There is widespread reporting in today’s defence-related news that the US will keep their Armed Forces in Afghanistan beyond President Obama’s departure from office.
Afghanistan
The Guardian, Financial Times, Daily Telegraph and The Independent report yesterday’s announcement by President Obama that the present force of 9,800 US troops in Afghanistan will remain through most of 2016 as part of an extended commitment. There is speculation in reporting that other NATO countries could follow the US lead. In a related story, the Daily Mail writes that British Special Forces are being flown out to Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan to tackle insurgents. We do not comment on Special Forces.
An HMG spokesperson said:
We welcome the announcement that the US will maintain its current military footprint in Afghanistan into 2016. It sends a clear message of enduring commitment to the Afghan Government and to Afghanistan's long term security. The UK is committed to promoting Afghanistan’s stability and prosperity through our financial, political and military assistance, which includes contributing to the development of future Afghan leaders at the officer academy in Kabul and delivering a vital role for NATO's Resolute Support Mission HQ.
RAF Search and Rescue
The Daily Express reports that RAF crews have concluded 74 years of life-saving search and rescue duties. The paper says the Air Sea Rescue service, whose most famous pilot was Prince William, has saved tens of thousands of lives since it was formed in 1941.
Unmanned aircraft
The Financial Times reports that there has been a drive to open the skies to unmanned aircraft. The article says the UK has identified the commercial use of unmanned aircraft for parcel delivery and infrastructure management as a policy goal. The article reported that the unmanned aerial system Watchkeeper – recently used in Afghanistan for surveillance operations – flew for an hour in the same airspace as commercial aircraft in Britain on September 30.
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