Today's defence related news includes coverage on the Ministry of Defence's priorities in the event of a possible no-deal Brexit and the Armed Forces' readiness for heavy snow across Britain.
Ministry of Defence Priorities
On Sky News' morning bulletin, and on their website, the outlet claims that in a letter from Permanent Secretary Stephen Lovegrove, military and civil servants were told that preparing for No Deal is now the department’s highest priority.
The report claims a series of no-deal war games will be held by the armed forces in the coming days, culminating in a cross-government exercise towards the end of February. It adds that the military's contingency planning is designed to assist the government in case of any disruption - such as blockages with the flow of goods in and out of the country - if the UK leaves the European Union without a withdrawal agreement.
An MOD spokesperson said:
We routinely undertake planning across defence to ensure we are prepared for a range of scenarios and Brexit contingency planning is no different. We are working across Government to ensure our people, the defence estate, and our national and international commitments would be unaffected by a no-deal Brexit. There would be no impact on previously agreed activity, including overseas operations, exercises and UK contingency operations.
Armed Forces readiness for severe weather conditions
There were various reports in the papers this morning claiming the Armed Forces were on standby for a snow storm hitting Britian. It should be noted that the Armed Forces would only step in if requested to by Civil Authorities.
An MOD spokesperson said:
There are three UK standby battalions held at high readiness to respond to UK contingencies and emergencies, including support to local authorities. We have the right people with the right training to respond to a range of contingencies.