Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister Says Small Boats Plan is Working [June 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 5 June 2023.

The Prime Minister’s plan to stop the boats is beginning to work, with small boat arrivals to the UK down by 20% this year.

This is the first time since the small boat phenomenon began that arrivals in the first half of the year fell compared to the year before. This is not a Europe-wide trend – small boat arrivals to Europe are up 30%.

The Prime Minister set out the progress that has been made on this, one of his five priorities, on a visit to Dover this morning. He also confirmed that:
- Our French deal prevented 33,000 illegal crossings last year, 40% more than the year before
- Thanks to our partnership with the Government of Albania, Albanian small boat arrivals are down 90% year-on-year and we have returned more than 1,800 Albanian illegal migrants and foreign criminals on weekly flights since December
- We have increased the number of illegal working raids by more than 50%, and arrests have more than doubled
- The legacy asylum backlog is down almost a fifth since December – and we are on track to deliver our target to clear this by the end of the year
During his statement, the Prime Minister made clear that we still face significant obstacles, and we will see more crossings in the months ahead, but he is determined to stay the course and do what it takes to fix this problem.

The Prime Minister also announced the next steps in the Government’s relentless efforts to get illegal migrants out of expensive hotels and into alternative sites, including confirming that the Government has secured two new vessels. These plans will see thousands moved out of hotels by the Autumn.

The Home Secretary gave a further update on these accommodation plans during a statement in the House of Commons.

Read the Prime Minister’s full statement on stopping the boats, as delivered at Western Jet Foil Processing Centre, here.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Employee share scheme shake up to help boost growth [June 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 5 June 2023.

Schemes offering people shares in their employer are set for a shake up as the government explores changes that will help boost business growth, supporting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.
- Simplified schemes offering people shares in their employer set to support business growth
- Comes as new figures show 81% of scheme users confirm they have helped retain staff and boosted business
- Changes also aim to boost participation among low earners
In a call for evidence launched today (5 June 2023), the government wants to hear views on Save As You Earn (SAYE) and the Share Incentive Plan (SIP), as it seeks to improve the schemes and expand their use by making it easier for businesses to set them up and offer them out to staff.

This comes as a HMRC evaluation report, also released today, shows that 81% of businesses say these schemes help boost their business, with almost three quarters of these saying it has helped them retain and recruit staff. 31% of businesses which are unaware of these schemes say they are too complicated to set up.

Victoria Atkins, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said:

Employee share schemes are an effective way to boost motivation in workforces by giving people an extra stake in what they do – and they offer a boost for business.

Growing the economy is a priority for this government and one way to make this happen is by making these schemes as easy as possible to set up.

The two schemes up for review are:
- Save As You Earn (SAYE): this allows employees to buy discounted shares in their company if they save money each month for three to five years.
- Share Incentive Plan (SIP): this allows companies to help their employees to purchase shares directly in their company or offer them as awards, tax free.
These schemes are one of the tools the government has to drive economic growth, and today’s call for evidence is designed to gather feedback on participation in both schemes and find out how they can be improved and simplified, including how to make sure more people on lower incomes are able to take advantage of them.

HMRC evaluation published today shows 50% of companies which have set up a share scheme have done so to create a feeling of ownership among their staff, with other common reasons being to help retain staff and skilled employees, attract skilled employees and improve staff morale.

The call for evidence comes after venture capital firm Index Ventures praised government reforms to a separate scheme, the Company Share Option Plan, placing the UK as joint top among G7 countries in share option policy.

These reforms saw a doubling of the amount of share options employees can be granted and removed restrictions on which kind of shares could be included. Index said the moves the government took were “helping scale ups attract and retain the talent they need”.

The government is looking to replicate this success through similar reforms for SAYE and SIP and is particularly interested in understanding whether the schemes are attractive to lower income earners.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : £125 million air crew contract supports UK jobs in the Southwest [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 5 June 2023.

A £125 million contract has been awarded to Ascent Flight Training, a joint venture, to create the next generation of aircrew.
A £125 million contract has been awarded to Ascent Flight Training, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin UK and Babcock International, to create the next generation of aircrew.

Contract will ensure the continuation of training to key members of Mission Aircrew prior to the introduction of a new system in 2026.

It will create five new roles at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall and will sustain 43 jobs across the Southwest delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

A new £125 million contract will deliver vital mission aircrew training, and support around 50 UK jobs.

The training will take place at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall under the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS). This critical venture will prepare Royal Navy observers and RAF weapon system officers to operate onboard Wildcat, Merlin, Poseidon and Rivet Joint aircraft.

Their training will be conducted by a collaboration of civilian instructors and military staff operating from 750 Naval Air Squadron. The continuation of this contract will also create five new roles at RNAS Culdrose and sustain 43 jobs across the supply chain. delivering on the Prime Ministers priority of growing the economy.

Lasting three years, the contract will run until June 2026 the future intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and Rear Crew Training System (FIRCTS) programme replaces it.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said:

It is through our talented people and our partnerships with industry that we can deploy cutting-edge capabilities wherever they are required.

Not only will the new Rear Crew contract ensure the continuation of a vital intelligence gathering capability, but also secure dozens of jobs in the south-west.

By replacing the current training system with a new Airborne Mission Trainer, the Rear Crew Sustainment programme will keep aircraft in service for longer. The Avenger aircraft that is currently used will be extensively modified to accommodate an electronically scanned array radar, an electro optical camera, and reconfiguration of the cabin area and mission consoles, extending its service life 10 years from 2023 to 2033.

Additional upgrades to the ground-based training equipment will ensure better coherence across training systems.

DE&S General Director Air, Vice Admiral Rick Thompson said:

The provision of this contract will ensure the continuation of the critical training required for the production of qualified mission aircrew needed for front line duties.

Rear crew observers in the Royal Navy are a key part of a flight crew on board Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, where they are expected to navigate, operate communications systems and on occasions control the weaponry.

In the RAF, a Weapon Systems Officer manages the sensors and weapons of their aircraft during operational missions, whilst at the same time gathering intelligence and supporting forces on the ground.

UKMFTS team leader at DE&S, Michelle Ostergaard said:

This contract award is a major achievement by the UKMFTS Delivery Team, in collaboration with our industry colleagues. The continuation of Mission Aircrew training at RNAS Culdrose and obsolescence removal programme over the next three years will pave the way for the Future ISTAR and Rear Crew Training System (FIRCTS), which will significantly uplift the training system capability and capacity.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Thousands of asylum seekers to be moved out of hotels [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 5 June 2023.

More than 5,000 asylum seekers will be accommodated on vessels and in alternative sites to drive down the cost of expensive hotels.

The announcement is the latest step in the government’s ongoing work to slash the number of hotels being used for asylum seekers, which currently costs the UK taxpayer £6million a day.

The new sites include the opening of large sites at Wethersfield and Scampton, with the first migrants moving in from this summer. Numbers on site will rise to around 3,000 this autumn. In total, the sites will accommodate up to 3,700 asylum seekers.

Two new vessels have been secured to provide 1,000 alternative bed spaces. Their location will be announced in the coming weeks.

A site in West London is already providing suitable accommodation to asylum seekers and the Home Office will expand the amount of beds even more by using a recently renovated large block.

The first group of asylum seekers to be accommodated on a barge will move onto a vessel in Portland Port in the next few weeks, rising to a total of 500 migrants over time.

The government will also ensure asylum seekers are not routinely being given single hotel rooms at great expense to the taxpayer. Instead, asylum seekers will roomshare across hotels, which will save £250 million a year and could reduce the need to source an additional 90 hotels.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

I have been clear that the unacceptable number of people making frankly illegal and dangerous crossings must stop.

That’s why we are taking immediate action to deliver alternative accommodation, bring down the asylum backlog and use new technology in Dover.

We will continue to crack down on the abuse of our asylum system, ultimately saving the British taxpayer money.

The announcement follows the Prime Minister’s update on how our work to stop the boats, one of his five priorities for the public, is working. Small boat arrivals are down 20 percent on this time last year and the asylum backlog of legacy cases has fallen by over 17,000 since December 2022.

The Small Boats Operational Command, set up in January, is also continuing its operations to build on this initial success and to ensure this trend continues ahead of what has previously been the busiest period of the year for crossings.

The Prime Minister made clear that while progress is being made, there is still work to do and obstacles ahead of us. This is why we must keep using every tool at our disposal to stop the boats and why the Stop the Boats Bill must become law.

The government is also stepping up efforts to reduce the number of foreign criminals allowed to stay in the UK while fighting deportation, resuming a policy that means their appeals against human rights claims can only be made or continued from outside the UK. The ‘deport first, appeal later’ policy will initially restart in five countries, with the government working at pace to set up video rooms in 21 other countries which have consented to live link evidence.

June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : East West Rail – Oxford and Cambridge route update [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 5 June 2023.

East West Rail offers a huge opportunity to unlock productivity in the Oxford-Cambridge region, boosting economic growth both locally and nationally through improved connectivity and access to jobs, education and training, housing and leisure.

In particular, the region plays host to research and development hubs across a variety of highly skilled and highly productive sectors such as life sciences research at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. East West Rail will allow us to connect these vital sites with a much greater talent pool and allow the region to retain and grow its reputation globally. The first stage of the railway is currently in delivery and services will begin to run from 2025.

The Autumn Statement in November 2022 recommitted to government’s transformative growth plans for our railways, including the intention to deliver the remainder of the East West Rail project between Bletchley and Cambridge.

The Budget delivered by this government in March 2023 further underlined the government’s commitment to the project, setting out plans for a route update announcement and the next steps for the project in May 2023.

This announcement has been made and confirms the proposals which will be taken forward for further development. These include:
- confirming a preferred route alignment between Bedford and Cambridge, including new stations which would serve Tempsford and Cambourne, and a southern approach to Cambridge
- revised service frequencies along the line of route to best meet demand
- six-tracking of the Midland Mainline at Bedford to boost capacity and improve resilience
- relocation of Bedford St. John’s station to better serve Bedford Hospital
- potential level crossing changes and closures which account for increased EWR traffic but preserve public access
- the launch of a ‘need to sell’ property support scheme to help affected homeowners
The East West Rail Company will consult further on its proposals as part of a statutory consultation ahead of an application for a development consent order. This consultation is due to take place in 2024.

Taking forward these next steps for the East West Rail scheme exemplifies this government’s commitment to long-term economic growth supported by improved connectivity and the access to the skills, education and jobs needed to deliver national growth and individual prosperity.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : WTO 15th Trade Policy Review of the EU – UK Statement [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 June 2023.

UK Day 1 Statement: 15th Trade Policy Review of the EU at the WTO in Geneva, 5 & 7 June 2023.
Chair, may I warmly welcome the EU’s delegation, led by Director-General for Trade Sabine Weyand, to their 15th Trade Policy Review and thank the Secretariat for their report and our discussant, Ambassador Pimchanok Pitfield, for her ever-insightful comments.

Chair, let me acknowledge the uniqueness of this moment. It won’t escape the notice of my ever-observant colleagues that for the first time, the UK is participating in this Trade Policy Review not as a Member State of the EU, but as an independent WTO Member. And although we may no longer sit next to each other in this chamber, we remain close allies not just at the WTO, but indeed on the wider global stage, fostering a relationship built on shared values, and cooperation across our shared interests.

Despite the change in our relationship, and some of the challenges we have worked on together in that process, we are fully committed to maintaining a strong partnership that benefits both our citizens and the global community.

The trade relationship between the EU and UK is one of the world’s great economic partnerships. Total trade between the UK and the EU was worth more than £730 billion last year. Member States of the EU are still the largest overseas investors in the British economy, and Britain is one of the biggest investors in Member States of the EU, with thousands of British and continental European companies and millions of jobs relying on close ties between our markets.

Challenges to trade exist of course, but together we can – and must – overcome them. And we are making progress. Our Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is the EU’s biggest and broadest FTA to date, and a cornerstone of our bilateral relationship. And the recently agreed Windsor Framework marks a turning point in how the UK and the EU will work together collaboratively to fully exploit the potential of this agreement and maximise the relationship between us.

This close partnership is what allows us to tackle shared priorities including trade, energy, security, migration, and climate. And it has of course underpinned our consistent collaboration against President Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine. Together, we sanctioned the Russian economy by delivering bans on goods and services trade to restrict the funding of the Russian war machine. We welcome our close co-ordination of sanctions packages with the EU, including through the new Enforcement Coordination Mechanism. As the DG said, we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Chair, the EU’s leadership and influence within the WTO are instrumental to shaping the future of global trade. We are committed to working with our EU allies and partners to address the challenges we face and harness fresh opportunities for global growth.

And we have already seen the fruits of our close collaboration. We worked together throughout the pandemic and more recently the global food security crisis, promoting the widely supported Trade and Health Initiative and the Declaration on Food Insecurity at MC12, and in the WTO Committee on Market Access, which has created a rich resource for future policy makers addressing crises in the future. We appreciate the EU’s promotion of open trade principles in negotiations on Fisheries subsidies and e-Commerce and we welcome the EU’s recent proposal for WTO dialogues on state intervention in the economy. We must carry this spirit of collaboration into all our shared challenges, such as strengthening trade resilience through diversifying supply chains, for which both the WTO Director-General and the G7 have called.

However, as we set our sights on the future, we must not lose sight of the pressing need to reform this Organisation. We all know that this institution has faced significant challenges in recent years. Its ability to address emerging trade issues and disputes has, sadly, been called into question. To safeguard the benefits of free trade and ensure that it remains an enabler of global growth and prosperity, we must reinvigorate the WTO and adapt it to the realities of the third decade of the 21st century.

In this endeavour, we look to the EU as a key partner. EU leadership and influence within the WTO are instrumental in shaping the future of global trade. We encourage the EU to continue its efforts to promote transparency, inclusivity, and effectiveness within the Organisation, and its deep and valuable engagement on dispute settlement reform.

On this, World Environment Day, we welcome the EU’s ambition on climate and the emphasis placed on open trade through its Green Deal Industrial Plan. However, the global challenges we face cannot be resolved through unilateral action alone, and we must ensure that the green transition does not come through acting at each other’s expense or at the expense of our rules-based international system. The UK and EU have mutual trade obligations under the TCA and WTO. We must work together to avoid a subsidy race that could distort trade or negatively impact emerging sectors.

The UK shares the EU’s concerns about carbon leakage risks, which could undermine our joint efforts to reduce global emissions. The UK has strongly advocated and supported international solutions to carbon leakage risk. We have an ambitious Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Price Support mechanism which we expect the EU to take into account when implementing its own Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

Chair, the UK shares the EU’s ambition of identifying effective approaches to shortage management in future crises, however we have questions over the trade impacts of the EU’s Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI). The framework seems to be an overly inward-looking response to managing supply chains in a crisis, which risks trade with third countries at a time of potential global shortage. We submitted written questions about the SMEI, and we encourage the EU to pursue closer coordination with third countries as part of planning for future crises.

The UK recognises that the complexity and variety of semiconductors makes it impossible for any country to address the challenges of semiconductor supply chain resilience alone. We also submitted written questions to understand the trade implications of the EU’s approach. We want to work with the EU and other partners to pursue a coordinated, multilateral approach to this issue. Our vision is that a coordinated approach will work in tandem with industry to increase the resilience in key sectors.

We also encourage the EU to ensure its digital sovereignty agenda maintains fair market access for British businesses, in keeping with the UK’s high data protection standards and upholding our shared interests in digital trade and competitiveness.

Chair, as we navigate the uncharted waters of the green transition and the digital revolution, it is imperative that we reinforce our commitment to one another. We must collaborate to leverage our collective strengths, and work tirelessly together to reform the WTO. Together, we can protect and promote free and open trade, ensuring a prosperous future for all. In that critical endeavour, we look to the EU as a formidable and crucial ally.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has announced the appointment of Dr David Marshall as Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Northern Ireland on 5 June 2023.
Dr Marshall will take up appointment with effect from 7 August 2023.

Biography

David Marshall is a senior civil servant working for the Statistics and Research Agency and for the last five years has held the post of Director & Senior Responsible Owner for the 2021 Census of Population. David is a member of the Central Statistics Office (Ireland) Census Programme Board and United Kingdom Census Committee. Previously David acted as an advisor to the Economic & Social Research Council and the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland.

Terms of Appointment

The position is full time for a term of five years.

The position attracts a starting remuneration of £84,674.

The position is pensionable.

Regulation

This appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

David Marshall has declared no political activity in the last ten years.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Work begins on Cambridge’s new rail station – Cambridge South [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 5 June 2023.

New train station to boost jobs and homes in the area and bring together world-leading academics at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
- government announces commitment to deliver a new train station in south Cambridge by 2025
- passengers will benefit from quicker and easier access to the city’s biomedical campus – Europe’s largest centre of medical research and health science
- new station will support 300 new construction jobs and forms part of the proposed East-West Rail route, which aims to unlock £103 billion of economic growth
Rail passengers are set to benefit from a new station in Cambridge, offering quick, easy and accessible links to its world-leading biomedical campus, thanks to government support announced by Rail Minister Huw Merriman today (5 June 2023).

Spades are in the ground to deliver a new, 4-platform, fully accessible station at Cambridge Biomedical Campus in the south of the city by 2025, offering easier access to Europe’s largest centre of medical research and health science.

With around £200 million government funding earmarked for the build, the new station will bring together world-leading academics and back the government’s ambition for the UK to become a science superpower by 2030. It will also support rapid growth in the area, which is expected to welcome 27,000 jobs and 4,000 new homes by 2031.

Rail Minister Huw Merriman said:

This brand-new station will not only benefit local passengers but deliver a major boost to the entire city, improving connectivity to a world-leading academic hub while unlocking local business and growth opportunities across the region.

This is just another step in our efforts to create a thriving, well-connected, passenger-focused rail network to support communities for generations to come.

During construction, 300 new jobs will be created in the local area, and once delivered, the station will act as a key transport link between the biomedical campus and international gateways, such as Stanstead Airport and the Eurostar, boosting the travel network right across the region.

Expecting to welcome 1.8 million passengers a year, the station also forms part of the proposed route of the future East-West Rail line, which would connect Oxford and Cambridge and unlock up to £103 billion of economic growth.

Katie Frost, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia, said:

It’s an exciting time for the railway in Cambridgeshire with a green light to deliver a new station that will serve the vitally important and growing biomedical campus.

Rail continues to be an environmentally sustainable form of transport and I know the minister’s announcement will be welcomed by the customers and communities we serve across Cambridgeshire and beyond.

Kristin-Anne Rutter, Executive Director at Cambridge Biomedical Campus Limited, said:

We are delighted that the Cambridge Biomedical Campus is to get its own railway station in less than 2 years’ time. Better public transport links will be critical in fulfilling our vision of a more sustainable campus.

Currently, there are around 5 times as many visits to the site as there are car parking spaces. We have to find ways of making it easier for the thousands of staff, NHS patients and visitors arriving daily to get here without needing to use a car.

This is a campus dedicated to improving human health, so anything that has the potential to cut air pollution and take pressure off our local roads is also very welcome. Coupled with the recent approval of the East-West Rail route directly linking Oxford with the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, we believe we can create a successful yet sustainable health and life sciences cluster that can both grow the economy and save lives.

Sir Mene Pangalos, EVP BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, said:

We very much welcome the ‘ground breaking’ for the Cambridge South Train Station, which will provide sustainable travel directly to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

This will help support the ongoing growth and vibrancy of the site, enabling further collaboration and partnership across academia, biotech and industry, which is key to advancing scientific innovation to transform healthcare and improve outcomes for patients.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Europe Minister to forge closer relations in Central Asia [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 June 2023.

Minister Leo Docherty will visit Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to reinforce UK support for Central Asia as a close and valued partner.
- Leo Docherty visits Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to reinforce UK support for the region
- it is the most senior visit by a UK official to Kyrgyzstan in more than a decade
- visit follows Foreign Secretary trip to Kazakhstan in March
As Central Asia deals with the economic uncertainty caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, UK Minister Leo Docherty will reinforce UK support for the region as a close and valued partner.

On a 3-legged visit, the minister will welcome the political reforms taking place across Central Asia and promote British expertise to support the region’s sustainable economic development.

During the most senior visit by a UK official to Kyrgyzstan in more than a decade, the minister will meet senior members of the government, including the foreign minister and deputy prime minister, reaffirming the UK’s commitment to boosting energy security, climate cooperation and trade ties.

The region is of huge strategic importance straddling Europe, Asia and the Middle East and bordering Russia, China and Iran. The minister will hold talks with officials and business leaders to discuss emerging opportunities for British businesses, delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the UK economy.

Russia has significant economic ties in Central Asia through trade, energy and economic migrants. However, the illegal invasion of Ukraine has caused significant consequences for the region due to rising food and energy prices and its dependence on Russian trade and energy.

Looking ahead to the visit, Minister responsible for Central Asia Leo Docherty said:

Few countries feel the impact of global security changes more than Central Asian States, from the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan to economic uncertainty caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The UK, as a close strategic partner, is committed to supporting political reforms and sustainable economic development for the region’s long-term stability and prosperity.

The minister will also tour the Chunkurchak Mountain Gorge on horseback, showcasing a UK-supported business, Kyrgyz Twins Adventures. The tour company focuses on making the Kyrgyz tourism sector more inclusive for people with disabilities. They have received support from the UK’s Enterprise and Innovation Programme which helps to promote a stronger, diversified and more inclusive private sector in the region.

In Almaty, Kazakhstan’s business capital, the minister will build on the Foreign Secretary’s visit to Astana in March by discussing opportunities for cooperation on critical minerals, clean technology, and agriculture.

The minister will welcome Kazakhstan’s consistent support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, meet civil society groups to discuss reforms and look ahead to the annual UK-Kazakhstan Strategic Dialogue set to take place this autumn.

Wrapping up in Uzbekistan, the minister will meet with counterparts in the Foreign and Trade Ministries to strengthen defence and trade ties, discussing cooperation on counter terrorism and security, reaffirming UK support for Uzbekistan’s accession to the World Trade Organization and its ongoing domestic reforms.
June 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : British fighter jets and helicopters train to attack targets at sea, alongside NATO allies in Estonia [June 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 4 June 2023.

The UK has been conducting major multi-domain training activity in Estonia throughout May, exercising alongside more than 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.

RAF Typhoon fighter jets and Army Air Corps Apache helicopters concluded a training exercise off the coast of Estonia on Friday, in which they practiced firing their heavy machine guns and advanced missiles at targets in the sea.

The exercise, named Spring Tempest, was conducted jointly with Estonia and France and demonstrated the ability of the UK and its Allies to deliver precision strikes while operating deep in enemy battlespace.

The Apache attack helicopters, from the Army Air Corps Aviation Taskforce (1AAC ATF), were armed for their mission with Hellfire missiles, CRV7 rockets and 30mm rounds, while the Typhoon jets, from 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW), were armed with Paveway IV laser guided bombs and 27mm armour piercing rounds.

Wing Commander Scott MacColl, 140 Expeditionary Air Wing’s Commanding Officer, said:

Exercise Spring Tempest has been an outstanding opportunity to integrate effects across the Land, Maritime and Air domains. Working with the Royal Navy and Army has allowed us to exercise high-end skill sets, while enhancing interoperability across a broad range of NATO allies.

The flexibility to operate effectively across differing environments demonstrates our key contribution to collective defence and regional security. As important, the scale of this exercise further develops Alliance cohesion and cross nation understanding.

The mission was supported by a Forward Air Controller, operating nearby from a Wildcat helicopter. Both types of helicopter worked in tandem with ground-based personnel to refuel and rearm before transiting back to the mission area.

This training follows on from Exercise Spring Storm, the largest annual military exercise in Estonia involving the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP), which saw more than 1,500 UK soldiers training alongside more than 10,000 personnel from 11 NATO countries.

At last year’s NATO Leaders Summit in Madrid, the UK committed to increase the size of its contribution and capability, with this year’s exercise marking the first time the UK has conducted a brigade-level deployment to Estonia – involving hundreds more personnel being deployed from the UK.

Land-based training exercises saw UK soldiers, deployed to bolster the eFP under the Army’s Operation CABRIT, as well as tanks and armoured vehicles, practicing live firing in a series of different scenarios, conducting trench assaults, reconnaissance missions, vehicle manoeuvres, and combined arms warfare.

Commander of Op CABRIT, Brigadier Giles Harris, said:

Exercise Spring Tempest clearly demonstrates the successful integration of our land, aviation and air capabilities. It comes as we end Exercise Spring Storm 2023, the largest iteration of its kind with some 14,000 personnel taking part across land, sea and air domains. Through rigorous training with our allies, we prove we are a capable, flexible multinational force.

The Royal Navy’s amphibious assault ship, HMS Albion, carrying approximately 550 sailors and Royal Marines, has joined up with the RAF and the Army to take part in the NATO training exercises happening in the region. During recent weeks, she has landed marines from 45 Commando for a dawn beach raid exercise.

The ship and crew also supported a further training exercise last weekend off the coast of Paldiski, which saw the three services testing their capability in a fully-integrated manner. Typhoon jets, Apache, and Wildcat helicopters flew in a tight, programmed formation overhead, as the Royal Marines transported soldiers from the Queen’s Royal Hussars and their 62-tonne main battle tanks from the shore into HMS Albion’s dock.

Captain Marcus Hember, HMS Albion’s Commanding Officer, said:

It is not often the Royal Navy, RAF and Army are in the same place at the same time with major assets.

This gave us the opportunity to test how we can work together at sea, proving again the Royal Navy can move Army heavy equipment on and off a shoreline whilst being safely covered air by the RAF and Army Air Corps.

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.

The RAF has also been bolstering NATO’s presence, currently leading the Alliance’s air policing mission in Estonia with more than 200 personnel based at Amari Air Base, which has led to several air intercepts of Russian aircraft by RAF fighter jets.

The operational activity underlines the UK’s commitment to European security, which is vital to delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

June 12, 2023