Outlets this morning cover a variety of stories with the Pentagon’s news that a US airstrike in Syria has killed Muhsin al-Fadhli, a key figure in the Khorasan Group being the main item of interest to Defence.
Syria Embeds
The Guardian reports that a cross-party group of MPs and peers will investigate the embedding of UK military personnel with other forces following news that British pilots seconded to the US military have bombed targets in Syria. The all-party parliamentary group on unmanned aircraft has decided to hold an inquiry into British military collaboration with the US when parliament returns from summer recess. It will look into unmanned aircraft operations beyond the traditional battlefields. Former chief of naval staff Lord West has called on the government to disclose the extent of its intelligence-sharing with the US for covert strikes. The Independent says Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has backed the move towards the UK carrying out airstrikes in Syria, saying our operations stopped at an “artificial border”. Also in The Independent Lord Ashdown writes that diplomacy is needed to defeat ISIL and that the West is being drawn into a sectarian conflict.
Click here for more on the Government’s position regarding international embeds.
RAF Capabilities
The Daily Telegraph writes that Britain's fighter aircraft fleet will shrink to its smallest in the RAF's history. Defence chiefs warn that the RAF's fast-jet fleet is stretched to the limit, according to new analysis from IHS Jane's. The analysis says with numerous threats that are unlikely to be resolved soon, the further loss of air power “at such a precarious time seems somewhat perverse”.
An MOD spokesperson said:
The RAF has and will have the aircraft it needs to meet its commitments around the world, whether that’s conducting Tornado air strikes against ISIL in Iraq, policing Baltic air space and securing the skies over the UK and in Falkland Islands with Typhoon jets, or providing vital surveillance over Syria with Reaper flights. Tough decisions were made during the last Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) to rationalise our fast jet forces into two advanced and efficient fleets and we continue to assess future requirements ahead of this year’s SDSR, which is supported by our £160bn equipment programme that will deliver the fifth-generation Lightning II joint strike fighter.
Terror Plot
Junead Khan, 24, has appeared in court charged with planning to kill American airmen at British bases in a Lee Rigby-inspired attack. He allegedly planned to run over US personnel in his car before killing them with a knife or blowing himself up. This is carried in most papers, including The Sun, the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and The Times. He is believed to have been targeting RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. RAF Feltwell in Norfolk could also have been monitored for a potential attack by Khan. Earlier this month a July 4 celebration at Feltwell was cancelled by security officials the day before. The plot comes two years after Drummer Rigby’s murder in Woolwich.
Maritime Patrol
SNP Defence spokesman Angus Robertson is quoted in several Scottish media outlets today, making the factually inaccurate claim that the MOD has relied in the past on fishing vessels and social media users to safeguard national security in the North Sea. This is part of a call he is making for a permanent maritime patrol base in Scotland. Her Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde, known as Faslane, is the Royal Navy’s main presence in Scotland and is home to the core of the submarine service, including the nation’s nuclear deterrent and the new generation of hunter-killer submarines. Our position on maritime patrol aircraft is here:
An MOD spokesperson said:
The MOD provides maritime surveillance in a number of ways, including with surface ships, submarines, and aircraft. Earlier this year we announced a new helicopter-borne surveillance system to protect the future Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers. We continue to assess future requirements and options as part of the work we are doing on the Strategic Defence and Security Review.
Legion D’Honneur
The Daily Telegraph reports that hundreds of British D-Day veterans are to receive the French government's highest honour before the end of the year. The piece says Defence Minister Mark Lancaster told MPs he understood that "hurt and upset" had been caused by months of delays caused in part by MOD officials being caught out by the level of demand. He said French officials had prioritised cases involving those who were seriously ill or approaching their 100th birthday.
Image of the Day
The Garrison Sergeant Major is a Senior Warrant Officer in the British Army and his word is law. Soldiers regard the incumbant equally with fear, dread and respect. The Garrison Sergeant Major must possess an all seeing eye, an obsessive attention to finite detail, and an encyclopaedic knowledge of military drill and presentation. Troops in the Household Division are icons of Britain and the Garrison Sergeant Major is responsible for ensuring that they look and perform to the highest standard every day as well as during historic national State commemorations. Mr StokesÕ new role extends beyond London to encompass State Ceremonial across the UK and wherever our troops are based overseas. He will also be responsible for passing on his skills to our alliesÕ armed forces as part of the UKÕs Defence Overseas Engagement.
Photographer: Sergeant Rupert Frere RLC
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