Today’s defence related media coverage includes news on the weather.
Weather
The Daily Express, The Sun and the Daily Mirror report that the Army is on standby as arctic weather is due to hit the UK on Friday.
An MOD spokesperson said:
Our Armed Forces are committed and professional and are ready should they be needed to support local authorities in responding to adverse weather in our communities.
Cluster munitions
The Times and the Independent report that the Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the UK sold 500 cluster munitions to Saudi Arabia in the 1980s. The Independent says that FCO Minister Tobias Ellwood told the House of Commons yesterday that Saudi Arabia has told the British Government that it will no longer use the weapons.
A Government spokesperson said:
The UK has not supplied cluster weapons to Saudi Arabia since the 1980s and Saudi Arabia has confirmed that it will no longer use UK-manufactured BL-755 cluster munitions.
Since 2008 no UK personnel (military, civilian or contractor) have had any involvement in the movement, storage, transportation, maintenance, or deployment of cluster munitions in Saudi Arabia.
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