Tag: Ministry of Defence

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 3 March 2023.

Defence Ministers from participating nations meet in Italy to discuss the pan-Europe Eurofighter Typhoon programme.

From the UK, the Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk KC, joined the cohort in Milan to discuss on-going cooperation on the programme – a joint venture between UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, under the governance of NATO.

They discussed existing Eurofighter export campaigns and ongoing investment in the aircraft to further increase its military capability in the coming years.

As previously announced, Typhoon fighter jets are to be fitted with the world’s most advanced radar – as part of a £2.35 billion investment and the programme continues to support more than 20,000 jobs throughout the UK.

Showcasing the successes of defence collaboration between allied nations, the Eurofighter Typhoon continues to be a highly capable, combat proven, air defence and ground attack aircraft with a range of world-beating capabilities.

Minister for Defence Procurement, Alex Chalk KC, said:

The Eurofighter Typhoon continues to be a world-beating aircraft and that is thanks to the strong and enduring relationship we have with our partners on the programme.

I am reassured by their commitment and look forward to further strengthening those ties in Combat Air Capability.

With 137 serving with the RAF, the Eurofighter Typhoon forms the backbone of the UK’s combat air capability. It entered service in 2003 and is planned to remain in service until at least 2040.

The fighter has been vital to UK operations in air-policing in Estonia, Op SHADER in the Middle East, quick reaction alerts at home and in the Falkland Islands, as well as working with the Qatari Emirati Airforce to provide air-security at the FIFA World Cup 2022

The UK’s defence cooperation with Italy extends further than the Eurofighter Typhoon programme. The UK and Italy have a proven 50-year track record of working closely together on Combat Aircraft development.

Last year, the Prime Minister announced that the UK, Italy and Japan would form an international coalition to develop the next generation of combat aircraft through the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

Combat air capabilities will remain vital to controlling airspace, helping protect our nations, our allies and our interests worldwide, and making a vital contribution to our overall military capability across all domains.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 March 2023.

UK and US worked together to detect and intercept smuggling vessel.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 March 2023.

A major review into the veteran welfare services for veterans has been announced today by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 2 March 2023.

During the visit, the Defence Secretary met his Saudi counterpart HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman.

The Secretary of State for Defence the Rt Hon Ben Wallace MP is visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (28 February to 2 March). The Defence Secretary held a number of bilateral meetings, including with HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and others in the Saudi government.

It was an opportunity to reflect on the strength and depth of the UK-Saudi partnership, including following the signing of the Defence Cooperation Plan in December 2022. The Defence Secretary reaffirmed the UK’s enduring commitment to work with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with discussion of how to enhance the bilateral relationship yet further in support of regional stability and security.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia following the recent commitment of $410 million in aid for Ukraine, announced during Foreign Minister HH Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud’s visit to Kyiv last weekend.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

It was a pleasure to meet with HRH Prince Khalid bin Salman, the Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and build on the long history of UK-Saudi defence collaboration. The Statement of Intent signed today will strengthen our Saudi-UK combat air relationship and our ability to address shared security challenges for decades to come, supporting Saudi Vision 2030 aspirations.

The Defence Ministers signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) during the visit, which will initiate a Partnering Feasibility Study to explore how we can best position our decades long combat air relationship for the future. Both Governments confirmed a common desire for closer industrial collaboration, to develop key capabilities and boost prosperity in both nations, including in support of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 1 March 2023.

British parliamentarians visited the Falkland Islands this month to see what life is like for service personnel stationed in the South Atlantic region.

As part of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS), a group of MPs and peers were received at the Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC) for four days.

The visitors spent time with soldiers, sailors, and aviators at the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) base, which is administered by Strategic Command, to better understand the issues that affect the Armed Forces community.

The trip started off with a tour of a Royal Navy vessel, HMS Medway, where the group met the Ship’s Company.

Next, they spent some time with the newly-arrived Roulement Infantry Company, provided by the British Army’s 1st Battalion Scots Guards, on the Onion Ranges training area.

There the group observed virtual and live firing demonstrations using rifles and pistols, before spending a night under the stars to try out night vision devices.

Close to the heart of any Scots Guardsman, a battlefield study of Mount Tumbledown saw the party given an overview of the famous 1982 battle.

Next on the agenda was a trip to the RAF’s 1435 (Typhoon) Flight, where they were shown around one of the fighter aircraft permanently stationed at MPC; the RAF then flew the group over the islands on an A400M Atlas transport.

The party was also shown the Resident Sky Sabre Battery (RSSB), the British Army’s newest air defence system, at Poon Hill and observed the Bristow Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters which work alongside the military.

A meeting with local dignitaries in the territory’s capital, Stanley, concluded the AFPS visit to the Falklands and the hosting service personnel can reflect on a job well done.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 February 2023.

HMS Anson, the fifth Astute Class submarine, has sailed from Barrow-in-Furness to begin her journey to His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde.

• The fifth Astute-Class attack submarine has sailed from BAE Systems’ shipyard bound for her new home.
• Upon arrival at HMNB Clyde, she will undergo sea trials.
• £1.3 billion of UK investment in the programme.

Marking entry into the Royal Navy, HMS Anson was formally commissioned in ceremony last year, and is the eighth Navy vessel to bear the name, originally named after Admiral George Anson.

Building on commitments made in the Integrated Review, the completion of HMS Anson demonstrates the strength of British industry and its world-leading nuclear technology.

Upon arrival at the Clyde, HMS Anson will begin sea trials.

Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, said:

HMS Anson will play a vital role in defending the UK, providing a competitive edge for decades to come, and I am proud to see her make her journey up to her permanent home on the Clyde.

Supporting tens of thousands of jobs across the UK, our Astute-Class submarines are a leading example of our commitment to defence manufacturing, continuing to boost British industry for decades to come.

One of the most sophisticated underwater vessels ever built, HMS Anson represents £1.3 billion of UK investment.

More than 11 years in the making and built in BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness site, the departure of HMS Anson is a significant moment for the UK’s submarine manufacturing industry.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country, the construction of HMS Anson has included more than 10,000 coders, engineers, scientists, submariners and technicians across the UK.

Steve Timms, Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Submarines business, said:

It’s with enormous pride that we bid farewell to HMS Anson as she departs our site to take up her vital role helping to protect the UK’s national security.

This is a truly national endeavour, so delivering the most capable attack submarine ever built for the Royal Navy is a tremendous moment for our company, our employees, the Barrow community and the whole of the submarine enterprise, not least our vast and crucially important UK wide supply chain.

Capable of defending the UK’s interests at home and overseas, HMS Anson will be armed with up to 38 Spearfish Heavyweight Torpedoes, and Block V Tomahawk land attack missiles, able to tackle targets at a range of up to 1,000 miles.

Powered by a Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor, the boat will also be operational for 25 years without refuelling.

The Astute Class is the first nuclear-powered submarine class to be designed entirely in a three-dimensional, computer-aided environment –represent the cutting edge and state of the art nature of the UK’s military capabilities.

They are the most advanced boats ever operated by the Royal Navy, providing the capability needed to defend the UK and its allies’ interests at home and overseas.

Dr Tim Sheldon, Director Submarines Acquisition for the Submarine Delivery Agency, said:

We commend the tremendous effort by all those involved across the UK in the delivery of HMS Anson to the Royal Navy.

Her departure from Barrow is a major milestone, not only in her journey to full operational service, but for the Astute programme as a whole.

Weighing 7,800 tonnes, she is 97 metres long – just short of two Olympic swimming pools – with 240 kilometres of cabling – enough to stretch from Barrow-In-Furness to its new home in Faslane, Scotland.

Commanding Officer of HMS Anson, Cdr David ‘Bing’ Crosby, said:

My team and I are grateful to all across the build enterprise and SDA who have made HMS ANSON such a formidable submarine.  We are eagerly looking forward to putting the boat through her paces on sea trials, realising her full potential and joining our colleagues on the Clyde – the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service.

The first four Astute-Class submarines – HMS Astute, HMS Ambush, HMS Artful and HMS Audacious – are already in service with the Royal Navy.

The final two submarines in the class – Agamemnon and Agincourt – are in various stages of construction at Barrow-in-Furness.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 18 February 2023.

Troops perfected their battle-winning tactics during a two-week exercise alongside the Royal Army of Oman – a key partner in the Gulf.

British troops have been honing their desert war-fighting skills on a training area six times the size of Salisbury Plain over the last two weeks (3-14 February). They were taking part in Exercise Khanjar Oman, the first main training exercise of their four-month deployment to Oman.

The combined exercise saw soldiers operate alongside the Royal Army of Oman on the Ras Madrakah joint training area, as they built towards a mock assault on an enemy urban area. The exercise tested troops’ ability to train and operate in arduous terrain, including desert plains, complex wadi systems and mountains.

At the same time, it provided an opportunity to perfect key soldiering skills, including soldiering in austere environments, working with partner forces and learning battle-winning tactics to protect the British public from future threats.

Battlegroup Commander Lt Col Ben Hawes 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, is preparing his troops to assume command of NATO’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in January 2024. He said:

Since March last year, the focus of our training has been to ensure that we are ready to fight against a peer enemy force. This exercise is the UK ensuring that its spearhead battlegroup is in exactly the right place to go out the door.

My troops have been absolutely put through their paces. Everything that our peer enemies could do to us, has been done to us. I’ve operated with every single one of my radio frequencies jammed, I’ve operated with no GPS, I’ve operated at night for long periods of time; we’ve done training serial after training serial.

This is about our ability to operate and sustain an operation against an enemy that has the same, or maybe even greater capabilities than we do.

More than half the soldiers participating in the exercise were drawn from 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment. Smaller numbers were drawn from The Royal Logistics Corps, The Royal Engineers, The Royal Artillery, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment and the Coastal Security Force.

The 4th Light Brigade Combat Team is delivering the first series of exercises for Exercise Desert Khanjar, which describes the two annual, four-month deployments of UK troops to the British Army’s Land Regional Hub in Duqm, Oman.

It is the British Army’s foremost annual training and defence engagement event to take place across the Gulf region, involving up to 1,000 British and 100 Omani soldiers.

During deployment, British personnel undertake unit training, exercise with partners and provide a forward-based force capable of building regional security capabilities and responding to threats where they arise.

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

Have you ever wondered why Defence Intelligence uses terms like “unlikely” or “realistic possibility” when we assess Russia’s war in Ukraine?

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

100 UK Defence medical specialists are supporting Turkey in the wake of the earthquake.

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

The boost to Ukraine’s defence capability includes drones, ammunition, air defence, and electronic warfare

Ukraine will receive capabilities worth millions including tank spares, uncrewed air systems, electronic warfare, and air defence, from the first package of multi-million pound funding from the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU).

The first equipment package was agreed by the UK, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. These partners, along with Iceland and Lithuania, have contributed a collective total of more than £520 million to the fund.

With an expected value of more than £200m, the first package will include vital capabilities in the form of artillery ammunition, maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and spare parts for equipment, including Ukraine’s current tanks.

The first package of IFU support drew bids from both UK and international industry suppliers to meet Ukraine’s lethal and non-lethal equipment provision priorities, with more than 40 countries submitting more than 1,500 proposals across 11 capability areas. The funding agreement demonstrates the UK’s commitment to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Alongside Allies, we continue to provide training and equipment to the country, with the ability to surge that support should Ukraine come under threat. By making this commitment we will strengthen Ukraine’s position in negotiations, guard its long-term sovereignty and enable Ukraine to deter by denial.

The announcement came today during a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, attended by Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

This equipment package will provide a significant capability boost for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and will support their ability to defend their country.

The UK led International Fund for Ukraine demonstrates the commitment of the UK and our Allies to ensure Ukraine receives vital military aid necessary to defend against Russia’s illegal invasion.

Following this morning’s NATO meeting, 18 European nations, including the UK, agreed to sign a joint letter of intent to explore and develop a framework for improved surveillance from space, through multinational cooperation and sharing of national space-based capabilities.

The agreement, which will launch the Allied Persistent Surveillance from Space Initiative (APSS), was signed by the UK, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, and Sweden.

The letter of intent agrees that signatory nations will explore: the potential for sharing data from national surveillance satellites; processing, exploitation, and dissemination of data from within national capabilities; and funding to purchase data from commercial companies. APSS is expected to start operating in 2025.

Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the importance of a persistent space surveillance capability, which also forms one of the North Atlantic Council’s agreed strategic outcomes of its Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Vision 2030+.

The announcements come just days after President Zelenksyy made a historic visit to the UK to meet Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and see first-hand how the UK was supporting Ukraine through military training and lethal aid donations.

Bilaterally, the UK supported Ukraine with £2.3 billion of military support in 2022 and the Government has committed to matching or exceeding this in 2023. Since the start of the year, the UK has already committed to providing Ukraine with a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks, including training, ammunition, and spare parts; AS90 self-propelled guns to boost Ukraine’s long-range capability; and hundreds more air defence missiles.