With media today focused on news of an attempted coup in Turkey overnight, of note for Defence news is an interview with the outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff, and the appointment of a new Armed Forces Minister.
CDS
The Daily Telegraph carries an interview with outgoing Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton. In the interview, the General says that Britain must not lose its fighting spirit following the publishing of the Chilcot report into the Iraq War. The piece also reflects that with a military career spanning 43 years, there is little he does not know about the nature of modern warfare. The BBC Today Programme also referenced the interview with General Houghton.
Armed Forces Minister
The Times reports that Mike Penning has been appointed to the Ministry of Defence as Armed Forces Minister, following the move of outgoing Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt to the Department for Work and Pensions. The article states that Mr Penning has held various roles, most recently Minister for Policing, Fire and Criminal Justice and Victims, joint between the Home Office and Ministry of Justice.
Nice
The Daily Mirror claims that an SAS immediate response team was secretly flown to London within hours of the terror attack in Nice. It is the MOD's longstanding policy not to comment on Special Forces activity.
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