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British Military Current Events

E3D Sentry retires:


RAF E-3D Sentry aircraft returns to the UK from last operational mission​


The E-3D Sentry aircraft flew its final operational sortie on the 30th July over Iraq as part of the counter-Daesh Operation SHADER. The aircraft from 8 Squadron had been deployed to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and was the latest and last deployment since 2015.

The aircraft returned to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire on 4th August and was greeted by Air Vice-Marshal Al Marshall, the Air Officer Commanding Number 1 Group and also Major General Thomas Kunkel United Stated Air Force Commanding Officer of the NATO Airborne Early Warning and Sea Control Force.



 
On social media, the truth will out!

'#screamers' indeed :)


View attachment 66056
I believe it too. Contractors are usually former SOF types, or former combat arms type with enough experience to know how to operate efficiently beyond just marksmanship & weapons.

I imagine the contractors on the ground did more to secure, move, and protect embassy staff until they were evacuated than they Paras who weren’t even deployed until 3 or 4 days ago.

(Let’s assume they deployed the day of or after announcement, had to fly there, etc. Contractors were already there)
 
Why didn’t they parachute in?
 
COVID has proven that, in some circumstances, airborne can still be deadly.

Lego Ninjago Dancing GIF by LEGO
 
Holy Hannah....

It doesn't say whether she's passed P Company or not yet. You can be sponsored by the Regiment through Sandhurst, but still need to do Pre-Parachute Selection before being accepted into the Regiment. Pass rate: about 30%.

Iron woman of the Paras! Recruit Hannah makes history after being selected to become elite regiment's first ever female officer having beaten scores of male rivals​

  • For the first time in its history, the Parachute Regiment has given a female officer cadet the chance to lead its troops
  • Hannah Knapton will join one of the Paras' battalions later this year having beaten male officer cadets at Sandhurst
  • Knapton is a talented athlete and she played football for England Under-17 girls

Field Marshall Montgomery, exalting the prowess of the first British paratroopers, famously said: 'What manner of men are these who wear the maroon beret? They are men apart – every man an emperor'.

Today, Monty would have to amend his praise. For the first time in its history, the Parachute Regiment has given a female officer cadet the chance to lead its troops.

Hannah Knapton will join one of the Paras' battalions later this year having beaten scores of male officer cadets at Sandhurst.

 
A bit of propaganda - but illustrative

As Nato allies flounder, British troops are leading by example at Kabul airport​

Our paratroopers are punching well above their weight, determined to reach out to all those at risk of the Taliban's vengeance
ROBERT CLARK19 August 2021 β€’ 10:03am

Amid the widespread panic, chaos, and looting of Afghanistan’s capital by murderous Taliban thugs, 900 British military personnel are undertaking a desperate airlift mission. The urgent evacuation of as many as 4,000 British citizens, as well as thousands of entitled Afghan civilians who were employed by the British over the last twenty years, is well underway.
The soldiers, primarily drawn from Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade, have been supporting efforts to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport, with patrols in its dusty surroundings, and helping to pick-up an estimated and pre-identified 6,000 British and Afghan civilians to evacuate.
Approximately 1,200 people have now been evacuated since Sunday. Whilst other nation’s flights out of Kabul may appear (one German plane carried just seven evacuees, while an Australian Hercules aircraft departed with 26) the British effort is on track to successfully evacuate roughly 1,000 people per day over the coming weeks.
These figures are doubly impressive given that this week saw only 600 British troops deployed in the first wave, the bulk from the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.
In the guts of the airport, the troops, with remnants of the diplomatic staff, headed by the steadfast British ambassador Sir Laurie Bristow, are also assisting with the processing of visa documents, biometric details, and the administrative paperwork for the evacuating Afghans.
Infantry soldiers, trained to conduct high intensity land warfare operations in complex terrain, are coming off mentally exhausting operations - including the extraction of civilians from the streets of Kabul - to help with this processing effort, before the air crew fly the civilians out under the cover of darkness due to the Taliban artillery now in Kabul.
Whilst the military and remaining diplomatic effort are working incredibly hard, they have been let down by the hurried nature of this airlift deployment. In following America’s lead on this, Westminster has turned what should have been a simple operation into a fraught quagmire.
Of all the singular events which will come to define Britain’s twenty year Afghan campaign, none will be remembered as much as the unnecessary and rushed US-led troop withdrawal. As was noted in The Telegraph yesterday, its consequences will live on for decades to come.
But our men and women on the ground, making sure those at risk of Taliban vengeance are ushered to safety, are reminding us why Britain’s military is so well regarded around the world. They are acting with courage, humility and a quiet strength - and in doing so showing up the military leadership of countries which should be contributing more to the effort. May they return home safe in the knowledge that they’ve made us proud.

Robert Clark is a Defence Policy Associate at the Henry Jackson Society. Prior to this he served in the British Army, including multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

 
And if that is "counter-point" here's the point

Taliban step up hunt for Afghans who worked with UK and US forces​

UN document reveals Taliban fighters are going door to door threatening to take family members hostage unless targets surrender themselves

 
I'm following the 2 PARA Facebook page... it's classic stuff 'Oh, hello, you seem like a nice Taliban chap. May we pass through shall we dance or shall me and my mates shoot you in the face and let the vultures have at you?' :)
FTFY - you're very welcome ;)
 
When in doubt, you must go out....

Washington Post reporter reveals how she and her team were rescued by brave BRITISH troops after Biden banned US forces from venturing out of Kabul airport
  • The Washington Post 's Susannah George told her harrowing tale of trying to escape Afghanistan accompanied by her Afghan colleagues and their children
  • George said security around the airport was 'crumbling' and that her Afghan co-worker and his young daughter were beaten by Taliban fighters
  • British troops had arrived at the security compound where George was staying to escort a larger evacuation and she asked them to help escort her too
  • George and her colleagues used private armored cars to travel to the airport on roads being guarded by the UK service personnel
  • Her difficult journey contradicts President Biden's assertion that anyone with an American passports would be allowed through checkpoints
  • Biden said the U.S has not extended their perimeter beyond Kabul airport to avoid the risk of having U.S. forces and civilians of being attacked by terrorist
 
When in doubt, you must go out....

Washington Post reporter reveals how she and her team were rescued by brave BRITISH troops after Biden banned US forces from venturing out of Kabul airport
  • The Washington Post 's Susannah George told her harrowing tale of trying to escape Afghanistan accompanied by her Afghan colleagues and their children
  • George said security around the airport was 'crumbling' and that her Afghan co-worker and his young daughter were beaten by Taliban fighters
  • British troops had arrived at the security compound where George was staying to escort a larger evacuation and she asked them to help escort her too
  • George and her colleagues used private armored cars to travel to the airport on roads being guarded by the UK service personnel
  • Her difficult journey contradicts President Biden's assertion that anyone with an American passports would be allowed through checkpoints
  • Biden said the U.S has not extended their perimeter beyond Kabul airport to avoid the risk of having U.S. forces and civilians of being attacked by terrorist

UK Principles of War

  • Selection and Maintenance of the Aim
  • Maintenance of Morale
  • Offensive Action - even in Defense - somebody was asking about "raiding" - one man's raid is another's offensive patrol.

  • Security
  • Surprise
  • Concentration of Force
  • Economy of Effort
  • Flexibility
  • Cooperation
  • Sustainability - To sustain a force is to generate the means by which its fighting power and freedom of action are maintained.
For comparison

US Principles of War

  • Objective – Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective. The ultimate military purpose of war is the destruction of the enemy's ability to fight and will to fight.
  • Offensive – Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. Offensive action is the most effective and decisive way to attain a clearly defined common objective. Offensive operations are the means by which a military force seizes and holds the initiative while maintaining freedom of action and achieving decisive results. This is fundamentally true across all levels of war.
  • Mass – Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time. Synchronizing all the elements of combat power where they will have decisive effect on an enemy force in a short period of time is to achieve mass. Massing effects, rather than concentrating forces, can enable numerically inferior forces to achieve decisive results, while limiting exposure to enemy fire.
  • Economy of Force – Employ all combat power available in the most effective way possible; allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. Economy of force is the judicious employment and distribution of forces. No part of the force should ever be left without purpose. The allocation of available combat power to such tasks as limited attacks, defense, delays, deception, or even retrograde operations is measured in order to achieve mass elsewhere at the decisive point and time on the battlefield. ...
  • Maneuver – Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power. Maneuver is the movement of forces in relation to the enemy to gain positional advantage. Effective maneuver keeps the enemy off balance and protects the force. It is used to exploit successes, to preserve freedom of action, and to reduce vulnerability. It continually poses new problems for the enemy by rendering his actions ineffective, eventually leading to defeat. ...
  • Unity of Command – For every objective, seek unity of command and unity of effort. At all levels of war, employment of military forces in a manner that masses combat power toward a common objective requires unity of command and unity of effort. Unity of command means that all the forces are under one responsible commander. It requires a single commander with the requisite authority to direct all forces in pursuit of a unified purpose.
  • Security – Never permit the enemy to acquire unexpected advantage. Security enhances freedom of action by reducing vulnerability to hostile acts, influence, or surprise. Security results from the measures taken by a commander to protect his forces. Knowledge and understanding of enemy strategy, tactics, doctrine, and staff planning improve the detailed planning of adequate security measures.
  • Surprise – Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which he is unprepared. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of combat power. By seeking surprise, forces can achieve success well out of proportion to the effort expended. Surprise can be in tempo, size of force, direction or location of main effort, and timing. Deception can aid the probability of achieving surprise.
  • Simplicity – Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding. Everything in war is very simple, but the simple thing is difficult. To the uninitiated, military operations are not difficult. Simplicity contributes to successful operations. Simple plans and clear, concise orders minimize misunderstanding and confusion. Other factors being equal, parsimony is to be preferred.
 
UK Principles of War

  • Selection and Maintenance of the Aim
  • Maintenance of Morale
  • Offensive Action - even in Defense - somebody was asking about "raiding" - one man's raid is another's offensive patrol.

  • Security
  • Surprise
  • Concentration of Force
  • Economy of Effort
  • Flexibility
  • Cooperation
  • Sustainability - To sustain a force is to generate the means by which its fighting power and freedom of action are maintained.
For comparison

US Principles of War

  • Objective – Direct every military operation toward a clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective. The ultimate military purpose of war is the destruction of the enemy's ability to fight and will to fight.
  • Offensive – Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative. Offensive action is the most effective and decisive way to attain a clearly defined common objective. Offensive operations are the means by which a military force seizes and holds the initiative while maintaining freedom of action and achieving decisive results. This is fundamentally true across all levels of war.
  • Mass – Mass the effects of overwhelming combat power at the decisive place and time. Synchronizing all the elements of combat power where they will have decisive effect on an enemy force in a short period of time is to achieve mass. Massing effects, rather than concentrating forces, can enable numerically inferior forces to achieve decisive results, while limiting exposure to enemy fire.
  • Economy of Force – Employ all combat power available in the most effective way possible; allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. Economy of force is the judicious employment and distribution of forces. No part of the force should ever be left without purpose. The allocation of available combat power to such tasks as limited attacks, defense, delays, deception, or even retrograde operations is measured in order to achieve mass elsewhere at the decisive point and time on the battlefield. ...
  • Maneuver – Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power. Maneuver is the movement of forces in relation to the enemy to gain positional advantage. Effective maneuver keeps the enemy off balance and protects the force. It is used to exploit successes, to preserve freedom of action, and to reduce vulnerability. It continually poses new problems for the enemy by rendering his actions ineffective, eventually leading to defeat. ...
  • Unity of Command – For every objective, seek unity of command and unity of effort. At all levels of war, employment of military forces in a manner that masses combat power toward a common objective requires unity of command and unity of effort. Unity of command means that all the forces are under one responsible commander. It requires a single commander with the requisite authority to direct all forces in pursuit of a unified purpose.
  • Security – Never permit the enemy to acquire unexpected advantage. Security enhances freedom of action by reducing vulnerability to hostile acts, influence, or surprise. Security results from the measures taken by a commander to protect his forces. Knowledge and understanding of enemy strategy, tactics, doctrine, and staff planning improve the detailed planning of adequate security measures.
  • Surprise – Strike the enemy at a time or place or in a manner for which he is unprepared. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of combat power. By seeking surprise, forces can achieve success well out of proportion to the effort expended. Surprise can be in tempo, size of force, direction or location of main effort, and timing. Deception can aid the probability of achieving surprise.
  • Simplicity – Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and concise orders to ensure thorough understanding. Everything in war is very simple, but the simple thing is difficult. To the uninitiated, military operations are not difficult. Simplicity contributes to successful operations. Simple plans and clear, concise orders minimize misunderstanding and confusion. Other factors being equal, parsimony is to be preferred.

You forgot 'Regimental Honour', backed by some good RoE from the politicos :)
 
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