Tag: Ministry of Defence

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 17 May 2023.

Speech by Admiral Sir Ben Key at the First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference, part of the London Sea Power Series.

Good morning.

This year’s conference is part of the London Sea Power Series, a set of events deliberated designed to celebrate the maritime domain and bring together those with an interest in it in order to consider the challenges and opportunities of our time, and of celebrate some of our closest relationships.

On Monday we in the Royal Navy marked the 50th anniversary of signing of an agreement between the United Kingdom and Netherlands Amphibious Forces which has seen the Royal Marines and Netherlands Marines Corps train, exercise and deploy alongside each other in our oldest amphibious relationship.

Tomorrow, in the grandeur of the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, we will mark the 60th anniversary of the Polaris Sales Agreement, one of the most significant intergovernmental agreements the United Kingdom has made, in this case with the United States. Laid in 1963 it has been fundamental to the United Kingdom’s ability to deliver Continuous At Sea Deterrence.

So this is proving quite a week.

Art of Admiralty

I would really endorse to you Professor Andrew Lambert’s ‘Art of Admiralty’ essay in your conference programme, preferably after I’ve finished speaking. Because it underscores much of the reason and the ideas we have brought you together in this format. To try and join together the public and private sector, industry, business and academia to talk about the maritime environment as holistically as we can.

For 500 years the Royal Navy has stood ready to defend the United Kingdom and her interests at sea. To upholding the right to freedom of navigation, enabling trade and supporting the economy, the life blood of our country. We are here to defend the nation and help it prosper.

And it is a role we gladly undertake on behalf our of island community. It involves engaging with allies, making new friends and fielding the best technology, making the most of every opportunity across the domain.

I look forward to much more of this. I don’t know if there will still be ships upon the sea in another 500 years but the sea will still exist, and we at least will be around for much of that history. Our trade will continue to travel by sea and our energy and data under it – the statistics on volumes, all above 90%, need no repeating by me.

And there are threats to our peace and prosperity which have been discussed in great detail already. As a navy we also have to be able to support our commitments to NATO and the Euro-Atlantic, to be able to deploy globally to engage with and reassure our partners and allies wherever they are, and to ensure that the people who share our values, likeminded around the world, can see us as reliable, dependable and engaged.

In the 21st Century seapower has to be from seabed to space, from sea and at sea, and a whole of nation endeavour if we are to deter those who would increasingly seek to challenge the rules-based international order and our way of life through activity in the grey zone.

So the ‘art’ that Professor Lambert describes is something not of historical curiosity but an essential, necessary piece of today and the future, and it is something I think we need to regain. Regain a confidence in practising, regain a confidence in talking about it and regain the way in which we go about our business. And the Royal Navy cannot do it all alone by any stretch of the imagination.

But as an organisation with an interest in the maritime discourse, with a recognisable brand, and some deep dependencies on others then it is essential I believe that we step into the space and help catalyse and convene the conversations and initiatives like the one that we are having today.

We will always be an island and the opportunity exists therefore, in fact the obligation, for us to be a seapower state, aligning our national interests with our investment and engagement in the maritime, creating prosperity and security, working with allies and deterring our adversaries.

Shipbuilding

This will not happen overnight, but I am hugely positive about some of the things I am seeing already. Just over a year ago I spoke in Rosyth where our Type 31 frigates are being built and issued a call to arms to industry to be not just contractors, but partners on the journey as we develop the fleet of the future.

They have responded, and frankly I needed them to. We now have on order, or in build 16 ships and 6 submarines and that just represents the major capital programmes.

The investments in the Royal Navy, even in the last 12 months, have been significant – three new Fleet Solid Support ships, a further five Type 26 have been put on order. SSN-AUKUS is in design. HMS Anson has joined the Fleet. RFA Proteus and RFA Stirling Castle will very soon be in service.

The next decade is one of real change for the Royal Navy and the investment is hugely welcome across a spread of capabilities.

I recognise that some of them are deemed exquisite and have vocal detractors who advocate simply for more mass saying that we cannot afford to pursue high-end, niche capabilities. Clearly, I would welcome more ships, but that cannot be at the expense of being able to undertake the most complex tasks.

As we watch the increasing deployment by Russia of their most modern submarines, some of the very quietest in the world, you would expect me to be investing in the cutting-edge technology anti-submarine capabilities that allow us to detect, find and if necessary defeat them.

This is not cheap. But I don’t see coming second in the theatre ASW battle as a desirable option. As we look to the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Atlantic in a week’s time it wasn’t something that we contemplated then and it isn’t something that we should contemplate now.

But we don’t need all of our platforms to be high end and exquisite and there is a place for a ship that has a lower price tag without the same range of capabilities but something that can be operated flexibility, updated with greater agility and delivered in greater mass, deployed widely around the world and this is what we are seeking in the Type 31 class.

Technological change

Platforms alone are not the answer. Such is the speed of technological change, it is likely in the future that the hull will be one of the few bits of a ship that actually remains constant.

If we are to be a credible navy for a seapower state then we must be at the leading edge of developing and adopting new technology and innovations.

This cannot be done on fluffy vision statements or science projects and a sprinkling of fairy dust; it must be about adapting at the speed of relevance, understanding what is available to us, taking some risk, innovating, experimenting and then finding that technology and systems are available to us when we need them and when we don’t, moving on.

This week, Patrick Blackett, our experimental technology ship is in London. She is dedicated to exactly this purpose: trialling new equipment, new ideas, to help us introduce it to service rapidly and to inform our learning as we do so.

For example, in partnership with Imperial College, she is currently testing a quantum accelerometer, a means by which we can safely navigate in a satellite denied environment, ensuring we can continue to operate, even if others cannot.

It matters because others are investing here heavily too. By some estimates Chinese public investment in quantum technology in 2021 was 50% of the global total.

And in the future both our escorts and aircraft carriers will operate a mix of crewed and uncrewed aircraft.

Leading the way in this field will be persistent uncrewed rotary wing systems and jet powered Banshee drones.

We have a vision in the near term of deploying more highly capable, long range and long endurance surveillance and offensive strike platforms: launched from aircraft carriers, recovered to them and ensuring therefore deployable agility around the world.

But it is not just about the sensors. We also need to advance our ability to deliver lethal long-range offensive fires against our adversaries.

Hence the decision to ensure the Mark 41 Vertical Launch Silo is fitted to the Type 26 and, I am delighted to say, we intend to fit it also to our Type 31 frigates. This will enable potential use of a large variety of current and future anti-air, anti-surface, ballistic missile defence and strike missiles

AI

So we are making significant investment in physical technology but we are also working in the digital space too. Because if that the pace of change is rapid, at times, particularly in AI, it is breath-taking.

Everyone, friend and potential adversary alike is stepping into this space and it is causing us to reimagine warfare, creating dynamic new benchmarks for accuracy, efficiency and lethality.

So we are being deliberately ambitious, because we have to be. The goal is enhanced lethality and survivability through the deployment of AI-enabled capabilities.

So we must build this into everything we do, particularly how we gather, process, move and store data not just at the tip of the spear but also in our business practices and processes.

People

However, for all the technology and data and the potential it has to enhance and support their work, it will remain our people who are the beating heart of the service.

The fundamental nature of human conflict is well understood and is such that well educated, well trained and well led people will still be the decisive factor in 21st century competition and war.

We will continue to offer our people the opportunity to travel globally and we will continue to give them the chance to operate the best and newest technology.

They join the navy to see the world and we will do all we can to show them it, not leave them in port. But the workforce and their expectations of employers are changing, and we have to change too.

We know that many of our new entrants to the service are no longer choosing a career for life and so we must be more agile in allowing people to enter and leave, seamless transition between regular and reserve service and out into broader industrial space. And also recognise that some of the specialist skillsets we need will not require years of journeyman’s time through the ranks.

So, I really welcome the review of Armed Forces incentivisation by Rick Haythornthwaite due to be published soon which I think will lay out a framework for us to envisage a really radical new workforce offer.

Clearly, if you want to command an anti-aircraft destroyer, we can set the template as to the qualifications you need to have for command. If you want to be an engineer working in AI, why can’t you have something the Second Sea Lord describes as a zig-zag career, moving in and out of uniform, moving in and out of the sector with great freedom.

Competition in the employment marketplace is fierce, but underneath that we must also do the best by the people we have now, and so ensuring that we are making a holistic offer to them and their families has to be the heart of any new future design for the Royal Navy.

Geostrategic picture – power of maritime forces

As I look at our current and future platforms and the opportunities available to those who are young and serving today or soon to join, I do so with a degree of envy.

As a result of investment over the last two decades we now operate two fifth-generation aircraft carriers, nuclear powered ballistic and attack submarines a range of aircraft, escorts and support ships to allow us to deploy globally, as well as fielding an elite amphibious fighting force. There are very few navies in the world which can do this and so I am delighted that we remain in that first tier.

I am also delighted that people are still interested in what we are doing and thinking about and so many foreign heads of navy would come here to contribute to our debate, in the same way we seek them out and learn from what they are doing.

It is why when the need to evacuate citizens from Sudan came about last month, it was the Royal Marines of 40 Commando, our rapidly deployable early intervention force, who were the first in, supported by strategic lift from the Royal Air Force, with HMS Lancaster soon arriving in Port Sudan days later.

The decision by the Secretary of State to deploy the Carrier Strike Group into the Indo-Asia Pacific in 2021, as has been much discussed here already, enabled us to showcase on the global stage the convening power of fifth generation deployable aircraft carriers and an international task group. We sailed halfway around the world and back, sustained through a period of difficult global COVID pandemic.

Although the big deployments make the international headlines, it is just a fraction of what the carriers are capable of.

In the last year they have trained and operated across the EuroAtlantic, from the High North to the Mediterranean, underscoring our commitment to NATO, to our JEF partners and to our wider allies.

And we have plans and ideas being put forward to reinforce that

It is the UK’s strategic conventional deterrent capability and we will continue to hold the aircraft carriers at very high readiness to deploy in the event of crisis, demonstrating the flexibility and agility .

Back to Art of Admiralty

So the pace of change we find ourselves in in the world today and our navy is rapid; we are facing an environment that is evolving faster than ever. And the scale of the challenge ahead of us also feels generational; it feels like another Dreadnought moment.

But it will be for nought if we do not consider this as a national endeavour, reflecting the essential nature of the sea for our prosperity, our way of life, our place in the world.

So as well as the change we are generating inside the service, I am determined that we capitalise on an even more collective maritime endeavour of national and international undertaking

I recently met with the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation at their headquarters here in London.

Kitack Lim and I talked how we as a Service can help support his intent for reinforcing leadership and engagement in the international maritime community, around UNCLOS and its importance. How we can help bring to the fore voices not just from Government but our international partners.

We are talking to University Technical Colleges about how we can continue to invest in the young of the country Ensuring the development of STEM skills in the next generation.

Working alongside not just those who would join our service, but also the Merchant Marine.

Talking to some of the City Colleges about the sort of apprentices we offer and how we can invest in the development of the next generation.

We also have a remarkable network of former Royal Navy personnel working across the maritime enterprise from business, to industry, in shipyards and ports, to Government. Whilst they no longer wear their uniform, they help provide a network that for us enables the catalysing conversations that we want to have.

And our Maritime Domain Awareness programme provides an understanding of activity at sea to improve security internationally, providing free support across the breadth of the maritime sector.

These are just a few of things that I think Art of Admiralty is about. As I have said on a number of occasions, we are not the sole guardians of the great ideas, not by any stretch of the imagination.

We want to listen humbly to what others have to say, we want to learn from them and then understand where we can engage and make a difference.

Conclusion

Because as a Navy we have with national and global reach, increasing punch, technically minded and we are just starting to exploit the opportunities ahead.

We have a wealth of people, talent and connective tissue across the maritime organisations in this country and we have national and international friends, allies and partners who matter to us, and we like to think we matter to them.

We must make our voice heard and increase the recognition once again about the vital importance of the sea for our island nation and the global community.

This is what a seapower state does, what I believe the United Kingdom is and should be and must be into the future and I look forward to the part that we will play in continuing to drive it forward.

Thank you.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 17 May 2023.

A one-off payment of £87,500 for eligible spouses in recognition of those who forfeited their pensions prior to 2015.

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

423 modern homes have been purchased for Service families across the UK in a £173 million deal, as part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) Capital Purchase Programme.

• 423 modern, energy efficient homes for Service families.
• £173 million invested for Service families across the UK.
• Armed Forces families to benefit from hundreds of new homes as part of a major housing procurement shake-up.

423 modern homes have been purchased for Service families across the UK in a £173 million deal, as part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) Capital Purchase Programme.

The Capital Purchase Programme (CPP) works in partnership with major developers to identify where there is a need for family accommodation and determine the best way of delivering high-quality, energy efficient homes for our Service families.

Replacing some of the MOD’s oldest housing stock and reducing the use of substitute accommodation, 310 brand new homes have been purchased in the last 12 months, in areas including Aldershot, Brize Norton, Lossiemouth and Portsmouth. All are due to be occupied by the end of 2023 and will have a minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of B.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said:

This announcement shows our commitment to delivering good quality homes for the men and women of our Armed Forces and their families.

They perform an incredible role around the clock and rightly expect good quality accommodation. Offering modern, energy efficient homes which are good for the environment and great for their bills is the least we can do while we continue to improve our Service Accommodation across the UK.

DIO has also bought 113 homes that it previously held on long-term leases, to secure their tenure for future use and has agreed to purchase a further 176 new homes, all designed to be net-zero carbon in occupation, over the next three years to support Imjin Barracks in Gloucestershire, at a cost of £78 million.

DIO Head of Accommodation, Air Commodore James Savage said:

I’m delighted with the progress the Capital Purchase Programme has made. It enables us to replace some of our poorest housing stock with modern, high-quality and energy-efficient homes fit for our Service families.

We’re equally committed to improving our existing housing stock and the investment in our current homes has made a real difference too, with around 20% of homes receiving a significant upgrade.

Alongside the investment in new homes, DIO also invested £185 million last financial year in improving existing Service Family Accommodation, with around 20% of homes receiving an upgrade in the last 12 months. This includes a £73 million programme of works to improve the thermal efficiency of homes, which provided 600 homes with new boilers, 1,200 with new roofs, 1,740 with new doors and windows, and 900 with full external wall insulation.

Director Basing & Infrastructure, Major General Richard Clements CBE said:

This significant investment in new homes is very good news for soldiers and their families. Real progress is being made to provide the modern, high-quality accommodation that they deserve, while also addressing the need for more sustainable housing stock. I am delighted to see ongoing and increasing improvements underway across the defence estate, to benefit our people and support Army capability.

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

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 16 May 2023.

An op-ed from Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer, originally published in the Times Red Box.

Monday marked the start of Mental Health Awareness Week. For me, the week is always a reminder of how the mental aspects of warfare can often be as powerful as the physical.

Early on in my third tour of Afghanistan in summer 2010, I made a close friend. He was a good bloke — intelligent, thoughtful and a good soldier. He was brave, didn’t flinch under fire.

On a patrol, he was shot in the side. Though the round pinged off his new body armour plate, something in his head snapped. He had to be extracted as a casualty, despite having no physical injury; he just could not compute what had happened to him.

It was perhaps the worst case of battle shock I had seen in a British soldier up to that point. It was devastating to see a man so strong, yet so completely broken by battle. It had a profound effect on me. It demonstrated to me the vicious and unpredictable effects of trauma on the mind.

A few years later, I bumped into a soldier I’d trained with back in 2007. He had completely transformed himself from a problem character into an exemplar soldier. He made a point of telling me how important those early days in training had been: how they had taught him humility, courage, discipline and resilience.

Seeing him reminded me how rewarding it had been to help him and many others like him make something of themselves. I started to think about where I might be able to make a difference in the future.

Heading home from Afghanistan, I felt that tokenism dominated almost every approach to veterans’ care and mental health. When it came to post-combat care specifically, I strongly believed that the government had singularly failed our service men and women.

I wanted to end the unacceptable stigma and lack of genuine commitment to mental health. My mind was made up. I was going to leave the Army and become an MP. As the minister for veterans’ affairs, I’ve made it my mission to improve the plight of veterans and their families. And with that comes improving access to health services.

One real service innovation has been to take a multidisciplinary approach: addressing not just physical health needs, but the wider health and social needs of the veteran so they can heal, recover and thrive.

Op Courage was the pioneer: a single clear defined pathway for veterans in England to access world-class mental health care. The Veterans Trauma Network, another dedicated NHS service for veterans, is also helping to standardise physical health support. It is the services charity sector that is complementing these services with excellent wraparound support.

Being active can make a world of difference. The Veteran Games, taking place later this month in Tel Aviv, will host over 60 wounded British veterans together with their spouses and children. They will compete with their Israeli counterparts across swimming, shooting and functional fitness. Now in its third year, the Games was set up by the charity Beit Halochem UK, which supports state-of-the-art centres for injured veterans in Israel, and is entirely run from philanthropic donations.

Competing veterans have been selected by charities based on how much they will benefit from the opportunity, rather than for their sporting prowess. It is the taking part that counts, and everything that comes with it. This includes building shared, long-term bonds with their fellow UK and Israeli competitors.

I am inspired by the veterans who are challenging themselves, and encouraging others to do the same. I will be cheering for them later this month — not only to grab those medals, but to continue on their personal journeys to recovery.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 14 May 2023.

More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major exercise in Estonia.

• Personnel from all three services of the UK Armed Forces are deployed in Estonia, carrying out exercises and operations as part of our commitment to NATO.
• More than 1,500 troops have been deployed for Exercise Spring Storm, demonstrating the reinforcement of the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup to Brigade-sized strength.
• 14,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries will demonstrate interoperability in multi-domain training scenarios as part of the exercise.

More than 1,500 UK troops are set to train alongside thousands of personnel from NATO Alliance countries, as part of a major Estonian-led exercise.

Exercise Spring Storm is the largest annual military exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, comprised of both UK and French forces, with more than 14,000 personnel due to take part from 11 NATO countries.

At last year’s NATO summit, the UK committed to increase the size of its eFP commitment, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-sized deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel than in previous deployments.

Spread across tough and varied Estonian terrain, ground units will be tested on realistic battlefield scenarios including trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, and light infantry tactics, moving up to armoured vehicle manoeuvres and combined arms warfare.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:

Hundreds of UK troops from across our Armed Forces will again train with personnel from eleven NATO nations, demonstrating the strength of our interoperability with partner nations and our combined commitment to the NATO Alliance.

While the Russian Army continues their illegal invasion of Ukraine threatening stability in Europe, the UK and our allies will continue to support Ukraine and defend our shared values and freedom.

Beyond the land-based elements of the two-week exercise, members of the RAF will carry out training exercises in reconnaissance and air-land integration, while Royal Marines Commandos will also carry out a beach assault exercise to test the UK’s maritime strike capability.

The eFP provides a continuous NATO presence along its eastern border, with deployed troops acting as a deterrence against any aggression towards the Alliance’s borders. Recent actions carried out as part of the UK-led eFP include air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.

Personnel from the British Army’s 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team (7LMBCT) HQ and Light Dragoons Battlegroup (LD BG) join the Queen’s Royal Hussars (QRH) for the exercise, which will include Challenger 2 tanks, Warrior and CV90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Jackal, CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, and other artillery pieces, including British GMLRS and US HIMARS.

Supporting air-based exercises will be four Wildcat and five Apache helicopters, as well as three RAF Typhoon fighter jets.

The Queen’s Royal Hussars Commanding Officer Lt Col Steve Wilson said:

The eFP is looking forward to the opportunities provided by Exercise Spring Storm. The chance to train over the terrain we might need to defend adds to the gravitas of the exercise.

Our Battlegroup is fully integrated with 1st Estonian Brigade and brings a highly trained and capable UK and French troops to the field. We will be bringing a wide range of hard-hitting capabilities from Main Battle Tanks (MBT), anti-tank, and artillery to snipers, mortars, engineers and tactical air controllers. We look forward to demonstrating the capabilities and resolve of the NATO alliance over the coming days.

The exercise is conducted in a peer-on-peer format, allowing the reconnaissance capabilities of the LD Battlegroup to be tested against the heavy armour of the QRH Battlegroup, and vice versa.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 May 2023.

The facility contains a new laboratory, Technology and Training Hub, indoor training area, and fit for purpose instruction space.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 11 May 2023.

Soldiers at five Army barracks are set to benefit from new single living accommodation under a £1.2bn programme to modernise and improve the Army estate.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 10 May 2023.

Military support for Ukraine and a radical overhaul of NATO’s deterrence and defence topped the agenda for meeting of Alliance’s Defence Chiefs.

Ongoing military support to Ukraine and NATO’s continuing transformation to face key security challenges were the focus of a meeting of the Alliance’s Chiefs of Defence, held today in Brussels.

Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, represented the UK for the meeting in Brussels, the first in-person session of NATO Chiefs of Defence since Finland’s accession to NATO.

Sweden was also represented as an invitee and NATO’s closest partner, ahead of its accession to the Alliance. The UK was the fifth NATO member to ratify Sweden and Finland’s membership, and welcomed Finnish accession to NATO.

The UK continues to encourage all Allies to ratify Sweden’s membership as soon as possible. Finnish and Swedish membership will make all Allies safer, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.

UK Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said:

As the war in Ukraine reaches another important phase, it is of the utmost importance that the United Kingdom and its Allies stay strong in our ongoing support to Ukraine, as they seek to drive Russian forces from their sovereign territory.

With Finland now a full member of NATO, and Sweden expected to complete its accession in the coming months, Putin has only succeeded in ensuring our Alliance is stronger than ever. I look forward to working with other Chiefs of Defence to finalise the transformation of NATO’s deterrence and defence ahead of July’s NATO Summit in Vilnius.

With his counterparts, Admiral Radakin welcomed the new NATO Regional Plans, which give NATO military commanders a wide range of options to defend Alliance territory against threats from Russia and terrorist groups.

This is the first time NATO has developed such plans since the end of the Cold War. The plans form part of a decade-long process of transformation for the Alliance, which is stronger and more united than ever.

The UK is committed to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend themselves against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion. We are one of the leading providers of military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and have committed so spend another £2.3bn on military support for Ukraine this year. By making this commitment we are strengthening Ukraine’s position to repel Russia’s barbaric invasion and secure its long-term sovereignty.

The meeting of Defence Chiefs comes just days before the start of Exercise Spring Storm, the largest annual exercise involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Estonia, which will see more than 1,000 members of the UK Armed Forces leading the multinational training exercise.

The two-week exercise will showcase the UK’s ability to deploy hundreds of personnel, as well as armoured vehicles and helicopters to Europe, for an exercise to boost interoperability with NATO allies.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 10 May 2023.

A £560 million contract to manage the UK land on which thousands of Armed Forces personnel train, has been awarded to Landmarc Support Services by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

• £560 million contract to deliver management of facilities, rural estates and operational services.
• 1,308 jobs supported across the entirety of the UK Defence Training Estate, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priorities.
• UK training estate plays a crucial role in preparing troops for operations across the globe, including supporting the UK-based training of thousands of Ukrainian volunteers.

Delivering facilities management, rural estate management and operational services across the 156,000 hectares which make up the UK Defence Training Estate, around 1,300 UK jobs will be sustained by the replacement contract, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy and support jobs across the country.

Comprising 16 major armed forces training areas and 104 minor training areas including ranges and camps, the UK Defence training estate includes sites from Salisbury Plain in the South West to Barry Buddon in Scotland as well as many more. Through the new contract, Landmarc which is a joint venture between Mitie and Amentum will provide UK and visiting Armed Forces with a safe and secure place to live, work and train, while maintaining and improving the land, buildings and facilities that they use.

The contract will also deliver vital services to training troops, including providing them with around four million meals a year and approximately one million bed spaces.

Innovative, more responsive, and flexible services will be introduced for personnel using the training estate, resulting in facilities that will be more agile to meet the changing needs of the Armed Forces.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said:

This significant investment will help to ensure we continue to offer safe, secure and well-maintained training facilities for our Service Personnel as they prepare for operations worldwide.

The UK’s Defence Training Estate also provides a huge boost to our economy, with this contract sustaining more than a thousand jobs across the country.

The training estate covers around one per cent of land in the UK and plays a crucial role in preparing UK and visiting troops for operations across the globe, including supporting the UK-based training of thousands of Ukrainian volunteer recruits.

The training being delivered on our sites has so far equipped more than 10,000 Ukrainian personnel with battle-proven skills and expertise. These individuals are volunteers recruited into the Armed Forces of Ukraine with little limited military experience, so it’s essential their training provides the skills required to be effective in frontline combat.

Our Training Estate teams have delivered specific operational training requirements, from the digging of trench systems and the re-design of training areas, to supporting on the ranges where Ukrainian recruits are developing their marksmanship skills.

Brigadier Jonathan Bartholomew, Head DIO Overseas & Training Region, said:

We are passionate about the work we do every day to support our Armed Forces by offering a safe place to train.

This new contract for the training estate will offer safe, secure, and well-maintained training facilities, meals, and beds, for our Service personnel as they prepare for operations worldwide.

The new contract offers the opportunity to transform the way we manage our training areas. We have a good working relationship with Landmarc and I look forward to continuing our work with them to improve the training estate so that it meets the unique and ever-changing needs of our Armed Forces as well as offering a safe place for the public to visit.

The training estate includes training camps, range complexes and field firing areas, as well as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Conservation Areas. Much of the training estate is open to the public and this new contract will help to ensure that these important spaces are well maintained and are kept safe for both the public and the military to use.

Mark Neill, Managing Director at Landmarc, said:

We are thrilled to be awarded this new contract and build on 20 years of outstanding service delivery to ensure that the UK Defence Training Estate delivers safe and sustainable locations to train our Armed Forces.

Every single one of our 1,300 strong team has had a part to play in providing the critical services that enable our Armed Forces to train effectively, deploy on operations and return home safely.  We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with DIO and working with its wider industry partners to transform the lived experience of Armed Forces personnel who use the Defence estate to live, work and train.

Major General Richard Clements, Director Basing and Infrastructure said:

A well-maintained estate is critical to providing a safe environment in which to prepare our soldiers for operations and is therefore key to the success of the British Army. The new Training Estate contract will see Landmarc deliver essential services that will ensure infrastructure and facilities are well maintained to enable Defence’s world-class training.