British Troops March Through The Streets In Full Uniform As Thousands Welcome Them Home From Afghanistan

'Humbled': The regiment's commanding officer said the huge turn-out in York was 'testament to the character of the British people'

'A Show Of Solidarity And Strength Against Abhorrent Acts': Troops March Through The Streets In Full Uniform As Thousands Welcome Them Home From Afghanistan

* More than 300 soldiers from the 2 Signal Regiment were cheered as they marched through York city centre
* Thousands lined streets in show of support two days after the brutal murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich
* 'Humbled' commanding officer described huge turn-out in York as 'testament to the character of the British people'
* Lancashire town brought to a standstill by funeral of Fusilier Samuel Flint, 21, who was killed in Afghanistan

Thousands of people lined the streets of York to welcome troops home from Afghanistan in a 'humbling' display, days after soldier Lee Rigby was murdered in the street in Woolwich.

The death of Drummer Rigby, 25, who was hacked to death by alleged Islamist extremists on Wednesday, left the nation appalled, and the community in York appeared determined to show its support for the armed forces as 2 Signal Regiment marched through the city yesterday.

The regiment's commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Colin Vaudin said the massive turnout at the parade was 'testament to the character of the British people'.

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My Comment: A testament to the character of the British people.

British Soldiers Advised To Not Wear Their Uniforms Outside Bases

Soldiers have been told they should be able to continuing wearing their uniform "with pride"

Woolwich Attack: Troops Advised Not To Wear Uniform Outside Bases -- The Telegraph

Commanders have advised troops not to wear uniform travelling to and from work or outside bases following the brutal killing of a member of the military close to Woolwich barracks.

Defence sources said the order had been given that uniform should not be worn by those travelling alone, or on public transport as a "common sense precaution" immediately after the killing

A source stressed the order was temporary while investigations into the killing carried on and the decision would be reviewed in the next few days.

Col Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said it would be a mistake to reinstate an earlier permanent bar on military personnel wearing uniforms in public. That ban was put in force because of an IRA campaign in the 1970s and 1980s to target personnel in Britain, Germany and Holland.

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More News On British Soldiers Being Advised To Not Wear Their Uniforms Outside Bases

Ban on soldiers wearing uniforms in public lifted after concern it sent message that terrorists were winning -- Daily Mail
Woolwich Machete Attack: Military Personnel 'Advised Not To Wear Uniforms In Public' -- Huffington Post
Woolwich killing: Keep wearing your military uniform, David Cameron tells London troops -- London Evening Standard
Woolwich attack: troops 'told to hide uniforms' -- MSN UK
Woolwich attack: soldiers take to Twitter to post pictures of themselves in uniform -- The Telegraph
Woolwich soldier murder must not lead army to retreat into barracks, said Dewsbury and Mirfield MP -- Dewsbury Reporter
Woolwich attack will not stop soldiers wearing uniforms -- Caroline Wyatt, BBC News

The RAF Is Now Carrying Out Unmanned Drone Missions From The U.K. For The First Time

'Killer' drones: The use of drones like the lethal U.S. Predator - which is loaded with Hellfire anti-tank missiles - has been condemned by anti-war campaigners

RAF Pilots Control Unmanned Drones On Missions Against The Taliban From UK Soil For The First Time -- Daily Mail

* Afghan raids being controlled by crews operating out of RAF Waddington
* Protestors will march on Lincoln base today to call for ban on 'killer' drones
* RAF previously flew hi-tech Reaper drones from U.S. base in Nevada
* Drones used to gather intelligence on enemy activity in Afghanistan
* Reaper drones carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes

The RAF has carried out unmanned drone missions against the Taliban from British soil for the first time.

In an escalation of the war in Afghanistan, raids on extremists were flown by 13 Squadron, operating out of RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

The hi-tech Reaper drones are primarily used to gather intelligence on enemy activity on the ground, but they also carry 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles for precision strikes on insurgents.

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More News On The RAF Conducting Unmanned Drone Missions From The U.K. For The First Time

Armed drones in Afghanistan flown from UK for first time -- The Telegraph
UK starts controlling drones in Afghanistan from British soil -- The Guardian
Armed drones operated from RAF base in UK, says MoD -- BBC
Protesters march against UK’s use of unmanned drones -- The Times
Protesters March Against First British Drone Base -- ABC News/AP
Protest held against RAF Waddington's Afghanistan drone strikes -- The Independent
Anti-drone protest in UK over domestic opening of Reaper control center -- RT
Drones playing 'more important role' -- Caroline Wyatt, BBC

Britain Announces Major Base Closures

Closures: The cost-cutting plan will see the end of Claro Barracks, Ripon, North Yorkshire; Howe Barracks, Canterbury; Craigiehall Barracks in Edinburgh; and Cawdor Barracks in Brawdy, Pembrokeshire. Parts of Redford Barracks, Edinburgh; Forthside Barracks, Stirling; and Copthorne Barracks, Shrewsbury will also be cut back

Four Army Bases Axed As Defence Secretary Ignores Cabinet Warning To Stop 'Airing Dirty Laundry' Over Spending Cuts In Public -- Daily Mail

* Barracks in North Yorkshire, Canterbury, Edinburgh and Pembrokeshire to close and three others to be scaled down
* Defence Secretary Philip Hammond admits it will sever 'historic ties' between the army and local communities
* Treasury minister Danny Alexander warns Cabinet that public scrapping over more spending cuts is not the way to 'do business'
* Hours later Hammond warns more defence cuts will lead to a 'reassessment' of what British military can acheive

Four army bases are to be closed and another three scaled back in major shake-up of forces sites which will save £240million-a-year.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond admitted the move would sever ‘historic ties’ between local communities and the army.

But he defied a Cabinet warning from Treasury minister Danny Alexander that ministers must not 'air dirty laundry' over cuts in public, by again speaking out against further reductions in the Ministry of Defence budget.

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My Comment: And even more cuts are coming.

Thousands Of British Soldiers Will Be Fired When They Return From Afghanistan

Army To Fire Another 5,300 Soldiers Amid Warnings About The Impact Of Cuts On Britain's Military Might -- Daily Mail

* Defence Secretary Philip Hammond reveals third round of redundancies
* More compulsory job losses planned than in previous rounds
* Announcement comes hours after Prince Harry returned from Afghanistan
* David Cameron quizzed about Britain's ability to mount major operations
* Tory MP Patrick Mercer says cutting manpower is a 'very strange decision'

Up to 5,300 soldiers are to be axed in the latest round of Army job cuts ordered by the government.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond revealed details of the losses with a warning that medics from the Navy and Air Force will be axed later rounds of redundancies.

The announcement comes hours after Prince Harry returned from serving on the frontline in Afghanistan, with his own 3 Regiment Army Air Corps unlikely to escape the cuts.

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More News On Additional Cuts And Firings In The British Army

MoD unveils third round of Army job cuts -- BBC
Defence Cuts: 5,300 Soldiers To Lose Jobs -- SKY News
Thousands of soldiers face the sack when they return from Afghanistan -- London Evening Standard
Soldiers now serving in Afghanistan are “likely” to be sacked within a year -- The Telegraph
Confirmed: 5,300 soldiers to go in latest army cuts -- Defence Management
Army redundancies cause fears over 'loss of skills and capability' -- Defence Management
Britain To Cut Up to 5,300 Army Jobs -- Defense News/AFP
U.K. May Fire 5,300 More Soldiers as Defense Spending Is Reduced -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Troop withdrawal: 5,000 to be sacked in British Army austerity -- RT
Beyond the armed forces: meet the soldiers looking for new jobs - and homes -- The Telegraph

Is This The State Of Britain's Air Force?

British troops board a Royal Air Force C-17 transport aircraft at an airbase in the Middle East, home to the RAF 901 Expeditionary Air Wing B Flight. Photographer: Sergeant Ross Tilly RAF

David Cameron Praises C17 Plane Just Moments Before It Breaks Down -- The Telegraph

David Cameron today praised “our most advanced and capable transport plane" just moments before it got stuck on the runway on its way to assist the French in Mali.

The plane, loaded with military equipment and foreign troops, had been due to help halt an al-Qaeda advance when it was delayed due to a technical fault.

Two C17 transport planes have been deployed to support French efforts in the west African country while British drones and spy planes are said to be on standby to help tackle what the Prime Minister described as a “dangerous Islamist regime”.

But British efforts fell at the first hurdle as the first plane was grounded just moments after David Cameron discussed the action in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

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My Comment: What I find surprising about this story is that no one is surprised it happened. It is only making the news cycle because it happened just after PM Cameron praised the plane.

Former British Military Chiefs Warn That National Security Is Being Compromised By Budget Defense Cuts

Defence Of UK Has Diminished 'To A Perilous Degree', Warn Former Armed Forces Bosses As They Hit Out At Cuts In Spending And Lack Of Investment -- Daily Mail

* Damning report by former defence chiefs calls for investment to plug gaps
* They warn national security is being 'severely compromised' by the cuts
* Armed Forces are the 'Cinderella' and 'sacrificial lamb' of the public services'

The Armed Forces' ability to defend the country has diminished to a 'perilous degree' because of spending cuts, former defence chiefs have warned.

They argue in a damning report from the UK National Defence Association (UKDA) that investment is needed to plug gaps in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force created by the funding squeeze.

The UKNDA's chief executive, Commander John Muxworthy, branded the Armed Forces a 'sacrificial lamb' and 'Cinderella of the public services', and said the nation's security is being 'severely compromised'.

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Update: Military chiefs call for reversal of defence cuts -- The Guardian

My Comment: The British government is not paying any attention to them. The cuts are here to stay.

Are British Military Forces At Risk Of A 'Fatal' Cyber-Attack

UK Armed Forces At Risk Of 'Fatal' Cyber-Attack, MPs Warn -- The Guardian

Defence select committee says there are worrying gaps in MoD's cyber-strategy and calls for urgent ministerial intervention.

Britain's armed forces are at risk of being "fatally compromised" by a sustained cyber-attack because the military is dependent on technology that has no proven back-up, MPs have warned .

The potential vulnerability must be addressed urgently, according to the Commons defence select committee, as part of a broader effort across government to face up to the threats posed from cyberspace.

In a withering critique of the government's cyber-strategy, the committee concludes: "The government needs to put in place – as it has not yet done – mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking and policies which take into account both the opportunities and the vulnerabilities that cyber presents. It is time the government approached this subject with vigour."

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More News On British MPs Being Warned That The UK Armed Forces Are At Risk Of A 'Fatal' Cyber-Attack

British military at risk from cyber attack - watchdog -- Reuters
Reliance on computers could see Armed Forces 'fatally compromised' by terrorists mounting cyber attack -- Daily Mail
U.K. Must Focus on Defense Cyber Security, Lawmakers Say -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Cyber attack could defeat UK armed forces, MPs warned -- Scotsman
Cyber Attack Threat: UK Armed Forces Warned -- SKY News

Military Scientists On The Frontline

What Do UK's Military Scientists Do On The Frontline? -- BBC

It's a little known fact that the UK Ministry of Defence deploys scientists to the frontline in Iraq and Afghanistan. But what do military science advisers do?

To find out, Quentin Cooper from BBC Radio 4's Material World programme interviewed Nick Barrett, programme leader for support to operations at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL).

QC: Nick, a lot of us are used to the idea that alongside soldiers there are embedded journalists. But aside from medics and engineers, we don't really hear about scientists going to war.

NB: I guess it's not something which has received a lot of media attention in the past, but it's a growing capability. It's a growing initiative to send scientists on to the front line to assist and support our troops.

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My Comment: Fascinating reading .... there is a lot of smart people out there who are risking their lives everyday to better protect the soldiers.

U.K. Reservists Salaries Under Fire

The 'City Soldiers' Paid £100,000 To Fight In Afghanistan: Huge Government Payouts To Reservists Who Earn Less While On Tour -- Tthe Daily Mail

* Some serving reservists earn up to £225,000
* Last year eight reservists were paid more than £100,000 for their tour
* 'Reservist Awards' under review by MoD

Some Armed Forces reservists in Afghanistan are being paid six-figure salaries by the Government, it emerged last night.

Military rules state that if reservists’ pay works out less than they would earn in their civilian job, they can claim for extra cash, known as a Reservist Award.

So if a reservist works in the City, for example, the gap to be made up between the military pay and their civilian salary can be substantial.

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My Comment: I suspect that most of these reservists who were paid these amounts are doctors .... and you do want the best doctors available when you are fighting a war. Since the goal is to have even more reservists .... expect these numbers to mushroom.

The Changing Face Of The British Army

Photo: Tobias Schwarz / Reuters

One In Ten Members Of Armed Forces Was Born Abroad -- The Telegraph

The number of soldiers in the British Army from Commonwealth countries has tripled in recent years.

Troops born overseas now account for a record 12 per cent of the total 101,290 strength, new figures show.

Recruits from some African nations could form battalions all by themselves.

However there are fears that the increasing reliance on foreign-born soldiers, as Britons become harder to retain, could leave the Forces vulnerable if their home countries try to stop them serving in contentious wars such as Iraq or Afghanistan.

The former head of the Army, General Sir Mike Jackson, said: “It would be in my mind a nonsense not to have some sort of ceiling.

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My Comment: I guess these soldiers from Commonwealth nations are doing the service that many Britains no longer have a desire to do.

British Soldier's Death By An Afghan IED Could Have Been Avoided

Lance Corporal James Hill of 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards died in an improvised explosive device detonation on the Camp Bastion ranges on October 8, 2009 Photo: MoD

British Soldier Died In Afghanistan After Army Failed To Properly Sweep Training Area For Insurgent Bombs -- Daily Mail

* Lance Corporal James Hill was killed by an improvised explosive device in October 2009 in an 'unsecured' training area
* Army policy demanded four hours to sweep the firing range but only spent 45 minutes
* Officers ignored warnings that locals were able to wander onto the area after each session to gather scrap metal, and potentially lay IEDs
* Nine days after his death the training zone was shut and moved inside nearby 'secure' Camp Bastion
* 'James' life was irreplaceable and he meant the world to us,' his family said after the verdict of unlawful killing today

A soldier who was about to be married was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan after the army failed to properly sweep a training area for insurgent bombs, an inquest heard today.

Lance Corporal James Hill, of the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards, died on an 'unsecured' firing range 2.5 miles outside Camp Bastion in central Helmand on October 8 2009.

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More News On The Death Of Lance Corporal James Hill

Soldier's death part of 'culture of complacency' -- The Telegraph
Army criticised over James Hill death by Surrey coroner -- BBC
"Utterly failed": Coroner and family slam Army after soldier died in bomb attack -- Mirror

My Comment: The Taliban thought this one through .... relying on British complacency and naivety, they succeeded in killing a British soldier.

After Serving Honorobly In The British Military For 13 Years, Ex-Soldier Now Faces Deportation

'Natural leader’: Bale Baleiwai with his children Photo: Geoff Pugh

Commonwealth Soldiers Face Deportation -- The Telegraph

Commonwealth soldiers who have risked their lives for Britain are facing deportation and destitution under new rules which deny them British citizenship.

Commonwealth recruits to the British forces can claim citizenship after four years’ service.

But a Sunday Telegraph investigation has found that a growing number are being refused it. Unable to work or claim benefits, they and their families rely on charity handouts to survive.

Veterans’ groups say they are seeing dozens of new cases every month as the rule changes bite.

“This is turning into a major problem for us, and for the people involved it can be a total disaster,” said Hugh Milroy, chief executive of Veterans’ Aid.

“As a nation, we should hang our heads in shame at what is being done to these people.”

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Update: Commonwealth soldier kicked in the teeth by Britain -- The Telegraph

My Comment: This is wrong on so many levels .... I do not even know where to begin.

Update #2: Foreign soldiers who have served Britain face deportation after being denied passports because of minor disciplinary issues -- Daily Mail

Britain's Military Chiefs Condemn Government's Moves On Reducing The Size Of The Military

Government Has 'Plundered' Armed Forces, Senior Military Officers Say -- The Telegraph

Troops are being drafted in to rescue Olympics at time when Government is 'plundering' Armed Forces, military’s most senior commanders say.

Air Vice Marshal Sir Michael Graydon, Gen Sir Michael Rose and Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham have written to The Daily Telegraph to highly the plummeting morale in the military as more than 17,000 are called up for Olympic duty.

The retired officers accuse the Coalition of “cynically driven” cuts that have left troops with “career prospects consigned to the cutting floor”.

The best leaders were leaving in their “droves” fed up with the swathe of cuts to their regiments, loss of allowances and married quarters that were a “disgrace”

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My Comment: They are blunt on their criticisms .... will they now all resign on principle?

Britain's Military To Be Slashed To Its Weakest Since 1750

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Zulu Battalion One Of 17 Units Cut As Army Is Slashed To Its Weakest Since 1750 -- Daily Mail

* 2nd Battalion Royal Welsh, which can trace its history back to the Zulu war, faces axe
* Defence Secretary admits morale is 'fragile' as a result of 'uncertainty' over the cuts announcement
* 20,000 troops cut in the biggest money-saving overhaul of the service for decade
* Scotland is relatively unscathed with all its battalions retaining their caps and badges
* Ex-Army chief Lord Dannatt says cutbacks are 'risky' and could leave British military 'exposed'

Men of the 1st battalion The Royal Tank Regiment were told while serving in Afghanistan

The Army will be left at its weakest since 1750 after Philip Hammond announced the biggest shake-up for a century.

Despite admitting troops' morale was 'fragile', the Defence Secretary ploughed ahead with axing some of the most distinguished battalions – including those serving in Afghanistan.

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More News On U.K. Defense Cuts

Army to lose 17 units in cuts, defence secretary announces -- The Guardian
Britain's army will be slashed to smallest size since Napoleonic wars, experts warn -- Evening Standard
Defence cuts: Thousands of soldiers could face compulsory redundancy -- The Guardian
Morale is fragile says Hammond as five battalions axed -- The Telegraph
Military reeling as coalition slashes Army -- Politics.co.uk
Defence cuts are risky, says former Army chief -- The Telegraph
UK denies army cuts undermine its military might -- Chicago Tribune/Reuters
U.K. Shrinks Army to Half Cold-War Level, Boosts Reservists -- Bloomberg
British Army Cuts: Private Contractors and Reservists to Fill Ranks as Thousands of Soldiers Face Sack -- International Business Times
Philip Hammond is taking a gamble of huge proportions. He must not quit before he has seen it through -- Allan Mallinson, Daily Mail
The army's big dilemma: what will it do when the Afghan war is over? -- Richard Norton-Taylor, The Guardian
Analysis: Army 2020 plan coherent but risky -- Jonathan Marcus, BBC
Don't expect our new remodelled army to fight a major war -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph
British Army restructuring finally abandons pretence of retaining our global reach -- Nick Hopkins, The Guardian

The Exodus of The Generals Continues In The British Military

At Least Six 'Talented' Generals Quit Army Over Defence Cuts -- The Telegraph

The Army is losing its “very best talent” with an exodus of generals quitting after becoming disillusioned with the huge cuts to the Service, it can be disclosed.

At least half-a-dozen of the most senior officers have announced their departure in recent months as the Army prepares to shrink by a fifth to 82,000.

The cuts that will be announced by Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, on Thursday are having a devastating effect on morale. The Future Force 2020 reforms are the most significant in a century and will reduce the Army to its smallest size in two centuries.

Some of the generals leaving the Army are regarded as the leading thinkers of their generation.

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My Comment: They know that when the cuts are finished, the British military will just be a shell of its former self.

Britain's Aircraft Carriers To Get The Jump Jet version Of The F-35 -- News Roundup

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond Announces U-Turn Over Carrier Fighter Jets -- The Telegraph

In an embarrassing about-turn, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announces plans to acquire the jump jet version of the US-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, reverting back to an order originally made by the former Labour government.

The Coalition had made much political capital out of their decision, contained within 2010's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), to scrap Labour's order and switch to the more capable, and less expensive, F-35C variant for the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers.

However, the Government has now been forced to switch back and order the original fighters in the face of "unacceptable cost growth and project delays", according to the Defence Secretary.

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More News On The British Government's Decision To Switch To A Jump-Jet Version Of The F-35

UK's aircraft carriers to get jump jets -- British Forces News
Government forced into fighter jet U-turn -- Reuters
Government forced into U-turn on Royal Navy fighter jets -- The Guardian
UK reverses controversial F-35 switch -- Flight Global
U.K. Makes F-35 U-Turn to Cut Costs, Narrow Carrier-Defense Gap -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Britain Backtracks on Choice of New Fighter Jet -- New York Times
U-turn over fighter plane choice -- BBC
Philip Hammond defends aircraft carrier U-turn -- The Guardian
Coalition U-turn on carrier jets 'wasted £258m': Labour blasts 'chaotic' decision buy jump jets after all -- Daily Mail
Aircraft carrier 'omnishambles' wastes £100 million -- The Telegraph
Government accused of squandering £250m in carrier U-turn -- The Independent
Critics attack Government U-turn on fighter jets -- The Telegraph
'Chaotic' carrier programme - the 'biggest blow' to government credibility -- Defence Management
Britain and the Joint Strike Fighter: Back to plan B -- The Economist

In Change Of Policy, Britain Will Buy The Conventional Take-Off Version Of The F-35

About-Turn On New Variant Of Carriers’ Fighter Plane -- The Telegraph

David Cameron has approved a major retreat over aircraft for the Royal Navy’s new carriers, abandoning plans to buy the conventional take-off version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, will tell MPs tomorrow that the Government will now purchase the jump-jet model of the plane instead, reversing one of the central decisions in the Coalition’s controversial defence review.

The Prime Minister’s National Security Council yesterday considered Mr Hammond’s plan, which will be announced to the House of Commons.

Mr Hammond will claim the decision will save hundreds of millions of pounds and help the Armed Forces. But he will face accusations of a climb-down driven by financial miscalculation.

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My Comment: Another example that illustrates the lack of leadership and direction in Britain's military/political leadership.

Fighter Jet Jump Jets Will Harm British Capability

Fighter Jets About-Turn 'Will Harm Capability’ -- The Telegraph

Britain will be less able to undertake military operations with the fighter jets that ministers are preparing to buy under a cost-saving exercise, secret defence plans show.

The Daily Telegraph has seen a Ministry of Defence document setting out secret contingency planning for future military operations in Afghanistan, the Falklands, Saudi Arabia and Africa.

The highly-classified report shows that planners have grave doubts about the capabilities of the jump jets ministers now want to buy for the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers which are still under-construction.

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My Comment: Welcome to the new British military .... it all comes down to money ..... and not capability.

The Future Of The British Army

On The Defensive: The Future Of The British Army -- Economist

Why the resignation of Liam Fox, a flawed but reforming defence secretary, is bad news for Britain’s armed forces—and the army in particular

THE resignation on October 14th of the defence secretary, Liam Fox, almost a year after the publication of the landmark Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), was the last thing either Britain’s beleaguered Ministry of Defence (MoD) or its armed forces needed. Dr Fox leaves behind much unfinished business for his successor, Philip Hammond, who may be a competent cost-cutter but who has no previous knowledge of military matters.

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My Comment: In short .... the future of the British Army is bleak.