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Defence in the media

https://modmedia.blog.gov.uk/2015/09/17/defence-in-the-media-17-september-2015/

Defence in the Media: 17 September 2015

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Today's news includes reports on ISIL, HMS Richmond, the Ebola operation homecoming parade and the Marine A campaign.

ISIL 

The Independent reports on comments from Jeremy Corbyn saying that the RAF strike that killed suspected British jihadis in Syria this month was "legally questionable". The article says that David Cameron has indicated he could seek Parliament's formal approval to extend the bombing campaign against ISIL from Iraq into Syria. A comment piece by David Pannick QC runs in The Times where he writes that the guidelines for drone strikes and cases where action is taken as a matter of national security should be made public. 

Separately the BBC (online and BBC R4 Today) reports on the Secretary of State’s response to a Parliamentary question where he said that 330 ISIL fighters have been killed by RAF strikes and that no civilians had been killed. The online article includes comments by the Secretary of State saying that these figures are approximate as there are no UK troops on the ground to confirm the number.

HMS Richmond

The Daily Mail reports that HMS Richmond, which is expected to be deployed to disrupt people traffickers in the Mediterranean, will still potentially bring migrants to Italy rather than taking them back to the coast where they left from. The article says that the ship will be deployed for two months to board and seize vessels and carry our search and rescue mission off the coast of Libya. The Prime Minister’s spokesperson is quoted in the piece, while Lord West says that by bringing people back to Italy we have become part of the package being sold by people smugglers. Our article is here.

Marine A

The Daily Mail continues its coverage of former Marine Sgt Blackman’s legal case, splashing with reports that the paper has uncovered a report censored by the MOD that says Royal Marines were pushed to be too aggressive. It says that senior officers failed to spot mental strain and fatigue. The points included in the article that The Mail says were previously redacted include that Blackman’s unit was overstretched and being pushed to be too aggressive, that his senior officer was not prepared for the demands of the warzone and that signs that Blackman’s unit was cracking up were missed by commanders. The Daily Telegraph, Guardian and The Times cover the commons debate yesterday where MinDPV Mark Lancaster announced that the MOD would publish a copy of a report into the case.

Ebola

The Daily Telegraph reports on the Operation Gritrock homecoming parade, which saw members of the Armed Forces and civilians parade along Whitehall to Parliament. Alongside supporting political quotes and photos of the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and First Sea Lord welcoming the parade to parliament in the rain, there is political reference that Jeremy Corbyn did not attend.

Future Soldier System

The Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph and The Times report on the announcement made by the Secretary of State yesterday at DSEI on the Future Soldier System. The articles use photos and graphics to show how the battlefield soldier could look by 2024, highlighting key conceptual equipment such as smart glasses with a ‘heads-up’ display, light weight helmet with built in cameras and a smart watch that monitors the health and vital signs of soldiers.

Laser gun

The Daily Star reports on words from First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas during his speech at DSEI where he confirmed that scientists are developing laser weapons with a cost per shot measured in pence rather than pounds and do not have to use conventional ammunition. The article states that £100m weapons could be on Royal Naval ships by 2020 and that a land version could be ready by 2017.

The Band of The Royal Marines Scotland led the parade of members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel who worked to tackle Ebola, in London yesterday. Joined by volunteers and government workers from the Department for International Development (DFID), NHS England and Public Health England, military personnel marched from Horse Guards Parade down Whitehall to The Houses of Parliament. Over 1,000 Armed Forces personnel were deployed on the operation, with 27 still in country supporting the ongoing efforts by government workers and NGOs to get to zero cases of Ebola as quickly as possible. In total over 3,000 people from the UK travelled to work in high risk areas to stop the spread of the disease.

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