Today’s defence news includes continued coverage of British troops deploying to Estonia as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence, the withdrawal of the e-bluey service and a report on Army recruitment.
UK TROOPS IN ESTONIA
There is continued coverage of British troops deploying to Estonia as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence including in The Sunday Times, Sunday Mirror, The Sunday Telegraph, The Observer, The Independent and Scotland on Sunday.
The Sunday Telegraph says that the Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon is seeking to reassure allies that NATO will not bow to Russian pressure. The Observer also quotes the Defence Secretary, saying that troops will play a “leading role in Estonia”, and Lt Col Mark Wilson the Commanding Officer of 5 Rifles, who points out that Britain and Estonia have a long history of serving together, including in Afghanistan.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
In the face of an increasingly assertive Russia, NATO is stepping up its commitment to collective defence. British troops will play a leading role in Estonia and support our US allies in Poland, as part of wider efforts to defend NATO. Our rising defence budget means we can support those deployments in the long-term and strengthen our commitment to European security.
Commanding Officer of 5 Rifles Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson added:
The UK and Estonia have a long and proud history of serving together, including in Afghanistan, so it is an honour to lead 5 Rifles on this deployment as part of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence. My soldiers are looking forward to again be working, training and exercising alongside their Estonian counterparts.
You can read more about the British troops in Estonia here.
You can see pictures of the deployment here.
E-BLUEYS
The Mail on Sunday continues its coverage of the MOD withdrawing the E-Bluey service on 31 March.
An MOD spokesperson said:
The welfare of our people is very important to us and we’re committed to making sure they can keep in touch with their families and friends. That is why we’re updating the service and reinvesting e-bluey funds into ways of communicating more suited to our modern Armed Forces.
ARMY RECRUITMENT
The Sunday Express includes a report on Army recruitment and soldiers choosing to leave the Armed Forces early.
An Army spokesperson said:
The Army has enough people to perform all of its tasks to keep Britain safe and continues to offer exciting opportunities that inspire the best of our young people.
We've seen an increase in recruitment over the last year and we expect this trend to continue.
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