British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

And....

Famous Royal Marines commando name revived

05 November 2019

A historic unit name synonymous with the commando heroics and bravery of World War Two has been revived for a new era of the Royal Marines.

1 Assault Group Royal Marines – the marines’ amphibious warfare experts – will now be known as 47 Commando Raiding Group, reinvigorating a unit name that not only gives a nod to the past but also to the future of 3 Commando Brigade.
The renaming was announced following the 75th anniversary commemorations of one of 47 Commando’s greatest battles during World War Two at Walcheren in the Netherlands.

The battle for the island was vital in freeing the approaches to Antwerp, an important supply port, and 47 Commando played a key role in victory alongside their fellow commandos.

Around 48 hours after landing on Gold Beach on D-Day, 47 Commando were also in action in Port-en-Bessin, carrying out a daring tactical raid, approaching from the rear flank and against extreme odds claiming a vital victory to open up supply lines for the advancing allied forces.

It is that action at Port-en-Bessin that partly inspired the name change, with the Royal Marines now refocusing on tactical raiding and putting their seaborne warfare expertise back at the forefront of the way they fight after concentrating on more conventional warfighting in the recent past.

It puts their small raiding craft at the centre of what they do along with the development of cutting-edge weapons, tactics and strategy for battle. This is all part of the Future Commando Force concept and is why the ‘Raiding Group’ part of the new name hold considerable significance.

Commandant General Royal Marines, Major General Matt Holmes said: “It is with enormous pride that I have been able to announce the renaming of 1 Assault Group Royal Marines to 47 Commando (Raiding Group) Royal Marines."

https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2019/november/05/191105-royal-marines-commando-name-revived?fbclid=IwAR2uAX2NECDK12oMuI1rQZuZDWUC5fg8HYsXuO8VTp1I-cnXBDtvuptNbkw

 

[daftandbarmy]

British Army pay scales... is transparency a good thing?

No, no it isn’t

http://themilitaryceo.com/2018-british-army-pay-scales

 

[Jarnhamar]

British Army pay scales... is transparency a good thing?

No, no it isn’t

http://themilitaryceo.com/2018-british-army-pay-scales

Damn, forgot how tiny brit plates are.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Lord Bramall, former head of British armed forces, dies aged 95

D-day veteran spent last years of his life battling false abuse allegations by Carl Beech

Lord Bramall, a former head of the British armed forces and a D-day veteran, has died at the age of 95.

Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall, an Old Etonian, served in nearly all major UK military campaigns between the second world war and 1985, when he retired from the military.

The decorated veteran took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944 and was chief of the defence staff from 1982 until 1985. He went on to have a 26-year career in the House of Lords, retiring in 2013.

The later years of his life were dominated by untrue allegations he was involved in a VIP paedophile ring, as one of a number of high-profile people who were falsely accused by Carl Beech.

The Metropolitan police commissioner, Cressida Dick, personally apologised to Bramall for the “great damage” the force’s investigation caused to him and his family.

Beech was given an 18-year prison sentence this year for falsely claiming that he had been sadistically abused by figures from the worlds of politics, the armed forces and security services.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/12/lord-bramall-former-head-of-british-armed-forces-dies-aged-95

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Bramall said of the ordeal: "I can honestly say however I was never as badly wounded in all my time in the military as I have been by the allegations made by [Beech] that formed the basis of Operation Midland."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/26/carl-beech-delusional-liar-tom-watson-should-apologise-supporting/

The Officers that were in charge of that investigation should be tarred and feathered. What a bloody disgrace!

 

[ArmyRick]

It seems as though the Royal Marines are changing dramatically. Very interesting to see where they go with it.

 

[daftandbarmy]

It seems as though the Royal Marines are changing dramatically. Very interesting to see where they go with it.

Well, going back to their roots more like. I assume that Jack is tired of ‘rabble‘ like the Iranians making monkeys out of them

 

[daftandbarmy]

British government and army accused of covering up war crimes

Alleged evidence implicates UK troops in murder of children in Afghanistan and Iraq

The UK government and the British army have been accused of covering up the killing of children in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Leaked documents allegedly contain evidence implicating troops in killing children and the torture of civilians.

A BBC/Sunday Times investigation said it had obtained new evidence from inside the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT), which investigated alleged war crimes committed by British soldiers in Iraq, and Operation Northmoor, which investigated alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

The government closed IHAT and Operation Northmoor in 2017, after Phil Shiner, a solicitor who had taken more than 1,000 cases to IHAT, was struck off from practising law amid allegations he had paid people in Iraq to find clients.

But some former IHAT and Operation Northmoor investigators said Shiner’s actions were used as an excuse to close down the inquiries.

No case investigated by IHAT or Operation Northmoor has led to a prosecution.

An IHAT detective told Panorama: “The Ministry of Defence had no intention of prosecuting any soldier of whatever rank he was unless it was absolutely necessary, and they couldn’t wriggle their way out of it.”

The year-long investigation claims to have found evidence of murders by an SAS soldier, as well as deaths in custody, beatings, torture and sexual abuse of detainees by members of the Black Watch.

A senior SAS commander was referred to prosecutors for attempting to pervert the course of justice, the investigation claims.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “Allegations that the MoD interfered with investigations or prosecution decisions relating to the conduct of UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are untrue.

“Throughout the process the decisions of prosecutors and the investigators have been independent of the MoD and involved external oversight and legal advice.”

The MoD said cases were referred to the independent Service Prosecuting Authority (SPA) as a result of investigations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Cases from Iraq were referred as a result of historic investigations. It is untrue to claim cases investigated under Operation Northmoor in Afghanistan were not acted upon. After careful investigation, overseen by a former chief constable, no Northmoor cases were referred to prosecutors,” the spokesman said.

The MoD also said police undertook extensive investigations into allegations about the conduct of UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the SPA decided not to prosecute any of the cases referred to it.

The spokesman said: “Our military served with great courage and professionalism in Iraq and Afghanistan and we hold them to the highest standards. It is government policy that military operations are conducted in accordance with the law of armed conflict and where allegations are raised, they are investigated.

“The Sunday Times’ claims have been passed to the Service Police and the Service Prosecuting Authority who remain open to considering allegations.”

https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/nov/17/british-government-army-accused-covering-up-war-crimes-afghanistan-iraq

 

[Cloud Cover]

In regards to the above noted BBC report:

What horseshit.

“They were not detectives at all and had no qualifications and had no authority ..”

“They were investigated themselves by Parliament ...”

Hilary Meredith.

https://twitter.com/HMhelpforforces

 

[daftandbarmy]

In regards to the above noted BBC report:

What horseshit.

“They were not detectives at all and had no qualifications and had no authority ..”

“They were investigated themselves by Parliament ...”

Hilary Meredith.

https://twitter.com/HMhelpforforces

This doesn't stop them from trying to mine the grief of serving and retired soldiers for gold.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Oh, agreed. All of those lawyers (Shiner and the lot) were permanently disbarred. There is a statutory bar from bringing any new claim or action against British forces in Iraq, including claims against individual service members.

Ms. Meredith and her org. are almost certain to lay into the BBC and Panorama for this latest keg of shyte.

 

[FJAG]

This comes as a surprise to no one:

UK would be 'outgunned' in Russia conflict - think-tank

British ground forces would be "comprehensively outgunned" in a conflict with Russia in Eastern Europe, according to a defence think-tank.

Research by the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) found that the Army, as well as Nato allies, has a "critical shortage" of artillery and ammunition.

It concluded that it could not maintain a credible defence position.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the UK works closely with Nato and is "well equipped to take on a leading role".

The research comes ahead of a meeting of Nato leaders in London next week to mark the 70th anniversary of the alliance.

The UK, along with other Nato members, has positioned military forces in Eastern Europe to deter any potential Russian aggression in the wake of Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

...

MoD figures released in August found that the size of Britain's armed forces had fallen for a ninth consecutive year.

The finding came just six months after the Commons spending watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee, claimed the MoD had a funding black hole of at least £7bn in its 10-year plan to equip the UK's armed forces.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50567271?fbclid=IwAR1YLZQCQO4trrjOj7nAOoPRr8rIDMmAmr4wpVLrfuQg3s7qwn3-uDAZedI

 

[Cloud Cover]

UK General Election: parties are offering up their detailed defence policies.

As noted in the twitter link below, the Liberal Democrats are suggesting pulling back from the CASD (Continuous At Sea Deterrent) by reducing the Dreadnought SSBN program from 4 to 3 boats, reducing readiness to “Medium” and instituting “irregular” patrols.

The Twitter author is a defence expert requesting informed opinions on this. The consensus so far appears to be that the Lib Dem plan defeats the purpose of having the SSBN fleet and capability at all - see all the reasons in the thread.

https://twitter.com/hthjones/status/1199759884234956808?s=20

 

[daftandbarmy]

UK General Election: parties are offering up their detailed defence policies.

As noted in the twitter link below, the Liberal Democrats are suggesting pulling back from the CASD (Continuous At Sea Deterrent) by reducing the Dreadnought SSBN program from 4 to 3 boats, reducing readiness to “Medium” and instituting “irregular” patrols.

The Twitter author is a defence expert requesting informed opinions on this. The consensus so far appears to be that the Lib Dem plan defeats the purpose of having the SSBN fleet and capability at all - see all the reasons in the thread.

https://twitter.com/hthjones/status/1199759884234956808?s=20

The budget elephant in the room is the SSBN fleet, all of it.

The program sucks at least 6% of the defence budget down every year, and is likely to get even more expensive in future. Puny efforts to cut costs, like cutting back on a few patrols, is futile.

How much does the UK spend on nuclear weapons?

https://www.basicint.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/How-much-does-the-UK-spend-on-nuclear-weapons_-Web.pdf

 

[Kirkhill]

6% of 40 BUKP?

2.4 BUKP/Annum?

Like they say in Edmonchuk.  Cheap like borscht.

 

[FJAG]

Report warns that Army lacks ‘ability to transport and sustain enough artillery’
By George Allison - November 27, 2019

An upcoming report claims that the British Army lacks the ability to transport and sustain enough artillery for a ‘credible warfighting division’.

RUSI say that the increasing density and sophistication of Russia’s Integrated Air Defence System promises to rob NATO ground forces of air support in the first weeks of any high intensity conflict in Eastern Europe.

“NATO ground forces will therefore need to depend on its artillery for firepower. Unfortunately NATO artillery is overmatched by Russia’s. NATO artillery is outgunned, outranged, and outnumbered. The modernisation of artillery therefore must be a priority for the British Army.”

The report also warns that, given that it is not fiscally viable to match Russia gun for gun, it is important not to simply replicate existing capabilities but rather to pursue emerging capabilities that offer a transformative advantage in the delivery of firepower.

“To this end RUSI has conducted a study assessing trends in fires technology, the effect of these systems on the future battlefield, and the minimum fires group necessary to ensure that the British Army retains a credible warfighting capability.”

Research fellow Dr Jack Watling, the author of the report, said:

“The UK’s ground forces are comprehensively outgunned and outranged, leaving enemy artillery free to prosecute fire missions with impunity. This must ultimately lead to the defeat of UK units.”

The report adds:

“Whatever platforms are developed and procured, it is clear that the UK’s ground forces need to increase their deployable firepower if they are to maintain a credible warfighting capability.”

The Ministry of Defence said in a statement:

“The UK does not stand alone but alongside its Nato allies, who work closely together across air, sea, land, nuclear and cyber to deter threats and respond to crises.”

The report will be available on Friday.

https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/report-warns-that-army-lacks-ability-to-transport-and-sustain-enough-artillery/?fbclid=IwAR2t7iUxX056Hxidr2mvw8_8WmYQjpjuytDRfoSzDFlRc41JEy0C22isaWU

The only problem with the UK MoD statement is that none of the UK's allies have adequate artillery resources either.

The full paper is here:

https://rusi.org/sites/default/files/op_201911_future_of_fires_watling_web_0.pdf

:cheers:

 

[Cloud Cover]

Houses of cards fall down.
There are no platforms being developed or procured for British artillery. They have what they have.

 

[YZT580]

Likewise

 

[daftandbarmy]

THE BROTHER of a war hero who died in Afghanistan broke down in tears yesterday as he followed in his footsteps to become a paratrooper.

Heartbroken Fin Doherty, was just six when Private Jeff Doherty was killed by a Taliban ambush in 2008, just two days after his 20th birthday.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10478106/brother-slain-war-hero-broke-down-following-paratrooper/

 

[dimsum]

Whoops. 

I guess "military ceremony" has a better ring than "burning the piano at the Mess on a Fri night" 

Family piano given to RAF base burnt in military ceremony by mistake

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/family-piano-given-to-raf-base-burnt-in-military-ceremony-by-mistake-drl508t3c?fbclid=IwAR2HMA3DGFCQYwa6wMXKmm5p2r7lnHRmetB_QFwfNv_R2_gfcnxtXqYG8_M