Of note for Defence news today is reporting about HMS Illustrious and further coverage around the situation in Syria.
HMS Illustrious
Short articles are carried in The Telegraph and The Sun reporting that HMS Illustrious, the former aircraft carrier, is to be sold for scrap after schemes to save her as a museum or attraction collapsed. Our position on Illustrious is below, but it's important to remember that the new 65,000 tonne Queen Elizabeth class carriers, the largest the Royal Navy has ever built, will renew Britain's carrier strike ability for much of the 21st century.
An MOD spokesperson said:
We have done all we can for over two years to find a home for the former HMS Illustrious in the UK, and regrettably no suitable bidder has come forward. While it is a difficult decision, we have announced an open competition for the recycling of HMS Illustrious, while remaining open to heritage options.
Syria
The Guardian writes that Syria’s military command has denied it carried out airstrikes on a refugee camp near the Turkish border that killed at least 28 people, but a senior UN official said initial reports suggested a government plane was responsible for the attacks. The paper adds that Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, reportedly said he was outraged by the incident, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Yemen
The Guardian online reports that the US military has for the first time publicly acknowledged that US troops are operating inside Yemen to help the country’s government and a Saudi-backed coalition confront al-Qaida affiliated forces. The paper says Defense department spokesman Navy captain Jeff Davis said on Friday that a “very small number” of military personnel has in recent weeks been working with Yemeni and Arab Coalition forces to push al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula fighters from the port city of Mukalla.
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