There has been extensive coverage today of the news that a number of boats containing migrants landed on the shore of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and that a US F-18 aircraft has crashed near Lakenheath in Norfolk.
RAF Akrotiri
There has been extensive coverage so far today of the news that a number of boats containing migrants landed on the shore of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.
Read our full statement here.
Forces Credit Union
The Daily Mail today reports positively on the Forces Credit Union which was set up to support service families whose credit ratings are damaged by the demands of the job. The article highlights that the scheme will offer cheap loans and good savings accounts and goes on to say that overseas postings and short notice call-ups often make it hard to show evidence of regular addresses which puts off lenders.
Afghanistan
A number of today’s papers including The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian report that Lashkar Gah has fallen into Taliban hands. Reports also highlight that Nad-e-Ali has seen heavy fighting and that Mirza Khan Rahimi, the provincial governor, has said that the fighting threatened to cut off Highway One, one of the country’s main transport links.
LGBT recruitment
The Daily Star today reports that Army chiefs are encouraging homosexuals to sign up in a new recruitment drive. The short piece says that the UK dropped its ban on LGBT personnel in 2000. Lieutenant General James Everard is quoted, saying “Operational effectiveness is at the top of the pile of reasons to do so. Diverse teams, well led, are far more effective than bog-standard teams. It gives us a breadth of understanding and capability we don’t get in any other way”.
Steel
The Guardian broadly reports on the British steel crisis with a mention in the article that the closure of the Dalzell plant could have strategic implications for Britain’s defence policy. The article states that it is the only UK site capable of producing steel that can be used in the Trident programme.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
Steel for key defence programmes, including submarines, is sourced from a range of suppliers. It is the responsibility of prime contractors to obtain the steel required to complete MOD programmes at a competitive cost, within time constraints and to the required quality.
Yangtze River rescue
The Sun continues its coverage of the rescue mission on the River Yangtze in 1949 with a nib stating that Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has snubbed colleague Iain Duncan Smith’s plea to honour the Royal Navy personnel involved in HMS Concord rescue of HMS Amethyst in China.
The MOD has published its position on this previously which can be found here.
Afghanistan repariation
A nib in the Sun reports on yesterday’s repatriation of Flight Lt Roberts and Scott to RAF Brize Norton.
Pictures are available here.
