In today’s defence news there is significant coverage of today’s NATO Defence Ministerial meeting, where the Defence Secretary has announced that the UK will make a long-term troop commitment to the Baltic states and Ukraine.
NATO Ministerial
Today’s Financial Times, Daily Mail and Sun highlight today’s expected announcement that the UK is to commit long-term troop deployments to the Baltic states. The papers and broadcasters report that the Defence Secretary is expected to make the announcement when he meets other NATO defence ministers in Brussels later today, for the alliance's quarterly ministerial council.
Articles highlight that the length of the deployment is expected to be open-ended and persistent but troops will be rotated. Articles suggest that MOD officials have said that “though modest” - the British contingent would initially comprise a single company of troops, about 100 personnel – and that the deployment is still a marked change in the UK's posture.
Syria
Most of today’s papers, including the Financial Times, report that Russia has stepped up its strikes on Syria, by launching 26 long-range cruise missiles from ships in the Caspian Sea to – the papers suggest – support a land offensive by the regime of Assad. The Defence Secretary is quoted in the Daily Express, suggesting that Russia's intervention makes the conflict "much more dangerous". The Sun meanwhile reports that Michael Fallon has told the paper that the Government will win a Syria vote, apparently stating that Labour MPs will vote with the Conservative Party as they regret voting against two years ago.
Afghanistan
Today’s Guardian continues to report on the airstrike against a hospital in Kunduz last week. The article suggests that the US military did not give Médecins Sans Frontiéres prior notification before the deadly airstrike. Reports say the President’s spokesman apologised for the strike and said that the US would learn lessons from the engagement.
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