The Defence Secretary made the announcement following a meeting between him and his Ukrainian counterpart, Stepan Poltorak in London earlier today.

This comes as the UK prepares to refine Operation Orbital’s training model. Through increasing the focus on Train-the-Trainer as well as mentoring and advising, we expect this change to increase the operation’s impact on the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ training sustainability over the coming year.

British personnel have been in the country since 2015 on Operation Orbital, training the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a number of defensive skills such as the identification of mines and IEDs, medical care and logistics. Last year, Sir Michael confirmed that the training mission will continue until at least early 2018.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

We have now trained over 5,000 Ukrainian service personnel, sending a clear message that we are committed to supporting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

As the UK is stepping up across the world, we are standing side by side with our Ukrainian friends.

During the meeting, the Defence Ministers also discussed how the UK can support defence and security reform in the Ukraine.

Mr Poltorak is in the UK to discuss his country’s progress in implementing reforms and the way forward to 2020 at the Ukraine Reform Conference in Lancaster House, along with other senior Ukrainian ministers. The major international conference will see the UK government and international partners reinforce their support for reform in the country.

British troops are supporting the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Sir Michael Fallon has confirmed that the Bentiu-based medical facility is fully operational, and will support over 1,800 UN peacekeepers and UN staff. This will enable military and civilian staff to carry out the work of the UNMISS mission by providing vital infrastructure for a challenging operating environment.

Construction of the hospital came at the request of the UN, and was assessed as one of the best ways UK expertise could support delivery of the UNMISS mandate. The UNMISS role in South Sudan is to protect civilians, create the conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian aid, and support the peace process and Human Rights.

Following a commitment made in 2015 by the then Prime Minister to double the UK’s commitment to global peacekeeping initiatives, nearly 400 UK military personnel are supporting UN efforts in South Sudan, making this one of the UK’s largest operational deployments in the world.

The temporary hospital will be staffed by personnel from all three services, and will be replaced by a permanent field hospital built by Royal Engineers.

The British military contingent is also providing engineering support to the UN mission in both Bentiu and Malakal, including projects like the construction of a jetty on the River Nile, helicopter landing sites, and other infrastructure improvements.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

The British-built temporary field hospital in South Sudan is now fully operational, and will support the UN’s efforts protecting civilians and promoting stability in this conflict affected country.

UK troops have a proud record of delivering peace and security across the globe and are making an important contribution to a country where millions of people have been left starving and displaced.

This is one of our largest operational deployments, which clearly demonstrates Global Britain’s continued commitment to United Nations peacekeeping and development and security in Africa.

The field hospital will be run by over 75 medical staff, including specialists in fields such as infectious diseases, intensive care and surgery.

Its facilities include:

• An emergency department
• A surgical theatre
• A laboratory
• An x-ray and head CT scanner
• An aero-medical evacuation team
• Wards including isolation facility

Commander Medical Lt Col Michael Hepburn said:

We are delighted to be able to declare the Hospital open. Our team feel honoured to be able to contribute to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and hope that we can make a positive difference to enable our UNMISS partners to fulfil their UN roles.

In addition to engineering and medical support, the UK also has a small number of staff officers in the UNMISS’ Juba headquarters.

Alongside the UK-hosted Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial meeting in London in September, these contributions underline the UK’s leading role in support to peacekeeping operations. More widely, the UK government is committing funding and support to tackle the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan, with £100 million provided this year to provide food for over 500,000 people, safe drinking water for over 300,000 people, emergency health services for over 100,000 people and support for 650,000 people to build their livelihoods.

British military personnel and UNMISS representatives hosted an event to mark the opening of the hospital. Delegates included Commander Medical Lt Col Michael Hepburn, HM Ambassador Alison Blackburne, Head of the Department for International Development’s South Sudan office Becks Buckingham, Head of Field Office Hiroko Hirahara, UNMISS Chief Medical Officer Dr Iqbal Mohd, Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Robbie Boyd OBE and Commander Operation TRENTON Lt Col Jason Ainley.

Mrs Baldwin visited Yeovil today to mark a year of the innovative Strategic Partnering Arrangement between Leonardo Helicopters and the MOD. The Arrangement was signed in July 2016 and lays out shared commitments to cost effectiveness, jobs, and exports, recognising the key role both parties play in building national prosperity through exports, sustaining employment and specialist skills, and supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the supply chain.

Over the course of a year, the MOD has placed millions of pounds worth of contracts with Leonardo, supporting hundreds of jobs, boosting exports, and driving technological innovation. In January 2017 the MOD signed a £271 million five-year deal with Leonardo to support the UK’s world-leading Wildcat helicopters, safeguarding hundreds of UK jobs.

Most recently, in June 2017, the MOD announced a £260 million contract to supply the UK’s Armed Forces with the next generation of secure Identify Friend or Foe technology. The work will sustain around 150 jobs at Leonardo’s sites in Luton, the West of England, Edinburgh and across the wider UK supply chain.

Minister for Defence Procurement Harriett Baldwin added:

Our Strategic Partnering Arrangement with Leonardo is a fantastic example of the contribution that Defence makes to the UK economy: creating hundreds of jobs, attracting millions in investment, and boosting UK exports across the world.

Backed by our rising defence budget and strategic engagement on exports, we are determined to deliver the
high-wage, high-skills jobs of the future, making the UK one of the most competitive places in the world to innovate, build business and help deliver security.

During her visit, Mrs Baldwin was briefed on the progress being made on the second phase of a jointly-funded £8 million Rotary Wing Unmanned Air System (RWUAS) concept demonstrator; cross-Government efforts to support the export of the Wildcat AW159 and Merlin AW101 helicopters; and company plans for continuous improvement and to underpin design engineering capabilities that are vital to ensuring safety and airworthiness.

Leonardo Helicopters make a significant contribution to the economy in the South West and developing plans would see the site in Yeovil become the heart of an aerospace technology centre. The MOD anticipates spending some £3 billion with Leonardo Helicopters over the coming decade, with work on the future coordination of strategic exports between the UK Government and Italy being led by the Department for International Trade.

The new MDP Twitter account can be found on the handle @MODPolice.

This will supplement our existing Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) pages on the GOV.UK website, our recruitment website and our Facebook page.

Speaking on the launch, MDP Deputy Chief Constable Andy Adams said:

Our Twitter account will provide us with a primary communication tool in order to raise public awareness of the MDP and enhance their understanding of what we do and the specialist policing services and capabilities that we provide.

It will also support us in connecting with the defence communities, stakeholders and customers that we serve by furnishing us with a news feed for regular messaging on continuous vigilance and success stories.

In the event of an operational incident Twitter will also present the means for us to communicate quickly and effectively with stakeholders, customers, staff, the public and the media.

Twitter will be used to support and promote MDP policing operations and wider force initiatives, including the ongoing roll-out of Project Servator.

Assistant Chief Constable Paul McLaughlin comments:

The launch of the MDP Twitter account marks a progressive step in enhancing the digital footprint of the force. Twitter will play an essential and vital role in supporting Project Servator.

Manufacture of the first three of these new highly capable warships will secure approximately 1700 skilled shipbuilding jobs in Scotland and 1700 jobs throughout the supply chain across Britain until 2035.

Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon said:

The Type 26 Frigate is a cutting-edge warship, combining the expertise of the British shipbuilding industry with the excellence of the Royal Navy. We will cut steel on the first ship later this month – a hugely significant milestone that delivers on our commitment to maintain our global naval power. These ships will be a force to be reckoned with, there to protect our powerful new carriers and helping keep British interests safe across the world.

Backed by a rising defence budget and a £178bn Equipment Plan, the Type 26 programme will bring vast economic benefits to Scotland and the wider UK. The contract is structured to ensure value for taxpayers’ money and, importantly, now designed to protect them from extra bills from project overrun. The investment will secure hundreds of skilled jobs at BAE Systems on the Clyde for the next twenty years, and thousands of jobs in the supply chain across Britain.

These world-class warships will protect the nation’s nuclear deterrent and the Royal Navy’s new aircraft carriers, the first of which, HMS Queen Elizabeth, has recently taken to sea for the first time. The ships specialise in anti-submarine warfare, protecting the UK’s overseas territories and interests across the globe. The flexible design will allow the capabilities to be adapted throughout its lifespan to counter future threats.

The deal also reaffirms the commitment made by the Government in the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR15) to build eight Type 26 ships. The contract for the second batch of five ships is expected to be negotiated in the early 2020s, paving the way to sustain further jobs in Scotland and across the wider supply chain for many years to come. The Type 26 programme will secure the long term future of the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

Admiral Sir Philip Jones, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, said:

For an island nation, dependent on maritime trade, a strong Royal Navy is essential for our national security and economic prosperity. Today there are over 500 submarines in the world operated by 40 navies. As one of the quietest and most potent submarine-hunters of any Navy, the Type 26 will have a crucial role to play to protect the nuclear deterrent and our two new aircraft carriers.

Although designed to fight and win in the most demanding scenarios, they will also work alongside our international partners to protect and promote the United Kingdom’s interests around the world.

The Type 26 will be the most advanced anti-submarine warfare ship in its class around the world. The MOD is exploring potential export opportunities where there is strong interest from international customers.

The contract is specifically structured to motivate both sides to deliver to a successful outcome where both parties share in the pain and gain in the delivery of the programme. This will deliver better value for money for the UK taxpayer.

The MOD spent £1.5 billion with Scottish businesses last year and supports 9,700 jobs across Scotland. The Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth Carriers are being built in Rosyth and the new Offshore Patrol Vessels are under construction in Govan and Scotstoun ahead of this summer’s Type 26 Frigate steel cut.