British Military Current Events

[daftandbarmy]

Britain under attack from 20 foreign spy agencies including France and Germany
Spies from 20 foreign intelligence agencies, including Nato allies such as France and Germany, are attempting to steal Britain's most sensitive secrets.

By Sean Rayment, Security Correspondent
Last Updated: 9:05PM GMT 07 Feb 2009
Russia and China have been identified as having the most active spy networks operating in the UK but it is understood that some European countries are also involved in espionage attacks against Britain.
Details of the spy plots were revealed in a government security document obtained by The Sunday Telegraph which states that Britain is "high priority espionage target" for 20 foreign intelligence agencies.
Security sources have revealed that the list of foreign agencies operating within the UK includes Iran, Syria, North Korea and Serbia, as well as some members of the European Union, such as France and Germany, who have traditionally been regarded as allies.
The document, marked "restricted", warns that foreign spies are trying to steal secrets related to the military, optics, communications, genetics and aviation industries.
The report, which was drawn up by an Army intelligence cell inside Whitehall, warns that it is too easy to "lose sight" of the threat from traditional espionage and become solely focused on attacks by al Qaeda.
The document, which has been distributed to all government departments, states: "Whilst our primary threat would seem to come from International Terrorism, it is important that we do not lose sight of another omnipresent threat. Espionage against UK interests continues to come from many quarters."
The report, dated 19th January 2009, continues: "In the past, espionage activity was typically directed towards obtaining political and military intelligence. In today's high-tech world, the intelligence requirements of a number of countries now include new communications technologies, IT, genetics, aviation, lasers, optics, electronics and many other fields. Intelligence services, therefore, are targeting commercial enterprises far more than in the past.
"The UK is a high priority espionage target and a number of countries are actively seeking UK information and material to advance their own, military, technological, political and economic programmes.
"It is estimated that at least 20 Foreign intelligence services are operating to some degree against UK interests. Of greatest concern are the Russians and Chinese. The number of Russian intelligence officers in London has not fallen since the Soviet times."
A Whitehall source told The Sunday Telegraph that Russia uses its massive spy network as an "extension of state power" in an attempt to "further its own military and economic base".
The source said: "If a country, such as Russia or Iran, can steal a piece of software which will save it seven years in research and development then it will do so without any hesitation. Russian agents will target anybody that they believe could be useful to them. Spying is hard-wired into the country's DNA. They have been at it for centuries and they are simply not going to stop because the Cold War has ended."
The source added that Britain's European neighbours, including Germany and France, were also engaged in industrial and political espionage within the UK.
Many senior figures in Britain's intelligence community are frustrated by the activities of Russian spies which they claim is detracting from the fight against al-Qaeda and international terrorism.
In a speech in November 2007, Jonathan Evans, the director general of MI5, said that foreign intelligence services were active in the UK, with the Russians at the forefront of covert operations.
He said: "Despite the Cold War ending nearly two decades ago, my service is still expending resources to defend the UK against unreconstructed attempts by Russia, China and others, to spy on us.
"A number of countries continue to devote considerable time and energy trying to steal our sensitive technology on civilian and military projects, and trying to obtain political and economic intelligence at our expense.
"They do not only use traditional methods to collect intelligence but increasingly deploy sophisticated technical attacks, using the internet to penetrate computer networks.
"It is a matter of some disappointment to me that I still have to devote significant amounts of equipment, money and staff to countering this threat.
"They are resources which I would far rather devote to countering the threat from international terrorism – a threat to the whole international community, not just the UK."
Patrick Mercer, the chairman of the House of Commons counter-terrorist subcommittee, said the document served as a warning to Britain that the Cold War espionage threat had not gone away.
He said: "Britain is at the forefront of many cutting edge technologies and these are extremely attractive to lots of other countries, some of whom may actually be our allies.
"This serves as a timely reminder that our counter-intelligence assets must not be solely concentrated on countries with a traditional track record of espionage against us."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/4548753/Britain-under-attack-from-20-foreign-spy-agencies-including-France-and-Germany.html

 

[Kirkhill]

Many senior figures in Britain's intelligence community are frustrated by the activities of Russian spies which they claim is detracting from the fight against al-Qaeda and international terrorism.

Wrong.  It is part of the fight.

I don't know about spying being hardwired into Russia's DNA but it sure as heck is hardwired into Putin's, just as it was hard wired into Richelieu's.  Forget all of this nonsense about ideology or borders.  It's all about power-centres.  Moscow is one.  Beijing is one.  London, Paris and Rome are.  Tehran is an up and comer. Washington of course but so is New York with Chicago, LA and Boston playing locally for influence.

And here, at home, playing AA we have Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary......and a wee place called Ottawa that thinks it's important.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Surge of troops in Afghanistan 'needed for five years', says Nato commander
The surge of extra international troops heading to Afghanistan may need to stay for five years the commander of the country's Nato-led coalition has said.

By Ben Farmer in Kabul
Last Updated: 5:27PM GMT 08 Feb 2009


General David McKiernan has asked for more than 30,000 extra US soldiers over the next 18 months to fight the Taliban-led insurgency.
He said there would be "more expected" of other Nato partners and said 2009 would be "a tough year".
A tipping point when the Afghan police and army were strong enough to begin taking charge of security was "some way off" he warned.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "I think we will need increased security commitments for the next three to five years."
Britain already has 8,600 troops in the country and their ranks are expected to swell to around 10,000 over the next 12 months.
Last year saw the highest death toll in Afghanistan since the Taliban regime was ousted by US-backed forces in 2001.
The General, who currently commands 55,000 troops, said while progress was being made in the north and east of Afghanistan, it was uneven.
"2008 was a tough year, 2009 will be a tough year," he said. "There's a resiliency to this insurgency and there are fundamental problems with poverty."
The comments came as Richard Holbrooke, the new US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, said succeeding in Afghanistan was going to be "much tougher" than in Iraq.
"I have never seen anything like the mess we have inherited," he told a security conference in Munich.
Describing the insurgency in Afghanistan as complex and resilient, General McKiernan said his force lacked soldiers, equipment, police trainers and engineers.
"We can't grow the Afghan army and the police fast enough to say we that we don't need more international commitment right now," he added
US reinforcements will be deployed in Helmand province where British troops have been described as locked in 'stalemate' with the Taliban.
General McKiernan said the British effort in Helmand had been "tremendous", but more troops were needed.
"Our problem in the south is we don't have enough security presence whether it's British, whether it's American, whether it's Afghan, whether it's any other nation.
"In order for us to change the dynamics of the South we need additional security forces."
He described the border with neighbouring Pakistan as "wide open" and said US reinfocements would be trying to stop weapon and drugs smuggling.
There was also evidence fighters were moving across the Iranian border in western Afghanistan and he said he wanted the Iranians to tighten border security.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4558921/Surge-of-troops-in-Afghanistan-needed-for-five-years-says-Nato-commander.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Soldier becomes first amputee to guard Queen

Grenadier Guard Scott Blaney who lost a leg in Afghanistan has become the first amputee to go on Queen's Guard duty, protecting the Tower of London.

By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 10:31AM GMT 09 Feb 2009
The 22-year-old stood sentry in the famous bearskin cap less than two years after being injured by a bomb blast that killed one of his colleagues.
Guardsman Blaney from Nuneaton, Warwickshire, now hopes to return with his regiment to Afghanistan as well as represent Britain at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Describing his return to ceremonial work, he said: "It made me feel really proud to be back on duty and serving my country."
The soldier, who walks with the aid of a false limb and is jokingly called "Hoppy" by his army friends, told The Sun: "I slipped very slightly on the icy cobbles but was able to recover my footing and I don't think anyone noticed.
"I did my full two hour rota split into shifts and I can't wait to do it again."
Guardsman Blaney was able to resume his duties after the commanding officer of the Grenadier Guards vowed that he and two colleagues who lost limbs fighting the Taliban would be allowed to stay with the regiment.
Lt Col Carew Hatherley, who handed over command last month, described the soldier as a "credit to the nation".
Guardsman Blaney had only been in Afghanistan for a month when he was seriously injured by an explosion during a foot patrol in May 2007.
His right leg had to be amputated at Camp Bastion, the British military base, and he also suffered shrapnel wounds to his right arm and eye.
If not for the quick response of his colleagues and officers he says he may not have survived the blast. "Within seconds of the blast my mates were applying first aid to stem the bleeding," he said.
"Then drill sergeant Daz Chant, who is a man mountain, put me on his shoulders and ran more than a mile to the point where the chopper had flown in to evacuate me. Without him, the other lads, and the platoon commander Captain Andrew Turbull, I'd never have made it."
Grenadier Blaney said that he wants to make the best of his injury and last month attended a talent day organised by the British Paralympic Association with the hope of being fast-tracked into Team GB for 2012.
He hopes to be recruited a cyclist, but has also turned his hand to shooting, running and rowing.
"It would be brilliant to get in to the Paralympics, it would be an honour. If anyone had the chance to serve their country in the Paralympics anyone would train hard for it," he said.
Soldiers of the Queen's Guard are charged with protecting royal residences in London including Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and the Tower of London, as well as Windsor Castle. They are usually supplied by one of the five foot guard regiments, which include the Grenadier Guards.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4566359/Soldier-becomes-first-amputee-to-guard-Queen.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Four killed as two RAF training planes crash in mid-air just a mile from M4

Four people have died after two light aircraft believed to have been piloted by RAF trainees crashed in midair this morning.

Two instructors and two trainee pilots died an hour into their 5,000ft flight.
Both light aircraft training planes took off from RAF St Athan in South Wales this morning with a training flight plan along the Bristol Channel.
The two-seater planes were seen to touch wings - and spiralled out of control.
Both crashed into sand dunes where investigators were tonight examining the wreckage of the two aircraft spread over two and a half miles.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1141966/Four-killed-RAF-training-planes-crash-mid-air.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Army says goodbye to bully beef
Bully beef, the cornerstone of the Army for more than a century, is to be replaced by mushroom pasta and halal dishes.

By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:44PM GMT 06 Feb 2009

A new varied menu which will to be given to troops in Afghanistan will do away with corned beef hash in favour of dishes designed for the boiling temperatures of Helmand and a more multi-cultural military.
While some hardened veterans may shed a tear at the passing of their beloved bully beef (apparently out-voted by their juniors) all will welcome the long overdue decision to throw out chocolate.
Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq troops have been bemused by the decision to continue packing their 24 hour ration packs with bars of chocolate that regularly melted and then exploded inside the pack's cardboard box leaving a sticky mess that coated the other rations.
Instead the bland tasting chocolate has been replaced by goodies such as Oreo cookies, chocolate chip cake and energy bars.
In the age old trade-off of rations between different nations' soldiers, British troops will now be able to boast Shrewsbury and Ginger biscuits, muesli and dried fruits when they swap food with American or Danish counterparts in Helmand.
Gone will be the unsavoury-looking pate, "biscuits brown", treacle pudding and powdered soup. They are all victims of a two year trial of Hot Climate Rations that is designed to keep troops eating while in the appetite sapping heat of 122F (50C).
When 19 Light Brigade deploys to Afghanistan in May it will be taking 300,000 new 24 hour Multi-Climate Rations that will provide them with 4,000 calories.
If the trial is successful then a new ration system with 20 different menus, plus six new ones for vegetarian, Halal, Sikh and Hindu dietary requirements, will place corned beef hash firmly into the history books and museums.
Quentin Davies, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said: "One of the most important requirements is to provide increased variety to troops operating for long periods on rations, which will help reduce menu fatigue. These new menus have been developed to meet the needs of service personnel operating in the extreme climates of Afghanistan and Iraq, providing them with a wider range of nutritionally balanced meals."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4527915/Army-says-goodbye-to-bully-beef.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Four killed as two RAF training planes crash in mid-air just a mile from M4

Four people have died after two light aircraft believed to have been piloted by RAF trainees crashed in midair this morning.

Two instructors and two trainee pilots died an hour into their 5,000ft flight.
Both light aircraft training planes took off from RAF St Athan in South Wales this morning with a training flight plan along the Bristol Channel.
The two-seater planes were seen to touch wings - and spiralled out of control.
Both crashed into sand dunes where investigators were tonight examining the wreckage of the two aircraft spread over two and a half miles.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1141966/Four-killed-RAF-training-planes-crash-mid-air.html

Update:

Girl cadets killed in training flight crash
Teenage cousins and tutors die as two aircraft clip wings
By Chris Green

Two teenage air cadets and their RAF instructors were killed yesterday as two training aircraft collided in mid-air.
The girls, who were cousins, and their adult tutors died after the light aircraft touched and plunged to the ground at a coastal nature reserve in South Wales at about 11am. It is believed they clipped each other's wings.
Officials said the cadets, who have not yet been named but were of school age, were taking part in a training exercise designed to give them first-hand flight experience. The accident took place shortly after they took off separately from RAF St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan.
The two Grob 115E aircraft came down at Kenfig Nature Reserve near Porthcawl, less than 800m from a main railway line and the M4 . At least one of the aeroplanes was still on fire when emergency services arrived.
An RAF spokesman, Group Captain Andy Naismith, said: "Four members of the RAF family have tragically lost their lives following an accident which took place near Porthcawl just before lunchtime today.
"Those who died were two members of the RAF and two Air Training Corps cadets. The next of kin have all been informed. The families have requested 24 hours' grace before naming takes place to let them absorb and come to terms with this devastating news."
People who witnessed the accident told of their shock. Cliff Allen, 76, who lives in the nearby village of Ton Kenfig, was setting out for his morning walk when he saw the collision. "I was looking up at two small planes in the sky and suddenly heard an enormous bang," he said.
"One of the planes went into a nosedive and spiralled down out of sight. I went over to the scene with a neighbour straight away, and at that point only park rangers had arrived. There was a big hole where one of the planes had hit the ground."
Reena Callingham, who was hanging out her washing when she saw the crash, said: "I watched them for a few minutes and then the second one just hit him. I couldn't believe it. At first there wasn't an explosion straight away, but then there was. They just went down. I couldn't speak and I rang the police. My heart is still beating so hard, it was a big shock."
The two-seater Grob aircraft, powered by propellers, are regularly used by the RAF to train air cadets. The pilot and student each have a joystick and a set of controls, and it is usual for cadets to be briefly given control of the aircraft as part of the experience.
Last night, both the Ministry of Defence and the RAF refused to say whether the girls might have taken control during the flight.
A spokesman for the MoD said: "Whether the cadets would have the opportunity to take the controls I simply don't know."
An investigation into the collision has been launched by the Air Accidents Investigation Board, South Wales Police and the defence ministry.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/girl-cadets-killed-in-training-flight-crash-1607240.html

 

[PMedMoe]

Prince Harry to receive diversity training
Article Link

LONDON - British media are reporting that Prince Harry is being sent on an "equality and diversity" course after making racist remarks.

The BBC and the Daily Mirror say the 24-year-old prince will attend a course designed to press home how offensive racist language is.

More on link.

What, they don't do SHARP and diversity training automatically?

 

[daftandbarmy]

The supergun that kills from a mile away:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1145667/Pictured-The-supergun-kills-mile--camouflaged-crackshots-using-Taliban.html

 

[daftandbarmy]

Local pub creates a beer for Afghan-bound Paras
A History and Honour news article
18 Feb 08

Soldiers from the Parachute Regiment have had a special beer called "Every Man an Emperor", brewed by their local pub landlord in honour of their upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.


Colchester pub The Fox and Fiddler is frequented by soldiers from the Parachute Regiment based in the town, who will deploy to Afghanistan for six months in April 2008.
Landlord Jeff Wright wanted to show his support for the tour by commissioning multi award-winning brewer The Might Oak Brewing Company, based in g nearby Maldon, to brew a beer to celebrate the Paras.
Launched at the pub on Friday, 15 February 2008, the beer is a 4 per cent traditional dark-coloured ale. It's name, "Every Man an Emperor", is taken from a speech about the Regiment, made by Field Marshal Montgomery in 1944. It has become an unofficial motto of The Parachute Regiment.
Mr Wright has had the passage from Montgomery printed and placed on the wall so his customers can see where the name has come from and understand the pride the Paras have in their Regiment.
"It's important to The Parachute Regiment to make close links with our local community and I think this is a sign of the success of that bond."
Major Paul Blair, The Parachute Regiment
Available exclusively at the Fox and Fiddler, Mr Wright will donate 30p to a charity of the Paras choice for every pint of ale sold. He said:
"We are a small pub in town and over the last six years that we have been here we've had quite a few Paras come in and because both battalions are being deployed together I just wanted to do a little something myself to send them on their way.
"I've seen for myself people before they go away and after they've come back and they are so unfazed. I've seen guys with entry and exit wounds and their friends taking the mick; the camaraderie is something else. It's very interesting and rewarding and it's nice when in my position I can given a little bit back."
Attending the launch were Major Paul Blair from The Parachute Regiment Regimental Headquarters, Sergeant Kevin Turk from 2 PARA, and Corporals John Smart and Graeme Hay, both from 3 PARA, along with John Boyce, Managing Director of The Mighty Oak Brewing Company.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/LocalPubCreatesABeerForAfghanboundParas.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/TrainingAndAdventure/ColchesterToBecomeCentreForWouldbeparas.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EstateAndEnvironment/ParasReturnFromAfghanistanToBrandNewAccommodation.htm

 

[CougarKing]

Good. Hopefully Admiral Sir Johnathon Band can help the RN actually achieve what he has emphasized.

Defending the fleet, looking ahead
Wednesday, February 18, 2009

While it is fair to have a debate on the needs of each branch of the Armed Forces, the Navy must maintain the capabilities necessary to be a world class fighting force, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy tells Defencemanagement.com.

It is right for the three services to have a healthy debate on what capabilities and funding is needed and which areas should be merged together or cut, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy has said.

Speaking to Defencemanagement.com in an exclusive interview during the Fly Navy 100 programme, Sir Jonathon waived off suggestions that parts of the fleet air arm are facing the possibility of being scrapped or turned over to RAF control.

The RAF and Navy are allegedly involved in a bitter row over control of the Joint Harrier Force. RAF officials want complete control of the force and the eventual Joint Strike Fighter which would effectively leave the Navy with no fast jet support.

Sir Jonathon discounted these allegations, saying that it was right to have a debate on past decisions and collaborations.

Following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the Harrier force was placed under joint control of the Navy and RAF. Sir Jonathon attributed the current debate to whether
"that latter decision is still relevant or not."

"I would not use the phrase 'targeted,'" Sir Jonathon said in response to Air Chief Marshall Sir Glen Torpy's allegedly targeting the Navy's Harrier force for cuts or being dissolved into the RAF. "It's a perfectly proper debate to have."

Make no mistake. Sir Jonathon is the Navy's most ardent supporter. While he may support a healthy debate on what capabilities are still needed, further cuts to an already depleted naval force would not sit well with him. This extends to the fleet air arm.

Aircraft carriers give the Armed Forces a distinct and obvious strategic advantage in that they can go anywhere. Air Force bases are not transferable and often become entangled in political and diplomatic situations such as the American base in Kyrgyzstan or the British base in Basra, both of which are closing in the coming months.

An aircraft carrier however can position itself in the Persian Gulf or northern Arabian Sea on a long term basis and carryout air operations. They can also be used for rapid reaction incidents such as the Falklands War.

This is why Sir Jonathon is a staunch defender of the carriers.

"We're into coercion and deterrence" Sir Jonathon stated, "to hopefully stop some of these [international incidents] from ever happening. That's what an air element does for us. It gives us that bit of strategic flexibility to act and with the right response."

In the past he has threatened to resign if the two carriers are not procured. Despite the delays he is confident that the £4bn programme will go ahead as planned. Defence Secretary John Hutton's announcement of cuts to various procurement programmes including the Future Lynx and FRES and a two year delay to the carrier programme were part of a shifting of priorities to operations in Afghanistan. The war is Britain's top foreign and defence initiative and the MoD is committing billions to the effort.

In speaking to the First Sea Lord, one gets the sense that he understands the need for delays to the cornerstone of both the Navy's and MoD's procurement programme, given the intensity of current operations.

"Defence faces a particular set of circumstances. We are very heavily operationally committed. So some demand for resources is coming straight from the [procurement] campaign," Sir Jonathon stated.

But he cautioned against ignoring future procurement altogether and once again called for a debate, this time on funding for current operations v. long term procurement requirements.

"The debate is about what emphasis you put towards current campaigns and the future. Clearly you have got to invest in current campaigns if you want them to be successful but you also have to invest for the future.

Sir Jonathon is a team player and he is willing to deal with delays and perhaps a few cuts to projects such as the Type 45 or Astute Class submarines. But clearly this cannot go on forever. Money must be invested in the Royal Navy and it must continue to be given the capabilities to deliver support for the Armed Forces and Britain's defence policies around the world.

Unlike his colleague, General Sir Richard Dannatt, the chief of the general staff, Sir Jonathon is not about to launch a political lobbying campaign for more funding and support for his branch of the Armed Forces.

A new SDR is inevitable however and every service has desires or needs from the pending review. When asked what he would like to see the Navy gain from a new SDR, Sir Jonathon simply replied "A review is a matter for government."

He did emphasise the need for an "appropriate balance" across the three branches of the Forces if they are going to be expected to continue taking part in "premier division defence activity."

At the heart of this "balance" is the need for more naval aviation. While Sir Jonathon would not admit to it, the Fly Navy 100 event was designed to showcase the Navy's air capabilities and the need for future investment.

In the coming years the Joint Strike Fighter will come into service and dozens of the new Future Lynx Helicopters will be procured. Combined with the new aircraft carriers, destroyers, submarines and Future Surface Combatant fleet, the funding for the Navy does not look to Sir Jonathon as gloomy as some people make it out to be.

He cautioned against complacency however.

"No one is going to thank me in 20 years time if there is no investment in the Navy because there will be no Navy," Sir Jonathon concluded.

 

[daftandbarmy]

MoD has 'lost' 165 pistols, rifles and machine guns... and 27,000 rounds of ammunition

More than 165 pistols, rifles and machine guns have been lost by or stolen from the Armed Forces in the past three years.

Figures obtained using the Freedom of Information Act also show that more than 27,000 bullets have gone missing during the same period.
It means an average of 56 guns were stolen or lost in each of the past three years - whereas around 20 weapons were stolen or lost every year during the previous decade.
Last night the Conservatives and anti-gun groups criticised the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for losing track of weapons.

Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Dr Liam Fox, said: 'The MoD needs to tighten up security.
'These lost or stolen guns must not end up in criminal hands.' 
The lost haul includes a number of high-velocity SA80 automatic assault rifles that can fire off 30 rounds in five seconds and are lethal from up to a kilometre away.
It also includes Browning 9mm pistols. Both weapons are standard issue weapon of the British Armed Forces.
In December 2007, the MoD revealed the gun used to shoot WPC Rachael Bown, 24, in the stomach in Nottingham in 2006, had been stolen from the Army.
The Browning 9mm pistol used in the attack had been stolen from a British military base or smuggled by troops from Afghanistan or Iraq and sold to thugs by a soldier.
The National Ballistics Intelligence Programme, the agency charged with tracking firearms around the country, has launched an investigation into how the gun ended up on the streets.
Paula Ogunboro set up campaign group Mothers Against Guns after her son Eugene, 25, was shot dead at a party in Toxteth, Liverpool, in 2003.
Mrs Ogunboro, from Liverpool, whose son was killed by a gun which was stolen from members of a shooting club, said: 'It is appalling to think so many guns have gone missing from the Armed Forces.

Ammo: More than 27,000 rounds of ammunition has gone missing in the past three years

'This is an unbelievably large amount of deadly weapons which could easily fall into criminal hands and kill people.
'Eugene was shot by a stolen gun which found its way to Liverpool. Stolen weapons cause an untold amount of suffering for families.
'The military should be able to account for all its weapons. How on Earth do guns and bullets get stolen? Weapons should be under lock and key when not in use.
'The Armed Forces should be protecting us rather than losing deadly weapons. In no circumstances should a weapon ever go missing.' 
The latest figures reveal the Armed Forces lost 35 pistols, 43 rifles and six machine guns between January 2006 and December 2008.
A total of 39 pistols, 42 rifles and three machine guns were stolen during the same period.
The military also recorded 29,283 bullets stolen and 17,022 bullets lost over the three years period. It managed to recover 19, 042 of these bullets.
The MoD refused to reveal how many of these weapons or bullets were lost or stolen from home or how many were lost or stolen from units serving overseas.
Last year, three soldiers were jailed for a total of 28 years after taking huge quantities of explosives from a British Army barracks in Canterbury, Kent.
Colour Sergeant Garry Graham, 37, Lance Corporal Martyn Fitzsimmons, 28, and Sergeant Kieran Campbell, 27, took a massive cache of weapons including plastic explosives and grenades to sell to druglords.
All three soldiers from Glasgow had been serving members of the 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland stationed in Canterbury, Kent.
Between 2000 and 2007, a total of 109 guns were lost or stolen from military barracks in Britain. Only 35 weapons have been recovered.
Of the 200 guns that went missing between 1997 and 2006, 30 were antique rifles taken from the walls of officers messes.
An MoD spokesman said: 'The Ministry of Defence takes every reasonable precaution to ensure all weapons are controlled and stored securely.
'Comprehensive records are maintained to enable accurate accounting and are subject to both regular and spot checks.
'We also have specific operations designed to deter those personnel from all three services who may be tempted to illegally import items and also to identify those who transgress.
'This includes a combined information campaign and a physical search of all equipment including personal baggage, etc returning to peacetime locations.
'All security measures are subject to continuous review, security surveys and audits.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1158432/MoD-lost-165-pistols-rifles-machine-guns--27-000-rounds-ammunition.html

 

[CougarKing]

Somehow, I hope the ff. dire prediction does not come to pass.

UK will be 'second division military power'
Monday, March 02, 2009

The shortfall in the UK's defence budget has fallen so far that the government must accept it will soon become a "second division military power" unless it increases spending.

In a report from the UK National Defence Association (UKNDA), the UK is warned that if its defence spending stays at the current level, its armed forces will "no longer play a significant role on the world stage".

The UKNDA, an independent body which campaigns on behalf of the armed forces, said the cost of "repairing" the armed forces, if the UK is to continue with its current foreign policies as well as funding major orders for equipment, will be £15bn per year. This would incur a 40 per cent increase on the current £35bn budget.

The report's author, Tony Edwards, a former head of defence export services at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), said either Gordon Brown or his successor at the next general election faces a clear choice: either to "repair the damage" of over-stretch in Iraq and Afghanistan or to "lower our profile in the world at large".

"The Prime Minister could decide to continue with the current defence budget and instead lower the foreign policy and defence expectations. Because current defence spending is out of balance with current foreign and defence policy expectations, this will involve massive reductions and cancellations of already announced programmes," Edwards warned.

"In the next five years, at current spending levels, the UK will become a middling second division military power, behind countries like India and Japan."

He added: "It used to be said that Britain punched above its weight in world affairs, but more recently this has meant that our overstretched armed forces have had to punch above their budget, a far more difficult feat."

Edwards criticised the government for delaying making a decision on defence spending until after the next general election and keeping everything "in the air", such as orders for two aircraft carriers, which have been put back by two years. But, he said: "The next Prime Minister, whether it be Gordon Brown or David Cameron, will no longer be able to avoid making a decision."

Gerald Howarth, the shadow defence minister, said: "We are hugely conscious that the Labour government has totally failed to provide the necessary resources to fund two wars. We can't continue to ask the brave men and women of our armed forces to do what they are doing on the resources that have been given to them, and the Conservatives will conduct an immediate review of defence spending on entering office."

Ian Godden, chief executive of the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC), said: "The defence industry's view is very similar to that of Tony Edwards' research and highlights the need for an urgent Strategic Defence Review. However, we also recognise the need to put the case to the nation to explain why such a review and an increased defence budget are necessary.

"Our research shows that the public instinctively knows that something is wrong but that they don't have the facts to understand the implications for Britain's future security and foreign policy that would result from defence underinvestment or over-reliance on our allies to defend our nation's vital interests."

http://www.defencemanagem...m/news_story.asp?id=8744

 

[daftandbarmy]

The BNP... a uniquely idiotic group of individuals regardless...

BNP shot down after it uses a POLISH Spitfire to front its anti-immigration campaign


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1158970/BNP-shot-uses-POLISH-Spitfire-anti-immigration-campaign.html

 

[Kat Stevens]

What a bunch of effin' loons.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Speaking of loons...

'Troops put at risk' by MoD blunder in deal for Chinooks

Nearly £500 million has been spent on eight Chinook helicopters that were souped up for the SAS but will now be used as basic troop-carriers.
They were ordered by the Ministry of Defence in 1997 and delivered in 2001 but will not be ready for operations until 2010. By the time they take to the sky they will have cost more than £52 million each.
The saga of the Chinook Mark 3s has put the lives of British troops in Afghanistan at greater risk because they are desperately short of helicopters, the Commons Public Accounts Committee says in a report today. “The absence of these helicopters has meant that British troops in Afghanistan have had to ... make an increased number of dangerous journeys by road,” it says.
The problem began during negotiations with Boeing, the Chinook manufacturer. The MoD failed to ask for access to secure software codes and it was not written into the contract. Boeing kept to the letter of the deal and declined to hand them over.

This meant that once the helicopters were delivered, RAF mechanics were unable to check whether the avionics met Britain's airworthiness standards. As a result it was judged too risky to fly the eight Chinooks, bought for £259 million, in cloud or poor weather conditions, and all the helicopters were placed in climate-controlled hangars.
They remained there until 2007 when the MoD asked Boeing to convert them back into utility helicopters. Costs began to rise. The committee described the project as a “catalogue of errors from the start”. With no Mark 3s available for the SAS and Special Boat Service, heavily modified Mark 2 Chinooks had to be used on special operations.
Edward Leigh, the Tory chairman of the committee, said that the Mark 2s were fitted with a “bolt-on” system to allow the SAS and SBS to fly at night. It was linked to two crashes, although no one was killed. “The programme was hamstrung from the start by the appalling decision to buy the aircraft without securing access to their software source code,” he said. “Eight years after they were delivered, the Chinook Mark 3s are still sitting in hangars and the cost of getting them into the air is probably going to top £422 million, probably by a big margin.”
Quentin Davies, the Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, said that the contract was signed before the introduction of “smart procurement” at the MoD. He said: “Since then we have fundamentally changed our methods of doing business, but this episode will remain a salutary example to us all.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5848033.ece

 

[OldSolduer]

This story could have come from Canada, albeit a different chunk of equipment.
I don't suppose the bright sparks in London and Ottawa might actually hire someone who knows about such things when a contract is negotiated?
Just a random thought. Some will say it died of lonliness!! ;D

 

[CougarKing]

Just a random thought. Some will say it died of lonliness!! ;D

Don't forget the North Korean "Great Leader" who is showing his loneliness with his first stint at  Eharmony. ;D

And moving on...

British Battlebots?

http://blog.wired.com/def...9/03/video-britains.html

Follow the link for a video of the Future Protected Vehicle. Novel Air Concept also sounds interesting- and carrier capable, or maybe even capable of taking off from the flight deck of a frigate or destroyer.


Video: Britain Plots Battle-Bot Future

By David Hambling March 04, 2009 | 10:59:00 AMCategories: Anarchy In The UK, Planes, Copters, Blimps, Video Fix
Britain's military launched a new, robot-heavy Defence Technology Plan last week. And it's packed with everything from morphing, unmanned copters to drone swarms to liquid armor.
One of the stars was the Future Protected Vehicle - a "lightweight vehicle designed to achieve the effectiveness and survivability of a main battle tank." A Ministry of Defence video shows the FPV releasing a miniature spy drone to locate a target, before destroying the thing. It's clearly similar to the Team Stellar entry which won the MoDs Grand Challenge robot competition last year. Team Stellar's entry, "Sensing & Autonomous Tactical Urban Reconnaissance Network," or "Saturn," included a robotic ground vehicle with a small unmanned aircraft that were networked together. So it's not surprising that one of the contracts announced as part of the plan is a £1.3m ($1.8m) deal for Team Stellar "to take their integrated Saturn system to the next level of capability."

Two of the other Grand Challenge competitors also received contracts. Mindsheets is enhancing its Testudo, a small radio-controlled buggy for inspecting IEDs; the idea is to make it more rugged and user-friendly for battlefield use. Meanwhile, Swarm Systems is being funded to take their gaggle of co-operative, hovering micro-air vehicles to the next level.

Other plans are more ambitious. The Novel Air Concept is an unmanned aircraft capable of vertical take-off. If it works as proposed, it'll have a proposed radius of action of a thousand kilometers, and be capable of operating in heavily defended airspace. The drone will be specifically tailored to carrying out strikes in urban environments, and will be able to deliver "novel payloads" -- which may be MoD-speak for directed energy weapons. The aim is to produce a flying demonstrator within three years.

The Novel Air Concept may not end up looking anything like this artists impression, showing it as a stealthy, morphing craft with a retracting nose-propeller. But clearly, the designers have no lack of imagination. Note that the payloads neatly laid out in front of the craft include some substantial missiles and a couple of "black boxes" which I suspect are intended to represent laser and microwave weapons.

The other item picked for headlining is D30, an orange gel produced with impressive shock absorption properties. This is a more sophisticated version of the shear-thickening liquid armor that the U.S. Army investigated a few years back. The D30 gel relies on a piece of nanotechnology nicknamed "intelligent molecules": in its normal state it's simply a jelly, but impact causes the molecules to lock together into a hard solid capable (in theory) of stopping a bullet. D30 are hoping to develop the gel for applications like flexible lightweight body armor and helmets.
You can see the full Plan here which covers everything from ships and submarines to ground systems, the Joint Supply Chain. The British MoD may not be able to match the Pentagon's budget on R&D, but they have an impressive track record and no lack of talented scientists. They may even produce some technology worth borrowing…

 

[ENGINEERS WIFE]

Ambush in N. Ireland kills two British soldiers
Updated Sun. Mar. 8 2009 9:04 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

Two British soldiers have died after being gunned down in a surprise attack by suspected IRA dissidents at a military barracks west of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The soldiers were attacked while they and two other soldiers were paying a pair of Domino's Pizza employees who had just delivered food to the Massereene army barracks in Antrim, Northern Ireland on Saturday night.


While the soldiers were interacting with the delivery men, they came under attack from a car carrying two men armed with assault rifles. At least one of the gunmen got out of the car and shot the victims again at close range as they lay wounded on the ground.

The four men, including the two delivery men, who survived the attack, remain in hospital with serious wounds.

Police Chief Derek Williamson said the callous attack killed two young army engineers who were due to ship out to Afghanistan.

"It's clear from what we know at this stage that the terrorists not only wanted to kill soldiers who were there last night but also tried to kill those two pizza delivery men. That indicates to me the ruthlessness of this attack," Williamson said.

Police said they found a car abandoned in nearby Randalstown that they believe was used by the attackers. But they reported no arrests.

The dead were the first British soldiers killed in Northern Ireland since February 1997.

The attack followed recent warnings that dissidents would target civilians who did business with the army, following in the footsteps of the defunct IRA which, for decades, reserved the right to kill anyone who worked or directly supplied the police or the army.

While it appeared designed to inflame tensions in the region, British Protestant and Irish Catholic politicians said the attack would not undermine a 22-month-old coalition between the two sides and they blamed IRA dissidents for the violence.

"We will not be diverted from the direction which Northern Ireland has taken," said First Minister Peter Robinson, Protestant leader of the coalition, who cancelled a planned 10-day trip to the United States after learning of the attacks.

He called the attack "a futile act by those who command no public support and have no prospect of success in their campaign."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said "the whole country is shocked and outraged at the evil cowardly attack."

"I assure you that we will bring these murderers to justice," he said. "No murderer will be able to derail a peace process that has the support of the people of Northern Ireland. We will step up our efforts to make the peace process one that lasts and endures."

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said "we had all hoped that senseless violence was a thing of the past."

"Violence has been utterly rejected by the people of this island, both north and south. A tiny group of evil people cannot, and will not, undermine the will of the people of Ireland to live in peace together."

IRA dissidents have opposed the long-term peace efforts in Northern Ireland and the 1997 ceasefire that came five months after the last killing of a British soldier in the country.

From 1970 to 1997, the IRA killed nearly 1,800 people in efforts to force Northern Ireland out of the United Kingdom and into the Republic of Ireland.

With files from The Associated Press

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090308/northern_ireland_090308/20090308?hub=TopStories

 

[daftandbarmy]

That sucks. I guess the bad guys missed the coverage of the victory parade in London last year. On my last tour of Belfast our CSM had a sign in his office under the picture of the burned body of a Royal Marine. It said: "Don't switch off or some b*****d will switch you off - permanently". 'Nuff said...