Military news

• Trump says new Air Force One too costly: ‘Cancel order!’

  07-12-2016 03:22 via defencetalk.com
  
  President-elect Donald Trump called Tuesday for the cancellation of a multi-billion dollar Boeing contract to build the next Air Force One, calling the ballooning costs “ridiculous.”...
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• UK has no credible plan to mobilise volunteers in event of war, ex-defence minister admits – as it happened

  24-12-2024 14:02
  
  This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereThe National Farmers’ Union has announced that it will hold a “day of unity” on Saturday 25 January to allow people to show support for its campaign to stop the extension of inheritance tax to cover farms. Its sister organisations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also involved. On that day, its says, “towns in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from Land’s End to Shetland and from th
  
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• More than 10,000 members of UK armed forces ‘not medically deployable’

  24-12-2024 11:29
  
  Answer to written parliamentary question reveals Ministry of Defence figures showing 13,522 are not fit to fightMore than 10,000 people serving in the armed forces are “not medically deployable”, according to figures from the Ministry of Defence .The defence minister, Alistair Carns, revealed in a written parliamentary question that throughout the military, 99,560 service members are medically fully deployable, with 14,350 having limited deployability and 13,522 medically not deploya
  
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• Navantia to buy Titanic builder Harland & Wolff, saving about 1,000 jobs

  19-12-2024 12:30
  Northern Ireland secretary hails rescue deal reached with Spanish state-owned company that secures all four shipyardsA Spanish state-owned shipbuilder will buy Belfast-based Harland & Wolff in a rescue deal that will secure all four of its shipyards and save about 1,000 jobs.Navantia is to acquire H&W’s Belfast shipyard, where the Titanic was built, as well as the Arnish and Methil yards in Scotland and the Appledore site in Devon, ending months of uncertainty for its employees. Co
  
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• Amazon-hosted AI tool for UK military recruitment ‘carries risk of data breach’

  17-12-2024 14:47
  
  Ministry of Defence says risk is low and ‘robust safeguards’ have been put in place by suppliersAn artificial intelligence tool hosted by Amazon and designed to boost UK Ministry of Defence recruitment puts defence personnel at risk of being identified publicly, according to a government assessment.Data used in the automated system to improve the drafting of defence job adverts and attract more diverse candidates by improving the inclusiveness language, includes names, roles and emai
  
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• Keir Starmer to visit British troops on Russia’s border

  17-12-2024 00:04
  
  Prime minister tells Joint Expeditionary Force conference in Estonia that Ukraine requires ‘all the capability it can get’Keir Starmer is to visit British troops serving on Russia’s border after saying that Ukraine will require more funding and capability.The prime minister was speaking at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) conference in Estonia, where he met leaders of other Baltic states. Continue reading...
  
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• UK veterans fired over sexuality to get £70,000 in compensation

  11-12-2024 22:00
  
  MoD launches £75m scheme to recognise ‘moral stain’ of armed forces’ historical ban on homosexualityThousands of British military personnel who were dismissed from service because of their homosexuality will be able to apply for payments worth up to £70,000 each from today, to recognise the distress caused by a ban that applied between 1967 and 2000.Labour ministers have approved the creation of a £75m compensation scheme, nearly a quarter of a century after t
  
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• Former human rights lawyer spared jail after admitting fraud over Iraq war claims

  10-12-2024 18:56
  Phil Shiner pleads guilty to misconduct and dishonesty relating to untruthful allegations against UK combatantsAn award-winning former human rights lawyer has been spared jail after admitting to fraud charges linked to false abuse claims made against war veterans.Phil Shiner, the principal solicitor of the law firm Public Interest Lawyers, was given a two -year suspended sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty in October to misconduct and dishonesty relating to untruthful claims against comba
  
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• British army could be wiped out within six months of Ukraine-scale war, minister warns

  04-12-2024 17:40
  
  Alistair Carns says a casualty rate similar to Russia’s invasion could lead to the army being ‘expended’ within six to 12 monthsThe British army would be wiped out in as little as six months if it was forced to fight a war on the scale of the Ukraine conflict, a defence minister has warned.Alistair Carns said a rate of casualties similar to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would lead to the army being “expended” within six to 12 months. Continue reading...
  
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• UFO expert not ruling out Russia or China links to drones seen at RAF bases

  01-12-2024 00:11
  
  Sightings over three airbases in East Anglia could relate to foreign powers’ concerns about possible nuclear weaponsA British former UFO hunter has said he does not “rule out” recent drone incursions over RAF bases in England being connected to Russia and China and nuclear weapons.Unidentified drones were spotted in November over three airbases in the east of England that are used by the US air force (USAF). Continue reading...
  
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• Daniel Khalife: the spy who blew his own cover – and exposed gaping holes in UK security

  30-11-2024 14:00
  
  When the ex-British army soldier was found guilty last week of passing secrets to Iran, it set off alarm bells over the military’s vulnerability to the threat of infiltrationOn 9 November 2021, a call was made to MI5’s public hotline for reporting national security concerns. The man did not give his name but identified himself as a soldier in the British army – and the concern he was reporting was himself.The anonymous caller told the UK’s domestic security service he had
  
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• Former soldier Daniel Khalife found guilty of spying for Iran

  28-11-2024 13:44
  
  Khalife convicted of two counts relating to espionage, having admitted to prison escape while on remandDaniel Khalife: fantasist or player in world of spies?A former soldier whose prison escape led to a prolonged manhunt in 2023 has been convicted of spying for Iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax.Daniel Khalife was found guilty of two counts relating to his espionage on Thursday. Wearing a blue shirt and pale trousers in court, he calmly put his glasses back on as the verdicts were read
  
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• War widows campaigner found guilty of assaulting her new partner

  26-11-2024 19:40
  
  Christina Plumb, 49, whose former husband was killed by the Taliban, attacked Adam Plumb in a drunk rageA woman who became a prominent campaigner for military personnel after her husband was killed by a Taliban bomb has been found guilty of assaulting her new partner.Christina Plumb, whose late husband Olaf Schmid was a bomb disposal expert, hit, kicked and bit Adam Plumb at their home in Devon, a judge heard. Continue reading...
  
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• Unidentified drones spotted over three UK airbases, US air force confirms

  23-11-2024 22:09
  Unmanned aerial systems seen over RAF bases in Suffolk and Norfolk but US air force does not know if they were hostileUnidentified drones were spotted over three airbases in Britain used by the US air force (USAF)“Small unmanned aerial systems” were seen between 20 and 22 November over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk. Continue reading...
  
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• The west’s reckless escalation of the war in Ukraine will cause more suffering, for no strategic gain | Simon Jenkins

  21-11-2024 16:34
  Putin is an isolated dictator, devoid of scruple. Firing missiles into Russia will only lead to more hardship for the people of UkraineThis is how big wars start, when small ones go wrong. Nato politicians are deliberately playing with fire along the Ukrainian frontier, as UK-made missiles have been launched into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict. The attack came a day after Kyiv used US-supplied long-range weapons to strike within Russia. Every military comment on Br
  
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• Ukraine fires UK-made missiles into Russia for first time

  20-11-2024 21:38
  Storm Shadow missile attack comes day after Kyiv used US-supplied long-range weapons to strike within RussiaUkraine has fired UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, multiple sources have told the Guardian.The decision to approve the strikes was made in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine, which UK and US officials warned was a significant escalation of the near three-ye
  
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• Defence secretary announces scrapping of £500m of vessels and drones to cut costs

  20-11-2024 21:06
  John Healey said some had already been decommissioned in practice and confirmed retirement of some helicoptersThe defence secretary, John Healey, has announced he will scrap British navy vessels and army drones as part of £500m in cost-saving measures in what was described as a “black day” for the new government.Two former Royal Navy flagships, a frigate and two support tankers will be decommissioned, with the savings reinvested into the defence budget. Healey blamed the move o
  
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• Russia’s updated nuclear ‘red line’ adds uncertainty: experts

  20-11-2024 16:23 via defencetalk.com
  
  DefenceTalkRussia’s new nuclear doctrine reflects its hopes to deter Ukraine’s allies from a greater role in the war by establishing red lines hedged with added ambiguity, experts say. Moscow warned on Tuesday that it would respond after Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at its territory for the first time, as President Vladimir Putin issued a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russias-updated-nuclear-red-line-adds-uncertainty-experts-80514/
  
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• Iraq accuses Israel of seeking pretext for future attack

  20-11-2024 16:10 via defencetalk.com
  
  DefenceTalkIraq has accused Israel of attempting to legitimize an attack on its territory, after the Israeli foreign ministry protested to the United Nations about attacks by Iraqi militants. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of armed groups backed by Iran, has claimed almost daily drone attacks targeting Israel in recent months, which they […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iraq-accuses-israel-of-seeking-pretext-for-future-attack-80510/
  
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• Russia vows response after Ukraine fires long-range US missiles

  20-11-2024 16:00 via defencetalk.com
  
  DefenceTalkRussia warned on Tuesday that it would respond after Ukraine fired longer-range US missiles at its territory for the first time, as President Vladimir Putin issued a nuclear threat on the 1,000th day of the war. A senior official told AFP that a strike on Russia’s Bryansk region earlier on Tuesday “was carried out by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-vows-response-after-ukraine-fires-long-range-us-missiles-80506/
  
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• White horse that bolted through London traffic returns to royal duties

  16-11-2024 14:05
  
  Equine charity says Vida has recovered ‘physically and emotionally’ while under their care in the countrysideA white military horse that galloped through central London drenched in blood after bolting with other horses from routine exercises has returned home after more than six months of recovery, a charity has said.Vida was one of five horses that bolted near Buckingham Palace on 24 April after becoming spooked by noise from a nearby construction site and ran for several miles thro
  
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• CPS has spent 18 months considering charges over Deepcut barracks deaths

  11-11-2024 14:19
  Police last year recommended charging ex-officer with misconduct over deaths of soldiers at barracksProsecutors have spent 18 months considering whether to charge a former army instructor at Deepcut barracks where five recruits died more than 20 years ago.A file recommending that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charge a former member of the Royal Logistic Corps for misconduct in a public office was sent last year but prosecutors said they were still unable to provide guidance on when a decis
  
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• King Charles to lay wreath and lead nation in Remembrance Sunday silence

  10-11-2024 07:00
  Prince and Princess of Wales will join the king and senior politicians to remember those who have died in conflictKing Charles will lay wreaths at the Cenotaph and lead the nation in a two-minute silence at 11am to remember the dead who gave their lives in two world wars as well as those who have died in other conflicts involving British and Commonwealth forces.The Prince and Princess of Wales will join the king and senior politicians for the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph to ho
  
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• Boost UK defence spending to win Trump’s support, former navy chief urges Starmer

  09-11-2024 14:14
  Lord West says Republican victory is chance to show Britain is willing to prioritise military by allocating 3% of GDPKeir Starmer is being urged to consider an emergency cash injection into defence and to accelerate Britain’s planned review of its military capabilities before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.Senior defence figures are now assessing how Trump’s victory will shape a strategic defence review (SDR) that was already under way in Whitehall, whose findings are
  
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• Remembering black and Asian soldiers who died in the two world wars | Letters

  08-11-2024 19:06
  Dr John Hopkin and Chris Hardy on commemorating the troops from South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean who served in the warsReaders wishing to commemorate black and Asian soldiers might head to the Memorial Gates, near Hyde Park Corner in London, on Remembrance Day. The Gates remember the 5 million volunteers from South Asia, Africa and the Caribbean who served in the two world wars, including Khudadad Khan, a recipient of the Victoria Cross (Push for black and Asian soldiers’ input in worl
  
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• Lancashire memorial to first world war hero given Grade II-listed status

  07-11-2024 06:00
  Stone memorial at church in Withnell tells story of Pte James Miller who was killed at Battle of Somme in 1916A granite stone cross in the boundary wall of an otherwise ordinary English churchyard has been given listed status because of the “extraordinary” story it reveals of first world war heroism.Most war memorials are dedicated to numbers of people, but the memorial at Saint Paul’s church in Withnell, Lancashire, is dedicated to just one. Continue reading...
  
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• Has poppymania gone too far?

  05-11-2024 06:00
  
  Over the past 20 years, the symbol of remembrance for the war dead has become increasingly ubiquitous – and a culture of poppy policing has grown with itIn autumn 2003, about six months after Britain invaded Iraq, Paul Mace had a thought: what if we put poppies on football shirts? Mace, who was then executive director of Leicester City, had always felt strongly about the annual poppy appeal – his father had served in the second world war – and this, he hoped, would bring it to
  
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• Taiwan detects 37 Chinese aircraft near island

  04-11-2024 03:51 via defencetalk.com
  
  DefenceTalkTaiwan said it detected 37 Chinese fighter jets, drones and other aircraft near the self-ruled island on Sunday as Beijing carried out “long-distance” training flights. China has ramped up military activity around Taiwan in recent years as Beijing pressures Taipei to accept its claims of sovereignty over the island. The Chinese aircraft were spotted from […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taiwan-detects-37-chinese-aircraft-near-island-80498/
  
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• US bomber joins air drill with South Korea, Japan

  04-11-2024 03:47 via defencetalk.com
  
  DefenceTalkSouth Korea, Japan, and the United States on Sunday conducted a joint air drill involving a heavy bomber, Seoul’s military said, in response to North Korea’s latest long-range missile test. The exercise took place three days after Pyongyang launched one of its most powerful and advanced solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), which experts say could […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-bomber-joins-air-drill-with-south-korea-japan-80494/
  
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• Navantia pressing MoD for improved terms in Harland & Wolff rescue deal

  03-11-2024 17:23
  Belfast shipyard can save as many as 1,000 jobs if discussions between London and Madrid are a successA Spanish state-owned shipbuilder is reportedly pressing the UK government for improved terms on a deal to supply the Royal Navy with three vessels, in talks that could prove key to rescuing the Belfast shipyard that built the Titanic.Navantia, owned by the Spanish government, is poised to buy Belfast-based Harland & Wolff (H&W) in a deal that could save up to 1,000 jobs. Continue readin
  
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