Tag: Ministry of Defence

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

Babcock has been awarded a six-year contract to manage and operate Skynet, the MOD’s military satellite communications system.

• Babcock awarded the contract to operate Skynet – the UK’s military satellite communications system.
• Expected to support 400 jobs in south-west England.
• The contract forms part of the MOD’s £6 billion Skynet 6 Programme.

As part of the £400 million Skynet Service Delivery Wrap (SDW) contract, Babcock and their partners will operate and manage the UK MOD’s constellation of military satellites, ground stations and integrate new user terminals.

Skynet operations deliver information to UK and allied forces around the world, enabling a battlefield information advantage anywhere, anytime.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country, this contract is expected to support around 400 UK jobs in Corsham, Bristol and Plymouth. Those benefiting will include engineers, scientists, space technicians and administrative staff.

Their work will ensure that our deployed forces have a world-leading capability to communicate back to the UK, whether on the battlefield, onboard a ship or in the air.

The SDW contract is part of the wider satellite communications SKYNET 6 programme which will provide space-based communications to 2041 and beyond, with an overall government investment of £6 billion.

Defence Procurement Minister Alex Chalk KC said:

Space is increasingly important for maintaining battlefield advantage.

The UK’s next generation military satellite communications system will keep us at the forefront of this critical domain and the work under this contract will bolster our resilience for years to come.

Providing low risk, uninterrupted services necessary to support the current Skynet 5 infrastructure, the partnership will also support the successful transition of services for future Skynet operations.

David Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer for Babcock, said:

We are delighted to have been chosen to support this world-leading technological safeguard. Skynet enables vital communications to the UK Armed Forces wherever they are, helping to keep them safe.

In addition to the SDW contract, the Skynet 6 programme will deliver:

• Skynet 6A, which comprises manufacturing and launch of the Skynet 6A satellite and is being delivered by Airbus Defence and Space UK;
• Skynet Enduring Capability, which will deliver new space-based technology from 2028 onwards;
• The provision of new ground and user terminal capabilities to ensure that UK war fighters have modern communications technology worldwide; and
• A longer-term innovative approach for delivering space-based communications capability to follow on from the SDW contract.

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

UK presents evidence of Iranian weapons proliferation violations.

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

The UK will send a field hospital and C130 Hercules critical care air support team and aircraft in the coming days to help provide vital emergency treatment to those critically injured by the catastrophic earthquake in Turkey.

This comes on top of key personnel arriving at the British Embassy in Ankara and a A400M RAF transport plane departing tonight carrying humanitarian aid, including thousands of thermal blankets to keep survivors warm in sub-zero temperatures.

The field hospital, which will include an emergency department, 24/7 operating theatre, and accompanying clinical staff, will deploy to support the post-earthquake response in country.

An eight-person specialist military team is already assisting with planning in Ankara, Turkey and tonight an RAF transport aircraft is due to depart RAF Brize Norton (Thurs) with humanitarian aid announced by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The UK stands ready to assist our close allies and friends during this terrible time. We will keep options open for further assistance as requested.

The Hercules C130 will be used to move casualties within Turkey.

Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said:

The UK has moved quickly to get vital emergency supplies to survivors of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. We’re sending thousands of thermal blankets to Turkey to help those in the hardest-hit areas keep warm in the sub-zero temperatures.

This is part of a wider package of UK support to the people of Turkey and Syria.

As the search and rescue operation continues in Turkey, a specialist planning team, sent from the UK’s high-readiness unit Joint Force Headquarters, will support the British Embassy with coordinating the UK’s support, using their experience in operational delivery, logistics and communications.

Joint Force Headquarters commander Brigadier Dan Reeve said:

Our thoughts are with the many victims of this catastrophic earthquake. Our team is trained, equipped and configured to assist our Embassy in Ankara in coordinating the UK’s offer of humanitarian support to Turkey’s disaster response operation.

The Defence Secretary agreed to deploy the assets after the Ministry of Defence and his Turkish counterpart liaised over the last 24 hours.

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

Defence Ministers agreed to work together to support Ukraine, as NATO partners. Further collaboration will take place through shared projects like the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

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

A significant milestone has been reached in the build programme for the Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine programme.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 February 2023.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 February 2023.

Greece and the United Kingdom have today signed a new defence and security agreement, targeting closer collaboration to benefit each country’s military.

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 6 February 2023.

On 6 February, the MDP Professional Standards Department will be launching a Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line.

As the experts in speaking up about crime and wrongdoing, Crimestoppers are working with organisations such as the MDP to improve crime prevention and detection, as well as protect their staff and communities.

It can be difficult to come forward with information. Often people don’t know what to do, or are scared to say anything, especially in the working environment when an issue involves their colleagues – but Crimestoppers offer a safe way to do this.

MDP officers and staff can now telephone the Crimestoppers Police Integrity Line, safely and anonymously. This service is provided 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is specifically designed to protect the caller’s identity.

A Crimestoppers operator will record the information from the caller and pass it on to the Professional Standards Department to further investigate.

Head of the MDP Professional Standards Department, Temporary Superintendent Karryann Rogers, joined the MDP in July 2022 after serving with Cambridgeshire Constabulary for 30 years and retiring from their Professional Standards Department as a Detective Chief Inspector.

Temporary Superintendent Rogers said:

This new reporting line is part of a bigger piece of work being undertaken by the MDP to set up its own Anti-Corruption Unit.

The reporting line is a safe avenue for officers and staff to anonymously report any misconduct within the Force. We all need to be ‘doing our bit’ in calling out bad behaviour and reporting any wrongdoing, after all the Police Regulations make it quite clear that we have a duty to challenge and report.

It is an opportunity for us to improve our working conditions and to establish better processes for dealing with bad behaviour. We want to make the MDP a great place to work and a safe space for individuals to speak up when they feel they have been mistreated.

In the past, individuals may have felt that they weren’t being listened to, or that they did not have the confidence in previous systems to report any wrongdoing. This new reporting line is 100% anonymous, guaranteed by Crimestoppers, who are specially trained to protect the caller’s identity.

The new reporting line also supports the MDP’s work to achieve White Ribbon Accreditation and its commitment to stamping out violence against women and girls (VAWG).

MDP Assistant Chief Constable Territorial, Crime and Support, Jason Gwillim said:

The MDP is committed to creating an inclusive culture where all our officers and staff enjoy coming to work without fear of being the victims of bad behaviour. We hope that by introducing systems such as this new reporting line, we can not only deal with corruption more effectively but prevent it from happening in the first place.

The Police Integrity Line is a big step for the Force, in making real lasting change to eradicate corruption within the Force and protect our officers and staff. By bringing the issue to the forefront, we might be able to encourage perpetrators to recognise their behaviour and stop.

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

General Jim Hockenhull has travelled to Finland to meet counterparts from the Finnish Defence Forces.

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

Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth.

• Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth
• Annual ‘AUKMIN’ ministerial meeting will cover cooperation on climate, security and trade
• Security initiatives include joint UK-Australia training exercises on Salisbury Plain

The fields of Salisbury Plain and historic dockyards of Portsmouth will be the backdrop to significant talks between the UK and Australia’s defence and foreign ministers today, as both nations discuss how to intensify efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will host their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, in London, Salisbury and Portsmouth this week for the annual UK-Australia ‘AUKMIN’ summit.

Following bilateral talks with their opposite numbers on Wednesday, the group will visit Salisbury Plain to see Australian and UK troops training Ukrainian soldiers. The joint programme, which also involves forces from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, is part of an acceleration of efforts by the UK and allies to ensure Ukraine wins the war and secures a lasting peace.

On Thursday the group will gather for meetings at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to discuss the countries’ long-term cooperation to promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as well as broader cooperation on climate, security and trade. The UK’s work with Australia to promote open societies and economic security in the region area is crucial to boosting trade with the Indo-Pacific and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country. The Indo-Pacific is set to account for half of global growth by 2050.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK and Australia are the best of mates and for over a century we have been hard-headed champions of freedom and democracy.

In an increasingly volatile world, we are pursuing a forward-looking agenda with Australia as a trusted partner and friend. Together we are promoting prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific, boosting trade, and pursuing our vital climate targets.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:

Australia is our close and valued defence partner, with historic ties spanning the decades.

The Australian Armed Forces are providing vital training for the brave Ukrainian men and women here in the UK, learning the skills they will need to return and defend their country.

We are also progressing our collaboration over the AUKUS programme, promoting security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

The ministers will also look at how the UK and Australia can step up their commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, including by transitioning to renewable energy, promoting low-emission technologies as part of a joint Clean Tech partnership the two countries signed in 2021, as well as supporting island states in the Pacific who are on the front line of the climate emergency.

More widely, they will take stock of progress on AUKUS – a defence and security pact between the UK, US, and Australia which will deliver a nuclear-powered submarine capability to Australia. They will also continue discussions on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a £9 trillion free trade bloc, and progress towards the UK ratifying the bilateral free trade agreement with Australia, expected to come into force in spring this year.

The iconic venue for talks in the historic naval town reflects the two nations’ shared seafaring heritage. The summit also affirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and follows a busy 18 months of UK engagement in the region, including the visit of the Carrier Strike Group, the AUKUS agreement, our Prime Ministers meeting at the G20 in Bali, and Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s visit to Australia at the end of last year.