A number of Defence related stories feature in the news this morning, including the security implications of the EU referendum debate, the on-going conflict in Syria, and continued reporting of the 2008 Apache crashand the death of Captain Eric Brown.
EU
This morning, the Defence Secretary appeared on BBC Breakfast, the Today Programme, Good Morning Britain and Sky News to discuss the forthcoming EU referendum saying that the UK will be safer if it stays in the EU. He said: “If you are at the table you are stronger and safer as a bigger alliance, but we have to get better protection for parliament, currency and borders. When Russia invaded Crimea, the only organisation that could deal with it wasn’t NATO, but was the EU who applied sanctions on trade with Russia to ensure they paid a price and couldn’t ignore the west. The EU and NATO are both part of our collective security. We are better and safer within it and have to fight our corner. We have a lot of clout over there and are able to shape the union. Alternative is to walk away and still have to deal with the EU without the influence.”
In a separate article the Daily Telegraph claims that Downing Street is organising a letter from more than a dozen of the country’s most senior military leaders that will argue Britain should vote to stay in the EU because of its importance to national security.
SYRIA
The Daily Mirror reports US Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments yesterday claiming a provisional deal for a ceasefire in Syria has been struck. Mr Kerry said he and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov had agreed to act on behalf of various sides in the five-year conflict, but admitted the details have yet to be resolved. The Guardian notes that the seemingly impossible task of bringing the Syrian civil war to an end was laid bare when, even as Mr Kerry said there was 'provisional agreement' on a ceasefire, Daesh suicide bombings killed up to 140 people in Homs and Damascus.
The Daily Telegraph reports that President Bashar al-Assad said he wants to be viewed as 'the one who saved his country,' as Daesh bomb attacks killed more than 100 people in government-held neighbourhoods. He insisted he is still optimistic that his country will one day be 'safe and sound', and denied that his campaign of barrel bombing cities is responsible for the exodus of millions of refugees. He instead blamed Daesh terrorism and Western sanctions, which he says have 'caused more difficulties' for people.
The US has meanwhile pleaded with Russia not to bomb US Special Forces troops operating covertly in northern Syria, according to the Times. It is suggested that the Pentagon has supplied the Russian military with the general location of a unit of about 50 US commandos training rebels to fight Daesh.
You can read more about the UK’s contribution to the fight against Daesh here.
APACHE CRASH
Following up yesterday’s reporting, the Daily Mail claims that documentary maker Ross Kemp's presence was a 'factor' in the crash of an Apache attack helicopter in Afghanistan in 2008. According to the newspaper a MOD board of inquiry report has suggested the crew's focus was affected by the visit.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
Our highly skilled pilots are trained to deal with all kinds of emergency situations and incidents like this are extremely rare. To suggest that this was caused by the filming of a documentary would be disingenuous.
CAPTAIN ERIC BROWN
Various outlets this morning, including the Today programme and BBC News, note that tributes have been paid to Captain Eric Brown, dubbed Britain's greatest pilot, following his death aged 97. Capt Brown was the Navy's most decorated pilot and had flown 487 types of aircraft in his lifetime. In a colourful career spanning 31 years he reportedly witnessed the horrors of a concentration camp liberated by the British, accomplished a series of notable firsts in the world of aviation and held three Guinness World Records.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas paid tribute to a man he described as one of the Royal Navy's finest. He said:
The Fleet Air Arm may have lost one of its finest and best known pilots, but British aviation has lost something even greater - the most accomplished test pilot of his generation and perhaps of all time, and a huge advocate of military aviation.
British astronaut Tim Peake tweeted a tribute from space writing: "So sad to hear that Capt Eric 'Winkle' Brown has died - to my mind the greatest test pilot who has ever lived. A true inspiration.”
IMAGE OF THE DAY
Pictured: Members of HMS Protector's Ship's Company are shown around the huge base by McMurdo personnel during their visit.
After sailing from Christchurch, New Zealand on 3 February, HMS Protector passed through the gales and storms which dominate the southern ocean to reach the US Antarctic McMurdo Base on Ross Island in the Ross Sea.
McMurdo base is the largest area of human habitation on the Antarctic continent with approximately 1000 people working there during the summer months. It is also a hub for stores and support to resupply a number of other bases in the region, included the South Pole base and the New Zealand Antarctic Scott base 3km away.
HMS Protector sailed from Plymouth in early October, travelling the long way East via the Suez Canal, Oman and Western Australia to Hobart so that she could conduct CCAMLR inspections in the Ross Sea. A recent visit to Christchurch, New Zealand, was very successful to develop liaison with the Antarctic community in the region. The majority of the Austral Summer period will be spent on the Australasia/Pacific Ocean side of Antarctica, an area of the continent that the UK has not had a maritime presence in for nearly 80 years. HMS Protector conducts patrols on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, surveys for the Hydrographic Office and provides logistic support to the British Antarctic Survey. The Ice Patrol Ship and her highly trained crew are well equipped to deploy personnel and equipment ashore in order to conduct operations.
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