Of note for Defence today is reporting about a new contract for the training of Armed Forces helicopter pilots, and articles looking at the UK's support to Afghanistan.
Babcock
The Daily Telegraph reports that Babcock has been awarded a £400m deal to train helicopter pilots for the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF. The article states that Ascent, a 50:50 joint venture between Babcock and Lockheed Martin, has won the £1.1bn competition after a tendering process of almost three years. The agreement will train 200 helicopter pilots a year and provide the machines on which to do so, and will also support 220 jobs, the paper reports. The contract announcement is also mentioned in the Daily Mail.
Minister of State for Defence Procurement Philip Dunne said:
This is the final element in re-fashioning the UK Military Flying Training System into a state-of-the-art structure to develop suitably qualified aircrew to secure the future of air elements of our Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Our Armed Forces will benefit from consistent, world class training across the board. It will ready them for the next stage of their careers and equip them with the skills they need to deploy on operations around the globe.
A £2.8 billion Defence investment with Ascent in the four core elements of this training system has, and will, bring new aircraft and new facilities to the UK, as well as sustaining around 500 jobs across the country. Supported by our rising Defence budget, which went up for the first time in six years in March 2016, these contracts will ensure that the UK continues to be a world leader in military flying training.
Read more about the contract here.
Afghanistan
The Times and The Sun report that Britain is to give a further £210m to help Afghanistan's defence and security forces, extending the commitment to the end of the decade. The reports note that the funding was confirmed by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond at a meeting with NATO counterparts, and also say the announcement comes before a NATO summit in Warsaw at which members will be asked to continue their long-term support for the Afghan military.
Read more about the Foreign Secretary's announcement here.
Leigh Day
There is reporting in The Times, The Sun, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail that the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) watchdog has accused Leigh Day lawyers of improper arrangements over army torture claims in Iraq. The papers say that the British law firm has been formally accused of entering into "improper" arrangements to pursue allegations that the Army unlawfully killed and tortured Iraqi civilians.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:
These are extremely serious charges in relation to a public inquiry that cost the taxpayer £31million. We welcome the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal’s conclusion that there is a case to answer and now await their decision in relation to Public Interest Lawyers. Everyday our armed forces show bravery and dedication in difficult circumstances. They shouldn’t be subject to unfounded legal claims and we are bringing forward a package of measures to ensure they aren’t.
Egyptair
There is continued coverage of the search for the missing EgyptAir flight MS804. The Independent, Daily Mail and Daily Star carry images of the RAF C130 during search for the missing plane, and articles also reference the assistance provided by Royal Navy ship RFA Lyme Bay.
Virtus
The Daily Star continues reporting on claims by British troops about the new Virtus body armour, saying complaints have been made by personnel. The MOD's position can be seen in full below.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
Virtus is one of the most advanced integrated body armour and load carriage systems in the world and we have received broadly positive feedback from our personnel. As with every new system there have been some issues during the initial roll out, and, as a result of constructive feedback from our troops, we are working with the supplier to make improvements.
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