Commemorations taking place in Japan to mark the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki have run across the majority of media outlets today, with many observing that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe,
speaking at the ceremony, has renewed his commitment to a nuclear weapons free Japan.
There are also a wide range of Defence related stories covered in the newspapers today, including:
Re-hiring troops
The Sunday Times runs a story about the fact that thousands of ex-servicemen have been ‘re-hired’, with the paper reporting that the move follows “years of cuts that have left the armed forces with shortages of key personnel”.
However, we're clear that in the majority of cases since 2011 where former Regular personnel have gone on to serve their country, it is in the Reserves. And it is gratifying to see that so many Regular personnel wish to continue to serve their country by bringing their valuable experience to the Reserve Forces.
Nor is this new; the Armed Forces have always recruited ‘re-joiners’ (those with previous military service) into both the Regulars and Reserves, and the MOD has recruited ex-Service personnel as Civil Servants.
The article goes on to suggest that senior Defence sources have claimed five years of budget cuts had left the Armed Forces in a "chaotic mess", and two serving generals have said too many highly skilled senior non-commissioned officers with years of experience in technical fields have been allowed to leave.
This is not the case; our plans (as set out in Future Force 2020) to create the agile and flexible force we need are on track; we continue to be able to meet our operational commitments and responsibilities, including those to international allies. Under Army 2020, we will be one of very few countries able to deploy a brigade-sized force anywhere in the world indefinitely, and with suitable notice deploy up to a Division-sized force when required. And as the size of the Armed Forces has been reduced, the number of redundancies required under the programme was constantly monitored and adjusted, ensuring that the Armed Forces maintained the right balance of skills across the ranks.
RAF Tornado spares
The Sunday Express inaccurately reports that Britain may have to go “cap in hand “ to Italy or Germany to secure spare parts for the RAF's Tornado bombers. The paper says the warning comes just days after Defence Secretary Michael Fallon extended the RAF mission against ISIL in Iraq, and potentially Syria, until 2017, and that decision has left military planners anxious to secure vital parts should their limited stocks run out.
The MOD has been very clear that that spares are not running low and there is no shortage for the UK Tornado fleet. While a routine mutual supply support system operates between Tornado partner nations (a system that has been in situ since the early days of Tornado flying) it is nothing new, and, at the moment, there is no requirement for spares.
Afghan interpreter
The Sunday Telegraph reports that there have been growing calls for an Afghan interpreter who translated for David Cameron to be given asylum in Britain after he told of the threats he had received from the Taliban. The 26-year-old, known only as "Shaffy" during his work with the British forces, said that he felt "abandoned" after his repeated attempts to move to this country were thwarted.
A government spokesman said:
Whilst we cannot comment on this individual case, we recognise the contribution of all local civilian staff, including interpreters, who worked for the UK. They played a very important part in our efforts towards a more secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
The UK Government believes that its policy towards locally engaged staff in Afghanistan is legal, honourable and fair, and we are committed to delivering generous support that properly reflects their work and the risks involved, especially to patrol interpreters and translators who worked alongside us in the most challenging and dangerous roles.
BAE Systems – Type 26
The Sunday Times (Business) suggests that Whitehall turned down a request by BAE Systems for more than £200 million of taxpayer funds to put into an ultra-modern shipyard in Glasgow, underlining the tensions between the MOD and BAE Systems. The piece states that the MOD turned down the request after deeming the proposal poor value for money, which forced BAE Systems to pursue their “least preferred option”, a two-site rather than single site facility. While a BAES statement is partly included, saying that the company’s focus is to build complex warships at the highest quality and lowest possible cost, the MOD statement is not.
Our full response is below:
An MOD spokesperson said:
We are working closely with BAE Systems to deliver the Royal Navy’s Type 26 ships and have already committed £859 million to the Demonstration Phase ahead of beginning manufacturing on the Clyde next year.
Following BAE Systems' decision to pursue the two-site facilities option we are continuing to discuss the commercial details with the aim of getting the best possible value for the taxpayer.
Afghanistan and Iraq memorial
The Sun on Sunday visited the proposed site for the new memorial to the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan with Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, just outside the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
Over 24 years, 300,000 brave British warriors served. More than 700 military and civilian alike gave their lives. Many more suffered life changing injuries.
Thanks to the generosity of Sun readers, we will now have a monument to remember them.
ISIL
The Sunday Times reports that families from Britain and Europe are being lured to Syria by ISIL with the promise of free refrigerators and washing machines. The paper reports that the terrorist group is offering to accommodate groups of relatives in homes fitted with the latest kitchen appliances, as well as paying fighters more for each child they bring. The incentives have been revealed by Omar Hussain, a former supermarket security guard who now acts as an ISIL propagandist in western Syria.
Elsewhere, the Mail on Sunday says that British Special Forces have taken part in a ferocious battle to kill a Syrian-based IS commander - even though Parliament has yet to approve any UK 'boots on the ground' in the country. It is suggested that the SAS troops joined US Forces in the mission in May this year and to keep their participation a secret, they wore US uniforms and carried American weapons. The MOD does not comment on speculation about Special Forces.
On the invitation by the British Army's Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nick Parker, the Pakistan Army Cricket Team is touring the United Kingdom from 22nd - 30th July 2015 in a series of matches designed as much to further foster relationships between the two nations military communities, through the Defence Engagement
initiative, as it is to test each others teams at the crease.
Crown copyright.
Photo credit: Corporal Max Bryan (Army Photographer)
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