News story: Iconic Sea King XZ593 gifted to Falkand Islands Museum and National Trust
Sea King XZ593 has been gifted to the Falkland Islands Museum and National Trust (FIMNT) by the Ministry of Defence. The helicopter was officially handed over to Mr Richard Cockwell OBE on behalf of FIMNT, by Commander of British Forces South Atlantic Islands, Commodore Darren Bone RN.
The Sea King helicopter was transported from Mount Pleasant Complex (MPC) to Stanley Airport via Chinook, a task that required specific expertise from the UK. The 35 mile trip took the helicopters along the length of Stanley Harbour, passing the Historic Dockyard and Museum, Victory Green and the Lady Liz shipwreck.
Upon arrival at Stanley Airport, the Sea King was formally presented to the trustees of the FIMNT, along with the aircrafts logbook and a framed photograph. Afterwards visitors at the airport were invited to explore inside the Sea King and Chinook helicopters.
Commodore Bone RN said:
For over a generation, the Sea King has been a reassuring sight across the Falkland Islands. It has gone to the rescue of Islanders, military personnel and numerous fishermen and sailors.
Commodore Bone added:
The Sea King has been a demonstrable link between the British Forces South Atlantic Islands and the Islanders and reflects the close cooperation and interaction that continues between the 2 communities. It is fitting that this aircraft should stay in the Falkland Islands.
Over its 38 years of service, XZ593 clocked up more than 17,400 flying hours. It operated across the United Kingdom and routinely deployed to the Falkland Islands, where Sea Kings had provided military search and rescue cover since 1983. In March 2016, this aircraft conducted the very last Sea King rescue, recovering an injured sailor from a fishing vessel.
Press release: Integrating the Science and Technology Support for the UK’s Defence and Security
An integration has been agreed between the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Home Office’s Centre for Applied Science and Technology (CAST). This has been decided following a review to examine the best way to provide enduring and appropriate science and technology (S&T) support to the Home Office and the MOD. The integration will improve the resilience of the S&T support that makes such a major contribution to the nation’s defence, policing, security and resilience.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Dstl’s Chief Executive, Jonathan Lyle said:
Combining our capabilities will improve the science and technology support for the MOD and Home Office, and enhance the nation’s defence and security. Dstl and CAST already work closely together on key projects such as forensics, body armour and detection systems. We intend to continue to build on this existing close relationship to make the integration process a success.
The Head of CAST, Andy Bell, added:
This development will enable a more joined-up, coherent approach to science and technology provision for security, policing and resilience in the UK. The move will mean that our customers have access to a wider range of scientific and engineering expertise across government, industry and academia, giving broader access to innovative ideas and solutions. There is a lot of hard work to be undertaken before we complete the move, and we will be providing full support to our staff throughout the transition.
The integration is expected to start in 2017 and end by 2020. CAST’s staff and work will move to become part of Dstl, and be primarily based at Porton Down, near Salisbury. An integration programme team will work jointly across Dstl and CAST to support the transfer of staff and capabilities during the transition period, ensuring continuity in support of national security, defence and policy.
News story: Chief of the Defence Staff strengthens UK – Romania Defence ties
He today welcomed to London General Nicolae-lonel Ciucă, Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces, to discuss mutual interests and strengthen Defence ties. This follows Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon’s announcement last year that the UK will send RAF Typhoon aircraft to Romania in support of the NATO Southern Air Policing mission.
General Ciucă and the Chief of the Defence Staff discussed the UK and Romania’s partnership as members of NATO, UK deployments to Romania this year, and possible trade opportunities.
Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said:
The UK shares an important Defence relationship with Romania, both bilaterally, and as part of our membership of NATO.
I was pleased to welcome General Ciucă to the UK, and continue to recognise the key role Romania plays within the Alliance, including their commitment to increase defence spending to meet the 2% of GDP target this year.
To enable the UK’s contribution to NATO Southern Air Policing, RAF Typhoons from RAF Coningsby will be based at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase for up to four months in 2017, the Defence Secretary said at the end of last year.
Additionally, as part of multinational NATO exercises, British land forces will deploy to Romania for various exercises this summer, demonstrating the Alliance’s commitments on the south-eastern flank. Defence Engagement in 2017 will also include a Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer visit to a Romanian port.
Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach added:
Our deployments this year by land, in the air, and at sea, underline the UK’s commitment to working within NATO alongside our Romanian friends.
The UK-Romania relationship was further strengthened by a visit last year by then Romanian Minister of National Defence Mihnea Motoc, who was hosted by the Defence Secretary.
During his visit General Ciucă is also due to visit the Northwood Headquarters, where he will meet senior UK military personnel from the Joint Forces Command and speak to Romanian officers based at the NATO Allied Maritime Command.
RAF Apprenticeship Award
RAF trainers are celebrating being recognised as one of the top 100 employers of apprentices in Britain.
The Service, which currently has 2,700 personnel on its programmes, has provided apprenticeships since its creation in 1918 and in 2014 its scheme was graded ‘outstanding,’ in all areas by the education standards watch dog Ofsted.
Now the RAF has been included on the prestigious Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service.
Group Captain Stephen Dharamraj, Commandant of the Royal Air Force Central Training School, said: “Apprenticeships are an integral part of our training philosophy by which we ensure that our personnel are able to operate at or above that required by their counterparts in industry. This is essential for the Service to succeed wherever it may be called upon to operate.”
• Monday 15 October – Tornados destroyed a Daesh observation post in eastern Syria.
• Wednesday 17 October – Tornados demolished another terrorist observation post in eastern Syria.
• Sunday 21 October – Typhoons struck a Daesh strong-point which was firing at the Syrian Democratic Forces.
• Monday 22 October – Tornados bombed a base for a terrorist improvised explosive device team in eastern Syria.
• Wednesday 24 October – Tornados destroyed an armed truck, and two strong-points which were firing at the Syrian Democratic Forces.
• Friday 26 October – Tornados bombed a further two strong-points with which the Syrian Democratic Forces were engaged in a firefight.
• Sunday 28 October – a Reaper attacked a group of terrorists caught in the open in eastern Syria, whilst Typhoons collapsed the entrance to a cave containing stockpiled weapons in northern Iraq.
Detail
Royal Air Force aircraft have continued to provide support to the Syrian Democratic Forces’ operations against the last significant pocket of Daesh-held territory in the Euphrates valley of eastern Syria. On Monday 15 October, two Tornado GR4s were tasked with the destruction of a terrorist observation post which had been identified to the south-east of Hajin. A single Paveway IV guided bomb was released and this scored a direct hit on the observation post, destroying it. A further such observation post was identified to the north-east of Abu Kamal on Wednesday 17 October, and was again dealt with effectively by a Paveway attack delivered by a Tornado flight. As normal, the Tornados were supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker, based alongside them at RAF Akrotiri.
Typhoon FGR4s provided further support to the SDF on Sunday 21 October. That evening, an SDF advance came under fire from a Daesh strong-point some five miles north-east of Abu Kamal. The Typhoon flight conducted a carefully planned attack with a single Paveway IV, which struck the strong-point and immediately eliminated the threat to the SDF.
Intelligence identified a small building north-east of Abu Kamal as a base for terrorists planting improvised explosive devices. Two Tornados carried out an attack with a Paveway IV on Monday 22 October, which destroyed the target and caused a number of secondary blasts as the explosives inside detonated. On Wednesday 24 October, another Tornado flight provided further close air support to the SDF in the same area. Our aircraft struck a truck, armed with a pair of anti-aircraft guns, with a Paveway; the attack also accounted for a number of terrorists close to the vehicle. The SDF then encountered two successive Daesh strong-points, both of which engaged the SDF at short range. Despite the proximity of the SDF to the two targets, the Tornados were able to strike both of the terrorist positions with Paveway IVs.
Despite very challenging weather, Tornados again supported the SDF north-east of Abu Kamal on Friday 26 October. The SDF reported being in close combat with Daesh positioned in two strong-points. The Tornados had to bomb through cloud, unable to see either the target or the friendly forces close by, but the SDF reported both targets to have been hit accurately by the Paveway IVs. On Sunday 28 October, a Reaper conducted armed reconnaissance over the Abu Kamal area, and carried out a successful attack with a Hellfire missile, striking a group of terrorists spotted manoeuvring through fields. In northern Iraq, a Daesh stockpile of weapons had been identified in a set of caves on a hillside thirty miles north-west of Kirkuk; a Typhoon flight was able to collapse the entrance to the caves using Paveway IVs.
UK contribution to the fight against Daesh
Map of UK forces committed to Operation Shader
Campaign against Daesh
Map of Daesh losses and gains in Iraq and Syria since September 2014
Previous update
With the Syrian Democratic Forces continuing their offensive against the last major pocket of Deash-held territory in eastern Syria, centred on Hajin, Royal Air Force aircraft have provided further intensive support. As in the previous month, a particular focus has been on terrorist positions north-east of Abu Kamal. On Wednesday 3 October, an RAF Reaper detected a Daesh mortar which was firing on SDF forces a short distance away. Two RAF Tornado GR4s were also on task in the area, and they struck the mortar position with a single Paveway IV guided bomb.
The following day, an SDF attack on a Daesh position encountered a truck-bomb which was blocking their advance towards a terrorist strong-point in a nearby building. Tornados destroyed the truck-bomb using a Brimstone missile, then demolished the strong-point with a Paveway IV. Another building in the area was then identified as not only Daesh-held, but a probable facility for further improvised truck-bombs. This target was also destroyed with a Paveway IV.
On Friday 5 October, Typhoons bombed a Daesh command post north-east of Abu Kamal using two Paveway IVs. Nearby, a flight of Tornados supported the SDF, who had come up against a Daesh-held compound. The SDF were very close to the target, but careful coordination allowed the Tornados to strike the two key buildings within the compound with Paveway IVs. A Reaper provided further support in the same area on Saturday 6 October, and an attack delivered with a GBU-12 guided bomb successfully disrupted firing by Daesh on the SDF. Typhoons and Tornados were working further north, near Hajin, and used Paveway IVs and a Brimstone missile to deal with four Daesh mortar positions and a weapons stockpile.
A Reaper’s crew successfully targeted Daesh fighters who had positioned themselves beneath trees in the Hajin area on Sunday 7 October, hitting them with a Hellfire missile. Closer to Abu Kamal, Typhoons meanwhile destroyed a terrorist command post.
Despite bad weather, our aircraft were able to provide effective close air support to the SDF at both the northern and southern ends of the Hajin pocket on Thursday 11 October. North of Hajin, a flight of Typhoons and a flight of Tornados used Paveway IVs to destroy three Daesh-held buildings which the SDF had encountered. In the south, close to the border with Iraq, a second pair of Tornados bombed two groups of terrorists spotted in in the open; one of the attacks also destroyed the extremists’ vehicle.
A Daesh armed truck was spotted north-east of Abu Kamal on Friday 12 October, and was destroyed by a direct hit from a Paveway IV dropped by a Typhoon flight. A pair of Tornados conducted one attack through thick cloud, striking a tunnel – again to the north-east of Abu Kamal – then delivered a second successful attack with two Paveways against a Daesh-held building near Hajin. On Saturday 13 October, Typhoons bombed a Daesh strong-point north of Hajin, whilst Tornados struck a second such defensive position north-east of Abu Kamal. The Tornados also attacked a mortar position and a Daesh command post in the same area, using Paveway IVs.
Our aircraft were able to attack successfully three known terrorist command and control locations on Sunday 14 October, all in and around Hajin. Typhoons dealt with two of the targets, including one where a Daesh attack planning team were reported to be present at the time, whilst Tornados destroyed the third.
