Tag: Ministry of Defence

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 16 June 2023.

A number of military personnel have been granted state honours in the King’s Birthday Honours list for their work in the Armed Forces.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Congratulations to the Service personnel who are receiving state honours from His Majesty The King, in his first Birthday Honours List. These prestigious awards are testament to the talent and dedication of our Armed Forces, and highlight the huge range of skills and talents across our brave personnel.

Royal Navy Awards

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most honourable order of the Bath.

As Knight Commander

• Vice Admiral Richard Charles THOMPSON, CBE

As Companion

• Rear Admiral James Godfrey HIGHAM, OBE

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most excellent order of the British Empire.

As Commanders

• Commodore James Robert DEAN, OBE
• Rear Admiral Timothy Christopher WOODS

As Officers

• Commander Charles Michael BARROW
• Commander Ian Gerald DANBURY
• Colonel Jonathan Wyn DOWD
• Captain Francis Durham HIRONS
• Captain Stephen Andrew LARGE
• Lieutenant Colonel Michael John SCANLON
• Commander Fergus Steven WALKER

As Members

• Lieutenant Zachariah Thomas Sidney BLOW
• Warrant Officer 1 Andrew Charles CORNISH
• Petty Officer (Diver) Andrew Robert COULSON
• Warrant Officer 1 (Mine Warfare) John COWAN
• Warrant Officer 2 Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering) Jamie Paul DOUGAL
• Sergeant James DUNLOP
• Chief Petty Officer (Royal Navy Welfare) Victoria GLASSEY
• Lieutenant Commander Amy GLOVER
• Lieutenant Commander Anthony James Rodney LOFTS
• Sub Lieutenant Adaiah Jekamiah Pelailiah PROVIDENCE-CULZAC, Royal Naval Reserve
• Petty Officer Engineering Technician (Weapon Engineering Submarines) Barry John TURNER-MACDONALD
• Captain Richard Ian WATSON
• Major Christopher Alan WEBBER

Royal Red Cross

As an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, First Class

• Commander Karen McCULLOUGH, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Naval Nursing Service

Army Awards

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most honourable order of the Bath.

As Knight Grand Cross

• General Sir Mark Alexander Popham CARLETON-SMITH, KCB, CBE

As Knight Commander

• Lieutenant General Nicholas Robert Macrae BORTON, DSO, MBE

As Companions

• Major General Paul Raymond GRIFFITHS
• Major General Timothy John HODGETTS, CBE, KHS
• Major General Colin Richard James WEIR, DSO, MBE

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most excellent order of the British Empire.

As Commanders

• Brigadier Andrew Stuart GARNER, OBE
• Brigadier Anna Clare LUEDICKE, OBE
• Brigadier Toby Lloyd ROWLAND
• Colonel (now Acting Brigadier) Nicholas THOMAS

As Officers

• Colonel Richard David Hadley BALL
• Colonel Sharon Mary BEATTY, ARRC
• Lieutenant Colonel James CAMPBELL, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, Army Reserve
• Colonel David Ronald COCKWELL, MBE
• Lieutenant Colonel Belinda Lorraine FORSYTHE, MBE, Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police)
• Lieutenant Colonel (now Acting Colonel) Rebecca Sarah JACQUES-GREY, Royal Corps of Signals
• Colonel (now Acting Brigadier) Tobias LAMBERT
• Lieutenant Colonel Philip Robert NATHAN, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment
• Warrant Officer Class 1 Andrew John STOKES, MVO, Coldstream Guards
• Colonel Tim John SYMONDS
• Colonel Andrew Derrick WATSON

As Members

• Captain Steven John ADAMSON, Royal Corps of Signals
• Lieutenant Colonel (now Acting Colonel) Stuart Richard ALLEN, Adjutant General’s Corps (Educational and Training Service Branch)
• Major Daniel Robert AUSTIN, Royal Army Medical Corps
• Sergeant Liam James BAYFORD, Royal Corps of Signals
• Warrant Officer Class 1 Robbie George BEECH, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
• Lieutenant Colonel James Leonard BROWN, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Lieutenant Colonel Rosanne Kathleen BUCKLEY, Intelligence Corps
• Major (now Acting Lieutenant Colonel) Christopher Paul CARTER, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment
• Major Peter James CORNISH, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Sergeant Thomas COUPER, The Royal Regiment of Scotland
• Colonel Peter Michael John COWELL, The Yorkshire Regiment
• Major Hamish Lawson DAVISON, Royal Tank Regiment
• Lance Corporal Natasha Maria Linda DAY, Royal Army Medical Corps
• Major Steven George DAY, The Yorkshire Regiment
• Warrant Officer Class 2 Johannes Jakobus DU TOIT, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Warrant Officer Class 1 Deborah Anne FAIRCLOUGH, Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff and Personnel Support Branch)
• Lieutenant Colonel Wendy FAUX, VR, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Army Reserve,
• Major Paul John GANUSZKO, Royal Regiment of Artillery
• Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Gareth Russel HALL, Royal Army Medical Corps
• Captain Melissa Jane HENLEY, Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police)
• Major Craig HUTTON, Scots Guards
• Captain Helen JASPER, VR, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Army Reserve
• Lieutenant Colonel (now Acting Colonel) Iain LAMONT, Corps of Royal Engineers
• Lieutenant Colonel Danny Scott Alan LESLIE, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• Captain (now Acting Major) George Wayne LONG, The Mercian Regiment
• Lieutenant (now Acting Captain) Bartholomew Philip LUCAS, Army Cadet Force
• Major Robert MARSHALL, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Major Iain Veitch McDAVID, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
• Captain (now Acting Major) Matthew Speirs McNAIRN, The Royal Logistic Corps, Army Reserve
• Major Robert Edward MORFORD, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
• Major Harry Anthony NOBLE, Intelligence Corps
• Major William James Devine PATRICK, The Royal Gurkha Rifles
• Warrant Officer Class 2 Deborah Christine PENNY, The Royal Logistic Corps, Army Reserve
• Warrant Officer Class 2 James Stephen Christopher ROCHESTER, Corps of Royal Engineers
• Corporal William James ROSS, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Warrant Officer Class 1 Abbas SALIHU, The Royal Logistic Corps
• Major Keith William SCOTT, Adjutant General’s Corps (Royal Military Police)
• Major Helen Mary Morrell STAMP, Corps of Royal Engineers
• Major Anthony Russell VINEY, The Yorkshire Regiment
• Major Edward Charles WATTS, The Yorkshire Regiment
• Major (now Acting Lieutenant Colonel) Joseph Francis Caven WOOD, Corps of Royal Engineers

Royal Red Cross

As an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, Second Class

• Staff Sergeant Lindsey Anne COLLINSON, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

King’s Volunteer Reserves Medal

• Warrant Officer Class 2 Craig BLANEY, VR, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Army Reserve
• Captain David Gary BURGESS, VR, The Royal Logistic Corps, Army Reserve
• Colonel David Ronald McNEIL, TD, VR, Army Reserve
• Warrant Officer Class 2 Lee Jay SHAW, VR, Corps of Royal Engineers, Army Reserve

Royal Air Force Awards

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most honourable order of the Bath.

As Companion

• Air Vice-Marshal Ranald Torquil Ian MUNRO, CBE

Promotions in and appointments to the military division of the most excellent order of the British Empire.

As Commanders

• Air Commodore Anthony John BEASANT
• Air Commodore Emily Jane FLYNN, OBE
• Group Captain Sara Bridget MACKMIN

As Officers

• Wing Commander Tracey Louise AFFLECK
• Group Captain Leonie BOYD
• Group Captain James Matthew CALVERT
• Wing Commander Victoria Ann FULTON
• Wing Commander Craig Robert LEDIEU, MBE
• Wing Commander Anthony John LETT
• Wing Commander Victoria Tuesday WILLIAMS
• Wing Commander Jonathan Robert Gibson YOUNG

As Members

• Sergeant Matthew James BREESE
• Squadron Leader David Gary COOPER
• Warrant Officer Andrea Jane CULLEY
• Chief Technician Martin Richard DARBON
• Squadron Leader Elizabeth Margaret DAWSON
• Squadron Leader Brendan Christopher DUNNE
• Squadron Leader Robyn Elizabeth HACKWELL
• Wing Commander Lorna Jayne HOBAN
• Air Specialist 1 (now Acting Corporal) Prem Dorje LAMA
• Squadron Leader William Anthony LEATHER
• Sergeant Paul David MITCHELL
• Squadron Leader Gary MONTGOMERY
• Sergeant (now Acting Flight Sergeant) Robyn Caroline MUSCROFT-BLOOMFIELD
• Squadron Leader Andrew SPOUR
• Flight Lieutenant David Alexander TAYLOR
• Squadron Leader Princejit Singh UBHI

Royal Red Cross

As an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, Second Class

• Flight Sergeant Anita Rosemary WIEJAK

King’s Volunteer Reserves Medal

• Flight Lieutenant Graham John BLACKBURN
• Air Specialist Class 1 Westley WHYTE

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 16 June 2023.

As defence ministers meet in Brussels, the Defence Secretary announced a £60 million contribution to the Comprehensive Assistance Package.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 June 2023.

A major new fund will deliver hundreds of vital air defence missiles, the result of a partnership between Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 June 2023.

Aircraft from across the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force will take part in a spectacular flypast for the King’s Birthday Parade, marking the first Birthday Flypast for His Majesty King Charles III.

Around 70 aircraft will take to the skies above the crowds on The Mall and over Buckingham Palace watched by Their Majesties the King and Queen, alongside other members of the royal family.

The aircraft will take off from 15 different locations across the UK before joining up across the south-east of England and flying across the capital.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said:

We are very proud to be able to showcase our capabilities to our Commander-in-Chief, on this historic occasion for His Majesty the King.

We have planned a fitting and appropriate tribute for our monarch, that should be a true spectacle for the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

The event will feature a mix of aircraft ranging from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight dating back to the 1940s and the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight before retiring from service, to multiple Typhoon fighter jet aircraft and the Envoy IV CC1, making its flypast debut.

At the front of the flypast will be a Juno HT1 piloted by Flight Lieutenant Tom Knapp from 60 Squadron, No.1 Flying Training School based at RAF Shawbury. The event will culminate in a spectacular show of red, white and blue from the pilots of the RAF Red Arrows.

A similar sized flypast was planned for the King’s Coronation in May but was scaled down due to poor weather conditions. Therefore, this Birthday Flypast has been increased in size to pay tribute to the new monarch.

Air Officer Commanding 1 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Mark Flewin said:

It is a great honour to be part of His Majesty the King’s Birthday celebrations, where the flypast is an opportunity for us to showcase formation, precision and excellence in the air to our Commander-in-Chief on such a special occasion.

The aircraft of the Armed Forces have a long and proud history of taking part in this occasion, with the first King’s Birthday Flypast taking place in 1913; and, most recently, formed part of Their Majesties’ Coronation in May and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee last year.

Many of the aircraft taking part in the flypast have been actively involved in operations around the world this year including the NATO Air Policing mission in Eastern Europe and the evacuation of British citizens from Sudan.

The King’s Birthday Flypast follows Trooping the Colour which takes place on Horse Guards Parade in the morning. The ceremony dates back to the reign of King Charles II, and became an annual event in 1760. This year, the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards will troop their colour in the presence of His Majesty the King.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 June 2023.

A statement on delivering high priority air defence equipment to Ukraine.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 June 2023.

The Ministry of Defence has signed a new Enterprise Agreement with Esri UK worth £46 million, helping UK Armed Forces personnel access the right information, in any situation, across any network and on any device.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 June 2023.

Units of the British Field Army have restarted training on the Ajax vehicles this week, highlighting continued progress in the programme.

• Field Army have resumed training on the Ajax vehicles
• Marks next positive step in progress on the Ajax programme
• Ajax vehicles have driven more than 6,600km on trials so far

Units of the British Field Army have restarted training on the Ajax vehicles this week, highlighting continued progress in the programme.

Focused on individual and crew training, this step will mark the restarting of British Army training on the sophisticated vehicles. Conducted in Bovington and Bulford on the initial production standard of Ajax vehicles – Capability Drop 1 – this training will enable troops to learn how to operate the armoured vehicles and use the systems integrated into them.

The training will also enable the crew to develop skills and experience with the vehicles before delivery of the later Capability Drop 3 vehicles, which will be fully deployable.

44 vehicles at Capability Drop 1 have been delivered to the British Army, while a busy production line in South Wales manufactures the Capability Drop 3 vehicles that will provide the British Army with a battle-winning edge.

Delivering a step-change in the surveillance and reconnaissance capability for the Army, with its suite of cutting-edge sensors, enhanced 40mm cannon, modular armour, and improved cross-country range and mobility, the programme will deliver 6 variants, totalling 589 vehicles that will allow the Army to operate in all weathers, 24 hours a day.

Boosting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, the main Ajax contracts supports a UK-wide supply chain of more than 230 UK-based companies and more than 4,000 jobs throughout the UK, including a large number in South Wales.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said:

This is a significant moment for the British Army, marking a huge step forward for the Ajax Programme. The Ajax vehicles will provide a breakthrough in capability and I’m pleased to see such positive progress towards delivering a suite of battle-ready vehicles for our forces.

Visiting Bovington Camp in the south west of England – where soldiers are currently training on the Ajax vehicles – Defence Minister James Cartlidge recently met with soldiers taking part in the Reliability Growth Trials that resumed earlier this year and instructors who were about to start training the Army.

Through Reliability Growth Trials, AJAX, APOLLO, ATLAS and ARES variants have driven more than 6,600 kilometres through different terrains, completing a variety of representative battlefield tasks such as operating across a range of speeds, firing weapon systems, using the vehicles systems and communications and completing specialist tasks such as vehicle recoveries and repairs using the integrated crane.

Earlier this year, the MOD also confirmed the resumption of payments to General Dynamics for the delivery of the programme. A robust firm price contract remains for the delivery of the 589 vehicles, which will ensure that General Dynamics are incentivised to deliver against agreed outcomes.

As such, the whole programme remains within its originally approved budget level and the Department has worked collaboratively and constructively with General Dynamics to achieve this.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 13 June 2023.

The £92m air defence package is being provided through the International Fund for Ukraine, in which the UK is investing a further £250m.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 13 June 2023.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met with ministers from Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) partner nations in Amsterdam.

We, the Defence Ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom – members of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) – met today in Amsterdam. We discussed the current situation in Ukraine and explored how the JEF can respond to, and further mitigate, the security threats to our nations, including Hybrid challenges.

We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to support the people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s appalling, illegal, unprovoked attack; and stand with Ukraine to support its right to be a sovereign, independent and democratic nation. The JEF Participant Nations, along with our Allies and partners, are responding decisively to provide military and humanitarian assistance, at pace, to ensure Ukraine is best able to defend itself, and will continue to do so as long as it takes.

We reiterate our standing commitment to preserving security and stability in Northern Europe and reaffirm our strong cooperation on tackling conventional and Hybrid threats from a military perspective, primarily in the JEF Core Regions. Today we face common challenges including Russian vessels mapping critical undersea and offshore infrastructure, indicating preparations for possible disruption and, at worst, sabotage.

Recalling the JEF Leaders’ Summit in Riga in December 2022 and the JEF Defence Ministers’ meeting at Edinburgh Castle in November 2022, we have today decided to accelerate cooperation in the JEF in order to detect, deter and respond to threats against our critical undersea and offshore infrastructure, reassure Allies and demonstrate collective commitment to the security and stability of Northern Europe; all in full alignment with NATO.

The JEF will specifically strengthen efforts with regard to actively sharing tactical intelligence and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information on possible maritime threats to ensure a common situational awareness. JEF Participant Nations will continue to cooperate closely, in conjunction with NATO, to coordinate presence and will pool and share capabilities to deter and respond to threats in the JEF Core Regions. The JEF will include aspects of protecting critical undersea and offshore infrastructure and assessed vulnerabilities in future activities. Finally, JEF countries will share best practices and seek ways to cooperate in their respective approaches to the protection of critical undersea and offshore infrastructure.

The JEF will ensure coordination, complementarity and alignment with NATO on its ongoing work on the protection of critical undersea infrastructure. Activities within the JEF will be periodically reviewed, taking into account security developments and efforts from international partners.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 9 June 2023.

In a single 24 hour period, Royal Air Force Typhoons scrambled twice to intercept several Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace.