Photo: MoD
DEFENCE Secretary, Michael Fallon, has said that UK personnel have made a vital contribution to tackle Ebola, during a visit to Sierra Leone.
Arriving in the West African state, Mr Fallon met with the President, His Excellency, President Ernst Bai Koromo, at the State House in Freetown. Their meeting began with an ‘Ebola handshake’, a greeting now widespread in Sierra Leone where elbows are offered, to avoid any potential transmission of the disease through body contact.
Mr Fallon then visited sites where the British military have provided key support, including the Kerry Town Treatment Unit (KTTU) where regular and reserve military medics are treating healthcare workers with Ebola; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus which deployed in September and has been providing reassurance and aviation support to the people of Sierra Leone and the District Ebola Response Centre (DERC) in the town of Port Loko.
British troops stationed in Port Loko have created a command and control structure which co-ordinates numerous stakeholders, enabling progress against the disease in the district. The Port Loko DERC is one of eight in Sierra Leone overseen by the National Ebola Response Centre (NERC).
UK Secretary of State for Defence, Michael Fallon, said: “It’s been an honour to visit our troops currently in Sierra Leone and see first-hand their outstanding work. And make no mistake; what they’re doing is unique - helping to slow the spread of a deadly plague.
“By working with Whitehall colleagues and international and NGO partners, our 700 service men and women have helped the people of Sierra Leone to start to get on top of this dreadful disease. We’re not at the stage of seeing zero new cases emerge but we have helped to reduce the number significantly. And I shudder to think what could have happened had we not intervened. The British people should – once again – all be hugely proud of our armed forces.”
MOD ANNOUNCES €200M TYPHOON CAPABILITY UPGRADE FOR THE RAF
A contract worth €200M (approximately £165M) to enhance the capability of the Eurofighter-Typhoon has been signed at an International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi.
Alongside a number of avionics system upgrades, the contract will see the integration of the Brimstone 2 missile onto the world class combat aircraft and is expected to sustain more than 200 UK jobs based at BAE Systems in Lancashire and MBDA in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
The Brimstone 2 close air support weapon will further enhance Typhoon’s effectiveness, enabling it to deploy the precision guided weapon against high-speed manoeuvring surface targets with low collateral damage.
The contract was awarded to Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug GmbH by NETMA – the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency - on behalf of the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.
Speaking at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi (IDEX), Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, Philip Dunne, said:
"This contract marks another significant milestone in the continuing development of the Eurofighter-Typhoon capability by delivering state of the art precision strike technologies, whilst also supporting highly skilled UK jobs.
“Brimstone missiles have been combat prone by the Royal Air Force on the Tornado fast jet in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq and continue to prove their effectiveness in operations and provide our Armed Forces with precision capability to meet their air-to-ground demands
Upgrades to the Typhoon made under the contract will be known as Phase 3 Capability Enhancements (P3E) and are expected to be delivered into RAF service in late 2018.
Bernard Gray, the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Chief of Defence Materiel, said:
“The integration of Brimstone 2 represents a step change in Typhoon air to surface capability; providing for the first time both a low collateral moving target capability and multi-weapon launchers.
“Typhoon is already regarded as a world-leading combat aircraft and this contract will further confirm the aircraft’s full capability.”
When integrated, each Typhoon aircraft will be able to carry up to six Brimstone missiles on two launcher packs of three missiles each.
PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES MAJOR BOOST TO UK ECONOMY WITH £859 MILLION MOD SHIPBUILDING INVESTMENT
The Prime Minister has today announced a major boost to the UK’s shipbuilding industry as the Ministry of Defence signs a contract with BAE Systems worth £859 million.
Around 1700 jobs will be sustained as a result of the investment in the future Type 26 complex warship – the next generation Royal Navy frigates – with 600 of the jobs safeguarded in Scotland, where the Type 26 will be built.
Various other sites across the country will also benefit from today’s announcement including in Derbyshire, West Yorkshire, Manchester, Cheshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Hampshire.
the Prime Minister said: “This is a substantial investment in our shipbuilding industry, safeguarding the jobs of 600 workers in Scotland and many more across the UK. Investing in these warships will ensure we continue to keep our country safe, at home and abroad.
“As part of our long term economic plan, we’re not just building the most advanced modern warships in the world – we are building the careers of many young people with apprenticeships that will set them up for life.”
The T26 Global Combat Ship (GCS) will be a multi-mission warship capable of joint and multinational operations across the full spectrum of warfare, including complex combat operations, counter-piracy, humanitarian and disaster relief work.
Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, said: “This announcement is a clear vote of confidence in British industry and forms part of our commitment to invest over £160 billion in equipment and equipment support over the next 10 years.
“As a result, our military will have some of the most impressive and technologically advanced capabilities in the world; from the aircraft carriers and the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, to the Type 45 destroyers, Scout armoured vehicles, the A400M and the Astute Class submarines.”
BAE Systems Chief Executive, Ian King, said: “We have a long and proud heritage of delivering complex warships in the UK and today’s announcement is a significant endorsement of the Government’s commitment to sustain this important national capability. We are committed to working with the Government, the Ministry of Defence and our partners in the maritime supply chain to ensure the Royal Navy has the capability it needs to protect national interests, while ensuring the best value for money for UK taxpayers.
“Through the Type 26 programme, we are transforming the way we design and manufacture naval ships with innovative new technologies, leading-edge processes and modern infrastructure. New ways of working ensure we can continue to deliver the highest quality equipment at the lowest possible cost and compete effectively for future UK and international orders.”
The new contract will include investment in essential long lead items for the ships, shore testing facilities. There will also be investment in key equipment for the first three ships – such as gas turbines, diesel generators and steering gear – allowing suppliers to plan, invest and secure their workforce on the project.
ARMED FORCES DAY - HOLD AN EVENT TO SALUTE OUR FORCES
COMMUNITIES across the country are being asked to show their support for our Servicemen and women this summer by holding Armed Forces Day celebrations, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is inviting organisers to apply for funding to help make local events a success.
Armed Forces Day will take place on Saturday 27 June this year, with a major national event to be held in Guildford, Surrey. At the same time, people across the nation will be joining hundreds of local celebrations to help say “Thank You”.
You could get support to hold your own Armed Forces Day event by applying for up to £10,000 from the Armed Forces Day Team.
No event is too big or small – from city-wide parades and local fetes, to simply getting together with friends and neighbours for a street party, the aim of Armed Forces Day is to show support for the men and women of the Armed Forces community.
In 2014 more than 300 Armed Forces Day events were held across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and over 100 were supported with funding from the Ministry of Defence. Events varied in size from just a few hundred visitors to many thousands and every year bids for a few hundred pounds are granted to assist smaller events
Rear Admiral Simon Williams, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Training) and Defence Services Secretary said: “Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to show every part of the Armed Forces community our appreciation and support, which is why we’re offering funding to help hundreds of communities across the UK convey their thanks through local events.”
Joe Fairrie, Chairman of North East motor cycle club the Bad-Landers, has hosted seven Armed Forces Day events. He said: “I’m proud to host Armed Forces Day events to raise awareness of the importance of our Armed Forces, both past and present. Many bikers in the North East are veterans so we want to show our support.
“Our event has grown bigger over the years and the Ministry of Defence funding has helped us meet the cost. Last year around 300 motorbikes, trikes & scooters escorted our local troops, cadets and veterans along the seafront to celebrations in the park, and more than 6,000 people attended. It’s really satisfying to see the enormous amount of support the event receives and I think more organisations should do it - it doesn't have to be a huge event, just a good old family fun day!”
A maximum of £10,000 is available from the MOD and the funding should account for no more than 50 per cent of the total event cost. Anyone interested in applying for funding must submit an application form by 27 March 2014.
ARMED FORCES DAY - HOLD AN EVENT TO SALUTE OUR FORCES
COMMUNITIES across the country are being asked to show their support for our Servicemen and women this summer by holding Armed Forces Day celebrations, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is inviting organisers to apply for funding to help make local events a success.
Armed Forces Day will take place on Saturday 27 June this year, with a major national event to be held in Guildford, Surrey. At the same time, people across the nation will be joining hundreds of local celebrations to help say “Thank You”.
You could get support to hold your own Armed Forces Day event by applying for up to £10,000 from the Armed Forces Day Team.
No event is too big or small – from city-wide parades and local fetes, to simply getting together with friends and neighbours for a street party, the aim of Armed Forces Day is to show support for the men and women of the Armed Forces community.
In 2014 more than 300 Armed Forces Day events were held across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and over 100 were supported with funding from the Ministry of Defence. Events varied in size from just a few hundred visitors to many thousands and every year bids for a few hundred pounds are granted to assist smaller events.
Rear Admiral Simon Williams, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Training) and Defence Services Secretary said: “Armed Forces Day is an opportunity to show every part of the Armed Forces community our appreciation and support, which is why we’re offering funding to help hundreds of communities across the UK convey their thanks through local events.”
Joe Fairrie, Chairman of North East motor cycle club the Bad-Landers, has hosted seven Armed Forces Day events. He said: “I’m proud to host Armed Forces Day events to raise awareness of the importance of our Armed Forces, both past and present. Many bikers in the North East are veterans so we want to show our support.
“Our event has grown bigger over the years and the Ministry of Defence funding has helped us meet the cost. Last year around 300 motorbikes, trikes & scooters escorted our local troops, cadets and veterans along the seafront to celebrations in the park, and more than 6,000 people attended. It’s really satisfying to see the enormous amount of support the event receives and I think more organisations should do it - it doesn't have to be a huge event, just a good old family fun day!”
A maximum of £10,000 is available from the MOD and the funding should account for no more than 50 per cent of the total event cost. Anyone interested in applying for funding must submit an application form by 27 March 2014.
UK CONFIRMS LEAD ROLE IN NATO SPEARHEAD FORCE
THE UK will send up to 1,000 troops to a high readiness force and deploy four RAF Typhoon jets for air policing in the Baltic States to boost NATO’s collective security, the Defence Secretary has announced.
At the NATO Defence Minister’s meeting in Brussels today Michael Fallon MP will confirm that the UK will be the lead nation in the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in 2017 and then on rotation thereafter. This will see the UK contributing manpower to two regional headquarters in Poland and Romania and to force integration units in the three Baltic States, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria. The VJTF is a high readiness, multinational force which will act as a ‘Spearhead force’, forming NATO’s first response in the face of aggression.
The UK will also send four RAF Typhoon jets to support the NATO Baltic Air policing mission again in 2015. The Typhoons will operate alongside Norwegian aircraft between May and August 2015, working to secure NATO’s airspace over the Baltic nations of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania which do not have their own air defence fighters. The Typhoons will operate at NATO’s request from Amari Airbase in Estonia.
Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, said: “NATO’s credibility in the face of the security challenges we face depends on everyone playing their part to implement the decisions taken at Wales last year.
“The Readiness Action Plan demonstrates the Alliance’s commitment to reinforce our collective defence but strong words must be backed up with firm action. That is why I am delighted to announce that the UK will lead the VJTF in 2017 and contribute to the Baltic Air Policing mission again in order to put the Plan into practice.”
Last month the Prime Minister announced that the UK will make an even greater contribution to NATO Assurance Measures in Eastern Europe. During 2015 around 4,000 UK troops will participate in NATO exercises in 2015. This includes a substantial contribution to Exercise DRAGON in Poland in September, the largest live NATO exercise in Eastern Europe this year, which will involve around 1,000 UK troops and a number of armoured vehicles. These exercises send a strong message of Allied capability post-Afghanistan, and of Alliance unity and determination.