Today’s defence related media coverage includes reporting on recruiting and retention in the Armed Forces and Russian military exercises.
Public Accounts Committee report into skills and personnel in the Armed Forces
Several media outlets this morning report on the Public Accounts Committee’s report on recruiting and retention in the Armed Forces, including The Sun, Good Morning Britain, Sky News and The Mirror.
An MOD Spokesperson said:
Recruiting and retaining talent is one of our top priorities and we have a range of schemes, including retention pay for and direct entry into specialist trades and flexible working to make sure we attract and keep the skilled personnel we need.
The military has enough personnel to meet all its operational requirements, including being active on 25 operations in 30 countries throughout the world. In the past year we have recruited over 13,000 people into the Armed Forces.
Russian war games Vostok 2018
In a double page spread The Times reports on the major war games being carried out by Russia and China. The article includes comments from both the Russian and Chinese Presidents, saying the two nations have strong ties and their friendship was “getting stronger all the time”.
A NATO spokesperson said:
All nations have the right to exercise their armed forces, but it is essential that this is done in a transparent and predictable manner."
Vostok demonstrates Russia's focus on exercising large-scale conflict. It fits into a pattern we have seen over some time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defence budget and its military presence.
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