 wounded or killed , they were stranded for 3 weeks which gave the Taliban time to IED the whole area ....
Government  have ****** up all the tactics and cannot support our guys ...
I Still think that we should stay"

 

[daftandbarmy]

Beneath the lip of his helmet the colonel’s face had the grey luminosity and glowing eyes of sudden grief. “I’ve just lost one of my best soldiers.” His words, so quiet that they were nearly a whisper, could almost have been a question. The identities of two dead soldiers had come over the radio just minutes earlier. Serjeant Paul McAleese, one of the battalion’s most renowned soldiers, had been so recently alive that his death warranted more than a degree of incredulity.

“Shit day,” the colonel added. “Two KIA [Killed In Action]. Why is it always the ones with wives and children?”

I had seen that look before in the faces of field commanders in Afghanistan. They talk about their mission and their operations with an air of enthusiasm that is either real or projected, becoming a little more cautious as they explain the “small steps of progress”. Then, bang, one more of their soldiers is dead – “ragdolled” as the men call it. The patter stops, the mask drops fleetingly, and raw grief stares back into your face.

I was here with 2 Rifles, and this moment, August 20, marked the start of Afghanistan’s presidential election in Sangin. The polling booths in the small town had not even been open an hour.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6852533.ece

 

[The Bread Guy]

Queen Elizabeth Comforts Footman
femalefirst.co.uk, 19 Nov 09

Britain's Queen Elizabeth comforted one of her staff yesterday after he insisted on escorting her to the State Opening of Parliament - just days after his brother was killed in Afghanistan.

The monarch is said to have pleaded with senior footman Fraser Marlton-Thomas, 25, to take time off, after his sibling, bomb disposal expert Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas, 28, died in an explosion in the war-torn Helmand province last weekend.

But Frasier - who was embraced by the monarch as he made his decision - was yesterday seen standing in full livery on a carriage carrying a lady in waiting and Master of The Horse, Lord Vestey, in the lavish procession.

A Palace source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "When Loren laid down his life for his comrades, it was the queen herself who was able to comfort a grieving brother ....

More on link

 

[CougarKing]

I wonder what Daft thinks of this.

The deep hostility of Britain’s senior military commanders in Iraq towards their American allies has been revealed in classified Government documents leaked to the Daily Telegraph.

In the papers, the British chief of staff in Iraq, Colonel J.K.Tanner, described his US military counterparts as “a group of Martians” for whom “dialogue is alien,” saying: “Despite our so-called ‘special relationship,’ I reckon we were treated no differently to the Portuguese.”

Col Tanner’s boss, the top British commander in the country, Major General Andrew Stewart, told how he spent “a significant amount of my time” “evading” and “refusing” orders from his US superiors

At least once, say the documents, General Stewart’s refusal to obey an order resulted in Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Sir David Manning, being summoned to the State Department for a diplomatic reprimand - of the kind more often delivered to “rogue states” such as Zimbabwe or the Sudan.

The frank statements were made in official interviews conducted by the Ministry of Defence with Army commanders who had just returned from Operations Telic 2 and 3 – the first, crucial year of “peacekeeping” operations in Iraq, from May 2003 to May 2004.

A set of classified transcripts of the interviews, along with “post-operational reports” by British commanders, has been leaked to the Daily Telegraph.

The disclosures come the day before the Chilcot inquiry is due to begin public hearings into Britain’s involvement in Iraq. Among the issues it will investigate is the UK-US relationship.

The leaked documents paint a vivid picture of the clash between what General Stewart described as “war-war” American commanders and their British counterparts, who he said preferred a “jaw-jaw” approach.

General Stewart bluntly admitted that “our ability to influence US policy in Iraq seemed to be minimal.” He said that “incredibly,” there was not even a secure communication link between his headquarters in Basra and the US commander, General Rick Sanchez, in Baghdad.

Col Tanner said that General Sanchez “only visited us once in seven months.” Col Tanner also added that he only spoke to his own US counterpart, the chief of staff at the US corps headquarters in the Green Zone, once over the same period.

Top British commanders angrily described in the documents how they were not even told, let alone consulted, about major changes to US policy which had significant implications for them and their men.

When the Americans decided, in March 2004, to arrest a key lieutenant of the Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr – an event that triggered an uprising throughout the British sector – “it was not co-ordinated with us and no-one [was] told that it was going to happen,” said the senior British field commander at the time, Brigadier Nick Carter.

“Had we known, we would at least have been able to prepare the ground.” Instead, “the consequence [was] that my whole area of operations went up in smoke… as a result of coalition operations that were outwith my control or knowledge and proved to be the single most awkward event of my tour.”

Among the most outspoken officers was Col Tanner, who served as chief of staff to General Stewart and of the entire British division during Operation Telic 3, from November 2003 to May 2004.

He said: “The whole system was appalling. We experienced real difficulty in dealing with American military and civilian organisations who, partly through arrogance and partly through bureaucracy, dictate that there is only one way: the American way.

“I now realise that I am a European, not an American. We managed to get on better…with our European partners and at times with the Arabs than with the Americans. Europeans chat to each other, whereas dialogue is alien to the US military… dealing with them corporately is akin to dealing with a group of Martians.

“If it isn’t on the PowerPoint slide, then it doesn’t happen.”

Gen Stewart was more diplomatic, but said: “As the world’s only superpower, they [the US] will not allow their position to be challenged. Negotiation is often a dirty word.”

Gen Stewart added: “I spent a significant amount of my time ‘consenting and evading’ US orders… Things got sticky…when I refused to conduct offensive operations against [al-Sadr’s] Mahdi Army as directed [by the US]. This resulted in the UK being demarched by the US, by [Paul] Bremer [the US proconsul in Iraq] through State [the US State Department] to the UK Ambassador in Washington.”

A “demarche” in this context was a formal diplomatic reprimand of a kind not normally handed out to friendly allies such as Britain. Gen Stewart said that the US military “were mortified” that it had got so far and said he “was always fully supported in the UK by the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Joint Operations.”

Yesterday the Sunday Telegraph told how leaked “post-operational reports” detailed major shortcomings in the planning and execution of the war and peacekeeping phases.

Most of the documents – apart from some which might compromise sources – referred to yesterday and today are published online at Telegraph.co.uk

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/6631239/Hostility-between-British-and-American-military-leaders-revealed.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Good heavens, how rude to speak ill of ones neighbours in public like that.... not the Britain I remember by a long chalk. The chap should lose his name, eh wot?

He's right about the complete and utter differences between the British Army and the US military in general IMHO. 
Except for their air force, oddly enough, who I found seem to have a similarly relaxed attitude to life and warfare, I found the US folks I came across fully competent, yet somewhat devoid of what the British would call 'character'. This was more pronounced the higher you went in their organizations.

The most pronounced absence was any kind of self-deprecating sense of humour amongst the officers. Everything was done in a very serious manner out of a sense of 'duty, truth and honor', which were words that many of them used frequently in normal conversations to our astonishment. The British are always slagging each other off and publicly proclaim how 'crap' they are at this and that, which the US folks would take for some deeply rooted, incurable, nation-wide self-esteem issue. If you wanted to have a good old fashioned bitching session about something you had to get alongside a USMC Gunnery Sergeant or their equivalent in the 82nd Airborne, and bring a full can of Red Man. We loved to tell them stories like 'nobody in England (the word they use to describe any part of the UK) is allowed to own a Corgi except the Queen because they are the Royal dog", which they fully believed and sent us into gales of laughter. We'd take them on 10 and 20 milers with big packs on and they'd fall out and we'd make fun of them.

On the other hand, I've never met a more polite and hard to offend bunch of people who were so ready to go to war 'right now', fully equipped, with brigades and MAUs and tanks and planes and ships; they were fully squared away in a way we never were at Bde level and higher. They could move a Bn around like we did sections, and we were in awe. They didn't drink, were reasonably fit, dressed exactly the same, wore their helmets everywhere, were spic and span and saluted alot and said 'Yesssir...Nossir' and followed orders without question.... kind of like you'd expect a real army to be. They were easy to wind up and get a laugh at their expense because they believed everything you told them and, to be honest, we felt pretty lousy about that sometimes.

I remember coming across a US Marine in Bardufoss in the winter of '83 and, quite honestly, he looked like a tramp. He had some kind of scruffy non-military jacket on over his BDUs tied in the middle with - get this - a piece of rope to try and stay warm. It was about 20 below and he was visibly shivering, not being properly equipped and not having completed any AWT training. I asked him why he wasn't properly equipped with all the cool arctic warfare gear that I knew the US Marines had. He said that he'd just come from Lebanon 3 days ago and they had to leave their supply ships behind - they were too slow - so that they could get to Norway in time for the US to honour their commitment to their NATO allies to participate in the big exercises we had there every year. He was genuinely proud to be there with his BLT.

That's America for you: too idealistic and a lousy date for the cocktail party at Oxbridge, but they will never let their buddies down and they'll bring all the big guns you need to win - on time.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Poll for Defence Green Paper 2009

The MOD has now begun a process which will lead to a Strategic Defence Review early in the next Parliament.

As part of this process we have contributed questions to an existing public poll conducted on behalf of the MOD by a leading market research company. However, we would like to ensure that the largest number of people possible get an opportunity to contribute their thoughts so we have posed a number of key questions in the attached survey which we would like to hear your opinions on.
See External links >>>
In the ‘User Log-in’ box please use the following log in and password information to access the survey:
Log-in: Green Paper
Password: Defence
The poll will run from 12th November to 10th December 2009.
Once the results have been collated, they will be published on this website.

The survey is anonymous.

All information, mail messages and other data stored on the company's computer system will be treated as private and solely the property of the customer at all times and will not be duplicated, copied, reproduced or viewed publicly in any way except with express or implied permission of the customer and/or for the purpose of the company's back up services and/or providing the customer with the services and/or for the company's own internal purposes such as market research.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/ConsultationsandCommunications/PublicConsultations/PollForDefenceGreenPaper2009.htm

 

[The Bread Guy]

Best line:

"You may have a sprained ankle and are feeling sorry for yourself. I don't have any ankles so how do you think I would be if I felt like you do."

More on Corporal Tom Neathway wanting to head back to AFG here.

 

[CougarKing]

A seventh C17 for the RAF?

Britain In Talks With Boeing For Another C-17
By andrew chuter
Published: 27 Nov 2009 07:48

Britain is negotiating the purchase of another Boeing C-17 airlifter to boost the Royal Air Force's ability to supply troops fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan. If the procurement gets the go-ahead, the Ministry of Defence here said it hopes to complete contract negotiations by the end of the year.

Approval of the purchase would see the RAF's fleet of C-17s grow to seven aircraft. An MoD spokesman confirmed negotiations were underway but said no deal had yet been done to acquire the aircraft.

"The U.K. has engaged in exploratory discussions with the U.S. Air Force and Boeing regarding the feasibility of procuring a seventh C-17 aircraft for the U.K. No commitments have been made, and no decisions have been taken," he said.

"If the department decides to purchase a new C-17, then we plan to be on contract with Boeing by the end of December 2009, with a view to delivery in December 2010 and an in-service date of March 2011," said the spokesman.

The rapid in-service date suggests the British will be given an early delivery slot earmarked for the U.S. Air Force.

The C-17 has been the backbone of an RAF's airbridge operation, which has been severely stretched supporting Britain's growing military presence in Afghanistan.

The British have been operating C-17s since 2001, when they leased four aircraft. The airlifters were eventually purchased by the RAF and the fleet has grown to the point where the British took delivery of two aircraft last year and are now poised to acquire their seventh aircraft, subject to final government approval.

Analysts think the RAF has hopes to acquire at least one more aircraft before the Boeing C-17 production line closes. Funding is likely to be an issue for the cash-strapped MoD.

The MoD here is estimating line closure in 2011. However, a Boeing spokesman said there was currently no cut-off point and the production line was good until at least 2012.

A Boeing spokesman in the U.S. declined to discuss the possible deal with the British beyond saying, "We continue to see strong international interest in C-17s. Our customers, however, prefer to announce their intentions on their own timetable. The question is best addressed by the U.K.'s MoD."

The British said the purchase of the additional aircraft was not directly connected with delays to the Airbus A400M airlifter program.

"A400M is the replacement capability for the Hercules C-130K tactical transporter. We have looked carefully at the intra-theater operational requirement after the C130-K goes out of service in 2012. Although a C-17 can be employed in a tactical role and will help to mitigate against operational losses of C-130J, analysis suggests that the current fleet of 24 C-130J can sustain anticipated intra-theatre airlift tasking on current operations until A400M comes into service."

The first flight of the A400M is expected in the next few days. The partner nations in the program are still trying to hammer out a deal with Airbus parent EADS on the revised timing and cost of the program, which is currently three years late and hugely over cost.

French media earlier this month said Britain is expected to cut the number of aircraft it will buy from 25 to 19 aircraft in order to stay within funding availability. One British industry executive said earlier this week he thought the number the RAF get could be even less.

Asked if the C-17 buy could have an impact on A400M numbers, the spokesman said, "We keep our operational requirements under constant review, and we will look hard at the implications of the acquisition of any enduring capability. We continue to work with OCCAR [the European program office] and partner nations to find a way forward on the A400M program. It would be inappropriate to comment on these discussions at this time," he said.

 

 

[daftandbarmy]

From RHQ PARA:

"Capt Richard Todd OBE. Died yesterday, 3rd December aged 90. There will be a private funeral with a memorial service to follow in the New Year. Details will be sent out in due course.  Richard Todd was not only a world famous actor, an officer in 7 PARA at Normandy but for those of us who had the privilege to have met him, he was of that breed of modest men rarely found in today’s acting profession. He will be greatly missed. Doubtless there will be many official obituaries in the papers soon, but I include just one glimpse of his military career."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/5460628/D-Day-I-was-the-first-man-out-of-the-plane-over-Normandy.html

 

[mariomike]

Capt Todd was by all accounts a very fine man. I read that they are making a new "Dambusters":
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/5281875/Fur-flies-over-racist-name-of-Dambusters-dog.html

I am less interested in what they decide to call the damn dog than who will play Guy Gibson:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJun5ziotfw

 

[daftandbarmy]

3 YORKS achieve their goal
07 December 2009

Fourteen Yorkshire soldiers marched proudly on to the hallowed turf at Elland Road on Saturday (5 December) to receive their Afghanistan medals ahead of Leeds United's match with Huddersfield.

The soldiers, all from 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS) marched on to the pitch led by the Guard Commander, Colour Sergeant Liam Seviour from Pudsey and The Yorkshire Regiment's Corps of Drums. Their medals were presented by former England international player Frank Worthington and Leeds United legend Peter Lorimer as a crowd of 37,000 cheered them on.

Those receiving medals were Private Jake Bolton, Private Shaun Teale, Private Paul Wood, Private Leon Smith, Private Joe Ward, Private James Bridgewood, Private Stuart Payne, Private Jonny Kilner, Private Chris Jackson, Private Stephen Wright, Private Chris Cook, Sergeant Craig Baldwin, Lance Corporal Kyle Martin and Lance Corporal William Naita.

Private James Bridgewood said: "I received my first service medal for Iraq at a normal medal parade. I feel really honoured to go out on the pitch at Elland Road to receive this one - after all not many people can say they have done that!"

The Yorkshire soldiers, who returned to the UK in early November, were supporting other military units located throughout Helmand Province and took part in Operation Panther's Claw. Their deployment was not without loss, as Private Johnathon Young was killed in action during the tour.

More than 30 soldiers soldiers from 3 YORKS are still working in Helmand Province as part of a Mastiff Armoured Vehicle Group.


http://www.army.mod.uk/news/18473.aspx

 

[CougarKing]

New Chinooks when cuts are looming?

As Cuts Loom, Britain Orders 24 Chinooks From Boeing
By andrew chuter
Published: 15 Dec 2009 08:54 

LONDON - Britain will order 24 Chinook helicopters from Boeing next year as the centerpiece of a major reworking of its armed force rotorcraft strategy.

The deal, announced Dec. 15 by the Ministry of Defence, will boost Royal Air Force Chinook numbers to 70.

The MoD said it will order 22 Chinooks from the Philadelphia production line of Boeing Helicopters and also purchase two machines to replace helicopters written off in Afghanistan this year.

The announcement comes on the same day the government prepares to announce a series of cuts to help plug a hole in the defense budget that runs into billions of pounds.

The MoD said the first helicopters are scheduled to roll off the production line in 2012, with delivery of the first 10 completed the following year, increasing air support to British troops fighting in Afghanistan

The government has faced fierce criticism here for years over its failure to provide adequate helicopter resources for the military, initially in Iraq, but more recently in Afghanistan.

The British had been planning to hold a competition to purchase additional medium lift helicopter capability but that has been abandoned in favor of buying more Chinooks. AgustaWestland, Eurocopter and Sikorsky had all been expected to bid.

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said that "helicopter capability has already doubled in the last three years and this future strategy builds on this, ensuring that our armed forces have the very best resources at their disposal.

Added shadow defence minister Gerald Howarth: "Of course any increase in the number of helicopters is welcome, and the Chinooks are an excellent piece of kit.

"But we could have had them in theater today if Gordon Brown hadn't made his disastrous decision to cut the helicopter budget by 1.4 billion [pounds] in 2004. Now we will have to wait until 2013, when we all hope that we will be on the way to success in Afghanistan."

A MoD spokesman said no decision had yet been made on whether the machines purchased would be the current F standard models being delivered to the U.S. military or whether Britain might go for its own variant.

In September the MoD announced a 408 million pound makeover of its current Chinook fleet, with new avionics, mission systems and engines. Known as Project Julius, the avionics and missions systems update is being led by Thales UK with Boeing managing the overall update program.

The last time the British specified their own cockpit for delivery on new Chinooks, the program resulted in all eight machines delivered by Boeing starting in 2001 grounded, as the MoD was unable to give air worthiness approval. The helicopters have subsequently been revised and the first of the eight was handed over Dec. 1 to the RAF. A further machine is due to be delivered Dec 18, and the final six are planned to enter service next year. The deliveries will take the British Chinook fleet up to 46.

The Chinooks are one of three U.K. deals scheduled to earn Boeing billions of dollars.

The MoD is expected to order a seventh Boeing C-17 to add to the RAF's fleet of airlifters. The U.S. aerospace giant was also recently selected for final negotiations to overhaul MoD logistics systems. The Future Logisitics Information System program could be worth more than 700 million pounds over a 10-year period.


Focusing on Chinook, Puma

Under the new Future Helicopter Strategy, originally called Vision 2020, the British battlefield lift capability will be focused on Chinook and the Eurocopter Puma.

The MoD recently awarded Eurocopter a 300 million pound program to upgrade the Puma to extend its service life until at least 2022.

The new strategy will see aging Sea Kings operated by the RAF and the Royal Navy retired from service early. Royal Navy requirements will be met by the AgustaWestland Merlin medium-lift machine and the new Wildcat reconnaissance helicopter, which flew for the first time recently.

Merlins currently operated by the RAF will be moved across to replace Sea Kings operated by the Royal Marines. The Navy already operates Merlins in an anti-submarine role.


Impact of Cuts

The helicopter order was announced hours before Ainsworth is expected to reveal a number of cuts to capabilities.

The BBC is reporting that Harrier GR9 jets will be phased out of service earlier than planned, Tornado squadrons cut and Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft numbers reduced.

The fast jet reductions will result in closing RAF Cottesmore in Rutland, the BBC reported.
The cuts are being made to stem potentially huge budget overruns in 2010 and beyond. The National Audit Office reported earlier Dec. 15 in a report on major defense programs that the MoD has a potential funding shortfall of up to £36 billion over the next 10 years in the face of severe pressures to reduce public spending to repair government finances.

The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA), which campaigns in support of Britain's armed forces, urged the government to rethink its approach to defense funding and to hold back from making military spending cuts until a full defense review, planned for after the 2010 general election, has been undertaken and funding priorities have been properly decided.

Retired Royal Navy Cmdr. John Muxworthy, UKNDA's chief executive, said: "These arbitrary cuts in our defense capabilities are hasty and ill-conceived. While Afghanistan is at last beginning to receive the force levels and support required to enable us to take the conflict to the enemy, this is being done at the expense of the wider and longer-term security of the country.

"Even if operations in Afghanistan were to be completed tomorrow, the threats in the rest of the world have not gone away, and the counter-insurgency posture specific to Afghanistan is of little use if we have to confront a peer competitor. At present, whole capabilities of conventional war-fighting have been lost or reduced to token strength, and the expertise that played such a crucial role in both Gulf wars is now slipping away."

 

[CougarKing]

2.4 billion pounds in cuts announced:

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4421054&c=EUR&s=TOP

UK MoD Details $2.4B in Cuts
By andrew chuter, LONDON
Published: 15 Dec 2009 15:38  Print  |    Email

Fast jets, surveillance aircraft, naval vessels, and an air base are among the casualties of the U.K. Ministry of Defence's new effort to make room for purchases of equipment for Afghanistan and balance its budget in 2010 and beyond. The cuts are expected to save the MoD around 1.5 billion pounds ($2.4 billion), although no official figures have been released.



The Royal Air Force will lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. (ROYAL AIR FORCE) The government has sought to deflect criticism of the cuts by rolling out a series of planned purchases, primarily to arm the 9,500 troops fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Among the largest will be 24 new Boeing Chinook twin-rotor helicopters, a decision that comes after years of criticism about the lack of rotorcraft in theater.

The first new aircraft won't be available for Afghanistan duties until at least 2013, but the first of eight Chinooks grounded for years by airworthiness issues will arrive sooner.

Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth told Parliament that the MoD is spending more than 900 million pounds in the next three years to improve support for Afghanistan operations. To make that affordable and to match expenditure to resources there would have to be reductions elsewhere, he said.

Urgent operational requirements for Afghanistan up to an agreed limit are normally paid for from Treasury reserves. The 900 million pounds, however, though is coming from the hard-pressed core defense budget. Ainsworth defended the move, saying the equipment being purchased had utility beyond Afghanistan.

Liam Fox, the Conservative Party shadow defence secretary, welcomed the Chinook order but criticized the government for taking so long to fix the shortfall in helicopter resources. He said it couldn't "mask the severity of the cuts being made elsewhere."

The government "has raided 900 million pounds from the core defence budget to fund current operations when it is the Treasury reserve which should be paying," Fox said. "The core defence budget is having to bear the cost of today's operations, seriously damaging our ability to engage in more conventional operations in the future. The Government is mortgaging our current security to pay for the shortfall in current operations."

Ainsworth revealed the government was also providing a further 280 million pounds from Treasury reserves to pay for urgent operational requirements in Afghanistan in the next 12 months. The main use will be boosting protected mobility vehicles like the Husky and Jackal.

That's on top of 736 million pounds in UOR funds already spent this year, an MoD spokeswoman said.

In a statement, Ainsworth said, "These decisions had not been taken lightly, but these are tough times for everyone in defense and we must ensure we prioritize spending on operations to achieve success in Afghanistan."

The Royal Air Force is the big loser, although the air service will also receive much of the new big-ticket equipment items as well. On the debit side, the RAF will:

■ Lose one of its five Harrier attack aircraft squadrons. The Harrier base at Cottesmore will close starting as early as March next year. The remainder of the joint RAF/Royal Navy GR9 force will be based at RAF Wittering.

■ Lose a further one or two squadrons of Harrier or Tornado GR4 strike aircraft, or maybe one of each, will be cut with a decision taken on the make up of the fast jet force taken in the 2010 defense review expected after the general election due by mid-next year.

■ Stand down the Nimrod MR2 maritime surveillance aircraft fleet early year. The first replacement Nimrod MRA4 will not enter service until 2012, leaving a hole in Britain's long-range surveillance capability. Ainsworth said C-130 Hercules and Merlin helicopters would fill the gap. BAE Systems is scheduled to hand over the first of nine MRA4s next February, three more later in the year, and the balance by 2012.

On the credit side, the RAF will receive:

■ Twenty-four new Chinook helicopters, bringing the fleet of heavy-lift machines to 70 by 2016.

■ Five Reaper UAVs, which will double the size of the fleet.

■ A seventh C-17 airlifter to boost the airbridge between Britain and Afghanistan.

■ Approval to buy the Typhoon fighter's future capability program phase two, which will add Brimstone and other weapons to its arsenal.

■ Better C-130J defensive aids and maintenance support packages.

The 900 million pounds will also fund anti-IED capabilities, a better dismounted close combat equipment package, more Bowman tactical radios and patrol satellite systems and an additional 80 million pounds aimed at special forces communications.


Other Hits

The defence secretary said that other areas of the MoD would be taking a hit to pay for the uplift. For example, some Army training not required for current operations will be cancelled, such as for the Challenger 2 main battle tank training as an example.

Other cuts will mean:

■ Early retirement for a Royal Navy minehunter and a survey ship.

■ Early retirement of some older Lynx and Merlin Mk1 helicopters in the transition to the new Wildcat and Merlin Mk2.

■ Cancellation of an unprotected utility vehicle competition; the program will be deferred for two years.

■ Service and civilian personnel numbers will be cut.

Alex Ashbourne, a director at Ashbourne Strategic Consulting, said the MoD cuts might preempt decisions that should be left to the defense review.

Ainsworth began his statement by saying that there would be no major decisions or changes until after the defence review. But the scope, breadth and depth of the cuts announced today will permanently affect the size, shape and capability of the UK armed forces. She said this preempts the review, which ideally needs to be policy-led, rather than equipment-led..
Other cuts are likely because the defense budget is expected to be hit to help rescue government finances. One analyst said army heavy artillery and main battle forces could eventually take a hit.

Earlier today, the National Audit Office, a government watchdog, said the MoD could have a 36 billion pound black hole in its budgets over the next 10 years unless defense spending was increased and programs cut back. Concern is also growing here among analysts and others that the cash being poured into programs to support the counter-insurgency campaign in Afghanistan will leave the British forces ill equipped to conduct other types of warfare in the future.

 

[daftandbarmy]

From a retired RGJ Officer:

"At the campaign medal ceremony for 4 Rifles on Monday, Captain John Barry read this poem which he composed in Afghanistan to those assembled, with the words echoing across the parade ground.  Thought you might be interested to read it."

 

[The Bread Guy]

According to The Telegraph:

.... At first glance, they are unlikely allies: Kevin Spacey, the darling of theatreland, and Andy McNab, the rugged SAS hero turned best-selling author.

But Mandrake spotted the two men, accompanied by McNab's wife, Jenny, last week at a restaurant in London next to the Old Vic theatre, of which the Hollywood star is artistic director.

The pair are, I can disclose, involved in a joint project for the new year. The star of The Usual Suspects is to stage McNab's debut play, Last Night, Another Soldier.

Written for BBC Radio 4, it tells the moving story of an 18-year-old soldier going to war for the first time, in Afghanistan.

McNab certainly knows his stuff: he was Britain's most decorated serving soldier when he left the Army in 1993....

 

[daftandbarmy]

Oh dear..

British Army to get new camouflage uniform


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8422942.stm

 

[CougarKing]

Oh dear..

British Army to get new camouflage uniform


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8422942.stm

Don't you also remember this from last year?

Blackadder's thread on "British Soldiers to return to wearing Tommy Helmet as Army unveils new equipment"

Equipment of the future: The British Army has unveiled the new kit which will go into service in months

British Army gear through the ages: (Lto R) SA80 weapon and kit prior to 2003, the current attire and a soldier wearing a trial outfit