Of note for Defence today is news that HMS Daring has been deployed off the coast of Yemen, that 1200 soldiers have been put on 24 hour standby to help if England suffers flooding this winter, and continued coverage of the Defence Estate announcement.
HMS DARING
The Times reports that Britain has ‘secretly’ deployed HMS Daring off the coast of Yemen to protect a crucial shipping lane. The paper adds that the Type 45 destroyer was diverted from joining a mission in the Gulf to patrol the Bab al-Mandeb strait.
An MOD spokesperson said:
As part of our commitment to freedom of navigation in the region, HMS Daring is providing situational awareness and reassurance to commercial shipping. Demonstrating the flexibility inherent in any deployed warship, she will then continue to the Gulf as previously planned.
WINTER PREPAREDNESS
The Times the Daily Telegraph and the The Guardian report that Theresa May has placed three army battalions of up to 1200 soldiers on 24 hour standby to help if England suffers flooding this winter.
An MOD spokesperson said:
There are three standby battalions deployed at bases around the UK, which rotate every three months. For security reasons, it would not be appropriate to disclose the identity or location of these units.
A BETTER DEFENCE ESTATE
There is continued coverage of the Defence Secretary’s announcement that over £4 billion will be invested to create a better defence estate for the UK’s Armed Forces and their families.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
We have been spending billions maintaining a defence estate that doesn’t meet the needs of our Armed Forces. This plan delivers an estate fit for our forces and their families. By putting money where it is needed, we will provide better facilities to train our Armed Forces and deliver more stability for military families.
You can read more about the announcement here
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