A variety of Defence stories run across the media today, including investment in counter terrorism capabilities for our Armed Forces, Russian intervention in Syria and Exercise Trident Juncture.
Protector and Special Forces investment
Many of the broadcasters and papers (including the Sunday Telegraph, Sun on Sunday and Sunday Times) report the Prime Minister’s announcement that the UK will increase its ability to tackle ISIL with a doubling of the RPAS fleet and investment in UK Special Forces. The UK will replace its 10 Reaper aircraft with "twice as many with new updated equipment". The 20 new Protector aircrafts will be capable of flying longer distances and carrying more advanced weapons and equipment.
You can read more about our investment in counter terrorism capabilities for the Armed Forces here.
ISIL
The majority of papers carry reports, analysis and comment on Russia’s military action in Syria this week. The Sunday Telegraph reports that Russia has been accused of lying about the positions it has targeted. The Mirror article claims that Russia is reported to be attempting to target Raqqa, while a Sunday Times leader argues that President Obama must take blame for a policy of disengagement which it argues has contributed to a political vacuum in the Middle East and conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. The Independent on Sunday argues that President Putin’s intervention should be welcomed. The Daily Star Sunday reports that the SAS has killed 200 ISIL fighters in Iraq and Syria, while the Sunday Express report that British Special Forces troops have used dummies to entice ISIL fighters into ambushes. The Ministry of Defence does not comment on Special Forces.
Ex Trident Juncture
The Sunday Mirror and The People report that Britain is sending the warships HMS Ocean and Bulwark, fighter jets and 2,800 troops to Exercise Trident Juncture, the biggest NATO exercise in 13 years.
You can read more about Exercise Trident Juncture here.
Trident replacement
The Sunday Times (Business) reports that the MOD may consider a US contractor to run the Successor programme to replace the UK’s Trident nuclear submarines, a role which has traditionally been completed by UK firms.
An MOD spokesperson said:
The Managed Service Providers are a key element of the DE&S transformation programme, including to help improve DE&S project delivery to time, cost and performance. As one of the largest and most important programmes, Successor should benefit from this process.
Kunduz hospital strike
Following the widespread broadcast coverage yesterday the majority of papers and BBC website report reaction to a suspected air strike which killed 12 MSF staff in a hospital in Kunduz yesterday. President Obama is reported to have said the US has launched a full investigation into the strike, while the UN is quoted as saying that the strikes were inexcusable and that Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling for an impartial investigation.
The Mail on Sunday carries a separate story claiming that SBS personnel were flown into Kunduz last week to help with the NATO response to the fierce fighting in the region. The Ministry of Defence does not comment on Special Forces.